Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Front Page

What if …

by Leave a Comment

Pentecost  2018

This weekend, for the Solemnity of Pentecost, between the Vigil Mass and the “During the Day” Mass there are eleven (11) selections for readings.

We’re all familiar with the Pentecost story.  The Apostles, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, had locked themselves in an upstairs room.  They were frightened by all that had happened, anxious and terrified that at any minute the authorities would come crashing through the door.  Looking back on the mystery of Pentecost, Paul wrote to his followers exhortations to live by the Spirit.  He reminds them “no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’, except by the Holy Spirit.”  He tries to unravel the mystery in terms they can relate to.  He speaks of gifts of the Spirit, forms of service, different workings, and the fruits of the Spirit.  He explains how those who are filled with the Spirit will conduct themselves and what vices they will refrain from.

In this reflection I’ll circle through the readings from the Letters of Paul to the Galatians, the Romans and the Corinthians.  I wonder what would Paul say to us today?  I suspect he would say much the same things he wrote to his audience of his time.  He might personalize it a bit to highlight the gifts present particular body of people he was addressing  – gifts that manifest the Spirit for the edification and benefit to the community.

He might say: You do know that to all of you, and each of you is given the gift of faithfulness to prayer, stability to each other and an endeavor for life-long learning.  To one may be given the aptitude of expressing psalmody in musical settings; to another the skills to lift the notes off the page in song and to another the gift of prayer in poetry.  To one is given the gift of sensitivity to the needs of the poor and to others the gift of touching the heart of the weary.  One may have the gift of never knowing a stranger, and another the flair and daring to entertain the community with her ability to emcee a party.  To one is given the gift of calligraphy and to another the proficiency and insight to write icons.   To one is given the gift of fingers that dance across the keyboard and to another a green thumb that provides food for the table; to a gardener the knack that raises flowers from the dirt and another the gift of arranging bouquets that inspire prayer.  To some there is given a volunteer’s heart with a seamstress skill or a caterer’s aptitude.  You are witness to a woman’s response to begin a journey in community and you are daily graced to witness each other’s perseverance in a life-long commitment to community and a combined effort to feed the hungers of the people of God.

Paul speaks again: “There is diversity of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

“But, what if,” you may ask, “I haven’t found my gift yet.  Or my gift seems to be changing over the years?”  Listen to the voice in your heart: “My child, you always have the gift of prayer …  that doesn’t change … the expression of prayer, the words you use, the method you practice are all conversation with God, spoken or unspoken.”  Remember the old Chinese proverb: “A Bird Does Not Sing Because It Has an Answer.  It Sings Because It Has a Song.”  Fr. Ed Lamp recently shared this message inspired by a poster with that saying that he saw in a family’s home in Merida.  He wrote:

When it comes to living our lives, we seem to always be looking for a purpose – a reason for everything, and a reason to do anything.  We seek fulfillment through love, and our family, through jobs and careers, and through our friends and hobbies.  We’re desperate to have a purpose and to understand the meaning of all of it – the meaning of life.  Why are we here and why do we do what we do?

But what if you let go of the idea that everything needs a purpose?  What if you let go of all the “musts” for a moment, just to be present right here and now?  What if you decided to sing, just to sing, but not necessarily because you have an answer?

Because I’m not so sure that we really need an answer, if we can find a way to just enjoy where we are at this moment.  Isn’t it enough to just be alive, and to be here, experiencing the full beauty and wonder of life?

“A bird does not sing because it has an answer, but because it has a song.”  It sings simply because it wants to, and to share something beautiful with its surroundings.  And what other purpose do we humans really have, other than to be alive and enjoy the moment that we are in, making ourselves and the people around us happy; doing what comes naturally to us, and to just live in the present and enjoy the beauty of life.

