Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Homily

What are you Wearing to the Banquet?

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Have you ever watched a make-over program on TV?  I’ve watched a few on house make-overs.  While pondering this week’s Gospel I recalled a time when channel surfing that I was attracted by this girl’s plea to get her boyfriend to dress appropriately for a wedding they were going to attend. It was one of those makeover shows where a person gets their entire wardrobe revamped by some hip and fashionable person who does this sort of thing for a living.  Seems like it could be a good alternative for the man who got thrown out of the wedding in today’s Gospel.  Though some guys might think the odds were even: forced into a make-over or getting to escape the whole ordeal – bound hand and foot, yes, but at least he could get away.

The commentator on the TV show was relating the guy’s background.  Seems he had no fashion sense.  As these shows go, they took him – he seemed to go without protest – to an up-scale clothing store for a new wardrobe that would make him acceptable at the wedding – at least in the eyes of his girlfriend.  He watched helplessly as his favorite clothes were thrown in the trash and replaced with more “fashionable items.”  These people didn’t care what this person did for a living; how he treated his friends and neighbors.  They didn’t ask about his spiritual life or his financial situation.  Fashion was paramount!

The party in today’s Gospel would have been a highlight in many people’s lives.  FREE food, hobnobbing with people whose names they’d only heard in passing.  Why would they not jump at the chance to be a guest at such a fantastic occasion?  But, you just throw a party yourself and you will quickly figure out that some who say “yes” won’t show and a goodly number will figure you knew they’d come so they did not really need to RSVP.

The people Jesus was telling this parable to were not stupid. They understood the absurdity of the situation. They knew that Jesus was not simply telling them a strange story but that he was telling them something about their own lives.  He was in essence telling them that they were the invited guests and that they had refused the invitation. They understood that the servants who came to tell them about the banquet were the prophets.  They understood that Jesus was telling them that the kingdom of God is open to EVERYONE, to the outcasts and the sinners and to them.

But Jesus doesn’t stop his parable with that. He goes on to say that once the street-people had been invited in to the banquet the king spotted someone who wasn’t properly dressed.  When asked why, the man was speechless.  The king demanded that he be handcuffed and thrown into the outer darkness.  How are we to understand this part of the parable?  Why was lack of a certain type of garment such a big deal?

Some say the king invited everyone so people should come just as they happen to be when they decided to join the banquet.  Others argue it means we should be given a special robe at the door of the church to wear during the service.  Of course, these answers miss the point. This is a story that has a deeper meaning.  Yes, it is a story, but remember parables are earthly stories with heavenly ­ meanings.

I find it intriguing that the last group brought into the wedding came from the hedgerows and byways but the main character was still expected to be wearing a wedding garment.  This let us know, doesn’t it, that we better be ready at all times to come to the wedding.

The point, of course, is not what type of clothing covers our nakedness.  At some stage in life we’ve all learned that although not the most important thing in life, fashion is not something to be totally ignored either.  Just ask anyone who is getting married, or celebrating a jubilee or going to a funeral, if what people wear isn’t of some significance.  At one end of the spectrum, there are folks who believe brand name labels are the key to admittance into their coveted social circle.  But for others, fashion is just not a big deal at all.  It’s pretty obvious they probably don’t own a full-length mirror.

The wedding garment Jesus is talking about was probably just a nice set of clothes used for special occasions, much like today we’d call our “Sunday-go-go-meeting” clothes.  If this is the case, then the guest without a wedding garment is an underdressed attendee.  The gesture would be an offensive sign that the guest is oblivious to the significance of the occasion and the prestige of being included on the guest list.

Even though everyone is invited into the banquet of the kingdom of heaven, there will be some who simply don’t send back their RSVP card.  There will be those who show up but do so without the proper spiritual clothing and are sent away.  The reading leaves us with that same probing question we first heard in our mother’s voice: “You’re wearing that?!”  We quickly recognized it was not really a question but an order.

