Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

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Solemnity of the Epiphany

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Some say this Gospel reading raises more questions than insight.  Sometimes we think we know more about something than we really do know. A case in point is the Gospel text about the birth of Jesus and the story of the three wise men.  We even think we know their names. We believe that they came from the east bringing their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the baby Jesus. Finally, we think calling them wise is justified.  What is factual and what is legend?  And, what ever happened to the gifts the Magi gave the young Jesus and his family?

We can dispense with the information there were three Kings. Scripture simply does not say how many there were.  We know there was more than one but we can’t assume just because there are three gifts there were three givers   Nor does Scripture tell us their names; that’s tradition but not factual.    We can’t be sure either that they came from the East.  It seems a more likely conclusion if they saw the star in the eastern sky they would be coming the West.

A detail we can be fairly certain about is when these men arrived at the home of Jesus.  It was before His second birthday since we know that Herod had all the male children two years and younger killed in order to catch Jesus.

Scripture teaches us that they made a connection between that particular star and that something phenomenal was happening.  King Herod heard the news that these new comers were seeking for the King of the Jews. Now, Herod thought of He was King of the Jews.  This was the first he was hearing about a rival.  He was a very fearful person –  he was also shrewd one.  Knowing about the prophecy of Micah that a king would be born in Bethlehem he spoke to the wandering astrologers, told them to go to Bethlehem, find and let him know where the new king was and he would come later to worship him.

The unwitting Wise Men were about to return to tell Herod where they had found Jesus. However, God directly intervened and warned them to take a different route home. The Spirit also warned Joseph in a dream to get the family out of Bethlehem and flee to Egypt. Because of these interventions, the life of the young Jesus was spared.

As we can see, the Wise Men weren’t so wise after all. If it had been left to their wisdom, the infant Jesus would have been found and killed by Herod.  Not unlike the common people, they did not figure out by human wisdom that the King of the Jews had been born.  No one came to Jesus because they had reasoned it out. The angels had to announce it to the shepherds that Jesus had been born. It was by the grace of God that the Magi were led to the child Jesus, and that Jesus was protected from the wrath of Herod.

There’s our lesson – if we are to know anything about the true meaning of Christmas it will have to come by God’s grace. Unless God opens up our hearts – and we allow them to be pried open to receive the truth, we will never know it.

In case you noticed I never answered the question: what became of the gifts the Magi gave the child?  That was not a question that had come to my mind until a visit at the local Dollar Tree.  A colorful story of a child’s generosity was peeking out from a tumbled jumble of after-Christmas selections.   “The Miracle of the Myrrh” is an original, fanciful tale of what became of the Little Drummer Boy, Mary (Jesus’ mother) and the Kings’ gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. What a treasure for only $1.25!

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

Christmas this year is a mixture of emotions for the Sisters.   Our Sister Mary Clare died on December 22nd  – funeral Mass and burial on January 8th.

   May you and your loved ones know good heath and peace in 2026.   Best wishes from the Benedictine Sisters – be assured we you are remembered in our prayers.

 

 

 

First Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6              Second Reading: Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12
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Feast of the Holy Family

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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family.  So, what does that mean to (and for) us as monastics?  We came from a family, we still have families and here we live in an intentional family we call community.  We are guided by the simple, yet profound, guidelines designed by St. Benedict, a man of great wisdom, compassion and common sense.  We know that after some time of living with his original Rule, he added advice based on his lived experience with a great variety of characters.  Imagine having to warn his men not to sleep with knives, to wear clean underwear on a trip, for the learned to help those who could not read.  His prudence shines through when, in so many words, he says: this is what works for us now – if the schedule of psalmody, the daily schedule and other daily living details don’t fit your need, change it.

It is the spirit of the Rule that has survived because Benedict, even in his youth, had a deep understanding of human psychology.  A study of his early life tells us that he spent much time with his grandparents who lived a few miles from his home.  Along the trek to their summer home he passed the huts and caves of hermits, wise “seasoned” men and women.  Before Benedict was sent to Rome to pursue academics, he and his twin sister spent hours chit-chatting with these solitary men and women to absorb the wisdom and practical advice from the older generation.  This is evident in the Rule.  Notice how he tempered discipline with compassion and saw the spiritual quest as a joyful pursuit of God within the structures of ordinary life. It is this joyous delight in everyday spirituality that to this day makes the Rule come alive for so many. For over 1500 years his simple principles of living together under God’s love have been applied beyond monasteries, especially by Oblates, to family life.

