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Christ

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

June 30, 2025 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

Saints Peter and Paul are probably the best known of all the saints in the Catholic Church.  Both of them were personally chosen by Jesus for the building up of the Mystical Body of Christ.  Peter’s mission was twofold: to lead the Catholic Church in the early stage and to lead the Jewish people into the new Covenant.   Saint Paul came into the picture a little later and played a major role for the Church in converting a great number of the Gentiles to follow Jesus.

Theirs is the same God who continues to reach out to us, calling us to spread God’s light throughout the world. To us, simple human beings, not angels, God gives the Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us according to the evolving needs of the Church – the people of God.

This evening I chose to proclaim the gospel given for the Vigil Mass rather than the one for tomorrow’s liturgy.  The Scripture selection highlights Peter, but Paul will get his solo turn later on.    Many look at the Gospel passage with wonderment. Why did Jesus ask Peter the same question over and over?

Seemingly out of the blue, Jesus says to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?”  Peter responds, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love you.” I cannot imagine a more insulting way for Peter to answer!  Peter is sitting with the risen Jesus  who asks him “Tell me, Peter, do you love me with a selfless love?” and Peter responds using a verb that means: “I am really quite fond of you.”

We can only imagine how “out of place” Peter now felt being with Jesus. Where he had once been comfortable and self-assured as one of the chosen disciples; he now feels the shame of denying he is one of Jesus’ friends.  Self-confidence and faith had withered to self-doubt and a feeling of being an utter “failure.” How could he even bear to look into the face of the resurrected?

The rest of this passage shows Jesus’ compassion for, and continued confidence in, Peter.   “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.”  Jesus is confirming his love for Peter even though Peter had failed him.  Jesus gives Peter the opportunity to confess his love for Jesus in front of witnesses.

Jesus then told Peter that he was going to die for Him. What a wonderful piece of prophecy!  Jesus was telling Peter that he was going to have faith great enough to be the kind of man he thought himself to be when he said, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.”   He didn’t die WITH Jesus, but he knew now he was going to be allowed another chance; to LIVE FOR Him, and that he would eventually die for Jesus. We can only imagine the joy and relief that Peter felt!  Later, in different circumstances, Jesus will issue the same invitation to Paul.

What does this mean for you and me?   Even though we may have failed the Lord miserably, He is sharing GREAT news with us: it is not too late!  We have another chance to prove to the Lord, and to ourselves, what kind of Christians we really are.

~ Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey

 

 

 

First Reading: Acts 12:1-11                       Second Reading: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18
Gospel: John 21:15-19
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Filed Under: Blog, Front Page, Homily Tagged With: Christ, Jesus, Paul, Peter, Solemnity of Saint Peter and Paul, St. Paul, St. Peter

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

January 20, 2025 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

The readings for this weekend, combined with the civic occasions we observe, present a challenge.  What to emphasize?  Today (Saturday) opened the annual Week of Prayer for Church Unity.  It has a history of over 100 years of prayer for the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper “that all may be one.”   We will continue our practice, when on Wednesday we welcome the Mayor of the Town of Saint Leo, Assistant Pastor of the Rock Church of Brooksville (and his congregation) HO will join us for a Unity prayer service based on this year’s theme “Do You Believe?”

Today and tomorrow the world is watching, with multitudes sending up a stream of prayers for the successful implementation of the Peace Pact for Israel and Gaza: the release of prisoners and relief convoys allowed into war-torn areas.  And, for the peaceful transfer of power in our country.

We pray:  Prince of peace, we cry out for Your divine intervention in Israel and the surrounding regions.  We earnestly petition You to bestow tranquility upon our land. May prosperity flourish, (but not at the cost of the poor and vulnerable).  May Your unwavering peace reign over the hearts of all people.

Now, switch your focus.   On Monday the workday-week begins with the rare coinciding of a Presidential Inauguration Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day national holiday.  The two events aren’t expected to coincide again until January 2053.

Now, if that does offer us enough to pray about, let’s turn to the three readings in our liturgy.  They are, I believe, an example of a woven piece of God’s mysterious message-giving.  It creates a colorful piece with threads that weave the way from Isaiah, through Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, into the Gospel of John, laced with verses from the Responsorial Psalm 96.

