July 2025 News

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One of the highlights of the past month was the annual celebration of the Feast Day of St Benedict, which we shared with the resident Volmoed community and the Volmoed staff. A festal Eucharist at noon was followed by a fine catered meal. The awareness that this would almost certainly be the last such celebration we would host at Volmoed in this way added a certain poignancy to the occasion, and we took the opportunity to express our gratitude for the hospitality and support we have experienced during our time here. Br Josias received Rev Dr Robert Marankey from Cape Town as an Associate of Holy Cross during the Eucharistic celebration.

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Thursdays at Volmoed – 31 July 2025 – Sermon by Br Josias

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Psalm 84

In the name of God, the Creator, the Redeemer and the Sustainer. Amen!

“My soul has a desire and longing to enter the courts of the Lord: with my whole being I sing for joy to the living God”.[1]

When the soul has a desire for the house of the Lord, it could mean one of two things. From a traditional point of view, the psalm ties the presence of God to the temple. So, from the onset, the psalmist might be saying he longs for the presence of God and may only find God in the temple. Of course, that might not be the case today. But there was a time when temple/church became the central point to have an intimate relationship with God. The psalmist believed the temple to be a place he could re-establish his relationship with God. His appreciation for God’s house is not simply because it is beautiful. His soul longs for God’s presence, and even faints when denied the privilege of meeting with God among His people.  

On the other hand, longing for the house of the Lord could also mean he just needed a place to feel safe. As the psalmist goes on to say, one day spent in your Temple is better than a thousand anywhere else; I would rather stand at the gate of the house of my God than live in the homes of the wicked. [2] Some scholars suggest that this psalm could have been written before or after the Babylonian exile. [3] Which makes me think the psalmist’s desire to stand at the gate of the temple is simple a desire for safety or security. Clearly, he wants a different environment from what he is used to.

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Thursdays at Volmoed – 31 July 2025 – Sermon by Br Josias Read More »

Reflection for Sunday 27 July 2025 – Pentecost VII – by Br Aelred

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Scripture Readings

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, our Strength and our Redeemer. Amen.

Today, we meet Jesus as he is returning from the place where He went to go and pray. We are shown how important that sacred time with God was to Him.

From that encounter, His disciples might have seen this beautiful intimacy that He had with His Father, and they too might have yearned and longed for that intimacy, hence the request: Lord, teach us how to pray?

We receive this morning Luke’s account of Jesus’ response.

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Reflection for Sunday 27 July 2025 – Pentecost VII – by Br Aelred Read More »

Pentecost V – 13 July 2025 – Sermon by Br Daniel

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Scripture Readings

Those of you who have been around the monks since Thursday would have heard a lot about St Benedict, since Benedictines worldwide celebrated his Feast Day on Friday, the 11th of July. I won’t repeat all that was said, except that he lived in very turbulent times in 6th century Italy and was fairly disgusted by the way society had collapsed around him. Sounds familiar? Except, unlike us, he withdrew to a cave to find himself and, fortunately for us, he found so much more than just himself.

So, as a Benedictine monk, with the above in mind, I pondered what St Benedict would have to say to us in today’s world about today’s Gospel reading. My guess is, as in all things, he would have admonished the example of Jesus, and of course, prayer.

Let us then look at this familiar story of the Good Samaritan and see how it challenges us to live out our faith with love and compassion, and how St Benedict might lead us in a way of life grounded in humility, community, and attentive listening to God and neighbour.

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Sermon for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

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Scripture Readings

Today’s Gospel reading continues from last week’s, with Jesus having set out resolutely towards Jerusalem and all that awaits him there, now wanting to spread the good news of the kingdom of God on earth to as many places and people as possible. He sends out seventy people in pairs to prepare the way for him, giving them authority to represent him in advance of his arrival, and they later return to him, overjoyed with the experience of having put that authority to good use.

The seventy have been privileged to bring the kingdom of God close to those whom they have encountered, whether these have welcomed them or not. They have brought gifts of peace and healing to those who were willing and able to receive them, and they have received hospitality in return. There has been a sharing of life in the kingdom, and God’s will has been done on earth as it is in heaven.

