Reflecting on our blessings this Thanksgiving, we have abundant things to be grateful for: Our vocation to sing the praises of God every day; the young women who are currently discerning their vocations with our community; our families, oblates, friends, and benefactors, who are so generous to us; and the wonderful harvest our land produced this year. Let us not forget that the word “Eucharist” means “Thanksgiving.” God incarnate, made present on our altar every day, is the greatest gift of all.
A reflection by our Abbess, Mother Maria-Michael Newe, OSB
On October 5, 2025, we gathered to celebrate the final oblations of six of our oblates. During the ceremony, Mother Maria-Michael emphasized the steadfast presence of our guardian angels in our prayer, our work, and our lives. Below is an abridged form of her address to the community of oblates and nuns of the Abbey of St. Walburga.
We’re happy to see our oblate novices as they make their transition into becoming oblates. It’s a gift, and we can count on this in so many ways. What I want to remind you of is, in the Rule of St. Benedict, we find stability, conversion of life, and obedience. This creates the boundaries of our lives — to keep us on the straight and narrow path to eternal life with God.
In the last few days, we have celebrated in the liturgy of the Church the feasts of the angels: the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael (whom I adore!) on September 29, and the Guardian Angels on October 2. Both of these celebrations have such a flavor of the Benedictine life: the ora et labora (prayer and work).
Seeking His face
If you’re wondering about the ora of the angels, you can find it here! They keep you safe and have you covered, because they love you. Our guardian angels guarantee that we get to Heaven. They were made from their beginning to serve each soul, personally. They watch your every moment. God sends them to keep us in all our ways (cf. Ps. 91:11). By celebrating the Divine Office of these feasts, it was so clear that our Benedictine life is truly meant to mirror the lives of the angels — those pure heavenly spirits to which Jesus refers in the Gospel of Matthew: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father” (Matt. 18:10). How powerful is that, that the one interceding for you is seeing the face of God which we love. In Psalm 27:8, we read, “Seek his face.” Seek Him. Seek His face in everyone. Seek His face.
I will tell you how important it is to seek God in one another — because, as we know, when we serve God, we serve other people. Remember how important that is to Christ: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matt. 25:40). And St. Benedict refers to the angels in Chapter 7 on humility. We read how the angels “appear descending and ascending” (Gen. 28:12). “If we want to reach the highest summit of humility… we must set up that latter on which Jacob in a dream saw… Without doubt, this descent and ascent can signify only that we descend by exaltation and ascend by humility. Now the ladder erected is our life on earth, and if we humble our hearts the Lord will raise it to heaven” (RB 7.5-8).
Do not let Heaven slip you by.
Likewise, it is Chapter 19 that tells us how we should say the Divine Office. It tells us how to pray to God. It says, “We believe that the divine presence is everywhere” (RB 19.1). Do you believe that? Do you think God is absent sometimes — that he doesn’t see you?
He does. He sees every moment.
We believe this to be true when we are assisting at the work of God. The Rule continues: “We must always remember, therefore, what the Prophet says: ‘Serve the Lord with fear’ (Ps. 2:11), and… ‘In the presence of the angels I will sing to you’ (Ps. 138:1). Let us consider, then, how we ought to behave in the presence of God and his angels, and let us stand to sing the psalms in such a way that our minds are in harmony with our voices” (RB 19:3-7).
At their final oblation, our oblates receive the Divine Office, uniting their prayers with those of our community, the world, and the angels of Heaven.
Prayer in the presence of the angels
Yes, we sing the Divine Office in the presence of the angels. We sing within Heaven as well. An intimate bond links the earthly world with the celestial world. Above, the angels celebrate a perpetual liturgy, to which is united here below the liturgy of the Church. Supernatural presences surround us.
“The Divine Office is intimately connected with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Just as the Mass is continuously offered to God all over the world each day, so also is the Divine Office. At every hour of every day these communal prayers of the Church render glory to God and unite us with the saving work of Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world.” (“How To Pray (and Understand) the Liturgy of the Hours”)
How important that Divine Office is! And I want to say it because the Church used to pray it in the Middle Ages — not just the religious. It was the whole Church. Now, the Benedictines are at the forefront of this: we are given the Divine Office to pray. We are given Heaven here on earth. What a gift.