Maybe a good place to start redoing our spiritual wardrobes would be to heed St. Paul’s admonition to the Colossians (3:13): “As God’s chosen people … clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”  Just be sure you’re wearing the proper attire when Jesus makes His final call.  When He says: “Come in, Friend, there’s a seat with your name on it.“

~Reflection by S. Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress
October 12, 2014  First Reading Isaiah 25:6-10a         Second Reading  Philippians 4:12-14,19-20
Gospel Matthew 22:1-14
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Why Care?

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This parable reminds us that we are all tenants in God’s creation.  All of us have different circumstances, gifts, and resources that were given to us by God not just for our own sakes.  They are gifts from God to allow us to work on His behalf to the best of our abilities and circumstances.  It seems to me this parable is perfectly timed in the church year to coincide with the Fall planting season as well as St. Francis Day celebrations.  The parable speaks of stewardship on a variety of levels even though it was originally aimed at a congregation that never heard such language.  We are the “other tenants” to whom the “vineyard” has been given when it was given to us when Jerusalem lost it due to mismanagement.

So, it seems to me to appropriate to spend a few minutes reflecting on our individual efforts at practicing stewardship, care for the earth, ecology, the environment and climate change in light of the words in our creation story: God saw that it was good.”

Why should we care about creation?  It’s a good question.  Some may react: Aren’t people more important than nature?  Doesn’t taking care of the earth distract from sharing the Gospel?  Isn’t earth care just a liberal political issue?  Shouldn’t I be more concerned about other causes?  If we turn the conversation on its head we’ll see an entirely different viewpoint.

First of all, we should care about creation because it brings glory to God.  From the very beginning, in Genesis, we read that God looked at creation and said this is “very good.”  Scripture depicts praise to God coming from trees, fields, the seas; the sun, moon and stars; lightning, hail and snow; wild animals, cattle, birds and all the creatures of the earth.  If these bring glory to God, then who are we to carelessly destroy them?  Why care?  Because caring for God’s creation means caring for that which brings God praise and worship.

Second, we care about creation because doing so helps other people.  The second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.  The majority of major world problems today are rooted in environmental issues.  For example, polluted drinking water and deforestation all play a significant role in increased poverty, hunger, and human trafficking.  The bottom line is that caring for God’s creation produces positive results for people.  Why care?  Because God calls us to put the needs of others before our own needs.

Third, environmental issues are ethical issues.  The way that we treat the earth reflects our values.  There are ethical questions that directly correspond to environmental issues, and like it or not, the world is watching to see how God-fearing, God-loving persons respond.  By living out of our corporate commitment to feed the hungers of the people of God we have a powerful opportunity to “be Christ” to a needy world.  Why care?  Because as Benedictines, as Christ-followers we aim to do what is right and wish to point others to God through our individual and communal living.

Fourth, we should care because God told us to.  One of the first directives in Scripture is to do what God told Adam and Eve: tend and keep the garden.  In creating us in his own image, God gave us a great privilege, and a great responsibility.  Why care?  Because God’s Word told us to care.  Beyond that, as Benedictines we live with Benedict’s reminder to keep all things that belonging to the monastery clean and regard all goods as sacred vessels of the altar, aware that nothing is to be neglected.

I’m sure there are other answers you could give to the question: Why care?  Simply put, stewardship values extend, through our cooperation, God’s care for creation – the work of the Divine Hand.  A truly caring people strive to look to the needs of others, seek to be educated and react ethically to environmental issues, as Benedict reminds us, without murmuring, to our call to care for the earth.

We can’t do everything, but we can do something.  We can’t do it all alone, but together we can make an impact.  Look at something as simple as recycling bottle caps, aluminum cans and plastic bottles.  We can limited the accumulation of “stuff” we personally create … perhaps only a handful alone but if we each contribute what we’ve used or collected from “around”, look at what we’ve kept from landfills and at the same time contributed to the project of St. Leo students to project to collect funds for purchase of a wheelchair for a needy child.  And we can support our talk with our actions.

