Brother Antonio Bravo Lara, 63, a monk of Mount Saviour Monastery, Elmira, NY, died on August 30, 2023, at the Arnot Hospital in Elmira, NY. Born in Veracruz, Mexico, the son of Petra Lara and Aristeo Bravo, Brother Antonio was educated in Veracruz and studied theology at the San Jose Seminary. After school he entered … More Rest In Peace Brother Antonio
From a fellow Oblate … I have been pretty fragile emotionally ever since our daughter-in-law gave birth to a stillborn son recently. Now Advent is upon us and, of course, Advent is all about anticipating the birth of a son! It has triggered a lot of raw emotions and perplexity. How do I welcome Advent when the experience … More Entering Advent in a Time of Deep Grief
A recent visitor to Mount Saviour sent a letter regarding the spiritual benefits from his retreat, most especially the journey as an oblate novice. He added a copy of what he has shared with others, regarding Benedictine Spirituality. A portion of it follows…. “What can Benedict teach us in 2022? As it is the New Year, … More What can Benedict Teach us in 2022?
By Fr. Michael Perry It doesn’t take a great stretch of imagination to see the story of Jesus previewed in the story of Abraham and Isaac An obedient Son Obedient unto death, even death on the wood he has carried. Like Jesus, obedient to His Father. To die on the cross that He carried. To … More Our Tabor is also transfigured
”It is the silence of eternity that unites the soul with God.” Sister Marie Aimee de Jesus The air was chilled; winds bent the branches of the trees carrying the low hanging clouds across a grey sky as his Brother Monks bore Brother Justin along the pathway, to the repeated single toll of the tower … More Welcome Home
Dear Sister and Brother Oblates of Mount Saviour Monastery, Sadly, on April 4th, our Benedictine brother, Br Justin M. Raphael Young died suddenly. The opening lines of William Couper’s poem reads: “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.” Br. Justin lived his life with the wonder of God as his center and … More Brother Justin OSB
Dearest sisters and brothers, Oblates of Mount Saviour; Professed Community members; those in discernment; and friends: My note is to express deep disappointment at not being able to join you for our annual retreat 2024 in praising God, in “preferring nothing to the love of Christ”; in getting renewed by the Gospels, in silence and contemplation, … More Prayers for Retreatants (and Regrets for Absence) at the Oblate Retreat 2024
To the Brothers and my fellow Oblates of Mount Saviour Monastery From a Carthusian come these words: “On one level (for the solitary) there is restriction of life: information, social contact, exchange of ideas, affective relationships, variety of interests, all of these deliberately lessened. To what purpose? Surely this represents a diminution, if not a … More Letter From An Oblate
submitted by Oblate Robert Hill – Br. Nicholas “PREFER NOTHING TO THE LOVE OF CHRIST” RULE OF ST. BENEDICT: CHAPTER 4. Since this feast day, the “passing” of St Benedict into Paradise, is always during Lent, another commemoration date was set when Pope Paul VI declared St. Benedict the Patron of Europe at the rededication of the Church … More The Transitus of St Benedict
Sharing a few photos from the October 2023 Mount Saviour Oblate Retreat
By Victor Kralisz 1.Wake Ring the bell, Bother, Strain those hands Against corded rope. Make a noise of meaning – Peal it so the clapper Clangs its sides, Reverberates through valley Calling. Call us, Brother, Knowing but always Never not knowing What will happen. 2.Vigils At still shaded hour of night Begin the day In … More Eight Monk Songs
Catholic ideas about reverence are grounded, unsurprisingly, in the Old Testament, where there are two Hebrew words for it: “yare” and “shachah”. The first one usually gets translated as “fear” or “awe”; the second is, literally, “falling down” and indicates bowing or prostration (i.e., face down on the ground in humility, submission, or adoration). These … More Reverence
By Fr. Michael Perry When you and I make a promise we seal it by saying: I give you my word. That’s why year after year we celebrate Christmas because year after year – in case we forget or may have forgotten- God reassures us that the Word that was given in the beginning is … More Christmas Sermon
This clear, fresh afternoon of brilliant fall ,Delights our spirit with new cool air and sun .white clouds above hang quiet and enthrall . There is no wind. We easily go out to run The humming bird does find a fragrant flower;It’s trip so far; we cannot fathom how.The deer, now, finds the corn behind … More Autumn Day
The Oblates of Mount Saviour Monastery 