Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Benedictines

There He Goes, Follow Him

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For a moment, imagine, if you will, that you are an aspiring athlete, artist, musician, writer, chef or whatever…    By a stroke of good fortune, you manage to secure as your mentor the person you consider to be tops in the field.  At once you begin to study under that person and hone your skills, soaking up everything you can learn from your champion.

One day after your lesson your mentor introduces you to a person she considers THE expert in the field.  In fact, she suggests that if you really want to perfect your skills this is the person under whom you should study; leave your classes with her and follow that other person’s lead.

In a sense, this is what is happening here in this Gospel text.  John the Baptist is a great prophet.  Jesus himself once called him the greatest prophet who ever lived.  Naturally, John has picked up a few disciples, people who are devoted to him as their spiritual leader.  But now John has recognized that somebody else has come along who is far greater than he will ever be.  In fact, when Jesus shows up, John realizes that he is now in the presence of One whose sandals he is not even worthy to untie.  He may be a prophet, but this man is the Lamb of God, the Son of the Most High, the very Savior of the world.

This is astonishing, really, for what preacher would point his disciple to another preacher’s ministry?  Here we see that John recognizes his calling and that he is fully in agreement with his purpose, which is not self-promotion. Instead, as John explains in the early part of his gospel: “He must increase, I must decrease. His following must grow; my purpose is to point you to His way.  He is the chosen one of GOD, I am not worthy to even unloosen his shoes.”

If you’ve ever thought about it, (or think about it now) you may realize that one of life’s more challenging roles is to take the second place when once you’ve held first place.  School principals who step back into the classroom; heads of departments who now work the floor; a committee or commission chair who now is worker-bee; parents who cut the apron strings so their child can soar or, in a case close to home, a superior who rotates out of leadership.  Sister Lynn Marie McKenzie writes about this dynamic in her article on “Servant Leadership” in the Fall Issue of BENEDICTINES.  (And it fits right in this week with the reading from the Rule, chapter 2, on the Qualities of the Prioress.)  Sister Lynn reminds the reader that “one does not begin monastic life as a prioress but begins as a member of the community, and one usually does not end monastic life as a prioress but as a member of the community.

When in community we prepare for election of prioress, we often speak of the “grace of office”.  A smooth transition into, out of various roles is reliant on the grace John the Baptist showed in commending his disciples to focus on Jesus and His way.  He prepared his friends, his disciples to move on from his teaching and instead to devote themselves to Jesus.  This is so typical of John.  It was the whole purpose of his life.  Even before he was born, God had determined that John’s life would be spent pointing people towards Jesus.  An angel told his dad before he was born: “This child will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.  He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.  And he will go before the Lord, in spirit and power to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

So look at John!  In your mind’s eye, follow his finger to whom he is pointing!  Hear what he’s saying!  In the story he’s standing with two of his friends when Jesus walks by.  He seizes the opportune moment.  He says to his friends, “Look, there goes the Lamb of God.  Here’s your chance.  What are you waiting for?  Go! Follow him!  He’s the one you’ve really been looking for.”

All they know is what John has told them about Jesus – they don’t really yet know Jesus.  They don’t know where he is going or if he wants them to follow.  But follow they do – at a distance.  That’s what’s so noteworthy about what happens that day.  As these two men follow him at a distance, Jesus turns around.  He initiates the exchange.  He confronts them.  “What are you looking for?  What are you after?  I see you following me, what are you hoping to find?  What do you think I can do for you?”

So what if, right now, Jesus stopped in his tracks, faced you, and asked point blank, “What are you looking for?  I see you’ve been following me.  I know you’ve been checking me out.  Well, what do you want?  What do you think I can do for you?  What do you want me to give you?  Where do you think I am leading you?  Do you think I have all the answers?  Can I fix your life?  Or are you just curious?

Will your answer be the same as John’s followers: “Teacher, where are you staying?”  You know what Jesus answers, “Come and see.”  This is so typical Jesus – always an invitation is extended, a gracious and wide open invitation.  And, what’s more, the invitation always comes with a promise.  Seek and you will find.  Knock and the door will be opened.  Ask and you will receive.  Come to me if you are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.  You who are thirsty come to me and drink.  Come to the feast for I have prepared a place for you at the table.  Always Jesus invites us: come and see!