So try to release the stress of finding a purpose.  You are living your purpose right now.  …Singing a song with your life for no special purpose …  just “because” you have a song – a part in the grand harmony of the miracle of Pentecost – They were filled with Holy Spirit and began to sing in different voices, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim the mighty acts of God.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress

 

Continue Reading

Ascension of our Lord

by Leave a Comment

So when is the last time you “grabbed the devil by the tail?”  Or sought a big rock to dash your unruly thoughts against?  Uttered something in a language you never studied?  Or, like happened to St. Benedict, had a goblet crack down rim to stem and spill out its poisoned contents?  After all we live at HOLY NAME monastery and the evangelist Mark quotes Jesus telling us these will be our signs if we are baptized and believe in the holy name!  And, on top of that we have the command to: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”

A little over-whelming, right?  But we best take this message to heart all the while assured by the words that follow in the Gospel: Jesus took his seat at the right hand of God, but they (meaning we) went forth and preached EVERYWHERE, while the Lord worked with them.”

Praise God the full brunt of the message does not fall on us alone.  But we must take seriously our commitment to shoulder our share of the burden to spread the Good News to all with whom we come into contact.  We express this in a variety of ways in multiple community documents:  in our PHILOSOPHY statement, our MISSION statement, or VISION statement, our CORPORATE COMMITMENT and our CORE VALUES.  We recognize and acknowledge our responsibility to harken to Jesus’ call personally and to contribute to its fulfillment in the context of our Benedictine vocation.

There is an ancient beautiful story about the ascension of Jesus into heaven.  When the grand welcome ceremony was over, the angel Gabriel quietly approached Jesus and shared some doubts.  “I know that only very few in Palestine are aware of the great work of human salvation you have accomplished through your suffering, death and resurrection. But the whole world should know and appreciate it and become your disciples, acknowledging you as their Lord and Savior.  What is your plan of action?”  Jesus answered, “I have told all my apostles to tell other people about me and preach my message through their lives. That’s all.” “Suppose they don’t do that,” Gabriel responded. “What’s your Plan B?” Jesus replied, “I have no other plan; I am counting on them.”  That fanciful story reminds us that Jesus is counting on each one of us to make him known, loved and accepted by others around us.

Perhaps what this means can best be illustrated within another story…

A man was stumbling along in a desert, thirsty and with little hope of survival.  All he had was a one small disposable bottle of water.  When it was gone, he knew that certain death lie in store for him.  But, wonder of wonders, as he topped the next dune, he saw what he took to be an old decrepit shed.  He dragged himself on this elbows over to it, hoping he might find some source of water.

Ah, thank God, there was a pump outside the shack.  Frantically, the man pumped the handle.  Nothing happened.  Then his eyes fell on a crude hand-lettered sign that read: “This pump must be primed to work.”  His dreams of survival seemed dashed.

He held up what was left of the bottle of water, rolled it across his cheek, cuddled it, kissed it and prayed for faith.  Then he acted.  He primed the pump with all the water he had.  He closed his eyes and pumped the handle.  Wonder of wonders out came streams of fresh, cool water!  He was saved because he gave of all he had.  (Based on a story in Unity Magazine November 1986.)

Pope Benedict XV expresses well the attitude and necessity of self-giving: “My deep personal sharing in the needs and sufferings of others becomes a sharing of my very self with them….  I must give to others not only something that is my own, but my very self, I must be personally present in my gift.”

Like the man who sacrificed his last drop of water on the rusty, frozen well we step out in faith with no plan B in mind.  In the words of a hymn made popular several years ago by the Medical Mission Sisters: “Give it all we’ve got!”

God loves a cheerful giver, give it all you’ve got.

He loves to hear you laughing when you’re in an awkward spot.

When the odds add up against you,

It’s time to stop and sing:  Praise God, to praise Him is a joyous thing!

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress
First Reading  Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11                             Second Reading  Ephesians 1:17-23 or Ephesians 4:1-13 (shorter form: Ephesians 4:1-7,11-13)
Gospel Reading  Mark 16:15-20
Continue Reading

A Particular Kind of Love

by Leave a Comment

The theme of this Gospel is clearly love but not the kind of love we see a film or television program, or hear on the radio or a CD.  Even in church hymns, we speak frequently about love.  But, as Oliver sings in the musical based on Charles Dickens’ story, “Where is love?”  We ask: what is love?