From Isaiah (in the first reading) we hear: “I will not be silent; I will not be quiet.” (Mmm – didn’t Martin Luther King echo that same message?)  Now slip in a line from the Responsorial Psalm: “Announce God’s salvation day by day.” (sentiments of Unity Week and Peace Agreement). This leads us right into a touching Gospel story of a son’s response to an implied request of His mom.  Mary could not resist the impulse, the urge to encourage her Son to come to the rescue of the wedding couple’s embarrassment.  She’d raised this man/child.  She knew he’d take her hint.  Turning toward the wine-servers, she says simply: “Do what he tells you.”  And they did just that.

A question to ponder: Who could have observed that quiet exchange?  Scriptural Scholars tell us it was the beloved John, the only one of Christ’s original disciples who lived into old age and was the only one not martyred for the faith.  He can tell that story from an old man’s perspective laced with the wisdom and vision that is a gift of the elderly.  We know so well that stories are a gift given by older members to the newer ones.  The elders are the torch bears; the younger are the keepers of the torch.  It is they who are responsible for coaxing the sparks to keep the embers glowing, breathing new life into our legacy.  Stories of the “good ole days may get old but consider what we’d miss if John and the other evangelists had kept secret their experiences with Jesus.

In today’s world, much like the days of early Christianity, people are facing crises of migration, prejudice, hunger for food, companionship, health care services, violence and indifference. How can we show “unusual kindness” exemplified in Mary’s keen insight and Jesus’ quick response to her tip: “Do what He tells you.”   As Benedict advises us: “Show reverent love.  Be the first to pursue what you judge better for someone else.”  You know: Pass-it-on-Kindnesses” or “Pay it Forward” favors.  Kindness that is a witness to God’s loving providence for all people. When we invite people to “come and see” they are looking for more than a tour of our monastery building and a list of volunteer ministries. Our spirit of hospitality will have a ripple effect (positive or negative) that makes visible (or not) Jesus’ love in today’s world. We pray that we and all peoples of diverse backgrounds, cultures and religions, are enlightened to accept each other with open hands and hearts and that world peace will prevail in our lifetime.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

First Reading:   Isaiah 62:1-5         Second Reading:  1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Gospel:   John 2:1-11
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Filed Under: Blog, Front Page, Homily Tagged With: Christ, gaza, Isaiah, israel, John, Martin Luther King, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Prayer, Presidential inauguration, Unity

Transubstantiation

August 19, 2024 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

Have you ever met anyone, (or maybe you’ve been counted among those) who found the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation a bit hard to accept?  Maybe just for a minute or two you may have wondered how Jesus could talk about eating his flesh and drinking his blood?  At the words in this Gospel, so many of Jesus’ disciples abandoned him that Jesus asked the twelve if they also planned to quit.

Jesus’ statements had caused arguments to break out within the crowd and gave Jesus the opportunity to move the conversation to the next level. The crowd begins to express confusion over how Jesus can give his flesh for them to eat.  Jesus senses the restlessness but does not avoid the topic.  Rather he makes an even more offensive statement: they will need to eat his flesh and drink his blood. He had spoken before about “eating” the bread from heaven, using a very common word.  Now He switches to a less common word that has a connotation closer to “munch” or “gnaw”, a graphic word noisy eating, the sort of eating like an animal or your brother crunching a mouthful of fresh potato chips.  But that is not the important point; this is eating that is urgent, even desperate. It is eating as though your life depends on it, because it does. 

So, how did the early Christians interpret Jesus’ challenging words?  History tells us that the pagan Romans made charges against the Christians for cannibalism. They had heard that when these people met, they ate and drank human blood.  Not many Christians themselves questioned the real presence of Christ’s body and blood in the Eucharist till the Middle Ages. In trying to explain how bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ, several theologians went astray and needed to be corrected by Church authority. Then St. Thomas Aquinas came along and offered an explanation that became classic.  The Eucharist, he said, is the one instance of change we encounter in this world that is exactly the opposite. The appearances of bread and wine stay the same, but the very essence or substance of these realities, is totally transformed. What was once bread and wine are now Christ’s body and blood. A unique word “transubstantiation” was coined, and remains to this day, to an effort to explain the miracle of the changing of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus.

