Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Holy Name Monastery

Who Do You Say That I Am?

by Leave a Comment

“Who do you say that I am?”  If we finally figure out who Jesus is, He strictly orders us in the next breath, “Tell no one I am the Christ.”   But if we can’t tell anyone, what’re we supposed to do with that long sought-after revelation?

May I suggest: Rest comfortably in Jesus’ presence and turn his question back on him: Who do YOU say that I am?  Why do you love me so much? On an occasion when I did this, an answer came slowly: “Because you’re always there.”  Now my challenge is to figure out how to “always be there.”  Be where?  How do I remain comfortable and at the same time alert to Jesus’ presence in others?  I’ve concluded that the operative part in Jesus’ command is “not tell.”  We’re not meant to tell others what or who to believe in so much as to be a model that reveals more than words can say.  We must let our lives be a “show and tell” of mutual love and respect, of deference to each other.  We must “keep our doors figuratively and literally open to others i.e. to be a “flesh and blood” model of as we build community and maintain a balance in our communal and personal lives of prayer and work, art and music and poetry.

A living example of how “give and take” is part of life-long learning and nurtures our love for each other in spite of – no, because it causes us to see our own shadow side.  Our sunlit side shows itself in modulated and friendly laughter, in our expressions of gratitude with a simple phrase like “thank you”, and in our hospitality and sharing.  It shows in our gentle determination to be Christ-like AND to BE Christ to others.  The tenor of our voice in our exchanges, our harmony in prayer and song, our attentive awareness to join the pace of our liturgy, our acknowledgement of Christ in the other when we pass in the hallways – all this “tells” who our Beloved model is.

And, you know what it takes to DO and BE this.  That’s the answer to the question Jesus asks: “Who do YOU say that I am?”  It takes close familiarity with WHO Jesus is.  You’ve probably heard the expression “familiarity breeds contempt.”  But the opposite is true for those who seek to know Jesus – really to know anyone.  Time spent in Jesus’ company – in the company of our companions – fosters intimacy, closeness and an ease in each other’s company.  It’s true, too, for all who seek to build a relationship with another person or persons in community.  It’s a powerful realization when we stop to think that each one of us is responsible for the community we create.

I’d like to relate one of the many stories Monsignor Cummings (1918-2020) shared with me in his later years.  I’d first met “Father George” in 1949 as a youngster at Good Counsel Camp.  This story was also quoted at his funeral.  It serves to remind all of us of what it takes to be a loyal follower, an imitator of Christ – a true servant.

When Msgr was around 50 years a priest, (this true story goes) a young intern at Good Counsel Camp asked Fr. George: “When did you decide to become a priest?”  Without skipping a beat, Cummings answered: “This morning.”  He added as aside, “Every day I wake up and I recommit myself, to serving as a priest.”

That’s a true vocation story!  Each and every day, we hear Jesus ask: “Who do you say that I am?”  Whatever our response, He cautions: “Tell no one I am the Christ.”   “Rather, my friend, recommit yourself to be my instrument of peace in your community, your family, your social group who, in turn, together will be a living example of a “peaceable kingdom” to all who witness your way of life, and your living.  “For where God has placed you, that is your pulpit.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 AN AFTERTHOUGHT …  On Friday we had a reading that (I believe) is An answer given long before Jesus walked on earth. The reading is from Deuteronomy 6:4-9.  Ponder it for yourself.  

 

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, and with our whole being, and with your whole strength.  Take to heart these words which I command you today. Keep repeating them to your children.  Recite them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie and when you get up.  Bind them on your arm as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead.  Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.”

We, Benedictine Sisters of Holy Name Monastery, have a ring that binds our finger and on many days the Sisters wear a “pendant” – a metal of our founder, St. Benedict.   And in most of the Sisters’ rooms, somewhere you will find “writing on the walls” – family photos, favorites paintings, calligraphy hand-printed quotes that we can see “when we lie and when we get up.”

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   Isaiah 22:19-23         Second Reading:  Romans 17:33-36
Gospel:   Matthew 16:13-20
Continue Reading

Let it be done for you as you wish.

by Leave a Comment

Today we are with Jesus when he meets a distraught woman with a special needs child. Maybe you have seen her, too, at the local Publix or Walmart or you might remember the parent of a child in your school, or the child of a relative in your family or someone you’ve seen shopping at Daystar.   This is a mixed-race woman, a foreigner.  Her family has disowned her.   And when she told her boyfriend she was pregnant he fled.

But she is a determined, courageous woman who has survived as a single mother.   When her daughter began having seizures, gossipy opinions surfaced: “She deserves what she gets. See what happens when you make the kind of decisions she’s made.”  On top of that she is a woman in a society in which women have no real value or standing.