Here I have something from a Catholic site: The heavenly liturgy is described as a “mystical bridge that unites the earthly [worship of the Church] with the divine [worship in Heaven]”. It is a celebration that brings the entire union of saints, angels, and the faithful departed who participate in the praise of God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes that the liturgy “is an ‘action’ of the whole Christ,” where the faithful are invited to partake in the salvific mystery of Christ (CCC 1136).
I think it’s so important that the Lamb of God is present — that God is present. We’re not just singing to each other. We’re singing to God. And it is due to Him as our creator to praise Him.
The reason we’re speaking about the Mass and the Divine Office because it has that presence. When Catholics celebrate Mass, they’re not merely participating in a ritual, but rather entering into a “foretaste of [the] heavenly liturgy” (Sacrosanctum Concilium 8). This experience is rooted in the fact that the Mass is part of the eternal worship of God, where Christ, the Lamb of God, is present.
There was a specific time, the feast of All Saints, we had a glorious Vespers. It was as if Heaven poured in. As we processed out, I wasn’t sure if Heaven wasn’t here, and we couldn’t just go up. We were so surrounded by Heaven. I could feel the saints, and especially one who had passed away not so long ago. He was present, as if he wanted to say, “I made it! I’m here!” How powerful, that we pray the Divine Office. It is no small thing. What a gift we have received.
Prayer without ceasing
Let us be reminded of the dignity to which we are called: to pray with the angels and saints and so to participate in the heavenly liturgy which never ceases.
Let us remember never to let it cease in our hearts. You are given a piece of Heaven when you are given your book of prayer — a piece of Heaven. Be faithful to pray it. Wherever you are, remember: your guardian angel prays with you, who sees the very face of God. You are praying with the angels. That is the dignity with which we pray the Office.
Let us also mirror the angels as they participate in the heavenly liturgy. Can you imagine the angels saying, “I don’t want to pray today!” That would be abhorrent. But that wouldn’t happen in Heaven. God is ever present. They are ever singing the praise of God. Be sure of it.
We can only imagine the reverence, humility, and purity as the angels stand before the throne of God as your guardians. Remember that: it is with pure reverence and nothing less.
In addition to receiving the Divine Office, oblates are presented with a Benedictine scapular as a constant reminder that they are always clothed with Christ as his witnesses in their words and work.
As St. Benedict writes about reverence in Chapter 20, “Whenever we want to ask some favor of a powerful man, we do it humbly and respectfully… How much more important, then, to lay our petitions before the Lord God of all things with the utmost humility and sincere devotion. We must know that God regards our purity of heart and tears of compunction, not our many words” (RB 20.1-3). The Psalmist says, “My tears have become my bread” (Ps. 42:4).
How do you practice reverence? How do you practice the core of who you are? Reverence is the mark of a Benedictine. The word means “to revere God” — to love and honor God with our whole heart, our whole soul, and our whole strength (cf. Mk. 12:30). May you teach others by your example, what it means to be reverent. May reverence for God transform your lives and our lives. In everything you do, bear reverence to God’s creation.
Remember, when you grow in reverence, your life changes. I wish you the very best, and I wish for you all the graces of this day never to stop being poured out.
“I thank you, Lord, with all my heart; you have heard the words of my mouth. in the presence of the angels I praise you.” (Ps. 138:1)
We invite you to join you in prayer for those who made their final oblation this fall, asking St. Benedict and their guardian angels to intercede for them in their continued journey of living our Benedictine spirituality in the world.
Click here to learn more about our oblate program at the Abbey of St. Walburga.
The 2026 Abbey of St. Walburga wall calendar features photos of our Sisters performing the ordinary, and not-so-ordinary, daily tasks of monastic life. The Benedictine motto, “Ora et Labora” (“Prayer and Work,” in Latin) is the featured theme for this year, and each of the photos highlights a quote from the Holy Rule of St. Benedict. It notes the days of the Church’s liturgical seasons, together with days commemorated by the Order of St. Benedict, as they are observed by our community.
The cost is $14.00 per calendar + shipping.
To place an order, please send an email to aswgiftshop@gmail.com or call (970) 472-0612.