If we only know the first word of the Rule “LISTEN” what an impact it could make on our own happiness and concord between peoples.  To truly listen requires perception, knowledge of human nature, biting the tongue before speaking and an ‘open-hands’ approach in conversation.  To listen requires an attentive spirit … not a scramble to respond with advice, a witty remark or a one-upmanship story.   When we truly listen we can see that anger is a cover for fear.  When we listen to another we can identify their feelings, let them resonant within and know that very often all the person wants is a signal that we care.

Benedict’s down-to-earth advice works in community, in our intentional family or for any living group, be it for family or dorm or apartment mates because of its inner dynamic. St. Benedict was not writing for an IB or Honors class of students. The Rule is not intended to be a great and lofty treatise on prayer or spirituality. Rather, the Rule is filled with practical guidance for ordinary people to live together. Benedict expected his followers to work hard, study hard and pray hard.  Benedictine life, in or out of a monastery, is a grace-full blend of prayer, work and living together – a simple, effective prayer life, open communication, mutual respect – not for mature saints but for those who choose to walk a path of life-long falling down and getting up in a community where each member is valued and loved unconditionally.

The Rule offers us a very high ideal, but it is a beautiful one, and one that we should never feel compelled to apologize for.   And when we breach the ideal we need to be humble enough to ask forgiveness both from God and from each other.

From that first word in his Rule LISTEN… to his advice to begin every good work with prayer … to keeping a lamp burning at night … to not loitering outside chapel if you are late … it is evident that Benedict saw God at work within the ordinary events of everyday life – in the joys and sorrows of our everyday lives.

So, LISTEN to your heart to your comrades’ hungers and longings, to God deep in your heart … just LISTEN – with your ears, but also with eyes and heart and feelings – and all other aspects of your life, our life in community, will fall into place.

 

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

Happy New Year!  Peace to all!

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4th Sunday of Advent

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Christmas Letter

This week I will share with you my Christmas letter 2025.

Wishing you an abundance of grace-filled surprises this holiday season and graces a plenty throughout 2026 (and beyond).

In lieu of exchanging names for Christmas gifts our Sisters are contributing from their personal allowances (that range $25-70 monthly) to local local food distribution center and thrift store where some of our members volunteer each week.  Sisters who have “advantage” cards make purchases to donate foods directly to the pantry.  Rice, beans pasta, life-sustaining foods popular with Daystar clientele .   The number of the needy who seek assistance each week is shameful in our lands of “milk and honey.”    As Tiny Tim said, “God bless them all.”

~by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 Also below please find my Christmas greeting.

 

The past year past has been one of CHANGE for our community!  In August Sister Roberta stepped aside as prioress and Sister Tonette Sperando was appointed and installed as our Canonical Administrator.  Sister Tonette is from our daughter-house in Alabama where she served as Treasurer and Communications director and a 6-year term as Prioress.  In 1902 our Sisters and sisters from Kentucky merged to form that monastery.  So, we were already related!  Transition has been for the most smooth –  few bumps along the way but with the agility of experienced bike riders we keep foraging forward.  I have experienced ups and downs health-wise: “fall and get up” has resulted in a couple hospital stays and a stint of 21 days in a rehab facility.  I assure you (and myself) I’m home now and growing stronger day by day.  See …  Obviously, I can use a computer! 

Greetings to each of you and prayers for you and your families.  May God shower you and them with blessings.  Have a pleasant holiday season, peace and God’s favor in the new year! 

Sister Roberta

 

Musings from a Long-Ago Christmas

 

He lies there in His manger,

Straw tickling the soles of His bare feet,

Strands of hay clutched in His fists.

A smile plays on His lips

And there is a sparkle in His eyes.

I sense a wisdom beyond His years.

 

I reach out to touch His hand …

let Him grasp my little finger,

turning my hand, palm upward, outward, open:

to Him and to His father – to Life

 

I struggle to answer His gurgling question

Respond to His smile – Affirm His trust –

And then …. My furrowed brow softens,

The tense jaw relaxes,

The mind, imagination and eyes turn from

   far-fetched worries

    and imagined troubles of tomorrow

to meet His gaze, nod approval,

  and laugh in child-like delight at His touch.