Now, she is out of options.  She’s heard that a Jewish miracle-worker is passing through the area. Maybe, just maybe, this Jesus is the answer to her prayers.  At first Jesus appears to be ignoring her. The disciples ask Jesus to send her away, and Jesus seems to agree, remarking that he was sent to minister to Jews alone.

She’s already endured a series of obstacles that would threaten the best of us. She can’t believe what she’s hearing.  Is Jesus being rude to her?   Did he really refer to her using a Jewish word of derision for Gentiles, “dog”?  Listen as the woman cleverly turns Jesus’ own words against him.  “Even the dogs eat the scraps.”  Only then does Jesus grant her request and heal her daughter.

Let’s consider why Jesus would lead this mother through a humbling process in order to grant her request.  Could it be that Jesus used this encounter to help her develop a deep courageous faith that would sustain her for the rest of her life?  Don’t miss the lesson that she praised Jesus in the midst of her pain.  Notice that she referred to Jesus as Lord, acknowledging that He is worthy of praise.  She is obviously a very humble woman.  But never confuse humility with weakness. Pride would have been offended by the “dog” comment. And pride would have gone away empty; without a miracle; without a healthy, whole child.

It’s a nice story but what does it teach us?  Here we have lessons in skilled, reverent, peaceful confrontation; tenacity, humility and focus on the important matter for winning a hearing.  Heeding the example of the Canaanite woman we must come to stand before God, united in our plea for an end to racism and violence; for peace in our world, for calmness to conquer brashness, humility to counter pride and persistence to win out over discouragement.

There is a tale told about former President Andrew Jackson.  His former childhood friends were reminiscing about their childhood with Andy and expressing surprise at how successful he’d become considering all his flaws.  They recalled that whenever they wrestled, the class bully would throw Andy three times out of four.   A listener asked: “What happened on the fourth time?”  Andy’s friend spoke up: “I guess that was Andy’s secret. He just wouldn’t stay “throwed.”

As Andy and the Canaanite woman teach us: if life circumstances throw you down, don’t stay “throwed.”  You’ve heard it said that Benedictine community life is a series of beginnings. Like those bottom-weighted good-luck dolls, we just keep bouncing upright.  As one author puts it: we fall down and we get up.  Or as the saying goes: seven times down; eight times up.  So let us stand firm in praying for peace that we may hear the same response Jesus gave to the Canaanite woman: “Great is your faith!  Let it be done for you as you wish.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

First Reading:   Isaiah 56:1, 6-7         Second Reading:  Romans 11:13-15; 29-32
Gospel:   Matthew 15:21-28
Continue Reading

Did you know August is Make a Will Month?

by Leave a Comment

People often put off making a will. Why? Some believe they don’t own enough to have a will. (They probably do.) Others believe that everything will automatically go to their spouse or children, so they don’t need to do anything. (It may not.) And still others simply don’t like to think about the fact that they’ll die someday. (But they will.)

August is Make a Will Month…and for good reason. If you don’t have a will, making one is the only way to ensure that everything you’ve built or been blessed with goes to those you intended to have it.

And if you do have a will, here are three quick things to check off your list:

  • Keep your will in a safe, secure place. Let a family member or two know where it is, and who prepared it for you. Be sure your Executor has a copy.
  • Pull it out every three to five years and see if anything needs to be changed. Sometimes your circumstances have changed. You may have sold some things or purchased others. Sometimes outside circumstances change. The person you named as Executor may no longer be able to serve in that capacity. You may have switched banks or insurance companies. So take a look.
  • Make sure you’ve named beneficiaries wherever you can — on insurance policies, investment and retirement accounts and so on. And check those to make sure they’re all up to date.

Here’s something else to ponder. As you think about your will and your legacy, consider including a gift to the Benedictine Sisters of Florida in your planning. There are lots of ways to do this, and all of them allow you to continue supporting the good work of the Sisters even after you’re gone.

Thank you for the love and support you’ve shown the Sisters. We thank God for you daily in our prayers. Please keep us in yours.

 

Continue Reading

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

by Leave a Comment

Imagine it is the fourth hour of the night, between 3 to 6 a.m. The sun is just beginning to peek over the horizon.  If Father John is in his usual breakfast place, he’s on the porch sipping English tea and pondering his homily for the Sisters’ Mass as he observes the rising sun coming up.  He might take a photo if the sky is beautifully lit up.

Let’s return to Jesus’ story.  Earlier, He had shepherded his disciples into a boat and pushed them further out into the lake.  Jesus himself headed toward one of his favorite places for solitude, up the hillside by himself. Out on the lake, until a few minutes ago, everyone in the boat had been asleep or in that twilight state between sleep and alertness, that brief moment when you’re not quite sure if you’re awake or dreaming.  Suddenly, the rocking of the boat shook them all awake.  Gasping for air they shouted to each other: “Where’s Jesus?”