We can make an honest effort to consolidate trips to town, wait until we have several errands or passengers for the trips we do make.  The gas we save, the wear and tear on the car may seem minimal but the “minimals” add up, just like pennies and coins in a jar where we throw our extra change.  If you wait until Christmastime to count and wrap them … well – it makes a tidy contribution to the gifts for the elderly.  If not all the time at least some of the time.  If not in all ways, at least in some ways.  We can take baby steps that turn into hops and skips and then dare to risk giant steps.

Despite the Saint Francis’ and all the statues in gardens, for generations of believers Francis’ feeling for nature has been admired rather than to emulated.  Let us do more than simply admire.  Let us strive to remember God gave us the privilege of caring and tending this garden we call Earth.

I believe we see a glimmer of hope this week that more people are waking up to the reality gun violence and the possibility of nuclear destruction. No one can close their eyes to the devastation of the Las Vegas massacre.  In the wake of that reality, though, we have news on the side of peace.  The Norwegian Nobel Committee has announced their decision to award the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize to ICAN:  the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons “for its efforts to stigmatize, prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons which could destroy the planet.”

ICAN exemplifies the thinking of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian martyr: “It is in keeping with being a saint to go beyond the call of duty, to dare to be a bit ridiculous, to be a little more extravagant … to try something beyond the ordinary. Action”, he said, “springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility.”   So let us pray for the insight and courage to dare to be ridiculous and a little extravagant.

~Reflection by S. Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress
First Reading  Isaiah 5:1-7   Second Reading  Philippians 4:6-9
Gospel Reading  Matthew 21:33-43
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Actions speak louder than words

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The overriding theme of all of the Mass readings, it seems to me, is “honest sincerity.”  In the Gospel account we just heard the younger brother tell his father: “Yes, I’ll go and work” while the older brother said: “No, not me.” Both used words contrary to their actions.

This an age-old story.  The dynamic happens in families, between friends, in the work force and in monastic community.   The situation Jesus poses is rather straightforward. Two sons are given the same task by their father: one asserts his objection, his intent to disobey right up front, but then in the end obeys his father’s wish.  The second son obeys in his words, but disobeys in his actions. For both, what they say with their words is not in their hearts – the head said one thing; the heart another.

The story reminds us that talk is cheap and actions speak louder than words.  You’ve all heard the phrase: “Don’t just talk the talk; walk the walk.”  Be slow to dismiss these truisms.  We’ve all been hurt by promises given and then broken.  Or, on occasions we have been given words that have hurt us, really hurt us, not because they were nasty but because we relied on them and were later betrayed. Intentions are too often little more than wishful thinking; appearances are deceptive. Being honest and then acting in honesty are sometimes tough things to do. You know where the path of good intentions leads, right?

The question that Jesus poses is pointed and direct: Which son did what the father wanted?  Jesus could ask us the same question. Do our words indicate our obedience to God? If not our words, do our actions? God desires a full conversion of heart, that our actions (and our words as well) will give evidence of our love for God.  The older brother had no intention of working and had the honesty of saying so. He was wrong, but he was honest. The younger brother was the opposite. He said the expedient thing knowing what his father wanted to hear but he had no integrity.

Yes, talk can be cheap. The younger brother simply didn’t live up to his words; the older brother changed his mind. The older brother had integrity; the younger brother gave valueless words to his father while having no intention at all of working.   With which brother do your words or actions identify?

For Benedictines obedience is central – we’ve come to the monastery to hear, to listen, to seek God but to do that we have to be willing to listen and then obey God’s voice as heard in your personal prayer, in the voice of the superior and spiritual guide and in communal discernments and in our interactions with each other.  As Benedict describes it, for those who have chosen to live in cenobitic community, our obedience must be open, prompt and positive, (even if it is painful) and given without murmuring.

We would do well to recall both this gospel story, and Benedict’s words about obeying with alacrity when we are asked to do a favor for one of our sisters or a co-worker.  Do we mumble OK and then put it on the back burner so far back that the pot boils away and the need goes up in the waves of evaporation?  Do you say YES and honestly add “but not right now” and make a sincere effort to perform the action when we said we would?  Are you like the son who said “no can do” but later realize your selfish response and go back to do the favor after all?  Or, do you render the favor but tell the neighborhood about the unfairness of what you had to do?  We know that for Benedict, murmuring was an abomination, anathema, a curse in community and any sign of murmuring was to be censured.

