Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Advent

4th Sunday of Advent

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Christmas Letter

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

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

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

~by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 Also below please find my Christmas greeting.

 

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

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

Sister Roberta

 

Musings from a Long-Ago Christmas

 

He lies there in His manger,

Straw tickling the soles of His bare feet,

Strands of hay clutched in His fists.

A smile plays on His lips

And there is a sparkle in His eyes.

I sense a wisdom beyond His years.

 

I reach out to touch His hand …

let Him grasp my little finger,

turning my hand, palm upward, outward, open:

to Him and to His father – to Life

 

I struggle to answer His gurgling question

Respond to His smile – Affirm His trust –

And then …. My furrowed brow softens,

The tense jaw relaxes,

The mind, imagination and eyes turn from

   far-fetched worries

    and imagined troubles of tomorrow

to meet His gaze, nod approval,

  and laugh in child-like delight at His touch.

 

The touch goes beyond the warmth of His

   hand in mine, Rigid structures I’ve erected

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

      perspective of a little child:

 

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

I look into His eyes and I know He speaks.

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

 

Think of Me when anxiety and cares pile up.

Smile at me, the Infant in the crib … 

with gentleness hold me close to your heart …

     and relax…   for I am ever near.

 

“When noise and busyness surround you …

Let your mind step aside and

recall the quiet of Bethlehem’s stall.

   Be steeped in calmness.

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

   And spread peace amid chaos

Puff softly, gently on the smoldering

       bedside candle and

Close the door on war and strife …

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

 

Together we will rest – Together we will rise,

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

    RISE, GREET and PRAISE God FOREVER!

 

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Gaudete Sunday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

  ~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

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

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Traditionally the third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday – the Latin word for “Rejoice” – the first word of the Entrance antiphon.  We mark this Sunday on the Advent wreath by lighting a pink candle instead of a purple one.

There is an African proverb that reads: “If the beat of the drum changes, so changes the dance of the feet.”  This is what we are called to do during Advent: listen to the beat of “Jesus’ drum” and set our pace to the rhythm of the Master drummer.  “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! … The Lord is near.”

Yes, the Lord IS near and we should make haste to prepare for Him, leveling the hills in our lives that create barriers, making straight the roads in our lives rather than maneuvering others around for our advantage,  Filling in the valleys, so that it will be easier for others to cross over to us and thereby to a spirit of joy in the Child who brightens all of our days.  Instead of asking what others can do for me, we should make haste to prepare for Our Lord and ask Him, “Jesus, Master, tell me what I should do?”   How do we become the joyful people called for in our Scriptural readings?  Re-joice: have joy again – be joyful … full of joy!  Not simply “happy” but “joyful.”

Is there a difference between happiness and joy?  What’s the difference?  By definition they are both emotions but the one (joy) is an interior contentment, an inner peace; the other is initiated from external events (happenings, happenstance).  The former is long-lasting, the latter can be momentary.   If circumstances are favorable, you are happy; if not, you’re unhappy.  Christian joy, however, is directly related to God and is the firm confidence that all is well, regardless of your circumstances.  Joy may show less in outward expression while happiness can unexpectedly bubble up from within and bring a smile to your lips.  Joy is related to happiness but joy, because it does not depend on external stimuli, gets us out of ourselves and in contact with others.  Some find when they give up the self-centered search for happiness, they actually find joy.  It may even be intermingled with suffering and pain but there is an overwhelming sense of peace and joy.

So, how can we bring joy into our lives if we’re not in the mood for it?  Can you have joy on demand?”  Too often we may take for granted the issue of joy.  We find people who are just naturally joyous, who have a kind of laid-back attitude – it’s just good to be in their presence.  Then there are others who always bring us down.  Could they develop joy?

I ask you: is joy genetic or acquired?  If joy can be acquired, then a very strong argument can be made that once you’ve lost a reason to be happy, or you’ve suffered grief, there’s no way of reconnecting.  However, if joy is a natural state of feeling, a certain sense of belonging, a feeling within that you are important and you have a value, then it’s just a question of reclaiming that right, not creating something new.  You can re-joice – being joyful AGAIN is possible.