Then Peter spied Jesus in the mist and heard “Come!” At Jesus’ beckoning, Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.  As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, his feet found steady grounding even in the churning sea.  It’s difficult, isn’t it, to keep your eyes on the goal when there is a whirlwind swirling around you.  But remember, as long as we keep our eyes focused on Jesus, on our overall goal, and on each other, we’ll stay afloat with a tangible sense of peace.

Now, don’t disregard the fact that it was early dawn when Jesus came toward his disciples walking on the water.  You may have to squint until your eyes adjust to the darkness to make out clearly your surroundings.  But listen!  It’s not a ghost.  There is a whisper that, strange as it seems, is booming over the sound of the threatening waves of the storms in life: “Do not be afraid.  It is I.”

Jesus is reaching out a hand toward us, but it will fall empty to his side if we do not reach out in return.  Jesus, in the person of our donors, reaches out with eager hands to help us.  For the gift to be received we simply have to grasp their hands in ours in acceptance of their generosity.  We strive to respond without fear when we see them walking on the water toward us with their gift of self.  Like impulsive Peter, we speak up: “If that is really you, Lord, command me to come to you on the water.”

At this point in our lives, that moment has come as we move into American House.  We’ve left behind the safety and security of the known at the monastery building. We’ve stepped into the realm of the unknown. We must be willing to trust our life to our God’s care. It’s difficult to leave our safety nets.  We worked hard to insulate ourselves from the danger of failure.  The threat of the unknown can be paralyzing.  It’s pretty comfortable in the boat we’ve constructed. It’s not fancy but we have everything we need. Then God invites us to step out of our boat and venture into an unknown future.

Jesus repeats, “Come.”  Why did Jesus not go to Peter; why did he beckon him to “come”?   That’s the lesson for us.  We can’t sit, as they say, on our laurels, in our boat and do nothing.  When the storms of life are blowing all around us, Jesus says: COME.   Like a parent coaxing an infant to take a first step or like Elijah in the First Reading, you’ll hear a tiny whispering sound: COME! Come apart and rest in Me.  I am always within reach.  Grab that life jacket or that raft or an inner tube and get those arms and legs moving.  SWIM!  Pray, yes, but don’t forget to paddle, swim or row.  Take your time if you need to; catch your breath.  And don’t worry about calming the storm; Jesus promises “I’ll take care of that.  You just calm yourself.  Look around.  You will spot me in the mist, beckoning to you: COME!”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13         Second Reading:  Romans 9:1-5
Gospel:   Matthew 14:22-33
Continue Reading

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

by Leave a Comment

Did you know this is the only story that is mentioned by all four gospel writers?  Jesus performs this same miracle on two separate occasions.   And, you know the story well: Jesus takes His disciples out into a deserted place, a place of human loneliness, hunger, and thirst. Hungry and thirsty people follow Him out there. When the day is getting long, His disciples tell Him the obvious. “They are hungry.” Jesus responds, “Feed them yourselves.”  This is the same thing He is telling us.  We are likely to reply, as did His disciples, “All we’ve got are five measly barley loaves and two fish. What good is that in the face of all that has to be done?”

Recently while channel surfing I saw a preacher-looking person writing on a white board.  I paused to see what would appear. There it was: today’s lesson!  “Faith is taking God at His word.”  That’s what happened here, isn’t it? Jesus said, “Feed them yourselves” and they did that with trust.  That took faith!  Would we have done the same or would we have figured there’s not enough for everyone so let’s not start a frenzy!?  The disciples and their helpers trusted that they would not be embarrassed by scarcity.  Pope Francis reminded us: “In the desert (where this crowd was gathered) people of faith are needed who, by the example of their own lives, keep hope alive.”  Hope rose as those baskets fed family after family.   Did the people realize how little food was in the baskets when they started?  Was the miracle that faith moved everyone who had even a smidgen of food to share it with their neighbors?   Is that why five loaves and two fish became a banquet with 12 baskets for another day?

Today we live among material progress beyond anything that our deceased Sisters and our parents could ever have imagined. But spiritually people hunger and thirst.  This is the situation that prompts our Corporate Commitment: to respond to the physical, spiritual, social and emotional hungers of the people of God.

And we pledge to do just this with the compassion of Christ.  That’s a tall order.   If we are to have something to share, we must also take seriously God’s invitation to be fed by Him, especially in the Eucharistic feast.  We can only fill the hungry crowd if we seek the Lord in Lectio, communal prayer and quiet times of reflection and conversation with the One we pledge to imitate.