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June 2025 News

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Before our Order’s annual Chapter meeting formally began at our Holy Cross Monastery near West Park, in upstate New York in the USA, the entire group of six junior monks (including the three from South Africa) were taken by Br Ephrem for a day of hiking and sightseeing in the Catskills. This was a good time of being together for all of them.

The actual Chapter meeting included the passing of resolutions on various aspects of our life, presentations on such matters as the Order’s financial situation, our Holy Cross School near Makhanda in the Eastern Cape, and the journey towards a new home for the community currently at St Benedict’s Priory in South Africa. There were also elections to positions on the Order’s Council. Br Roger continues to serve on the Council for another year, as does Br Scott. The Council met several times while we were all over there.

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Sermon for the Third Sunday after Pentecost by Br Mpumelelo

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Scripture Readings

Let us pray: Show us Your ways, O Lord; teach us Your paths. Lead us in Your truth and teach us, for You are the GOD of our salvation; on You we wait all the day. Amen.

Today’s Gospel is about JESUS’ journey to Jerusalem to accomplish His work of salvation there. That is where JESUS would give up His life to save people from sin. Then He would rule as King from Heaven. A village in Samaria refused to let JESUS stay there while He travelled to Jerusalem, as we know that Jews had no dealings with Samaritans, but JESUS didn’t punish them. Even though His two disciples James and John in their zeal wanted to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them. No wonder JESUS gave them the nickname “Sons of Thunder”. It is because of their passionate and sometimes fiery personalities. So at this point they were indignant at this rejection. They viewed it as a grave insult to JESUS, without knowing that JESUS was ready to face any challenges or adversity for the salvation of the world. That’s why He rebuked them for their suggestion, demonstrating that His way is not one of vengeance or destruction, but of love and redemption. He shows them that they do not understand the true nature of His Kingdom and that the Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s lives but to save them. As John the Evangelist would say, “For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For GOD did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

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Sermon for the Third Sunday after Pentecost by Br Mpumelelo Read More »

Sermon by Br Josias for the Second Sunday after Pentecost

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Scripture Readings

In the name of God, the Creator, the Redeemer and Sanctifier. Amen!

“The greatest disease in the World today is not TB or leprosy or HIV; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love.”[1]

This is one of my favourite quotes from Saint Teresa of Calcutta. The only cure for despair and hopelessness is love. I think those words resonate well with what Jesus is doing in the gospel passage this morning. We are told that when he got out of the boat at the country of the Gerasenes, opposite Galilee, he was met by a man of the city who had demons.[2]

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Sermon by Br Josias for the Second Sunday after Pentecost Read More »

May 2025 News

News from the Priory / /

This past month, Br Mpumelelo was able to enjoy time with family and friends in KZN, including a visit to the Sisters of the Community of Jesus’ Compassion. After his return, our monastic community enjoyed a braai lunch together while celebrating Br Mpumelelo’s birthday with him. Earlier that same weekend, we had also enjoyed a time of celebration of Esther de Gruchy’s birthday together with her family and friends.

Br Josias hosted a first online session of South African Associates meeting together to begin discussing the book, A Hidden Wholeness (The Journey Toward an Undivided Life) by Parker J Palmer. The Associates will continue the book discussion on a monthly basis. Br Josias continued to spend time at the local Ithemba special-needs centre most weeks.

Br Aelred participated in another module of the online Spiritual Direction course he has been attending. Brothers continued to provide spiritual accompaniment to individuals online.

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May 2025 News Read More »

Sermon by Br Josias for the Fifth Sunday of Easter

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Scripture Readings

In the name of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Jesus spent most of his time on earth modelling a way of maintaining good relationship with God, a way of seeking justice for those in the margins of society and a way of living in harmony with God’s creation. With many teachings and his active ministry, he tried to form a moral community. The Bible tells us that he chose 12 ordinary men whom he later called friends, because he shared with them all that God revealed to him.[1] He was not interested in creating a social group just to hang-out with, he was building a group that will effect change and thus change the world view of their time.  

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Sermon by Br Josias for the Fifth Sunday of Easter Read More »

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