Welcome to SSJE
We are a community of men giving our whole selves over to living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Rooted in the ancient monastic traditions of prayer and community life, and critically engaged with contemporary culture, we seek to know and share an authentic experience of God’s love and mercy. We live a common life shaped by worship, prayer, and our Rule of Life.
We invite you to explore these pages to learn more about how we live and pray, the tradition that grounds us, and the call that draws us onward day by day.
Worship Schedule | Rule of Life | Meeting Jesus | Catch the Life
Presume that God’s revelation is happening all along the way, not just in “sacred” moments but in every moment, every day.
-Br. Curtis Almquist, SSJE
Monastery Chapel
Silence. Flickering candlelight. Sunlight streaming through stained glass. Soak in the beauty of our sanctuary, open morning to night. Pray, ponder, or participate in the Brothers’ daily office. Service Schedule >
Guesthouse
Sleep in. Pray. Savor wholesome food. Nap. Read. How might a stay in our Monastery Guesthouse recharge you and open you to God’s call? Workshops & Retreats >
Emery House
Birdsong. Meadow grasses waving in the breeze. Stars overhead. At our rural retreat house, we invite you to pray as you hike, light a fire, weed the garden, and bask in the beauty of Creation. Retreat information>
Recent Sermons from the Chapel
The Apocalyptic Process of Birth – Br. Jim Woodrum
“We need to not be distracted by the death throes of the secular world or even the destruction of our temples of ego that we have constructed for self-admiration, but rather be engaged in the process of birthing new life set forth by Jesus with: confidence, hope, provocation, sanctification, and a sense of urgency. ”
Br. Jim Woodrum encourages us to persevere through the birth pangs of transformation, longing toward the fulfillment Jesus promises in the restoration to come.
A Servant Found at Work – Br. Sean Glenn
“If you’re anything like me, you may be inclined to heckle Jesus over the parable he tells us today. These words of Jesus do not always come to me as ‘good news.’ They may even bring up dread, anger, and even incredulity. And so I heckled Jesus this week.”
Br. Sean Glenn confronts one of Jesus’ challenging parables and finds in the example of Hugh of Lincoln the redemptive model of a servant working in love for the Kingdom of God.
Think of Us as Servants of Christ – Br. David Vryhof
“When we love we want to serve. We long to be given some task that will contribute to the good purposes of the one we love. A mother longs to serve her children – out of love. A husband longs to please his wife – out of love. We willingly set aside our own desires and preferences, we lay down our lives, for the sake of those whom we love.”
Br. David Vryhof discovers in love the difference between servitude and service. What an honor and privilege it is to be a servant of Christ!
The Return on Generosity – Br. Curtis Almquist
“What amazes me with each passing day, is how good things are, and often times in the most unexpected and unpredictable of ways: where you discover abject goodness, greatness, beauty, nobility, provision in ways which you could never have even asked for or imagined. Life is positively amazing. When you think you’ve come to the end there is more.”
Br. Curtis Almquist marvels at the endless provision of God’s grace and the gifts of life, and he invites us to respond with boundless generosity, knowing that the more we give away, the more we will be filled.
You, the Salt of the Earth – Br. Curtis Almquist
“You are salt, created to give a distinctive flavor to life, you like none other. By your presence, your witness, your gifts, you help others ‘taste and see that the Lord is good.’”
Br. Curtis Almquist invites us to savor for ourselves the full complexity and invitation of Jesus’ metaphor of the “salt of the earth.”
Faith Formation to save the (every) day!
Deepen your relationship with God, through prayer and reflection on The Gospel According to John.
We share in the Divine Life from our Baptism. Learn how this Life expresses itself in and through us.
Explore a monastic framework to cultivate your relationships with God, Self, Others, and Creation.
Recapture time as a gift. Discover how to experience the joy of the present moment.