In one of her first books on the Rule, Joan Chittister suggests: “Say to the member who signs up for a task but then complains, please don’t sign up.  Kindly give the community the gift of not murmuring about it.  The rest of the community will get the job done.  Please just stay home and keep a smile on your face.  Don’t do the work and then poison the environment of the house with murmuring.”

Oh, you may think: it’s easy for you to talk about obedience – you’re the prioress, who do you have to obey?   But, think about it, for the monastic leader, actually, any leader, may have some authority with her position, but the power lies in the hands and will of the membership.  Obedience in monastic life is mutual – it springs from the bloom of mutual respect.  Without both there is no community – there is just a group of women living under the same roof.

So, what enables us to mature to a higher level of obedience?   First how do you know what level of obedience is operating in your life?  You may recall Piaget’s and Kohlberg’s stages of moral development – moving from obedience for fear of punishment to the highest stage which some never reach and those who do rarely can consistently operate at that level.  We are at the level of moral maturity where we cease to fully comprehend what the stage description is talking about.  Another insight is how you work on a committee.  How we function in community is also based on our level of moral development.  How you believe a thing ought to be done will say a great deal about where you are on the scale.

Thankfully for all of us, in life growth is always possible – “It isn’t over, til it’s over!”   Another expression may pop to mind: “it ain’t over til the fat lady sings.”    It isn’t how we start that matters, it’s how we finish!

~Reflection by S. Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress

 

Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A   October 1, 2017
First Reading  Ezekiel 18:25-28               Second Reading  Philippians 2:1-Be like
Gospel Matthew 21:28-32        

 

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Words can also have an equally powerful ability to bring about healing and reconciliation… something we all need to keep in mind.

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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 a child-relative in your family or you’ve seen her trying to shop at Daystar.  This is a mixed breed woman; a foreigner.  Her family has disowned her.  And when she told her boyfriend she was pregnant he fled.

Somehow this courageous woman has survived as a single mother. But, when her daughter began having seizures, gossipy opinions surface: “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.  To make matters worse she’s a screamer with a crazy kid.  Now, she is out of options.

But, she’s heard that a Jewish miracle-worker is passing through the area.  He’s reported to have authority over demons.  She’s tried appealing to all the pagan gods of her culture, but none answered her plea.  Maybe, just maybe, this Jesus is the answer to her prayers.

The woman approaches Jesus, requesting that he heal her demon-possessed daughter.  At first Jesus says nothing.  It appears he is ignoring her.  The disciples ask Jesus to send her away, and Jesus seems to agree, remarking that he was sent to minister to the Jews alone.

But she’s already endured a series of obstacles that would threaten the best of us.  She’s jumped social hurtles to ask a favor of Jesus and she will not be deterred.

She persists, paying homage to Jesus, and yet again Jesus denies her request.  She can’t believe what her hears – is he being rude to her?  Did he really refer to her using a Jewish word of derision for Gentiles, “dog.”  But the woman cleverly turns Jesus’ own words against him.  Only then does Jesus grant her request and heal her daughter.

So, let’s consider why Jesus would lead this mother through a humbling process for pursuing her request.  He stays in conversation with her but seems harsh.  Could it be Jesus used this encounter to help her develop a deep courageous faith that would sustain her for the rest of her life not just this one-time healing?

She is tenacious in her pleading.  With the odds stacked against her, she pushes forward.  When she gets knocked down by life’s circumstances and criticism, she gets back up.  When others told her to quit, to get lost because she was wasting Jesus’ time, she continued to keep Jesus attention.

