Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Abbot Polan

Lent 2021 – Part 4

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Jesus’ Peace

 

This is the last post from Abbot Gregory J. Polan’s Circular Letter.  You can read the three prior parts on our website under “Articles of Interest”:  www.benedictinesistersoffl.org.  The Abbot’s brief bio is at the beginning of the first post.

The following is from Abbot Polan’s recent Circular:

The conclusion to Chapter 4 of the Rule of Saint Benedict on the “Tools of Good Works,” reminds us that we must never despair of God’s mercy (R 4:74). This speaks to the passage of the Gospel according to John. Jesus’ teaching about peace (and we note that this is the first time the word appears in the Fourth Gospel) is not sugar-coated. It calls us to faithful endurance, to hope in what God will accomplish through difficult times and how it will end in God’s unique expression of peace – a kind of well-being that touches every part of our existence. And because the unfolding of this peace is part of a divine plan, its unfolding will be unique, accomplished in God’s time and offering us a teaching that is for the good of our eternal soul. Patient waiting is not an easy task. We live in an age of immediate results and instantaneous gratification of our needs and wants. That is not how the spiritual life unfolds. Rather, in God’s time, divine grace unfolds in a perfect way that leaves us in wonder at the wisdom of God’s plan – touched by heavenly perfection.

The challenge of this pandemic cannot be lived in vain. What have we learned from this time? What is the good that we have found hidden in the sadness of these times? What are some of the paths forward that we have considered as we look to the future? I invite all to consider these three questions and to share your thoughts. We can inspire one another with our reflections. May God guide us forward with deep faith, genuine hope and generous charity as witnesses to God’s presence in our midst “bringing us all together to everlasting life” (RB 72:12).

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Lent 2021 – Part 3

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Jesus’ Peace

 

Abbot Gregory J. Polan talks about the peace that Jesus gives in his Lenten Circular Letter.  You can read the first two parts on our website under “Articles of Interest”:  www.benedictinesistersoffl.org.  The Abbot’s brief bio is at the beginning of the first post.

 

The following is from Abbot Polan’s recent Circular:

The gift of Jesus’ peace forces us to seek our God’s mysterious and inscrutable ways, to understand that faith and trust in God’s providential care for us take us to new levels of meaning and significance of peace. Jesus would certainly have a sense of how the leaders of his time were threatened by his teaching and also his strong following from among the people. This is how Jesus encourages his disciples, and also us, as we face the uncertain future that will roll-out in the coming weeks, months, and even years. Economic, social and national rebuilding will all take time, effort and patience. I hope this can be a word of encouragement to the Benedictine men and women, knowing that our willingness to remain faithful will bear rich fruit in times to come. Paschal living calls for great courage and faith, and its fruits are already growing within us.

Jesus emphasizes that the peace which he gives is not “as the world gives it,” that is to say, not an immediate feeling of well-being and fulfillment. Rather we note how Jesus speaks here as he bestows his own peace upon his closest friends. The peace of Jesus is not something that comes without a price, a price of surrender to the unfolding plan of God in his life, and also in our lives. The Dominican preacher, Father Bede Jarrett, uses an expression which describes this Scriptural passage so well and speaks to us today: “Jesus looked at his life intensely.” The peace that comes from following Jesus comes with the price of following him, remaining close to him, trusting him, believing in his unique yet salvific path to glory. We know that “paying the price” for finding this peace enables us to live in hope, a divine gift that comes at a price and whose rewards are eternal, even now.

The last post from Abbot Polan’s Circular Letter will be sent Friday, April 29th.

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Lent 2021 – Part 2

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This April 7th post just after Easter again features Abbot Gregory J. Polan’s Circular Letter. In case you missed the first part posted March 26th, his brief bio is repeated here.

Abbot Polan was elected in 2016 as the Abbot Primate of the 1500-year old Benedictine Order and resides at Sant’ Anselmo in Rome.  He serves the Benedictine community as its liaison to the Vatican and civil authorities to promote unity among the various autonomous Benedictine monasteries and congregations. Abbot Polan is the tenth Abbot Primate and the fourth American elected. 

