Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Christ

New Year 2024

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“I Hope You Dance”

 

“The shepherds made known the message that had been told them about this child.  All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them.”  (Luke 2:17)

Those shepherds accepted the challenge of allowing God’s glory to be seen in their lives.  That same challenge is ours!  And when we manage to perceive God’s working in our lives, amazing things can happen! People behold the divine glory present and working in and through us. That’s why we dare to commit “ourselves and our resources to respond to the needs of our times with the very compassion of Christ.”  We respond not simply with Christ-like compassion, but with the very compassion of Jesus, our new-born savior and Lord of our lives.

I perceive that’s our challenge at this point in our history as individuals, and as a community.  On the cusp of one year, and the dawning of a new one, we have come to a greater acceptance of the reality of what Joan Chittister describes in her book THE WAY WE WERE: (Joan says) “Only one thing I know for sure.  I know we have to do more with less.  (I know) We are getting older.  And, we are getting smaller.  Most of all, I know we have to do it together.”  Think about it: (I am not the first to says this) the miracle of the Red Sea was not that the waters parted.  The miracle was that the first Jews dared to step into the open chasm. And others followed their lead.  And, miracle of miracles, they came out on the other side.

Recently I got a new purse.  That meant emptying the old one, digging to the bottom where I found a crumpled scrap of paper.  I smoothed it out as best I could.  What I read scribbled there must have been important the day in the past when I first wrote it.  And it seems to me it’s a good directive as we contemplate the days ahead in our unfolding future: “Look to the past.  Look to the future.  And, then do the dance in the middle.”  And I’ll add:  don’t be afraid to be the first one on the dance floor.  But neither do you have to be the first one – just don’t be a wall-flower. Heed the words of the Dan Schutte’s hymn: “Join in the dance of the earth’s jubilation! This is the feast of the love of God.”   Join the dance, be it a two-step or a three-step waltz, the twist, the Bunny Hop, a line dance, a square dance or a reel; a gentle swaying of the body or drumming one’s fingertips. Do not fear, others will eventually join in.  Remember, we’re together in the rhythm of the dance of community life.  We’re the ones who give expression to the music of creation that we call Community.

Dance to the rhythm of communal prayer and meal times. Dance to the call for extra service when substitutes are requested or extraordinary tasks need doing.  Dance to the silent beckoning of objects you spy out of place – return them to their usual home.  Don’t ignore the nudge of a soiled surface and dusty corners.  There’s a reason why God let you see their longing for a cleaner’s touch.  Dance lightly when a person’s distracted or has a blank look, a pinched brow, or seems to be waiting for a smile or a “hello” or “want to talk?”  Bend low with a ballet dancer’s grace as you offer gesture of gratitude.  And, when you feel like you’re dancing as fast as you can but the whole world is spinning beneath you, it is. In the words of Albert Einstein: “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” 

Singer-Song writer Lee Ann Womack put words on my wish for you, for each, and all of us.  I paraphrase her life-affirming message that invites us to step out and embrace life, in her uplifting song, “I Hope You Dance.”

“I hope you never lose your sense of wonder but always keep that hunger.
May you never take one single breath for granted.

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean.

Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance;
And when you get the choice to sit it out, or dance? I hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin’ might mean takin’ chances but they’re worth takin’. 

Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you’ll dance.”

Please, “when you have the choice

to sit it out or dance, I hope you’ll dance.”

 

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

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“Christ Jesus Ruler, Christ Jesus Victor”

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As we observe the Feast of Christ, the King, we are celebrating a ruler who was willing to die for us, for all humanity, to give us true freedom.  Jesus radically redefined the traditional concept of kingship.  His example of radical love and kindness is lived out by us, his followers, in our reaching out to those in need – beginning with those with whom we live.

For over four and a half thousand years there has stood a great obelisk in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.  The structure, originally located in the Temple of the Sun in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis, was brought to Rome by the dreaded Emperor Caligula.   He had it set right in the middle of a Roman racetrack known as the Circus of Nero. It was in that Circus that St. Peter was martyred.  On the base is inscribed two phrases, The first, in Latin, the words of a familiar hymn: Christ Jesus Victor!  Christ Jesus Ruler!  Christ Jesus Lord and Redeemer!”  The other is an inscription that proclaims: “The Lion of Judah has conquered.”  It may well have been the last earthly thing that St. Peter saw as has he hung upside-down crucified to die.

In 1925, Pope Pius XI universally instituted the Feast of Christ the King to be celebrated on the last Sunday of October.  However, since the reform in the liturgical calendar in 1969, the feast falls on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Sunday before Advent.

At the time of the institution of the feast, secularism was on the rise and respect for Christ and the Church was waning.  Today, we witness the same sense of distrust of authority – accelerated by political situations and the rise of individualism.  Some reject the titles of “lord” and “king” for Christ, believing that such titles are borrowed from oppressive systems of government.  History proves that some kings have been oppressive.  Others have been converted to a more Christian style of ruling, often by the influence of a woman.