Notice she referred to Jesus as Lord, acknowledging that He is worthy of praise.  Don’t miss the lesson that she praised Jesus in the midst of her pain.  She is obviously a very humble woman.  Perhaps Jesus had her in mind when he spoke the beatitude “Blessed are the meek, they will inherit the earth.”  Never confuse humility with weakness. Pride would have been offended by the “dog” comment.  Pride would have returned insult for insult, 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?  Lessons in skilled, reverent, peaceful confrontation; tenacity, humility and focus on the important matter for winning a hearing with a happy outcome.

The past couple of weeks the world has been on edge, at the escalating acts of violence and the war of words between the North Korean regime and President Trump.  The spiraling verbal threats may be the result of mounting public frustration with the lack of solutions to a serious problem but a frightened world cannot dismiss the situation as mere venting of empty words.  Indeed, the harsh language appears to be increasing in the intensity of potential danger of a rash move being made by one side or the other.  The world has seen too many incidents to ignore or downplay words that have had the power to do real damage.  The old adage “sticks and stones may break your bones but words can never hurt you” has long been proven a false premise.  But words can also have an equally powerful ability to bring about healing and reconciliation… something we all need to keep in mind.

Let us remember also in our intentions this weekend the people who are waiting in terror for Monday’s total solar eclipse.  Thousands are gathering for the once in a life time event but others view it as a harbinger of doom.

Heeding the example of the Canaanite woman we must come to stand before God, united in our plea for an end of racism in our country and for peace in our world, for calmness to conquer brashness, humility to counter pride and tenacity to win out over discouragement.

There is a tale told about former President Andrew Jackson.  His childhood friends were reminiscing about their childhood with Andy and expressing surprise at how successful he’d become considering all his flaws – he wasn’t as smart as some and many were stronger.  They recalled how the class bully would throw Andy three out of four times when they wrestled.  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.”

Like the Canaanite woman and Andy, 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 a daruma doll, those weighted-bottom Japanese good-luck dolls, we just keep bouncing upright – as one author put is: 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, Prioress
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time,
1st Reading Isaiah 56:1, 6-7,
2nd Reading Romans 11:13-15; 29-32,
Gospel Matthew 15:21-28
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Don’t Just Do Something…

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Peter’s reaction to Jesus’ Transfiguration reminds me of the story of a young seminarian on summer duty in a parish who walked into the sanctuary of the church and saw Jesus Himself praying at the altar. He alerts the pastor, who alerts the bishop. The bishop tells the pastor that he will have to report this to Pope Francis at the Vatican, and he will call him right back. The phone rings shortly afterward, and the pastor asks what the Pope advised. The bishop replies, “The Pope said — look busy!”

That seems to be Peter’s first impulse at the Transfiguration.  The vision is so awesome and powerful an experience that Peter wants to do anything rather than deal with it. He can hardly believe that right here all in one place at the same time he has Jesus, Moses, and Elijah conversing!   Rather than embrace the moment and bow low in homage he volunteers to go back down to find materials for tents and to haul them back up to the top of the mountain.

We do this sometimes, don’t we?  Our life in the monastery has many blessings, but a distraction-free environment is not one of them. With the intention to spend time in Lectio, we find ourselves being distracted by the impulse to do something useful, anything when we feel the Spirit invading our hearts. Anything from reading more litanies to performing a favor for someone else or cleaning my room.  Anything rather than just be and experience that special closeness with God. It’s a weird kind of defense mechanism; we look for ways to avoid that total intimacy with God, even when we think and say that we desire nothing more.  From previous experiences we’ve learned that, as CS Lewis writes: “There’s such a thing as getting more than we bargained for!” and that scares us. As Father David put it recently, we need to just Waste time with God.

Peter’s impulse to look for something to do isn’t to say that all work is bad. We are called to do our fair share to support our community and to put our God-given gifts to use.  But, at times we substitute busy-ness in our lives to avoid prayer – all the while knowing full well that only through prayer can we be formed in communion with God.  We must conquer the temptation to flee in fright when God finds us.  There is an old saying that applies here: when the Lord speaks to you, don’t just do something … stand there, or sit there, and follow Benedict’s opening word to his followers:  listen.