The following is more from Abbot Polan’s recent Circular Letter:

There are a few spiritual thoughts that have come to mind in recent weeks to offer for your reflection. In the Farewell Discourse of Jesus in the Johannine Gospel, he says, “Peace I leave with you. My peace is my gift to you, and I do not give it to you as the world gives it. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid” (14:27). In the Greek text of these few words, there is a sense in which Jesus is bequeathing something significant to his followers, a gift of profound import, a bequest of divine consequence. Today we can think of peace as an absence of anxiety, conflict or worry.  As a Jew, Jesus knew that peace/shalom touched on the total well-being of a person – body, soul and spirit. These words of Jesus to his disciples came at that moment when he was about to enter into his paschal offering to the One he called Abba. It was to be a total offering of himself. We note in this Gospel text that it is not simply peace that Jesus gives his followers, but an emphasis on “my” peace. Jesus’ own peace would possess a character deeper and more profound because his disciples would also share in his mission. We might even call it a peace in the midst of paschal living, a peace that comes with the gift of self in a moment of personal self-offering, with a movement from challenge to blessing. And yet, this special peace is able to bring joy, inner comfort and strength in the midst of anguish and distress. But we see how deeply Jesus looked at his life and its meaning for others; he was able to see what others, especially his own disciples, were unable to see and understand fully. Only with time and spiritual wisdom would this make sense to them and to us.

In this passage, we find the ever so brief and powerful expression that appears on the lips of Jesus more than any other expression: “Do not be afraid.” As Jesus prepares to enter into his passing-over, he gives his disciples and us a gift of the spiritual life: Do not be afraid. In accepting the evolving plan of God, Jesus shows us the path to glory, to victory and to a peace that this world cannot give. This is something so important for us to hold on to in any variety of situations that come our way. Could Jesus have already seen this in the rich tradition of his ancestors in the Laments of the psalter? I believe so. Even when we read the painful words of the Laments in the Psalms, notice how there is a word of hope, a call to courage and a belief that Gods’ providential care will “win the day” amid life’s challenges. On my desk, I keep a card with the words my doctor from the United States sent to me: “Remain calm, stay strong, carry on.”  I think these words reflect in a contemporary way the words of Jesus to his disciples.

Be sure to watch for two more thoughtful posts from Abbot Polan in the coming weeks.

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Lent 2021

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Abbot Gregory J. Polan, O.S.B. is the Abbot Primate since 2016 of the 1500-year old Benedictine Order residing at Sant’ Anselmo in Rome.  He serves the Benedictine community as its liaison to the Vatican and civil authorities to promote unity among the various autonomous Benedictine monasteries and congregations.  Abbot Polan is the tenth Abbot Primate and the fourth American elected.  We were pleased to have him with us directing our 2019 summer retreat week.

 

The following is from Abbot Polan’s recent Circular:

Greetings of Lenten peace, faith, hope and support in these uncertain times. Strong confidence in God’s inscrutable ways calls us to walk the path to Easter. In the midst of these times when we see a light beginning to shine with the roll-out of the vaccine to all parts of the world, we give thanks for what has been happening and we pray for a just and right distribution of these healing remedies. Let us remain strong in following the instructions given by the governments, the health professionals, and the Church leadership which calls for continued care, protection and proper protocols. It is clear, we will not be moving back to life as it was; there will be a new normal which will only develop with time, patience, practical wisdom, spiritual insight, sacrifice, generous service toward the needy and a deeper sense of care for one another. One of the graces that has come from this pandemic, has been the awareness of how this situation has touched the lives of all of us. The effects of the pandemic have marked our lives in uniquely different ways. Yet what has united us is that as brothers and sisters in the human family, children of God and as members of the Body of Christ, we are all striving to move forward. Our experiences are so vastly different, but we are unified in our endeavoring to find the way forward and to see how this will open for us in time, in grace and in hope. In the recent visit of Pope Francis to Iran, his words to continue working toward peace, mutual care for one another and a world that shows tolerance and mutual acceptance speak loudly to our hope of moving forward with confidence.

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Abbot Primate’s Circular Letter

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This week I offer for consideration an abbreviated version of the “Circular Letter” from our Abbot Primate Gregory Polan, O.S.B.  Abbot Gregory was our retreat director in the summer 2019.  He resides in Rome at Sant’ Anselmo, the Benedictine College.  Shortly after resigning as Abbot of Conception Abbey he was elected to the international position.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Saint Benedict and Saint Scholastica,

Jesus said: Peace be with you.  This Easter peace (that) Jesus gives is not a freedom from anxiety, but a freedom to live amid anxious times with faith in God’s presence, and trust in ways that will open up a manner to face and live into the future.  That is a great encouragement .. in this moment of anxiety and insecurity.  Despite the fears and worries, there is something quietly stirring in (our) hearts.  The Holy Spirit within us guides us in ways that are so simple and good, so touching and transforming.  It is a “peace” that is subtle and quiet, humble and gracious, wise, noble, and advantageous.  This is the mysterious Easter peace that Christ left to us, his Benedictine disciples, and to all who follow the Gospel message.