First, let’s look for a minute at where John places this reading.  It fits squarely between the Gospel readings from this morning (Saturday) and yesterday (Friday) and immediately after the Gospel proclaimed last Sunday: the vine and branches wherein we were reminded that it is only in our union with Jesus that we can render fruitful service.  Today’s reading, then, extends this teaching to the kind of service that we are called upon to offer: a particular kind of love, sacrificial love.

In the Greek, there are two words for love that are used interchangeably in this passage.  The first is agape. It is understood as the highest and most perfect kind of love and is used to describe love for persons and for God. The second is philia and is used to describe the affection of friendship.  John appears to use these words as synonyms so that we understand our relationship with God is based on friendship.  Sometimes we hear this word “love” used in such a way that we degrade, lessen or weaken its significance.  The way Jesus, or in this case John, uses the word for love just doesn’t apply to chocolate, a long drink or an afternoon nap.  We may like and enjoy those things a lot, but we don’t “love” them in the way we love our neighbor.

It is notable, I think, that Jesus gives us just one love commandment.  He does not say, “Love me, love my father or love God as I have loved you”. No, he says, “If you want to be my disciple, then you must love one another.” If we really love our brothers and sisters we do not have to worry if we love God. But, if we do not love everyone unconditionally, then there is no other way we can claim to love Jesus.  We need to love like God loves: without exception.

So we do not really have to ask or worry, “Is it a sin to do or say or think such and such a thing?”  The important thing to worry about or ask is: “When I do, say or think such and such, am I really a loving person?”  As our relationship with our Redeemer grows, the less and less we are hung up on rules and regulations.  We know in our heart what is the appropriate, loving thing to do or say.

In practice, of course, it’s easier said than done.  We are slow learners …some slower than others.  Some have a family history that promotes love in action; others struggle with a history of abuse in the home.  In addition, the prevailing culture thinks and acts differently.  Rough, raunchy, abusive language and tone of voice; behavioral violence can invade our homes every day on televised news.  The sounds of fictionalized gun and interpersonal violence may come into our living spaces.  Our blood pressure rises unnoticed, we flinch and blink our eyes not realizing that we are desensitizing ourselves to what we say we want controlled and petition lawmakers to protect us against.

Deep down, we all want to love people.  We like people to be our friends.  Yet, because of our past experiences, the influence of parents and other people around us, the pressures of our society and our traditions, we often do not know how to love, do not know how to forgive, do not know how to be reconciled, we do not practice the skills that promote healthy relationships.

Sometimes people will love us back; sometimes they will not.  Sometimes, even though we want to love people, they may reject us.  If they do reject us, we need not necessarily think that we have done wrong.  When people cannot return genuine love, it is they who have the problem.  Sad to say, due to past experiences not everyone is capable of loving.  All the more reason why we need to pray for and reach out to them.  People learn to love by being loved.

The most important thing is not that I am very clever, very successful, very rich, very famous… The most important thing is that I am someone who really loves.  When I genuinely love others, there will always be some who cannot love me back but there will be others who will really respond in love.  And it may be that my love has empowered them to be loving too.

Recall last evening reading from the Prologue of the Rule (of Benedict): “See how the Lord in his love shows us the way of life.  Let us set out on this way, with the Gospel for our guide,that we may deserve to see him who has called us to his kingdom.”

You’ve heard the saying, when in doubt, don’t!  But maybe a better point to ponder is:  WWJD – what would Jesus do?

 Our rose garden is in full bloom – certainly an example of “April showers bring May flowers!”

Next Sunday, Mother’s Day, our Sisters and volunteers will be serving the area’s monthly free Sunday meal for the homeless and needy.

