Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Homily

Pentecost

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Have we really come 50 days since Easter?  In the Gospel narratives, Jesus has told his disciples that he’s going to prepare a mansion for them in his Father’s house. He’s promised them that where he is going, they will be able to follow.  You’ll remember that Thomas told Jesus they did not know where Jesus is going – so, how can they get there?  Jesus explains that he himself is the way, the truth, and the life.

It was Philip who made a request that challenged Jesus’ words. Philip wanted Jesus to show the Father to the disciples.  Remember what Jesus has just told his disciples? “If you know me, then you also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”   Like the good teacher that he was, Jesus responded to Philip by elaborating on what he has just told the disciples: they have seen and known Jesus, so they have seen and known the Father. Then Jesus offers another reassurance about his departure: because of faith in God and in Jesus, the disciples will do the work that Jesus has done and more.

Jesus promises that the Spirit of truth will reveal all that He, and the Father, know and all that is to come.  This connection between Jesus and his Father, between Jesus’ work and the work of the Father, is made clear in today’s Gospel. Jesus is in the Father, and God the Father is in Jesus. As God spoke his name to Moses, “I am,” so too Jesus speaks his name to his disciples: “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

Do you recall the theme music and opening words from “Mission Impossible!”  “Good morning, Mr. Phelps!  Your mission, should you choose to accept it…”  Just before Jesus returned to heaven, He charged us to do something which seems impossible…one of the most amazing verses in the Bible.  In one translation: “Verily, verily, I say to you: You that believe the works I do, you also shall do – and even greater works than these shall you do.” Sounds like mission impossible! And yet, our God, who cannot lie, has said it… …so, how can we make it a reality?

We can’t share the Good News if we have not heard the Good News.  We must have a mission that is a vision of what Jesus meant by “greater things.”  Our coming retreat time might be a good time to re-read and spend some time in private self-evaluation with our Vision and Core Values statement.

Jesus fed 5,000 people with a lad’s lunch.  He walked on water.  He raised the dead?  How can we do “greater?” Jesus raised the dead?  How can we top that?  Well, let me ask you: “Did Jesus say we would be able to top his works?”  No, He did not say we’d work greater miracles than He, but that we’d do greater works!  What are the greater works?

Jesus raised Lazarus and the widow’s son – a physical miracle.  Greater than raising someone physically is to raise them spiritually.  And, our corporate commitment empowers us to do just that …  to respond to the hungers of the people of God …. With the same compassion that Jesus showed the hungry crowd and a grieving family.   The greater work is salvation…seeing people pass from spiritual death to spiritual life.

Jesus’ primary work was not walking on water, healing people physically, raising them from dead…though He did all of those things.  His primary work was to seek and save that which was lost.  The miracle of Pentecost convinces us of the greater work the Spirit accomplished through the disciples.

Jesus says His miracles were nothing compared to what is coming.  The greater things we can accomplish will not happen by merely focusing on our community. It’s “mission impossible” to reach the world unless we have a plan of how to reach outside of our geographic limits!  The price will be in going the extra mile: attentiveness, physical expenditure, emotional drain, consideration for the details of hospitality and self- and interpersonal care.  This is what we’re all about…bringing glory to God by seeing people saved!  That’s a purpose worth committing ourselves to. It’s bigger, greater than just ourselves and our problems. In so doing we bring great glory to God!  Jesus BEGAN a work that we are to bring to completion. He BEGAN it in His earthly body, and He will CONTINUE it through us.  The ultimate purpose is to bring glory to God.  That goal is impressed on us every time we enter the chapel: that in all things God may be glorified!  I’ll close with a little story that reminds us we can do greater things.  Three friends were spending the day fishing in Lake Jovita.  After they were out in the boat, one realized she had left the bait on the dock.   So, she stepped out of the boat and walked on water to the shore and back to boat!

The others marveled at such faith!   With that another girl, discovered she had forgotten her lunch box back in the car.   She nimbly trotted across the water and back.  The third fisher exclaimed: “That’s incredible!  I am in the presence of greatness!  But I believe – I have faith, too!  She needed to use the restroom, so she stepped out of boat and promptly sank to bottom of the lake!  Her two fishing companions looked at each other: “Should we tell her where the rocks are?”!   We can depend on Jesus to be there when we need a stepping stone – He IS our rock.