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

We remember Martin Luther King, Jr. today

and his bravery in helping

people around the world overcome.

 

 “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is,

what are you doing for others?

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

First Reading  1 Samuel 3:3b–10,19           Second Reading  1 Corinthians 6:13c–15a,17–20
Gospel   John 1:35–42
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Who is Family?

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A crowd so large has gathered that Jesus and his disciples are not even able to eat their bread.  His family comes to take him away because they think he is beside himself.  This gives Jesus the opportunity to point out that family for him is not based on results from a search on Ancestry.com.

Have you ever accused someone of being out of their mind?  Probably…. but then you might remind yourself, you can’t judge a book by its cover.   And, remember the ancient American Indian proverb: “Before you judge another person, walk a mile in that person’s moccasins.”  If you lived in that person’s head, if you had the identical life-experiences you’d really have no other choice than to do exactly what she did.  It’s advisable to refrain from statements that begin: she “coulda, woulda, shoulda….”  And, obey the maxim “thou shalt not should upon thyself.”  Crazy is how some people viewed Jesus during his early ministry.

The evangelists tell us that some people were quite alarmed by Jesus’ behavior.  His family was certainly alarmed.  Mark reports that when his family and friends heard about his preaching and behavior they went out to seize him: for they said, “He is insane.”

We might take a benevolent interpretation of their action and suggest that the family was taking an intervention action out of loving concern and support for him.  They wanted to make sure he was eating right, getting enough sleep and not working too hard.  But, it seems unlikely that was the honest motivation for the intervention.

In his youth, most of the time his family probably thought of Jesus as a normal boy.  His cousins and friends accepted him as one of the neighborhood kids, just one of them.

I suspect he might have tried to keep their nonsense under control and lead them down the right path.  So, they were not overly surprised when he began street preaching, but now he had gone overboard.  He was so often in the public eye, things were getting a little out of control and they urged him to quit.

In the instance reported in his Gospel reading, several of them came as a group ready to distract and get him away from the crowds.  But, their attempt at an intervention wasn’t working.  They tried sending him a message that his family was waiting to talk to him.  He left them standing on the outside.  He seemed to dummy up; he threw the messengers a zinger with the question:  “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

His family is frustrated with him, or just plain worried about him.  They hear that Jesus is drawing crowds again, and they go to rescue him — because people are talking about “our boy.”  Some of the people think he’s loony.   His family is embarrassed and worried of what might become of him.  But, Jesus doesn’t seem to mind at all.  After all, he knows how badly it’s all going to turn out.

He tells the crowd, and us, mine is an extended family – everyone is welcome.  I embrace anyone and everyone.  These people may look like a group of misfits, but they’re family.

So, I wonder: who might be at our door, looking to get in, to speak to us?   Be a part of our family, preserve our reputation and tell the world what a great place we have here and what a pleasant group of people we are?

Our oblates come immediately to mind.  You probably realize this, there are more Benedictine Oblates in the U.S. than the combined number of professed Benedictine men and women living in communities.  Worldwide there are currently 25,000 oblates compared to 21,000 Benedictine monks and sisters.

You see it here on Oblate Sunday.  We could have upwards of 30 Oblates gather for the day.  That’s almost 3 times the size of our community.  In the interim between meetings, they are reaching out into the greater community, telling our story, often better than we do.  They are immersed in “the world,” living out the values and mission of our community.  It’s true that they come to us to get refueled, to learn more about the Benedictine charism, but it’s equally true, as Joan Chittister says in the recent issue of BENEDICTINES, “Oblates are the hope in this century that the life and values of the Benedictine vision can be born … again and anewed.”

So, when we hear the summons, “Your family is outside asking for you,” how shall we respond, what shall we do?

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress
First Reading Genesis 3:9–15   Second Reading  2 Corinthians 4:13—5:1
Gospel Mark 3:20–35
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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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