A reflection by Mother Maria-Michael Newe, OSB, on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated every year on August 15
Titian, Assumption of the Virgin, 1518 Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice Public Domain
“Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.” The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 966
The meaning of the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary is that of culmination and a new beginning. With Our Lady’s Assumption into heaven, the promises of the Lord were fulfilled for her and as always, beyond all expectation. I would have loved to have seen Mary’s face at her arrival into heaven. She saw her Son under the horror of the Cross; and I’m sure that never left her heart. But now she gets to see the glory of her Son and she shares in that. Remember that as she came to heaven, she was body and soul—she had an expression on her face. And that expression has never left her. The beauty of her Son seated on His throne…
The word “assumption” comes from the Latin word “assumere,” meaning, “to take to oneself.” Our Lord Jesus Christ took Mary home to Himself where He is. Now, on Mary’s part, it was the work of a lifetime of being watchful and ready to preserve the deifying light in her soul. In the Prologue of the Rule of St. Benedict, we hear, “Let us open our eyes to the light that comes from God.” Mary never took her eyes off of the light that comes from God, her Son. Further on in the Rule it says, “Run while you have the light of life, that the darkness of death may not overtake you.” Well we could say that Mary ran the marathon of life and outran sin! She never stood around long enough for sin to “attach” itself to her. There was no selfishness in Mary for sin to cling to. And isn’t most sin about selfishness? And while we also remember that Mary is the sorrowful Mother, her sorrow was never about herself. Mary’s sorrows have only to do with anything that separates us from the love and life of Christ. It would be good for us to imitate Mary in knowing true sorrow instead of selfish sorrow.
The Assumption is seen as a sign of hope for all Christians, demonstrating the ultimate destiny of those who are united with Christ: the glorious reunion of body and soul in heaven. It highlights the goodness and dignity of the human body, destined for eternal glory.
There is a story, that perhaps you have heard, of a very holy woman who would serve God’s people during the day without ceasing to pray. She would go to bed late at night but would get up early every morning to continue to serve. And when she would get up in the morning, as soon as her feet hit the floor, hell shook and said, “Oh no, she’s up!” I pray that could be said for every one of us. But for that to happen, we have to live like Mary—attentive to the body of Christ, attentive to one another, attentive to everything that separates anybody from the love of Christ and His life.
Mary’s Assumption did not mark the end of her service. On the contrary, her service could now assume its universal work. We read in Lumen Gentium that “taken up to heaven, she did not lay aside this saving role, but by her manifold acts of intercession continues to win for us gifts of eternal salvation. By her maternal charity, Mary cares for the brethren of her Son who still journey on…” And Mary cares for us. Let us do nothing that would grieve the immaculate heart of Mary. Let us live in her presence.
As we celebrate the Assumption let us make our house a place where Mary wants to dwell. That takes work and it takes love. Mary suffered, but she loved more than she suffered. Like Mary, we too have to pay more attention to what we love than to what we suffer.
Archaeology has revealed two tombs of Mary, one in Jerusalem and one in Ephesus. The fact that Mary lived in both places explains the two tombs. But what is inexplicable apart from the Assumption is the fact that there is no body in either tomb. And there are no relics. Anyone who peruses early Church history knows that Christian belief in the communion of saints and the sanctity of the body—in radical contrast to the Gnostic disdain for “the flesh”—led early Christians to seek out with the greatest fervor relics from the bodies of great saints. Cities, and, later, religious orders, would fight over the bones of great saints. This is one reason why we have relics of the apostles and so many of the greatest saints and martyrs in history. Yet never was there a single relic of Mary’s body? As revered as Mary was, this would be very strange, except for the fact of the assumption of her body.
Excerpts from Mother Maria-Michael’s Easter season reflections, which highlight the ways in which we can follow in the footsteps of the first disciples
Abbey of St. Walburga paschal candle department artwork
Commenting on Acts 9,
the first Mass reading from the third Friday of Easter:
We have much to learn from the reading about St. Paul’s
conversion. He had the courage to ask God the question, “Who are you?”, and
once he knew that it was Jesus, he made a 180 degree turn and followed Him, he
who had up to that moment been persecuting Christians for the sake of God. His
zeal was for God all along, only it was misguided. So he was open and ready to
change his mind and his life once he had been enlightened by Jesus. It goes to
show that when we truly want to know God and do His will, He will guide us.