 

The touch goes beyond the warmth of His

   hand in mine, Rigid structures I’ve erected

Melting the hardened portions of my stony heart And setting tomorrow in the beautiful

      perspective of a little child:

 

“Live this day,” He seems to say, But He’s so small where does the message come from?

I look into His eyes and I know He speaks.

“Live this day … where every tomorrow becomes today – threads of yesterday weave them-selves into the fabric of the present moment.

 

Think of Me when anxiety and cares pile up.

Smile at me, the Infant in the crib … 

with gentleness hold me close to your heart …

     and relax…   for I am ever near.

 

“When noise and busyness surround you …

Let your mind step aside and

recall the quiet of Bethlehem’s stall.

   Be steeped in calmness.

 

If the daily becomes hum-drum, see me in Joseph’s shop Where every moment is a delightful discovery. Wood shavings curl around my ear and cling to my hair As I struggle to fashion a chair “just like my Daddy’s”.

 

At the end of a weary day, be mother to me…

Rock me to sleep… hum a lullaby until the cares disappear beyond the horizon, Your shoulders droop and your head gently rests atop mine.

 

Together we will rest, dream great dreams of conquering all the dragons in your world

   And spread peace amid chaos

Puff softly, gently on the smoldering

       bedside candle and

Close the door on war and strife …

   As I whisper, “Good night, sweet dreams.”

 

Together we will rest – Together we will rise,

    Praise the Father and greet the new day … EVERYDAY – until that day when you will rest upon me eternally, and in that heavenly rest,

    RISE, GREET and PRAISE God FOREVER!

 

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Gaudete Sunday

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This Third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday, meaning Rejoice!  Seems to me one might be tempted to sing for the Open Hymn “Pretty in Pink” as the celebrant comes reverently to the altar in rose-colored vestments and the altar server lights the one rose or pink candle in the Advent wreath.  The candle and vestments remind us that the coming of Christ is very near. The focus is joy — not a fleeting feeling, but deep down spiritual gladness rooted in God’s goodness. This week encourages us to recognize the ways God is at work in our lives and to share that joy with others, especially those who are burdened or discouraged.  The story that follows is not AI generated but it is adapted from the Internet.

“One cold rainy night at 4 a.m. a young girl entered the diner where I worked.  The lass was trembling. She looked fragile, like she’d been crying, and she had no money. When I asked if she needed help, she stayed silent whether from the cold or fright.  I gave her a cup of warm cider and a muffin to calm her down.

My boss saw it and fired me on the spot for “giving away free items.” I was devastated. That job was the only way I had to support myself and my baby.

Before she left, the girl handed me a clean green sock — just one — and said, “This will save you one day.  Someday you’ll get the matching green sock.”

 I didn’t understand, but I kept it.  5 weeks later, I found the matching green sock on my doorstep. Mmmm! It was heavy. Inside was $30,000 in cash and a small note with a phone number. When I called, a man answered and said, “You don’t know me, but you saved my daughter. This is my ’thank you’!”

He explained that the night she came to the diner, her boyfriend had thrown her out with no phone and no wallet. My simple act of kindness kept her safe until her father found her. Later on, she told her dad everything and begged him to help me because I’d lost my job for helping her.  The money was his way of thanking me. He said, “Good people are rare. My daughter was lucky to meet one. So, I asked about you and found your address.”

That unexpected money truly saved me. It helped me open a small bakery — something I had dreamed of for years. The girl still visits whenever she’s in town. She’s now happily married, and her daughter is thriving.  I’m grateful every day that our paths crossed.”

In our fast and unpredictable world, even small gestures can create big shifts. A quiet act of compassion, a burst of empathy, or a wholesome moment can brighten any day.  Heartwarming stories highlight inspiring acts of kindness. Uplifting experience reminds us how powerful human connection and everyday good deeds can be. What did you do today to bring a smile to the face of the one God placed in your path?