~S. Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

First Reading: Acts 2:1-11              Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 17:3b-7, 12-13
Gospel Reading:  John 20:19-23
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Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord

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Do you remember hearing years ago the question: how far is heaven from earth?  It must be 5 days’ journey – because when on the ascension Jesus rose to heaven it took it was 10 days later when the Holy Spirit descended on Pentecost.  Five days up; five down.   That’s how far, some say, heaven is from earth.  (not seriously, of course.)    But that silly story prompts my reflection’s journey motif …

In this our 137th community anniversary of the journey from Pennsylvania to Florida, I invite you to join me in taking a long overview look at the history of our community “journey history”.  It is evident that we and our Florida-Benedictine ancestors have made many journeys.  We start with Benedict and Scholastica who skipped happily along the hilltop path from their home in Norcia, Italy.  Perhaps they stopped in to visit with the hermits who live in caves hillside on their trip to their grandparents’ summer house on the outskirts of town.

When still a young boy, Benedict journeyed to Rome for classical studies.  Before long, he journeyed into the hills for a little sanity.   A few years later, Benedict’s followers – and Scholastica’s nuns – traveled from Italy to Germany, England, France, Switzerland, and Austria – and in 1852 from Bavaria to the United States.  We probably know the story of the monk running to tell Abbot Wimmer that his “wagon load of trouble” had been spotted on the horizon when the first Benedictine nuns came to the U.S.  Like spotty fires that can’t be contained, Benedictine women’s houses sprang up across the continent. Our own immediate history brings a “wagon load” of 5 Sisters from PA to San Antonio, FL.  Before long they’d started schools in their own home and 3 miles down the road in St. Joe.

Over the years, our Sisters would journey each school year to places as far away as TX and LA and they made a mark for our community in Miami, Miami Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Ocala, Sarasota, Venice, Lakeland, Apopka, Dade City, Zephyrhills and San Antonio, New Port Richey and St. Joe and right here in St. Leo. For many years the Sisters packed up each June and brought all their worldly possessions back to Holy Name Convent because we never knew for sure where you’d be “missioned” the next school year.  This was a built-in system of “spring cleaning” and downsizing.

During the summers the Sisters continued on their journeys to complete, or extend, their education.  To name a few places I know about, they traveled to Cullman, AL, Notre Dame, St. John’s in Minnesota, Belmont College, New York, Louisville, Yankton, SD; Barry in Miami, the Mount in Atchison, KS; Wisconsin and St. Louis.  Or they packed up a few necessities along with two habits and headed up the road to Good Counsel Camp where they squeezed in 2-week sessions of religious education for children that did not have the advantage of parochial schools.

In addition to staffing parish school, Sisters packed into cars – sometimes with volunteer drivers – to teach weekend catechism classes in Floral City, Brooksville, New Port Richey, Eustis, Arlington, Ponte Vedra, Masaryktown, Belleview, Reddick, West Ocala, Fruitland Park, Gainesville, Clermont, Dade City, Zephyrhills and the Girls’ Reformatory in Ocala.   I’ve never check out the veracity of this story but I’ve heard that there is one Sister who used to travel to “the outback” to teach catechism with her typewriter on her lap finishing up her college class assignments.

All this journeying from home to classrooms to college to camp to parish halls were mini-versions of the grand moves, the memorable journeys, that travel in our Florida Benedictine genes: the move from PA, the move from the park to the top of this hill; from the wood-frame convent to this structure of concrete and steel.  And, then there were the years of discernment that concluded in our decision to move body and soul across the highway to this 2014 structure we now call home.

And, you’ll recall we’ve moved not only our persons – we’ve moved buildings to our property – the barracks buildings that were delivered for a boys’ school and a canteen for the academy girls.  Camp Jovita cabins and the day care buildings rested south of the Villa.  We can point to where buildings used to be: the kindergarten and coif room, the laundry at the lake, Scholastica hall, barns, the home ec houses, the bus shelter, a hitching post on Hwy 52 and basketball courts where we hosted chicken dinners and danced around the May Pole.

Journeys are not a new phenomenon for Florida Benedictines. For some of us a journey is an adventure; for some a dreadful thought.  For all of us it can be a great risk, a scary thought, a step into a future that unfolds as we walk the path God holds out to us.  When we took our first journey from womb to the light of day, we were completely naked, vulnerable, squalling and fighting the loss of the comfort of 24-hour warmth, unending nourishment, periods of activity and times of quiet floating.  Journeys are nothing new for any of us!

In conclusion, for today, I suggest you think about some of the journeys you’ve taken – moves when you were a child, the move to join our community and the journey that our sisters of happy memory have traveled to their eternal home.   May they rest in peace!  God of the journey, show us the path to life.  Angels of God, lead us along our path.  Amen.  Alleluia!

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

First Reading:   Acts 1:1-11         Second Reading:  Ephesians 1:17-23
Gospel:   Matthew 28:1-16
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It’s just not going to be the same.