However we might interpret the impulsiveness of Peter, it is notable that in Matthew’s version of the story (remember he wasn’t there) the voice from heaven actually interrupts Peter, cutting him off in order to pronounce Jesus blessed and then to command the attention of the disciples. Whatever Peter — or we — may have been thinking there is only one thing necessary: to listen to Jesus, the Father’s beloved One.

We can all identify with the apostles because in our mountain-top experiences of joy and consolation we also want to stay. We want them to go on forever. And then in the moments of trial, like the apostles at Jesus’ trial, we want to flee. We tend to forget that our Lord did not promise us a rose garden, but a garden of olives and a crown of thorns. “If anyone will come after me let them pick up their cross daily and follow me.”  Having been to the top of the mountain we know that “nothing can separate us from the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus.”

This evening the closing rite will include Carol’s commitment as a resident volunteer.  All of us have had mountain top experiences and can testify to their importance in our lives.  For Carol, I suspect this may be a mountain-top moment.  There is something awe-inspiring about mountains: clean and crisp air and a panoramic view that raises our minds and hearts to God.   But all of us know that we have to go back down the mountain, to the valley of our everyday lives.  At both places, at the mountain top or in the valley and all those places and times in between, Jesus is there, reaching out to raise us up be our best selves.

At her blessing Carol will be given a copy of our MISSION, VISION, CORPORATE COMMITMENT and CORE VALUES STATEMENT.  It seems like a good time to remind ourselves of what we’ve said in these statements, so a copy is here available for you if you’d like one.

When Jesus and the disciples were walking back down the mountain, Jesus charged them not to tell the vision to anyone until he had been raised from the dead.  Well, Carol, Jesus has been raised from the dead and ascended to his Father, so you are welcome – and we’d even encourage – to tell the vision to anyone that seems like a suitable candidate to be a volunteer or affiliate with the Benedictine Sisters of Florida.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress
First Reading:  Daniel 7:9–10,13–14      Second Reading:  2 Peter 1:16–19
Gospel: Matthew 17:1–9
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Wisdom or Action

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An ancient monastic story tells of the holy one who asked his disciples a question about life. “Tell me which is greater,” he said to them, “wisdom or action?” And the disciples answered, “Why, it’s action, of course. What good is wisdom without action?” But the holy one answered, “Ah, yes… but what good is action that comes from an unenlightened heart?”

Stories like this challenge modern thought to the center of the soul. We can forget that every stage of life has both purpose and gift. For the young, the purpose is growth and the gift is possibility—the young give us hope. For the middle aged, the purpose of life lies in generativity and the gift is responsibility—the middle-aged give us direction. But to the older generation, we look beyond the stages of public action for experience and the gift of reflection. As the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said, “The first forty years give us the text; the next thirty supply the commentary on it.” Or, so we tell ourselves… But, somewhere along the way, something seems to have shifted. In the world as we experience it now, the elders disappear quickly from the public stage, the middle-aged bear the burden of the system, and the young are the focus of attention. …

The fact is that there is nothing a youth-centered culture needs more than it needs its elders. If ever we are meant to have a real role in life, it is surely now. It is precisely at this stage in life that we discover that our real purpose in life is to understand it, and then to pass that wisdom on. … Youth without insights risks action without wisdom.

Elders have things to give that no other segment of society can possibly match and, in the giving of them, come to see the past newly and the future with new faith. They come to know that the future, whatever it is, is not to be feared. What elders have to give a world worshipping at the shrine of newness and energy is memory, experience, objectivity, wisdom, and vision. They know now what really matters, what life is really about—beyond body-building, money-making, and social standing. …

It is the perspective that comes with age that sees failures as the beginning of growth… and it is spiritual persons who come to appreciate the depths of life more than the cosmetics. When we learn to value experience rather than to avoid it, when we value life more than we do the approval of the social police we harbor in our heads, then we are ready to go on growing. More than that, we are ready to be the role models of the generations coming after us. By living fully and well, we can be an antidote to a society that thinks that being high is the only way to be happy.

—by Sister Joan Chittister, OSB

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