Such an awesome gift deserves its own feast. And that’s why, the feast of Corpus Christi was proposed by Thomas Aquinas to Pope Urban IV, who created a feast focused solely on the Holy Eucharist, emphasizing the joy of the Eucharist being the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ.

When I ponder our Gospel reading, which is the same as that used for the Feast of Corpus Christi, it strikes me that with Christmas we were touched with joy and awe at the birth of the God-man Jesus.  At Easter we explode with ALLELUIA at the resurrection of our Savior.  The Ascension leaves us quietly looking upward, outward waiting in expectation for “what’s next?”  Then, comes the solemnity of the Trinity – the mystery that baffles us … that God is so great, so awesome that only in three persons can all the divine manifestations be expressed.  And, today, the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ – this touches, awakens in us feelings we can hardly express – that our God, our Jesus, our Savior would choose to gift us in such a personal, intimate way!  Our Creator-God chooses to be “assimilated within the body of the creature.”  His body and blood become, over and over, absorbed into my body – His blood courses in my veins … invading every fiber of my being.   When the priest (or Eucharist minister) presents the host or chalice, looks us in the eye and says: “Body of Christ!”  “Blood of Christ” – we are overcome with the awesomeness of this gift. All we can manage to say is “AMEN” – so be it – AMEN!

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

Pray for students beginning a new term …  for healthy friendships,  academic success, nurturing teachers and stimulating extracurricular activities.

 

 

First Reading:   Proverbs 9:1-6         Second Reading:  Ephesians 5:15-20
Gospel:   John 6:51-58
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Filed Under: Blog, Front Page, Homily Tagged With: Blood and Body of Christ, Body and Blood, catholic, Christ, doctrine, eucharist, feast, Jesus, Transubstantiation

Fifth Sunday of Easter

April 30, 2024 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

Our Gospel reading is taken from the middle of the Last Supper discourse when Jesus speaks about his relationship with his disciples – with each of us.  He teaches about the importance of the words He has taught and how he will remain with his disciples, with us.  Jesus promises to remain in a vision rich in intimacy that is profound and personal.

He uses an example to which His followers can easily relate to – fruit of the vine ripening for harvest.  He knew the details of pruning and removal of non-fruit bearing branches, throwing out and burning withered branches.  The people had asked him before to speak literally and not be so subtle.  When He spoke about vineyards the people of Judea knew what he was talking about.  It was their cash crop, not like grain which were raised purely for consumption.

He could have chosen any number of crops. However, I am glad He was attracted to the vineyards.  I like the ring “I am the vine, you are the branches.”  Imagine if he had used figs or olives, melons or cucumbers – I am a tree, you are the fig, the olive, the melons. The metaphor of the vine and the vine dresser made me curious about hidden symbolism beyond the obvious fact that the twigs are connected to the blossoms; the blossoms to the branches and the branches; to the vine, the vine to the root.

Grapes are one of the most ancient crops known to humans.  The form to which the grape vines are trained is limited only by the grower’s imagination and the vines-in-training themselves.  They must be pliant enough to yield to the contour God is shaping.

Grapes are sold as rooted cuttings.  Care must be taken to ensure that the cuttings are planted right-side up. Growers are advised to plant the vines in clearly marked rows in a north-south orientation to capture the most sunlight.  When the weather is cooler up to 90% of new growth is removed and young vines are typically not permitted to bear fruit for the first three years.

The pruning process reminds me of what we do every Lent.  We monitor our spiritual life to remove unwanted growth, pull and discard weeds, and through our resolutions we water fledging efforts to be strong Christians – good community members – worthy disciples.  Preventive action offers the greatest benefit in controlling the spread of disease from vine to vine.  Visit the vines often, screen cuttings for good potential, prune as needed, dispose of dead and diseased parts, rake the soil, scout for insects.

So, what are the “Big Five” community fungal diseases?  The Benedictine Mark Scott (our retreat director in 2016) suggests the big sins for Benedictines are forgetfulness, murmuring, laziness, resentment and neglect.   These, he says, are the things that damage relationships, complicate things, create chaos, instill mistrust and generally disturb the peace.