First Reading   Acts of the Apostles 10:25-26,34-35,44-48
Second Reading   1 John 4:7-10    Gospel John 15:9-17
~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress
Continue Reading

May: Month of the Blessed Mother

by Leave a Comment

May is the month dedicated to Blessed Mary, mother of Jesus Christ.  A ceremony is scheduled at St. Jude’s Cathedral on Sunday, May 6th during which Bishop Parkes will consecrate our diocese and all people who live in the five counties of the Diocese of St. Petersburg to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. “Consecrating ourselves to Mary means accepting her help to offer ourselves and the whole of humankind to Him who is holy, infinitely holy; it means accepting her help – by having recourse to her motherly heart.”  (Bishop Parkes)

The Benedictine Sisters suggest this month that you consider reading and sharing with family from At Prayer with Mary by John Phalen, CSC and James Posluszny, CSC.  Or , you may choose to use any other material on Mary and the church, or spend some special time pondering the life of Mary and her impact on your life.    As Phalen outlines on the cover of the book,  readers are invited to reflect on the realities in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary: her humanness, her poverty, and her daily struggles.  In focusing on these aspects of her life, we discover in Mary a model of Christian living who invites us to join her as disciples of her son, Jesus Christ.

Continue Reading

“I should have known” experiences

by Leave a Comment

On this third Sunday of Easter, we continue to hear Gospel accounts of Jesus’ appearances to his disciples following his Resurrection.  In each account Jesus greets his disciples with the words, “Peace be with you.”  Peace is their most obvious and pressing need.  They have witnessed the death of someone they loved dearly.

Two of the disciples recounted this touching story of PEACE invading their lives.  They had been pondering, exchanging views when suddenly a stranger slipped into their midst.  Now the Jewish custom of the day required that they invite the stranger, whom we know is Jesus, to join them for a meal.  In this case, the invitation included an overnight’s rest.  Later they realized Who had broken bread in their company.  Can’t you see Jesus’ delight in revealing himself.  He’d kept His identity hidden for a time.  Now the friends realized that their hearts had been afire as they listened to him break open the Scriptures with him.  What a Lectio experience!

We believe God is all around us: God is in nature, God is here with me now.  But do we really believe that God – in the person of Jesus – will drop into our company and chat with us…  in the person who is walking toward us?  How interesting that two people can be in the same circumstances but have two distinct “I should have known” experiences.

Once upon a time a child delivered something to me from her kindergarten teacher.  As I thanked her, she stepped back and politely said: “May I ask what you are going to use that wrapping paper for?”  From there the conversation went like this:  “Well, I am planning a prayer service for the Sisters at our chapel and I want to make a pretend well.”  “For the Sisters?”  “Yes.”  “Are you a Sister?”  (Now this was Lent and she had known me since August.)  When I answered, “Yes, that’s why you call me SISTER Roberta.” She slapped herself aside her head … “I should have known!”  Like the disciples’ AH-HA moment – they knew later if they had listened to their heart that they would have known Jesus in the breaking of the bread!

I am reminded of another story that the author calls:  The Best Sermon I Never Heard (By Frederick Hermann)  [Adapted here to fit our time constraints.]  Perhaps you will identify with one or the other of the players in the story.  I’ll relate it as if it happened to me …

“As soon as he started, I knew it was going to be bad.  The old priest began his sermon with a faltering voice, and proceeded to tell an obscure story that made no sense to me at all. I was quickly lost and bored.  This was not the church I usually attended but I was traveling, and went to a local church for evening Mass. The priest seemed unprepared, vague, and detached.  So I tuned him out, and started fuming inside my head – why hadn’t I pushed it to drive home tonight to the monastery?”

“Why didn’t he prepare better?  Didn’t he take a homiletics course (like Father Mike) in the seminary”   I felt like I had endured an eternity when finally the priest ended his sermon.

After Mass, I walked to the car in the parking lot. No longer able to contain my irritation, I complained out loud to a stranger walking beside me – and you know that’s like me to speak to a perfect stranger.   “So, what did you think of that sermon?”  She walked in silence beside me, lost in thought.  Actually I thought maybe she was deaf or that I hadn’t really spoken aloud.  Then she softly and gently spoke; “That was the most beautiful sermon I have ever heard.”