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Today’s Gospel is an expression of an impending separation cushioned with a promise of an abiding presence. Jesus is speaking to his disciples at their last supper together.  And it must have been a LONG, many-course supper given the length of Jesus’ discourse. He lovingly reassures those gathered with him that even though he must leave them, he is not abandoning them.  In his stead, he promises, he will send the Holy Spirit.  And, on that day they will realize that He and the Father God are one.

When a lifetime friend moves far away we can reassure one another that we’ll stay in touch but we also probably agree [even if we do have FaceTime and Instagram]: “It’s just not going to be the same.” This may have been the feeling of the disciples.  Jesus is saying “goodbye”.   This is not just a farewell before going on a short trip, when they will see one another again in a few weeks or months.  It’s a more permanent farewell. He is preparing them for the shock of his violent death and the collapse of their plans for the future. Everything is about to change for them “It’s just not going to be the same.”

Jesus is sensitive to the feeling of loss they are about to endure. He’s telling them quite clearly, “It’s just not going to be the same.”  He knows they won’t make it on their own.   Their human courage, like ours, just won’t  be enough – they’ll need continued support to spread Jesus’ message after He is gone.

So, Jesus makes a FANTASTIC, and unbelievable promise:  He is going to the Father and he will send the Holy Spirit to guide them as they face new challenges.  There are going to be new issues and suffering for what they believe. But they will become aware of Jesus’ abiding presence.

We may be 2000+ years away from those disciples around the table with Jesus that night; but we too have experienced loss and need. We have said many goodbyes to family and community members.  We’ve experienced big changes in our lives.   There have been times when we’ve needed to be strong ourselves and for others: times of grave illness, worry over a troubled or addicted loved one, sorrow over a broken relationship or an uncertain future.

Those are the times when we’ve known: “It’s just not going to be the same.” And it wasn’t.  God sends us curve balls when we least expect it.  But, like a skilled ball player we can still hit a home run.  God gives us the strength to stay faithful and the wisdom to maneuver life’s many twists and turns.

Who could have foreseen, or even imagined, this day when we would be lesser in number?  These are times when we know well the feeling: It’s just not going to be the same.

Our duty, our challenge, then, is to believe, to trust that we DO have the Spirit with us – in Word, the Eucharist, in each other.  We believe Jesus has kept his promise to give us the gift of the Spirit – an abiding, permanent dwelling with each and every one of us.  We believe Jesus when he says: I will send the “Advocate” – a counselor, a consoler, a mediator – divine energy that will bind you together with one another, and all you in God.

A Thomas Merton prayer speaks to me when all I do know is: “it’s just not going to be the same.”

 “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.  But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.  And, I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.  I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.  And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.  Therefore, will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.  I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

                                    [Thomas Merton, Thoughts on Solitude, 1956}

 

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   Acts of the Apostles 8:5-8, 14-17         Second Reading:  1 Peter 3:15-18
Gospel:   John 14:15-21
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Good Shepherd Sunday

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These two brief parables in the Gospel reveal Jesus as our unique means to salvation, our Good Shepherd.  He is the “sheep gate,” the gateway to eternal life, and the selfless, caring “shepherd” who provides protection and life itself.  Jesus presents a comparison between a concerned shepherd and a hireling who is there only for the paycheck.  The good shepherd is willing to pay any price to protect the sheep, even if it means that he has to give His very life for them.  Christ, the Chief Shepherd, knows our individual weaknesses and failings and watches over us with discerning love and sympathetic understanding.  With infinite concern He notes the doubts, fears, trials, conflicts, and defeats that disturb our peace, and He swiftly comes to our aid Jesus is warning his hearers and reminding us, “don’t be scammed” – only thieves and robbers seek to enter the sheepfold by any means other than the door.

Tony Campolo loved to tell the story of a particular census taker who went to the home of a rather poor family in the mountains of West Virginia to gather information.  He asked the mother how many dependents she had.  She began, “Well, there is Rosie, Billy and Lewella, Susie, Harry and Jeffrey.  There’s Johnny, Harvey, and our dog, Wille.”  The census taker interrupted her: “No, ma’am, that’s not necessary.  I only need the humans.” “Ah,” she said.  “Well, there is Rosie, Billy, and Lewella, Susie, Harry, and Jeffrey, Johnny, Harvey, and…”  At this the exasperated man he said, “No, ma’am, you don’t seem to understand.  I don’t need their names.  I just need the numbers.”  The woman replied, “But I don’t know their numbers. I only know them by name.”