In 2015, during the Jubilee year of Mercy, Pope Francis added another part to the title: “…the living face of the Father’s mercy.”  The combined readings this year for the solemnity give us a glimpse of how Christ is at the same time both king and the face of the Father’s mercy.  In contrast to the oppression so prevalent in Jesus’ day, he connected his role as king to humble service, and taught his followers to be servants as well.  “You are my disciples if you do what I command you: love one another as I have loved you.”

Deep down do we believe JESUS IS LORD or is it just from force of habit that we say or sing those titles for Jesus?  At the opening of every Eucharistic gathering, the celebrant greets us with the words: “The Lord be with you.”  In tomorrow’s Responsorial Psalm we will proclaim: “The Lord is my shepherd.”  We will profess in the Creed: “I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ.”   We often raise a hand in benediction as we sing: “May the blessing of the Lord be upon you.”  If we believe it’s true that Jesus is Lord, why do we sometimes scramble to find a substitute to replace the word “Lord?”  It strikes me that while we may struggle with the concept of Jesus as king, somehow, especially on feasts of Mary most of us have no problem calling Mary queen: Queen of the Universe, Queen of Heaven, Regina Caeli.

At the end of this coming week, we will be jump-started into the season of Advent: an experience of an “ending that is a beginning” – a time of waiting for the One who will come.  This is the One who is promised to us in the Book of Revelation: “Behold, he is coming and everyone will see him; the Alpha and the Omega, the one who is and who was and who is to come.”

Let us pray that we can portray to the world the beneficence of a humble king, truly putting flesh on our Corporate Commitment: to be Christ to one another.  For it is not so much what we say or what we do that puts flesh on our commitment.  It is who we are that “responds with compassion to the hungers of God’s people.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

First Reading:   Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17         Second Reading:  1 Cor 15:20-26, 28
Gospel:   Matthew 25:31-46
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Transfiguration Sunday

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In the chapter before this Gospel passage Jesus asked His disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”  They came up with a variety of answers.  Then Jesus asked “But what about you?  Who do you say that I am?”  You’ll remember Simon Peter’s answer, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Well, Peter was correct.  But, a couple verses later we see that Peter still did not understand the full meaning of the declaration he had made.  When Jesus predicts His death, Peter takes him aside and rebukes him. “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!”  To which Jesus replied: “Get behind me Satan!  You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

In today’s Gospel of the Transfiguration story of the uncovering of Jesus’ face and clothing reveal who Jesus really is!  Peter, James and John witnessed, if only for a moment, the glory of God revealed in the Son.  This was the true Jesus.  Time and stick-to-a-tive-ness in the relationship strengthened the bonds of friendship and discipleship.

The same goes for us.  Every time we come together for worship or any communal gathering or interaction with another is an occasion for a mountaintop experience.  Maybe it happens for you every day at the Consecration of the Mass or when you look across the chapel or the dining table.  Pope Francis challenges us in his July “Pope Video” saying: “If you are the same at the end of Mass as you were at the beginning, something is wrong.”  The transfiguration, in the exact way it happened in today’s Gospel, happened only once.  But the disciples had many more mountaintop experiences when the REAL Jesus revealed His fullness little by little to those who took the time and interest to stay with him and to follow his lead.  That’s how we build relationships, by spending time with each other; by getting to know and understanding the other, experiencing life with the other.  It’s how we live out our vow of stability.

We manage to do this when we engage in the exchange at the reception of the Eucharist.  Eye to eye we exchange a proclamation, not simply an announcement, of what we hold in our hands and on our lips AND who is standing right before us.  “Body of Christ.  Blood of Christ!”  The minister greets us (hear that, greets US.)  And our “AMEN”, spoken confidently, affirms our belief that we are indeed “the Body of Christ.”  And in turn, it reminds us that the person holding the Precious Cup out to us is the “Body of Christ” standing right here before us in flesh and blood.  But it can become routine, just words we’ve memorized.  Our AMEN says we believe Jesus is here but does it move us beyond the cup to lock eyes with the person who stands in front of us?

If only, every time we open our mouth we were conscious that it is Christ using us to extend His love.  If our ears heard not simply the words spoken by the other but could sense God saying, “This is my beloved child in whom I am well pleased; hear her.”  How often words might die on our lips before they stir the air with sentiments that are not Christ-like.  It would be the death, wouldn’t it, of criticism or harshness of tone; of hurtful and negative comments about what’s over and done, out of our control.

Benedict realizes that “peace on earth” is a utopian dream even in a community of like-minded, good-hearted people.  He bades the superior to inspect beds for contraband like food and knives.  He instructs community officials what to do with recalcitrant members.  He recommends the recitation of the Our Father three times daily in petition for forgiveness for human frailty.