How can we prevent or combat the monastic fungus?  Benedict gives us 72 tools for a holy life.  Surprisingly he does not start with prayer but with very basic tools that promote healthy relationships: love of God, self and your neighbor.  In Chapter 4 of the Rule you can see that Benedict was intent on his followers being transparent, peace-loving, self-controlled, humble and willing to grow and change.  And he says you don’t need to look beyond the walls of the monastery.  You will have plenty of opportunities in community to be shaped, pruned and coaxed, like the grape vines, upward into the sunlight, which is Christ, the divine vine-grower.

As we advance in the way of monastic life, we come to recognize more keenly the intimate, loving, shaping influence of God which is the heart and core of our commitment.  Like wild vines, we may stumble around reaching for false sources of sunlight, maybe even seeing only glittering reflections of light on the ground.  Too often we may trudge along with our heads down looking at where we have been rather than where the divine Vine Dresser is gently training our spirits to look upward – gracing us to see beyond our dreams.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 Have a pleasant week!

 

First Reading:   Acts 49:26-31         Second Reading:  1 John 3:24-28
Gospel:   John 15:1-8
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Filed Under: Blog, Front Page, Homily Tagged With: Christ, Fifth Sunday of Easter, grapes, Jesus, monastic, pruning, Vine, vineyards

Fourth Sunday of Easter – Good Shepherd Sunday

April 23, 2024 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

No wonder this is called Good Shepherd Sunday and the Church’s day of prayer for vocations.  Jesus’ identification as the Good Shepherd is read in all three cycles of the Sunday Gospels.  Jesus says: “I am the Good Shepherd.  I know my own and my own know me!”  One of the earliest paintings of Christ in the Roman catacombs represents him as carrying an injured sheep on his shoulders.  It was, and remains, an endearing and intimate image of a loving relationship – nurturing, life-giving, transforming, empowering.

I wonder aloud: why did Jesus choose SHEEP for his parable?  There are other animals native to the land where he spent his childhood: sand cats, camels, “man’s best friend”, or perhaps a goat or, heaven forbid: a pole cat.  Actually, there are 116 mammal species native to the Middle East.   What we do know is that he probably saw sheep most days of his life.  Jesus was teaching a lesson that would live LONG after He walked the face of this earth.  I can’t pretend or presume to read the mind of God.  But, Jesus, being God, knew that sheep would still be around today so that we 21st century people, living on the other side of the world, could identify with his example.

What is it about sheep that gives us some insight into our relationship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd?  I’ll describe a few.  Shepherds must anticipate the needs of their sheep for food, water, sleep, leadership and protection.  Sheep are commonly described as lacking initiative, dependent, copy cats but simple and playful.  They have insatiable appetites.  They seek sustenance, suckling from the moment they can stand upright. Sheep are skittish especially of loud noises and unpredictable in their reactions.   Maybe it’s their strong flocking instinct that most aptly applies to us who seek relationships in religious life?  Sheep are very social and need to see one another when grazing.  (Is that why we sit across from each other in chapel and at table?)

Sheep are agitated if separated from the flock (like humans who are forced to practice “social distancing”).  Sheep have excellent eyesight with their large, somewhat rectangular eyes, giving them a wide field of vision (like high sensates who take in every visual detail).   This feature, and a good sense of smell, alerts them to predators. Sheep are stubborn and unpredictable.  (Sound like anyone you know?) Head butting is both a natural and a learned behavior in sheep. (And, face it, some people are skilled in this behavior –  butting heads over trivial details.)

You see, we all act like sheep on occasion. We often ramble off from the flock to nibble at little bits of foreign pasture hanging over the fence. However, we have a Shepherd who understands us; one whose patience and love are infinite. He is always ready to go after us when we stray afar.  His voice is constantly reaching out to us in Lectio, retreats, sicknesses, crosses, this pandemic and other various ways. How many times have we already felt his loving grace calling and helping us back to the safety of His company? Once in a while we have even felt His shepherd’s crook around our neck, gently coaxing us back into the flock!

This Good Shepherd sermon preached by our Savior over two thousand years ago is still echoing and re-echoing around the world, calling on us, his faithful flock, to do all in our power to spread his Kingdom.  Do not shut your ears to this call of Christ today. Give him a helping hand by sharing the light of your faith, praying for and nurturing vocations.  And, ponder which sheep-like traits is Jesus coaxing to life in you?