We are moved to ask ourselves: “What really sustains me? What is my true sustenance?  Or, am I living in a state of spiritual starvation?”  If that is the case we will come up clueless when we ask ourselves, “What can I do to relieve others’ hungers?”  As the saying goes: you can’t give what you ain’t got!

Imagine yourself seated on the grass that day as a witness of the miracle where over 5,000 were fed from food barely enough for one. If you received physical sustenance from that bread that had been miraculously changed by Jesus, would you ever be the same again? Could you ever eat any meal in the same way ever again?

Rest assured: when we reach out in trust it is Jesus who does the feeding. All we have to do is share His food – His tender loving mercies, His presence, and His love.  You see, Jesus is not really saying – you do it all by your lonesome.  Instead, Jesus is saying: “Let’s do it together!”  When we look at needs and situations around us, we might be overwhelmed – but we need to count Jesus in equation.  (Our limited resources) plus (JESUS) divided by (the world’s great needs) equals A MIRACLE!  Maybe when it comes to ordering our spiritual food we shouldn’t hesitate to say, “Yeah…supersize me.”

My friend tells this story:  one day – while walking into the Dade City hospital main entrance – a mother and her young daughter were ahead of him. Just before they got to the entrance, the little girl noticed the closed door and asked her mother how they were going to get inside. The mother smiled – walked forward – the electronic eye opened the door and they walked in. The little girl turned to the next person and said: “It’s ok – just step up and a miracle will happen.”   Jesus says that same thing to us – “It’s ok – step forward in faith – the door will open – and a miracle will happen!”  The crowd will be satisfied and there will be leftovers for another day, for the next crowd of hungry people who approach you.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   Isaiah 55:1-3         Second Reading:  Romans 8:35, 37-39
Gospel:   Matthew 14:13-21
Continue Reading

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

by Leave a Comment

Our ancestors went out with joy to serve the people of God.

And, when the time was right…our time…… we are on the move again.

The opening lines of this Gospel selection seem to me to be a good description of what we did.  Many years ago our predecessors recognized a treasure across the street – a piece of land with a stunning view and a perpetual breeze; awesome sunrises and sunsets.  They buried it with a citrus grove – went out with joy to serve the people of God in many places.  And, when the time was right, our time (2014), we sold what we had and set out with joy to reclaim our treasured “pearl.”

Twelve years later we are on the move again, this time to an assisted living facility: American House on Pretty Pond Road in Zephyrhills, Florida.  This will be a gradual move as spaces become available.  For the time being four of us have made the move.  The transition has been a smooth welcome.  The residents have received “the Sisters” with helpful hints and are thrilled that Fr. John McEvoy will be offering Mass there on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursdays.

Let’s move on to our Gospel reflection. Jesus asks us: “Do you understand all these things?”  Like the disciples we without hesitation answer, “Yes.”  But, maybe our voices quiver and there’s a question mark in our expression. T is however a conviction in our hearts that we will extend God’s kingdom wherever we live, whatever the restrictions we encounter, and with whatever the resources we have at hand.

 The Gospel reading concludes with a curious statement about the scribe who understands the kingdom of heaven.   How do we identify and describe God’s Kingdom here on earth? One way that immediately comes to mind is the outpouring of love and concern evident in the “Christmas in July” celebration provided by the Columbiettes from St. Mark’s Parish in Tampa.  God bless them!

The words of a Quaker hymn come to mind: “We bend and we bow and shan’t be ashamed”.  Our mission remains the same – it just takes on a new shape.  Why did our Sisters come from Pennsylvania to settle in this area?  Was it not to feed the educational hunger of the local children?  Long before we wrote formalized philosophy statements and directional goals, our Sisters “fed hungers” in a variety of roles at all levels in the education field.  They worked in internal ministries and as nurses and home healthcare workers, seamstresses, coif makers, packing house workers, and gardeners.  You name it, as long as it was legal and moral, someone probably tried it.  Our aim is, and has always been, to foster life in community –  to BE community for each other: to pray and work; to interact with the care and respect St. Benedict describes in his Rule, particularly in RB chapter 72. It reads “be the first to show respect to the other”. In our community’s Core Commitment we express Benedict’s mandate by writing we are to be the first “to respond with the compassion of Christ to the hungers of our world.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 Sorry this is a little late coming…

The four of us who have moved have had a smooth transition into life at American House.  The staff and residence alike have welcomed us and are happy that Fr John McEvoy will be offering 10 a.m. Mass (all welcome) on Tuesday, Thursday and Sundays.

 

 

First Reading:   1 Kings 3:5, 7-12         Second Reading:  Romans 8:28-30, 13:44-52
Gospel:   Matthew 13:44-46
Continue Reading