Joy is God’s gift to every believer. It is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.  Meditation, lectio with the Word of God increases joy.  It is a gift – it must be handled with care or it becomes torn around the edges.  Like any treasured gift it cannot be put in cold storage, stashed on a back shelf, put under the hankies in a drawer or stuffed beneath old mail in your mailbox.  Like a snow globe that is never turned over, joy that has lain inert can be shaken to life with the tiniest twist of a wrist … or crinkled smile.

Rejoice, again I say: rejoice!

~by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 Rejoice! The Lord is coming, bounding over the hills to come to Earth this Christmas. Again, I say, Rejoice!

 

First Reading:  Zephaniah 3:14-18a                 Second Reading: Philippians 4:4-6  
Gospel Reading:  Luke 3:10-18

                     

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Wait and Watch!

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You’ve probably guessed it: You’re going to hear that theme again.  It’s all about waiting!  But first: welcome to Year C, the year of Luke.   We’ve been waiting for so long (actually for most of our lives) that the darkness may feel like home.  Maybe we’ve become comfortable in our incompleteness.  Now to leave home is downright scary! Change my ways of interacting with God and God’s people?  Whew!  Allow my rough edges to be smoothed – mmmm, sounds irritating.  We are gifted with this Advent-time to do personal “Isaiah work” of filling in every valley; leveling every mountain so the hills will become a plain, and the rough ways made smooth.  As the familiar banner asks:  If not now, when?

And if there is an answer, are we really waiting?  No!  You see, Advent is not a sit-on-your-hands-to-see-what-will-happen kind of waiting.  Nor is it waiting for someone else who is talking to God to hang up.  Saying that brings to my mind a memory of a home visit of my 3-year-old niece who was patiently waiting through what her mom had told her was my private time with God.  She had lasted through her first lectio experience with her books for 40 minutes.  She moved from the mat on her bedroom floor to sit just outside my doorway.  Laurie heaved a heavy sigh and said: “OK, what do I do now God; she’s still talking to You!”

The wonderful part of waiting and talking with God is that it’s more like a glorious party line.  You can pick up (or click ON the chat box) at any time, whenever you’re ready. It is wonderful!  We do not have to take turns – we don’t have to wait to be in touch!  At the heart of Advent is ACTIVE waiting.  Even when we don’t know that we are waiting, or what we are waiting for, we’re waiting. Even when we can’t find words for what we are waiting for, we’re waiting.

If the liturgical readings these last couple of weeks did not shake you up enough, the Advent gospels will make you perk up your ears and pay attention: “It is high time for us to arise from sleep.”  Take heed! Be on guard! Watch! Be alert, stay awake, and don’t grow careless.  Don’t give up!  And St. Benedict admonishes us: “Never swerve from God’s instruction but faithfully observe God’s teaching in the monastery until death.”

Advent offers us a new opportunity to awaken to the signs of the times.   In the words of John the Baptist, we hear the voice of Isaiah warning us to be alert for “the voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord.”  The last Gospel we heard as the liturgical year ended (this morning) and the first Gospel for the new liturgical year impress upon us the same warning: Be vigilant! Pray always! Beware that your heart does not become drowsy!

Remember Jesus berated the crowd for knowing how to interpret the signs in nature, but not the present time, the already.  This is where we too may fall short.  This kind of waiting requires a common-sense alertness to natural signs.  But the kind of waiting Jesus is talking about requires a deeper discernment and alertness to the signs of His appearance – the signs of the times, our times.  It’s that kind of waiting that Paul is talking about in the second reading: May the Lord make you increase and abound in  love for one another … to strengthen your heart.  I earnestly exhort you in the Name of Jesus to conduct yourselves to please God and be blameless in holiness before our God.  Amen!

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

Happy St. Nicholas Day on December 6th.

 

First Reading:   Jeremiah 33:14-16         Second Reading:  1 Thesssalonians 3:12-4:2
Gospel:   Luke 21:2528,34-36
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