I was stunned, and looked up at her, expecting to see her grinning sarcastically. To my astonishment, I saw that tears were streaming down her cheeks …  her eyes glistened in the evening sunlight.  Finally she spoke: “I’ve spent most of my life estranged from God, going my own way, and doing my own thing. Last year I found God, or rather he found me.  Now I find him speaking to me in the most unusual ways. Like that sermon we just heard. It was all about waking up, and listening, and hearing God in new ways. That describes my life, and the love I have found.”  I was speechless!

As I drove away, I marveled at how God could use such a dull and ordinary priest to speak in such an extraordinary way to one of his beloved.  What is meaningless for me to hear, and a cross for me to bear, may be the fruitful words of life to a person sitting nearby – who may be hearing the voice of God speaking directly into their heart.

In the words of Job:  “God thunders with His voice wondrously, doing great things which we cannot comprehend.” (Job 37:5).  And, in the words of our Responsorial Psalm: “Know that the Lord does wonders for his faithful ones; and puts gladness into my heart.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress
First Reading  Acts of the Apostles 3:13-15,17-19  Second Reading 1 John 2:1-5a
Gospel Luke 24:35-48    Intention Mentally Ill
Continue Reading

Just Like Kneading Dough

by Leave a Comment

Have you read the reflection for tomorrow in THIS DAY?  Or, if not, do you remember watching someone, maybe your mom or grandmother making bread and kneading the dough – making biscuits or rolls or maybe you’ve seen someone tossing pizza dough?  Just thinking about it, don’t you get that feeling???  You can’t just “watch” – you have to get your hands on it, in it.  That reflection in THIS DAY continues with a quote from C.S. Lewis, “If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them.  Thomas couldn’t just nod his head and blindly accept the news his friends excitedly shared that Jesus had visited them.   He had to put his hands on Jesus …  feel the warmth of His body, trace the scars.  The NASA engineer, a woman of color, I heard recently at PHSC, speaking of aspirations said it this way: You can’t aspire to something you’ve never seen.”  Thomas had to feel Jesus to know He was really, REAL.  You know what it is like when we haven’t seen a friend for a long time, we have to clasp hands, hug each other to assure ourselves us the moment is REAL.

This weekend we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday.  How can we learn mercy if we never see mercy in action?  That thought alone should be an impetus to model a spirit of mercy in all our interactions.  Mercy isn’t weakness – it takes patience, insight, control of your tongue, a peaceful spirit to be merciful.

The celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday is a relatively new addition to our church calendar.  It was first promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 2000, the day that he canonized Saint Faustina.  Christ appeared to a Polish nun, Sr. Maria Faustina Kowalska, in a series of visions that took place over almost eight years.  In one of the visions Christ asked Sister Faustina to pray for nine days, beginning on Good Friday and ending on the Saturday after Easter—the eve of the Octave of Easter.  Thus, since the 9 days of a novena are commonly prayed in advance of a feast, the Feast of Divine Mercy—Divine Mercy Sunday—was born.

Sister Faustina is quoted from her diary:

“Oh, if only all souls knew Who is living in our churches?”  This belief is a taste of what Thomas experienced when, in his presence, Jesus appeared the second time to his disciples.  He was invited to “touch and believe”.  He recognized Jesus, his doubt was vanquished, and he professed His belief in Christ.

Do we recognize the Christ among us?  When the Eucharistic minister looks you in the eye to greet you: “Body of Christ.  Blood of Christ” is our AMEN simply a rote, expected response?  Or does your AMEN signify a true conviction that “yes, you and I are Christ for each other?”  If we cannot greet Christ in each other, how will we recognize Jesus at the pearly gates?

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress

 

First Reading  Acts of the Apostles 4:32-35    Second Reading   1 John 5:1-6
Gospel John 20:19-31
Continue Reading