Community of Divine Love

05/28/2026

Dawn comes with the freshness of that first day of creation. May my worship at the beginning of this day be united with that of birds and wild animals, with clouds and sky. With gratitude and wonder, for the rich gift of life itself, I enter into this day in prayer:
O Divine Giver of Life in whom we breathe and live, show yourself to me today in countless ways. And grant me the grace to bow in wonder and in joy wherever and whenever I discover you. Boldly trace your sacred sign upon me in love as I begin this day in your holy name and in the name of your So and in the abiding presence of your Spirit, One God forever and ever.
Amen +
EDWARD HAYS
Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim

05/06/2026

PRAYER
by Brother Dennis

Being alone in silence with God is my preferred way to pray. There is something about the space of solitude that settles the soul and invites the Quieting of God. The important thing is to remain open and true to yourself. God will meet you there.

This is not to say that I do not value prayer spoken with words. I do. In the monastery or in church gatherings, there are many prayers that we say together, and they help connect us in a communal way to God. In group worship, the intercessory prayers have a way of gathering the hearts of all present and bringing power to prayer in a way that is different than praying on one’s own. Once while attending the Alcoholics Anonymous World Convention in Minneapolis, I held hands along with 50,000 people gathered in the Metrodome reciting the Lord’s Prayer. It was exhilarating. I will never forget the stunning awareness of the Holy Spirit moving through that moment. Still, as amazing as that moment was, the Divine Spirit moves just as powerfully in the individual heart with the same quiet exhilaration.

In over two decades as a jail chaplain, I have prayed with thousands of my friends living behind the wall. I have felt the grace of God quiver our hearts and wet the faces of suffering with tears, cleansing our souls. We have held each other so close that it is hard to distinguish one trembling heartbeat from the other. Men have collapsed into my arms as I buoyed the weight of their sorrow and contrition. In these moments, life has never felt so real. We have never felt so seen by each other and felt so utterly loved by God. This is the power of prayer. It’s not about just asking God to remove our suffering; it is about the opening of ourselves to allow for the grace and comfort of God who is in the thick of it with us – in full solidarity with us.

READ MORE HERE
https://www.cdlmonks.org/post/prayer

11/19/2025

John 18:33-38

The scriptural account of the exchange between Jesus and Pilot feels fitting in that it speaks of kings and of truth, both of which are relevant to the times in which we live. Ours is a time when many people are resisting the desire of the one who seems thirsty for power and eager to wear the crown of a king. This is also a time when there are big questions about what is truth.
I have learned that scripture does not have all the answers but instead filled with questions for us - questions that will lead us to truth that is within us. And so it is with this teaching from Jesus. He doesn’t give us any easy answers but instead challenges us with questions. What makes a true king? Are they one who holds power over the people or one who empowers the people? Is a true king one who strives to control people with fear, or one who strives for justice and leads with compassion?
What about truth? How can we discern what is true from what is false? One thing I know is that truth is not confusing, but clear and sometimes simple. Truth strikes at the heart of the matter. Maybe that is why Rumi once said, “Follow your heart, it knows the way.” As for me, I often say that one of the best things about truth is you only have one story to remember.
The thing about Jesus is he was and is steady in truth. His power was in that he continually gave it away to the people. He resisted the label of King and yet this man of no reputation - the poor one from Nazareth - is one of the most powerful and revered spiritual leaders of all time.
Some of his last words before he left this earth were “Forgive them for they know not what they do.” Those haunting words are as true today as they were over two thousand years ago. And they were not from an imperial king, but from a true spiritual leader of the people, for the people.
In all of this, Jesus, as he did with Pilot, refuses to give us answers. But he continues to challenge us with important questions, the answers of which can be found if we look closely enough into the mirror of ourselves and our society.

09/27/2025

Today we remember Brother Nicholas Radelmiller of the Order of Holy Cross who died on this day in 2014. He was our monastic advisor from our very beginning and through the early years of our formation as a religious community.
Brother Nick was born on November 18, 1939; Life Professed on April 5, 1975; and died on September 27, 2014, just weeks before our Life Profession.
Holy Cross remains as our mentoring community to this day, thanks in large part to Brother Nick who took under his wing.

The photo below was taken at our Initial Novice Vows in 2010.

Rest in peace, dear brother. You taught us so much and lovingly guided us. As you rest in God, know that the good work that you began with us continues. Your spirit is with us every day. Amen.

09/27/2025

"There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these." - 1 Timothy 6:6-8

I feel that through this scripture God is reminding me that the way to Godly living and contentment is through our vow of poverty and and humility. - Brother Dennis

08/26/2025

In the Los Angeles County jails where I was a chaplain for 13 years, some of the chaplains in the facility were hypocrites. They acted devout yet they berated the women and threatened them with hell and damnation. They told the women that if they were gay, they would go to hell forever and never know God. Many women came up to me and said that if this is Christianity, they wanted nothing to do with it. They sought out the Buddhist Chaplains instead.
But what is more important than pointing out the hypocrisy of others is for me to reflect on my own. Where do I not see my own hypocrisy? Who do I judge and how do I contradict the commandments to love?

READ MORE: https://www.cdlmonks.org/post/jesus-the-liberator

Sister Greta

Luke 13:10-17In Luke’s Gospel we hear the story of the healing of the crippled woman. This poor woman had been bent over and unable to stand up straight for eighteen years. It is unusual for Jesus to initiate a healing without being asked, but when he saw her, he must have felt great compassion fo...

09/26/2024

As we enter into Autumn we invite you to join us for SACRAMENTUM.
SACRAMENTUM is a online contemplative experience that aims to draw participants into a sense of the Divine using imagery, music, sacred texts, and silence. Similar to iconography that is intended to draw one into an intimate experience with the Divine, Sacramentum offers a sacred space for the group experience on Zoom.
This 45 minute Autumn event will include scripture, poetry, prayers and psalms from Edward Hays, video liturgy from The Work of the People, and feature chanting/music from Deva Premal and Yusuf.
Simply join the Zoom call and sit back and welcome this sacred autumn offering.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
7:30PM Pacific
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83435399201

07/11/2024

Today we bow in honor of our Holy Father Benedict on his Feast Day. We give thanks for Benedict’s inspiration to the monastic life.

“When monks and nuns commit themselves entirely to God in the solemn act of monastic profession it is as though they change their citizenship. Now they are citizens of heaven, living in an extraterritorial outpost that medieval authors termed the ‘cloister paradise.’ Monastic living is, however, more than a question of location. Beyond prolonged residence in the place, commitment is demanded. This, in turn, implies more than mere punctiliousness in obeying the laws and observing local customs. It asks us to take on a new identity and to be reshaped according to a different culture. This refashioning must come from within. It cannot be superimposed by external pressure on an otherwise recalcitrant individuality. From the very beginning the candidate to monastic life is asked to consent to a different world-view, where previous priorities are turned upside down and a lifelong process of unlearning, learning, and relearning is initiated.”

- MICHAEL CASEY Monk of Tarrawarra

06/19/2024

Beloved Creator, your light heralds the beginning of a new day. In thanksgiving, we come before you in prayer:

Nurture all people with the prayer of love and community.

Keep all leaders, including those in the Church, from the deception of self-righteousness and guide them in the way of humility.

Take our preoccupation with wealth and comfort and transform it by the light of the Gospel.

Free us from selfishness and strengthen us for the work of loving one another.

Amen.

05/28/2024

Let the peoples praise you, oh God;
let all the peoples praise you.