In today’s gospel Jesus, the Good Shepherd, says that he knows his sheep by name.  Although there may be several flocks sharing the same sheepfold, when the shepherds walk up to the gate and call their sheep, each one instantly recognizes the voice of its own shepherd.  When he calls, they instinctively follow (they are led and they follow, they are not driven, that’s for goats).  They will ignore the voice of any shepherd other than their own.  We will hear many voices competing for our attention, but there is a special note to the voice of Jesus that demands our immediate and full attention.

A man in Australia was arrested and charged with stealing a sheep.  But he claimed emphatically that it was one of his own that had been missing for many days.  When the case went to court, the judge was puzzled. Not knowing how to decide the matter, he at last asked that the sheep be brought into the courtroom.  Then he ordered the plaintiff to step outside and call the animal.  The sheep made no response except to raise its head and look frightened.  The judge then instructed the defendant to go to the courtyard and call the sheep.  When the accused man began to make his distinctive call, the sheep bounded toward the door.  It was obvious that he recognized the familiar voice of his master.  “His sheep knows him,” said the judge.  “Case dismissed!”

There is no question that Jesus is our Good Shepherd.  The only question that remains at this point is this: Do you know the Shepherd?  Do you recognize His voice?

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   Acts 2:14, 36-41         Second Reading:  1 Peter 2:20-25
Gospel:   John 10:1-10
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On the Road to Emmaus

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Two of the disciples of Jesus were on the road that leads to Emmaus. They were low because their Master had been crucified like a common thief. But now they’d heard reports that their Master was not dead at all. Reliable sources have told them that he had appeared to some of their most trusted friends. Was he really alive? Should they believe the good news or the bad? And that’s our dilemma, isn’t it? DO WE BELIEVE THE GOOD NEWS OR THE BAD? The good news is that Christ is alive. The bad news is how little impact that event is having in our world.

The Jewish custom required that the two disciples invite Jesus to a meal. Hence, they invited Him for a night’s rest in their house–and Jesus accepted the invitation. During the meal, when Jesus broke the bread, the disciples realized that this stranger was not a stranger after all – this was Jesus, the Risen Christ. Later they said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us when he opened up the Scriptures to us?”  Hidden for a time, Jesus took delight in revealing himself in the breaking of the bread.  Mangiare! Eat up! It’s good for you!

You will recall on Easter morning, Jesus told the disciples to “go home” – this time they “go back” -walking 7 miles to Jerusalem to share their story.   They were probably pondering all along the way how they, like Mary Magdalene, did not recognize Jesus.  For Mary the revelation (Jesus’ delight) came when she heard Jesus’ voice.  For the Emmaus disciples it was the breaking of the bread.    That continues to this day, Jesus meets us on our way to Emmaus, in the ordinary experiences of our lives, and in the places to which we retreat when life is too much for us. The story warns us, however, that the risen Lord will take delight in coming to us when we least expect him.

In the story of Winnie-the-Pooh, Pooh and Piglet are taking their evening walk. For a long time they walk in the kind of silence good friends can share.  Finally, Piglet asks, “When you wake up in the morning, Pooh, what’s the first thing you say to yourself?” “What’s for breakfast?” answers Pooh and then asks. “And what do you say, Piglet?” Piglet says, “I say, I wonder what exciting thing is going to happen today?”   You and I can’t really plan to meet the Risen Christ because we never really know when or where He’s going to show up. But you can be sure of this: He will show up.  Take delight in his revelation!

Have you heard about the little boy who told his mother, “I’m going out to play ball with God.”  When his mother asked him just how he could do this, the little boy answered: “Oh, I throw the ball up to His sky, and He throws it back to me.”  Jesus will not disappoint you – You can depend on Him – throw the ball up – He will toss it back – be careful it does not land on your head because you failed to recognize him in the unexpected moment.  Consider when an idea comes to you “from out of the blue”.  Might it be God throwing it back to you with the prayer you tossed in his lap?  Might it be God’s way of saying: “Catch!  You can handle this one?”