~by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

 

First Reading:  Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10                  
Second Reading: James 5:7-10
Gospel Reading:  Matthew 11:2-11
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John the Baptizer

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In our Gospel account for the second Sunday of Advent, John the Baptizer is the voice of prophecy in a world where such voices had been silent for nigh on 400 years.  It’s hard for us to realize as we read the Old Testament and turn to the New Testament, that there is this lengthy period of time between the prophetic word of the Old Testament and the prophetic voice of John the Baptist.  Now, in the Scriptures we hear the echo of John’s voice sounding once again through the voice of modern day prophets.

Jesus’ cousin had a message that people were ready to hear.   Is the same true today? The key is when I perceive that voice to reply, “Yes, I believe that the Lord is coming! The Kingdom of heaven is near!”  The oppressed Jews looked forward eagerly to the coming Messiah.  Many listened to what John had to say.  His was a teaching firmly anchored in their religious traditions.  John was speaking their language, and they understood what he had to say.  The practice of baptism which earned John his nickname “John the Baptizer” was not new to the Jews. It was a frequent practice used to mark atonement for sin and a renewed and purified spirit, to show that one who had been unclean was made ritually clean again.

John was an inspired preacher, one in whom could clearly be seen the power of God. After all, who would live like John out in the wilderness on locust and wild honey?  Well, take a look around!   Look at the effects of climate change and just plain selfishness!  Hundreds, thousands go to bed hungry.  They wake up (if they ever got any sleep) hungry and freezing or exhausted from the heat. If we listen with an open heart, we can hear their cries.   Do we act on it?  Do we take heed, and put flesh on our Corporate Commitment?  Or do we apply “band aids” (a stamp and a dollar) while we stuff our monthly allowance in our purses and pockets?  Do we remain blind to what surrounds our 39 acres?   Are we true to our word that we “respond to the hungers of the people of God.”  And pay honor to the slogan “Think global, act local.”

We must take care that we do not become complacent when we hear an overlay of quiet unassuming accounts of today’s inspired, even unaware, leaders. Or we don’t listen to the news because it just may “rattle our cages.”   We can’t just admire others’ good deeds or simply shake our heads when we see newscasters talking about how cold it is across the country as they stand there in a cozy warm newsroom smiling in a short-sleeve shirt while the homeless huddle shivering under bridges or cardboard huts.

On the one hand, one can clearly see the power of a giving, and forgiving, heart, influencing our world.  But, are you, are we, simply admiring the kindness of folks OUT THERE who are part of a “pay it forward” movement? Are we the recipients only of others’ kindness and generosity?  Keep in mind “if we are not part of the solution, we are part of the problem.”  What will be our legacy?

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   Isaiah 11:1-10         Second Reading:  Romans 15:4-9
Gospel:   Matthew 3:1-12
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Advent is about learning to wait

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It’s Advent again!  ‘Tis the season that too often is too little appreciated, misunderstood and commonly ignored.  Advent is about learning to wait. It is about not having to know exactly what is coming tomorrow.  Advent teaches us the difference between expectation, anticipation and waiting; suspense, eagerness and “twiddling your thumbs to pass the time”.

I invite you to take a stroll down memory lane.  Feel again the anticipation and impatience you felt for the night Santa Claus would come.   That’s the feeling we still need to be filled with as we await the coming of Christmas – the commemoration of the night Jesus opened His eyes as a human being.  His first smile lit up his eyes as he beheld the tender love of his earthly mother and his foster father Joseph.  That was the night when he first heard, with human ears, the sweet sound of angels’ voices.  He experienced the comfort of his first hug.  Snuggled in his mother’s arms, he felt the warmth of the breath of curious animals who gathered ‘round the Holy Family.

In your reverie, live again the moment you discovered the reality of the Santa myth.  You’d probably had plenty of hints for a long time from older siblings or classmates.  In fact, you might have suspected who the REAL family Santa was. But you were slow to relinquish the fantasy of the jolly fellow enjoying the cookies you’d left for him.  Feel again the childish delight you knew as Santa emptied his sack of toys to find the gift with your name on it.

This Advent season, in place of eager children looking forward to Santa bringing us gifts, may we dream up creative ways to be “Santa” to others.

“May the God of Israel increase our longing for Jesus our Savior and give each and all of us the strength to grow in love, that the dawn of Jesus’ coming may find us rejoicing in his presence and welcoming the light of Truth.”

  ~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   Isaiah 2:1-55         Second Reading:  Romans 13:11-14
Gospel:   Matthew 24:37-44
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