 How easy it is to name the challenges that have come our way with this pandemic: fear for the present moment, unexpected death, uncertainty about the future, living with an invisible enemy, financial pressures, distance from loved ones, praying in unfamiliar ways, and many more challenges.  But isn’t it important for us, to search deeply to discover the blessings that have come to us? 

 First, we have come to see what a blessing our Benedictine tradition and calling has been for us during these days.  While many people live alone in a small place, isolated and without another human face to encounter, we have been blessed with our monastic community.  The human desire that resides in all of us to be connected with others stands as a distinguishing characteristic of our daily life.  With social distancing, we have been forced to live somewhat apart, but clearly, not alone.  Again with social distancing from one another, there has grown a kind of unique closeness that happens when challenges unite people in a way that bonds them by their willingness to do together what is for the good of all.  Sacrifice is rarely an easy act, but when it is done by a whole community, it possesses a unique character that binds people in a joy that is both satisfying and enriching, and sometimes, life-changing.  While in community our fears actually become moments when courage builds up within us, our anxieties develop into moments of trust because of the strength we experience in the midst of our community life together.

 Second, both our community and private prayer take on new dimensions.  We regret that in most instances, our oblates and friends who usually pray with us are not present.  Yet, their absence fosters a true concern for them in our hearts.  It is easy in our daily intercessions to remember the Church, the world, and our governments; yet now, knowing the challenges which they face for the good of the people they serve, there is a greater sense of the worldwide communion which we share, not only as members of the Body of Christ, but as brothers and sisters in the human family.  Both men and women Benedictines have shown genuine concern for those who usually pray with them.

Third, the environment of our monasteries …  provides us with places to be grateful for the beauty of creation, the gifts of God’s earth, and the opportunity to reflect on how important our care for the earth’s resources really are. … (I share one example) .. Here in Rome, with the lockdown, from our tower, you can see the Mediterranean Sea; that is how clear the air has become in Rome, a city known for its pollution. … During this pandemic, we have experienced a short-term effect of seeing how we can be better … guardians of what has been given us.

Fourth, an element of the monastic life that has intensified during these weeks and months has been part of Saint Benedict’s spiritual doctrine on silence.  Until a few months ago, our lives have been caught up in the fast pace of society, which can have the tendency to diminish the time devoted to silence and reflection.  These weeks have awakened in us the importance of silence and reflection.  We have sometimes come to see how uncomfortable we are with more silence in our lives; and it has taken both time and effort to use the silence that has been forced upon us as something that really is a “gift in disguise.”  The moments of silence and reflection are precious times for communion with God, whether in the practice of lectio divina, adoration, or stillness before the divine presence already within us.  There is no doubt that God has many important things to say to us in the midst of this crisis – what is important is that we can take this time and realize how silence and solitude are “gifts” that are there for us to use wisely even after the time of this pandemic.

Fifth, we are living in a moment of inspiring heroism.  On the larger scale, we have seen the sacrifice of their very lives by dedicated doctors, (and) nurses, vigilant public servants who have all put their lives in harm’s way to fulfill the calling they have received.  Likewise, there has been a more silent, yet still dedicated heroism in the fervent prayer, generous service, and creative ways of assistance through the internet, email, and phone conversations.  The beautiful challenge that now stands before us is to keep this kind of generosity and creativity growing certainly to one another, and to all who come to us as guests, in the figure of Jesus Christ.  The heroism of our lives as Benedictines is often not as well known or widespread yet, it is heroic in the living of our tradition according to the Gospel and the Rule of Saint Benedict with a sense of mission that is vibrant and life-giving for one another and for whomever we may serve.

To each of you, I offer sincere thanks for the ways in which you have witnessed to the monastic spirit of prayer, stability, obedience, charity, generosity, sacrifice, and openness to the movement of the Holy Spirit in this unexpected pandemic.  May our testimony as Benedictine men and women of the Gospel and the Rule lead us forward into the future, yet unknown, yet known in the mind and heart of God who walks with us each and every day.

Sincerely in the risen Christ, our great Hope and Strength,

Gregory Polan, O.S.B.

[Abbreviated for distribution by Benedictine Sisters of Florida]

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