However, it may require a complete change of heart on our part, as was the case
with St. Paul. Our sinful ways are never the end; Christ’s Resurrection has the
final word, and so our sins can be the very things that lead us to God if we
let them. Whenever we do our Lectio Divina, we should approach the Word in this
way, open and ready to be surprised by God. The course of our day, the course
of our lives, can be changed by the truth He reveals to us through our prayerful
reading, meditation and listening.
Commenting on Acts 16,
the first Mass reading from the fifth Saturday of Easter:
We hear that Paul and Timothy were prevented by the Holy Spirit from going to Asia to preach. I think this means that they knew how to listen well to the Spirit’s guidance in their lives; they must have cultivated that spirit of silent listening that is so important, that joyful silence which listens for the voice of God with the ears of the heart. In this way of being, you are even open to interruptions and failures because with God’s grace you learn to accept them as gifts from the hand of God. You may experience suffering or see suffering and not understand, but that is where faith comes in, trusting in God’s wisdom above one’s own, believing that He truly is working for the good. Yes, our ways are different than the world’s ways, because it the world tells us that we need to have an answer to everything. But as Christians we must try to accept the mysteries of life and not always need to explain them.
Commenting on Acts
22-23, the first Mass reading from the seventh Thursday of Easter:
It is good to have our motives questioned, as Paul’s were before the Sanhedrin, even when we feel that we are being accused unjustly. It is a great benefit for us to see criticism as a gift, because then no matter what, whether we are being flattered or persecuted, we can be grateful that God is giving us the opportunity to evaluate our intentions. He desires for us to stand before Him with a clear conscience, regardless of what anyone else thinks, so He allows us to be tested in this way in order that our motives may be purified. After asking ourselves whether or not an accusation about us is true, we can move forward with that self-knowledge and act accordingly, grateful for the gift of self-knowledge we have received through the experience. Through this process we will purified in our intention to do everything, no matter how small, for the glory and honor of the Father.
Reflection on Ascension
Sunday:
It is hard to imagine how difficult it must have been for the apostles to go from living in community with Jesus to trying to function without Him after His Ascension. But we know that He did not leave them orphans. They had to learn, as we do now, how to recognize His presence within themselves and in each other. I imagine they had the grace to live in the way Brother Lawrence describes in his book The Practice of the Presence of God, where God is everywhere and in everyone and everything, we have only to ask for the eyes to see Him. Do we act and speak as if Christ were dwelling in the other? This is the great challenge and adventure of the Christian life, to always be on the lookout for God, joyfully anticipating finding Him in each person we meet, and yes, within our very selves.
A reflection on the triumph of Love by Mother Maria-Michael Newe, OSB
I was thinking about the incredible words we sing during the Divine Office on the Feast of St. Andrew: “Seeing the cross [of his own martyrdom], Andrew cried out with joy, ‘O precious cross! Truly I have always loved you, and I have desired to embrace you.’”
This is a disciple who ran away in the garden of Gethsemane—he
didn’t stand by Jesus on the cross—so the greatest gift that could be given to
him was another chance to stand by the cross. What did he do with it? He
embraced it. He longed for that moment to tell Christ, “I love you, and I want
to be with you, wherever that leads.” This is the power of the triumph of the
cross. Love is the triumph of the
cross. When we love enough that we no longer fear the crosses in our lives but
we embrace them and we long for them because they unite us with him who has
loved us beyond all love, that is the triumph of the cross. So today we
celebrate that we no longer fear the cross; it is truly the exaltation. Of
course we cannot do this of ourselves. St. Andrew, St. Peter, none of them,
could have embraced the cross on their own, but with divine strength they could
embrace and kiss it. And their suffering turned into gratitude. Yes, when we
can thank God for the crosses in our life, God has triumphed. When we can see
that it is Love that has given us once again the chance to prove our love, we
will rejoice and say, “Amen!” and run toward it, because we have a chance to
prove our love. Let us pray today that the cross may triumph in our own lives, because
it will not happen on our own. It is completely divine strength.
May this Easter season bring you much joy in the
resurrection of Our Lord, who suffered his cross for the love of us, that we might
have a sense of the depths of his love and desire to return our love for his.
