Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Baptism of Jesus

Baptism of Jesus

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“Yes, Now’s the Time!”

 

Today, Saturday, January 11th, is designated Human Trafficking Day aka #WearBlueDay.  It is important that we remain vigilant and pray and do what we can to raise awareness of the proportions of this very real problem.  Why “Wear Blue?” It’s the international color of human trafficking awareness.

This year marks the 162nd anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. It was on January 1, 1863, that our nation pledged that all persons held as slaves within any state would henceforth be forever free.    Yet we know that people are still enslaved within our borders.  Human trafficking is illegal but rampant. And, they just continue to cry out!  God is close to the broken-hearted and rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Jesus came, and still comes, to set all people free.  It is our turn to do whatever is in our power to rescue the victims of human trafficking.  God has no hands on earth but ours.

It seems no coincidence that on this weekend, with tomorrow (Sunday evening) liturgically closing the Christmas season, we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus who came to set all peoples free.  Sometimes we aren’t sure if “now” is the right time for things. At the Jordan River, about 30 years after Jesus was born, NOW was the time. If you could go back and stand on the shoreline of that river in the wilderness, you’d probably be nodding your head in agreement, “Yes, now is the time!”  John knew that Jesus was much greater than he was, and that he wasn’t even fit to tie Jesus’ sandals. John must have been thinking, “This is backwards! This shouldn’t be happening this way!”

“Not so,” says Jesus.  “Now IS the time.  It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”  Jesus was saying, “At another time, John, you would be right in what you’re thinking. But NOW is the time for this baptism. This is what my Father in heaven is asking of us NOW!”    You will recall that in last week’s reading Jesus submitted to his parents’ wishes and went back to the family home.  But NOW was the right time for Jesus to begin his public mission, the course that would take him to the cross. Now we hear the Father’s affirming commendation: “Outstanding, Son!”

It may be hard to believe, but during Jesus’ childhood, Israel was not an idyllic place to grow up. It was confusing, even bloody. During Jesus’ childhood, 3,000 people were crucified, left to hang on the road not far from Nazareth. Closer to home: do you know that 27 MILLION women, men and children are currently held in slavery-like conditions?  More people are enslaved today than at any time in human history.   Are you aware that Tampa, FL ranks 3rd in the nation in human trafficking?  And did you know that the highest percentage of children who get caught into the trafficking trap come from the foster care system? It’s ugly: there’s crushing poverty, overwhelming hunger, human trafficking, kids sold into slavery to be used for sexual exploitation. Evil oppression is present across the globe.  Chances are that something each of us is wearing or using was made, at least in part, by someone trapped in a sweat shop. To live as well as we do here in North America takes a lot of cheap labor. And it’s not just us. There have always been people that will lord it over others and do even more atrocious, despicable things.  Each person forced into slavery has a unique story.  Each story is one of struggles, hopes and dreams.

May God inspire us to act for justice and to bring an end to of human trafficking.  Several years ago, LCWR and RCRI (both organizations of Catholic religious) led the way for religious to “practice what they preach.” These organizations will only contract for their national conventions to be held only in hotels that will agree to provide employee education to raise their awareness of “red flag” behaviors of suspected human trafficking violators. May we never be the cause for another experiencing the feeling of enslavement.  May we guard against acting or speaking in such a manner that we give the impression that we believe another is under our control.  Keep us conscious that Jesus is Lord, not we over one another.  Help us to do our part in building a world where all are free to live with dignity.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

First Reading:   Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11         Second Reading:  Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7
Gospel:   Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

 

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Reflection on a Good Friday Afternoon

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The hour of Jesus’ death draws near.

WERE YOU THERE WHEN THEY CRUCIFIED MY LORD?

 

The sky grows dark, thunder rumbles and the air turns chill.

WERE YOU THERE WHEN THEY CRUCIFIED MY LORD?

 

The bickering among the soldiers stops, the murmuring crowd grows quiet.

WERE YOU THERE WHEN THEY CRUCIFIED MY LORD?

 

All attention focuses on Jesus.

In the silence His voice in utter anguish cries:

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?”

WERE YOU THERE WHEN THEY CRUCIFIED MY LORD?

 

Refusing the sponge of wine which might numb his senses and dull his awareness,

He cries aloud as His spirit at last departs from His earthly body.

WERE YOU THERE WHEN THEY CRUCIFIED MY LORD?

 

Yes, were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?  WERE YOU?

 

WHERE WERE YOU?

Were you part of the jeering crowd; caught up in the mob emotion?

Were you a silent on-looker, trembling lest you be recognized (like Peter had been) for one of Jesus’ followers?   Or were you one of the soldiers doing a task – not so tasteful but all in day’s work, required to collect that almighty silver coin?

 

WHERE WERE YOU?

Were you among the women quietly lending mutual support to each other; heart-broken and helpless to do naught but weep and hope for a miracle of deliverance for your Lord?

 

WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THEY CRUCIFIED MY LORD?  Look into your heart . . .

The hour of His death has come.  And, gone.  Will you gather up your picnic cloth and go home to wait for another day’s excitement?  Or, will you silently mourn His passing, confused but confident that He will rise again?  He told you “this temple shall be rebuilt.”

 

WERE YOU THERE WHEN THEY LAID HIM IN THE TOMB?

When the sky was dark and the earth quaked; when spirits walked the earth and on-lookers beat their breasts in fear and withdrew from the scene.

 

WERE YOU THERE?

Were you there to help linen-wrap His broken body, to place it in the newly hewn tomb and set the stone at the entrance?