How about the tale of the young boy walking home through the park after attending a Sunday school class? Somehow, he couldn’t stop thinking about the Bible lesson for that day. What impressed him most was when the teacher said, “You will find the risen Jesus in everyone you meet.” As he continued through the park, he noticed an old woman sitting on a bench. She looked lonely and hungry. So he sat down next to her, took out the chocolate bar he had saved and offered some to her. She accepted it with a beautiful smile.  They sat together in silence, just smiling at each other.  When the boy was leaving, he had gone short distance when he ran back to the bench, and gave the woman a big hug. When he arrived home, his mother asked, “What’s making you so happy today?” He said, “I shared my chocolate bar with Jesus.” Before his mother could ask more questions, he added, “You know, she has the most beautiful smile in the world.”  Meanwhile, the old woman returned to her little apartment where she lived with her sister who remarked, “You seem really happy today.  “I am,” she replied, “I was sitting in the park, eating a chocolate bar with Jesus. And, you know, he looks a lot younger than I expected.”   Isn’t that the lesson in today’s gospel?  We will meet and experience the risen Jesus in unexpected places and persons.  Make someone smile and take care to notice God’s delight in the smiles returned to you.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

Next issue of TIDE is in the mail …  if you are not on our mailing list you can find it on line at www.benedictinesistersoffl.org

  God bless you and your family.

 

 

 

First Reading:   Acts 2:14         Second Reading:  1 Peter 1:17-21
Gospel:   Luke 24:13-35
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Second Sunday of Easter

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The Frailty of Easter  Based in part on a reflection by John Slattery  (adapted)

Easter is all about smallness.  That’s why we are drawn to reading and re-reading the Easter accounts in the Gospels each year.  Despite the ocean of books, songs, sermons, and lectures written about Easter or on Easter-themes, our Scripture includes just four small stories about this Jesus who rose from the dead.  The combined resurrection stories encompass about 3500 words–the equivalent of about 15 pages, the length of an average term paper.

Jesus’ resurrection was such a humble thing.  There were no angel trumpeteers or singers in the skies. It was more like the story in Psalm 119. “Without a word, without a sound, without a voice being heard, the message fills all the earth, resounding to the ends of the universe.”  First, Jesus surprised Mary in the garden.  She told a few other women, then they told a few men and soon Jesus appeared to them.  He spoke about peace, about the Spirit of God, about hope.  He showed his wounds.  He ate some food and then he drifted up into the clouds.  He didn’t march on Rome or lead a rebellion against those who brought him to Pilate.  After his resurrection He didn’t heal anyone else or preach to vast crowds as He had done previously.  He didn’t cast out any more demons, trade barbs with rabbis, or visit the Temple.  The resurrection, in many ways, was a quiet event.

It challenges us to read that Jesus showed his followers his wounds.  “See,” he seems to say, “a broken body is not made whole by erasing the imperfections.  Feel this hole in my side,” he says to Thomas and to each of us.  “See, I have sanctified what the world calls spoiled.  A broken body is made whole not by removing the scars but by embracing the permanence of the wounds.”

We like this small and quiet resurrection where Jesus is not the definition of a contemporary superhero.  He doesn’t return triumphant and knock Pilate off his throne, bringing God’s wrath on the vicious Roman Empire.  He appears to his friends, simply showing his wounds and talking about love and peace.

Today’s story of Thomas illustrates our Christian experience. We are called to believe without seeing.  In fact, all Christians (after the first witnesses) have been called to believe without seeing. Thus, we sing “Without seeing you, we love you; without seeing you, we believe.”  Thomas’ doubt is hardly surprising; the news of Jesus’ appearance was incredible to the disciples who had seen him crucified and buried. Thomas’ human nature compelled him to want hard evidence that the Jesus, who appeared to the disciples after his death was indeed the same Jesus who had been crucified. Thomas is given the opportunity to act on that desire. He is our witness that Jesus is truly raised from the dead.  With him we proclaim: “We have been told, we’ve seen his face, and heard his voice alive in our hearts.”

Jesus wants us to be perfect, but not the kind of perfect that ninjas or Superman display.  Jesus wants us to be perfect “as our heavenly Father is perfect.”  God’s perfection and the message of Jesus’ Resurrection call us to an unconditional embrace of frailty, pain, and brokenness.

It is an embrace that calls us to resist all forms of violence, power, and hatred.  There is growing acknowledgement of that fact that TV and video game violence, like second-hand smoke affects one’s lungs, permanently affects our brains.  Many persons, families, and faith communities refuse to allow TV violence, fictionalized or news reports, to invade their living spaces.  Jesus did not arm his apostles with weapons for revenge — he armed them with prayer and baptized them in a spirit of hope and forgiveness.

We are surrounded today with so much sadness and fear and anger.  We who live in a peaceful community rejoice in the security and sanctity that empowers us to extend open arms in hospitality to those in the world who yearn for that same privilege.

At the end of our Gospel selection we read, “Jesus did many other signs that are not written in this book.  But these ARE written that you may come to believe …and through this belief you may have life in Jesus’ name.

We join the psalmist in singing: “By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.  This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   Acts of the Apostles 2:42-47         Second Reading:  1 Peter 1:3-9
Gospel:   John 20:19-31
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