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

First Reading:   Acts of the Apostles 4:8-12         Second Reading:  1 John 3:1-2
Gospel:   John 10:11-18
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Filed Under: Blog, Front Page, Homily Tagged With: Christ, Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd, Good Shepherd Sunday, JesusGod, sheep

Second Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday

April 8, 2024 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

Tomorrow has been known as “Low Sunday” – a lesser Easter celebration – or “Quasi-modo Sunday” from the first two words of the Entrance antiphon at Mass: “Like newborn infants” (speaking especially about those baptized at Easter).  It is the day that the newly baptized officially put away their white robes. Hence, it is known liturgically as the “Sunday of putting away the albs.”   And yes, the name of this feast is the origin of the name of the hunchback, Quasimodo, in Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” The foundling was so named because he was discovered at the cathedral on the second Sunday of Easter.

On that Second Sunday of Easter in the Jubilee Year 2000, at the Mass for the canonization of St. Faustina Kowalska, Pope John Paul II made a surprising announcement. “It is important that we accept the whole message that comes to us from the word of God on this Second Sunday of Easter, which from now on throughout the Church, will be called ‘Divine Mercy Sunday.”   Clearly it is not a new feast but neither is it an optional title for this solemnity; rather, Divine Mercy is the integral name for this Feast Day.

The Gospel begins with the risen Christ appearing to the apostles on Easter night. Jesus calms his disciples by saying and giving them “Peace.” He shows them the scars of his Passion, his wounded hands and side, the evidence of his saving work through his suffering, death and resurrection.  Then he breathes on them and explains what the divine breathing means with the words, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven, whose sins you retain are retained.” He gives to the apostles, from the treasury of divine mercy, the power of mercy for penitents and the assurance there is nothing to fear.

The story of St. Faustina reveals the inspiration behind the Divine Mercy devotion. On February 22, 1931, at the age of 26, Sister Faustina experienced a life-changing vision of Christ. She saw him wearing a white robe and raising his right hand in blessing with his left hand resting on his heart from which flowed two rays of light. Jesus told her, “Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the prayer, Jesus, I trust in you.”  Faustina could not paint but eventually she persuaded her spiritual director to find an artist to create the painting that was named The Divine Mercy.

Thankfully there is a trend among media services to make an effort to balance stories of horror and tragedy with illustrations of mercy.   For many people there are two stories that continue to stand out – The first is that of an Amish community that walked to the home of the man who had killed 5 of their children to tell his widow they forgave her husband for what he had done, and consoled her for the loss of her spouse. They buried their anger before they buried their children.

The other well-known story of forgiveness, you may recall, was depicted on the cover of TIME magazine 1984.  It pictured a prison cell where two men sat on metal folding chairs. The young man wore a black turtleneck sweater, blue jeans and white running shoes. The older man was dressed in a white robe and had a white skullcap on his head. They sat facing one another, up close and personal. They spoke quietly so as to keep others from hearing the conversation. The young man was an attempted assassin; the older man was Pope John Paul II, his intended victim. At the end of their 20-minute meeting, Ali raised the pope’s hand to his forehead as a sign of respect. John Paul shook Ali’s hand tenderly.

John Paul II and the Amish Christians teach us that forgiveness is central. They believe in a real sense that God’s forgiveness depends on their extending forgiveness to other people. That’s what the mercy of God is all about.  They are but two examples of God’s divine mercy in action, the same divine mercy whose message St. Faustina witnessed, the gift of mercy we celebrate on Divine Mercy Sunday.  This is also a good week for our prayer intention for vocations, formators and those they guide and mentor.  May God, in wisdom and mercy, see fit to bless us with the grace to persevere in our own vocations, and for insight and fortitude for all those involved in the ministry of religious formation.

 

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   Acts 4:23-35         Second Reading:  1 John 5:1-6
Gospel:   John 20:19-31 
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Filed Under: Blog, Front Page, Homily Tagged With: Christ, disciples, Divine Mercy Sunday, Jesus, Pope John Paul II, Second Sunday of Easter

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