 

WHERE WERE YOU?

Were you among the women who went home to prepare spices and perfumes to anoint the body of Your Lord?  Valiant women, strong in respectful silence for each other’s grief.  Strong in the promise of Passover.  Strong in the love of the Man of Nazareth, their Lord, and now their Redeemer.

 

WERE YOU THERE WHEN THEY CRUCIFIED MY LORD?  WERE YOU THERE WHEN THEY NAILED HIM TO THE TREE?  WERE YOU THERE WHEN THEY LAID HIM IN THE TOMB?      Where were you?

 

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

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Baptism of Jesus

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Baptism of Jesus

Maybe you’ve heard the story about the poor wandering soul, lost in thought, who stumbled upon a baptismal service one Sunday afternoon.  This was one of those “down by the river” sort of baptisms in the warm waters of the South.  Curious about what was going on, this fellow walked right down into the water and stood next to the Preacher.  When the minister finally noticed him, he asked the young man, “Are you ready to find Jesus?”  With a quizzical look and some hesitancy in his voice, he answered: “Yes, Preacher, I think I am.”  The minister then dunked the fellow under the water and pulled him right back up.

“Did you find Jesus?”  “No… should I have?”  The preacher then dunked him under for a bit longer, brought him up and said, “Now, brother, have you found Jesus?”  “No … I haven’t, Preacher.”  The preacher in disgust held the man under for at least 30 seconds this time; brought him to the surface of the water and repeated the question, “Friend, are you sure you haven’t found Jesus yet?”  The confused fellow wiped his eyes and gasping for breath said,.. “Naw, Sir, are you sure this is where he fell in?”

That’s sometimes us, with our heads under the waters that wash over us …  cares, distractions, prayer for others’ intentions, confused by the circumstances of our lives …  looking for Jesus in muddy waters of our own making.

In the Summa Theologiae, (12th century theological summary), St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that “Jesus did not become God’s son at his Baptism; he is the Son of God from all eternity.  Nor did He become the Messiah at this point; he was the Messiah from the moment he became man.  Baptism is the public manifestation of Jesus as Son of God and as Messiah, ratified by the presence of the Blessed Trinity.  The Holy Spirit descended visibly in bodily form upon Christ …  so that we may believe him to descend invisibly upon all those who are baptized.”

We know the facts, right – but how slow we can be to absorb the meaning.  We are witness to Peter’s awakening in the Second Reading from Acts.  And what a day of enlightenment it must have been for him.  He was deep in Lectio …  the Scriptural account says: “He fell in to a trance and saw a vision in which a sheet came down from heaven full of all kinds of animals.  God told him to get up, kill, and eat whatever he wanted.

What a surprise that must have been – now he could taste foods he’d been forbidden under Jewish law.  Of course, God wasn’t really concerned that Peter could enjoy his first ham sandwich.  God was teaching Peter, and us, that there is no distinction between “clean” and “unclean” neither in animals nor in people.  The almighty’s plan of salvation wasn’t just for the Jewish people; it was for the Gentiles – for everyone – everyone is included in God’s far-sighted providence.

You’ll remember the story as it continues in Acts.  The very next day Peter “got ready and went” to the home of Cornelius and “some of the believers from Joppa went with him…. Cornelius met him, fell at his feet and bowed down before him.  But Peter made him rise: Stand up, I myself am only a man.”  Cornelius related what led to his requesting Peter’s visit, ending his story with these words: “Now we are all here in the presence of God, waiting to hear anything that the Lord has instructed you to say.”  Sounds like the sentiment of an opening to any Lectio time: “I am here, Lord, in Your presence, waiting to hear anything You are ready to say to me.”

The Cornelius story is the lead-in to Sunday’s Second Reading when Peter shares his awakening, “I now realize that it is true that God treats everyone on the same basis…. (he continued) You know the message that God sent to the people …  You know the great event that took place throughout the land.  You know about Jesus of Nazareth and how God poured out on him the Holy Spirit and power.  We are witnesses of everything that he did.”

If you continue reading in Acts, beyond tomorrow’s selection, you’ll see – as Paul Harvey used to end his TV evening news – you’ll “know the rest of the story.”  While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came down on all those who were listening.”

We hear the same message from St. Paul in his Letters to the Ephesians, Galatians and the Romans when he writes: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus.”  And isn’t this same message in the Holy Rule?  It’s true that in Chapter 2, Benedict is directly addressing the Prioress but it’s a top-down principle and, with the rotation of roles in monastic life, is intended for all.  “We are all cautioned “… to avoid all favoritism in the monastery … “not to love one more than another.”  Benedict echoes Paul when he writes: “One born free is not to be given higher rank than one of lowly birth … for God shows no partiality among persons.”  Step by step, Benedict leads his followers from non-partiality in Chapter 2 to the ideal of mutual obedience and good zeal (in the closing chapters of the Rule): Deference, Respect and the pursuit of “nothing whatever to the Love of Christ.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

On Monday we begin what the Church refers to as “Ordinary Time” – Oh, if only!  But the COVID and unrest in our country still rages … What’s the psalmist say “like a roaring lion.”

Praise God with us – we are grateful – that at Holy Name Monastery, we have received our first dose of the COVID Vaccine – knowing full well we still need to practice universal precautions with lots of extra hand-washing and marked social distancing. 

We look forward the time when we can open our doors and welcome guests.   

Thank you each for your loyal friendship, support and prayers.

Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

First Reading   Isaiah 47:1-4, 6-7           Second Reading  Acts 10:34-38
Gospel  Mark 1:7-11

 

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