Peace most assuredly is our vision and mission.  Thus, we aim to extend the peace that we wish for each other at Mass, to flow throughout the day and beyond our doors.  We echo the words of Peter, James and John: “Lord, it is good for us to be here.”  But Jesus reminds us not to get too comfortable: “Rise,” he says, “Tell the vision to no one.”  So, how do we spread the Good News?  Live it! It’s that simple!

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

August 6 was our monthly day of Recollection with Holy Hour and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrement.  We pray also for our families and relatives, Oblates, guests, and benefactors.   May peace reign in our world!

 

 

First Reading:   Daniel 7:9-10,13-15         Second Reading:  Peter 1:16-19
Gospel:   Matthew 17:1-9
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Whoever receives you, receives me

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This gospel reminds us that Jesus’ message is not about a way of life founded only on love and mercy.   Ours is a way of life that is, above all else, about the person of Jesus. Jesus claims a special place in our lives, more important than our closest family and dearest ones. Being a disciple is not a photo frame around my life.  It takes center stage, directing every moment of our lives.

Jesus assures us that even the smallest gesture of mercy to those in need will not go unnoticed. And the rewards promised by Jesus extend far beyond a donation to Daystar or AIM or a Christmas gift for the elderly – even beyond a hidden act of charity.  Jesus’ kind of mercy is more than civility and good manners.  It is about day-to-day living that echoes respect for all God’s creatures and all creation.  It is gratitude expressed in a smile, an acknowledgment of another’s presence, their service and their gifts.

Henry Nouwen says: “The right question to ask is not: ‘Am I strong enough to be a proclaimer of the gospel?’  The question should be: ‘Am I sufficiently weak enough?  Am I aware enough of my own weaknesses, with my own fragile humanness with its brokenness and rough pieces to identify with others?   Do I accept my condition, or do I try to hide it and end up being hardened, rude and unaccepting of others’ humanness? Do I recognize and accept that we are all on the same journey?’”

What attracts people to our mission is not what we do, as much as why we do it.   Jesus says: “Whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”   We pray that in our sincerity, our transparency in accomplishing our mission – our ministries – our manner of life  – we can honestly say: They who see me – see Jesus – the One who sends us.

Our storyteller today (Matthew) has Jesus giving his disciples some instructions about how they are to represent him.  He doesn’t baptize them first. He doesn’t have them memorize a creed. He doesn’t give them a vet’s manual so they can identify sheep from goats. He certainly doesn’t ask them about their age, culture, social circles, gender preferences or why he should hire them. He doesn’t even give them the assurance of salvation.  In fact, he tells them it’s not about them at all.  What he represents is even more important than life itself.  He tells them their task is to represent Him and in doing so they represent the ONE who sent Him.

So, that’s IT.  Be hospitable and everything else will follow.  Why did Jesus make hospitality the basis for his ministry?  Perhaps because it is essential to building relationships.  It is the first step to overcoming fear, finding understanding, and giving respect.  Ultimately it is the foundation of bringing about a peaceful world. It is the source of harmony.

Jesus lived to change the world and change it, he did – one person at a time.  To this day Christ lives in, with and through us to change the world one person at a time. Each act of kindness, each word of welcome, each act of hospitality binds us together in love and moves the universe that much closer to peace.  This is not the fragile peace that the world gives; but the peace of God that transcends selfishness, greed, hostility, prejudice, hatred and even war. This is the peace  which can begin with something as simple as a smile, a greeting, an act of hospitality.  If you doubt this, I challenge you to think of a time when you were shown unexpected hospitality that at least improved your day and may even have changed your life.

You see, hospitality is at the heart of our faith.  It starts with a heart open to the influence and working of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  We welcome God’s “interference” (so to say) in our everyday dealings with each other.  We don’t make plans so much as pray to uncover our role in God’s grand plan.  If we miss cues, well, who is going to say our lines?   A Christian, a Benedictine, is simply someone who is hospitable, one who practices “radical hospitality.”  So shall it be among we who promise to “commit ourselves and our resources to respond with the compassion of Christ to the hungers of the people of God.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

May you have a happy and safe 4th of July!

 

 

First Reading:  2 Kings 4”8-11, 14-16 a         Second Reading:  Romans 6:3-4, 8-11
Gospel:   Matthew 10:37-42
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The Parish Year of the National Eucharistic Revival

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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On today’s Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, I am pleased to announce that a prayer has been written for our Diocese to help each person renew their belief in the Mystery of the Eucharist, Christ truly present for us, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

Today also marks the start of the Parish Year of the National Eucharistic Revival. At this particular moment for the Catholic Church in the United States, with its many challenges, the National Eucharistic Revival is an opportunity to reflect on Christ’s gift of Himself in the Eucharist and our response to that gift.

Will you join me in prayer? It is my hope that this prayer will help us to grow in our devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist.

May God bless you abundantly!

Most Reverend Gregory Parkes
Bishop of St. Petersburg

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Birds Sing After a Storm, Why Shouldn’t We?

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This gospel reading is preparing us for what is coming:  celebrations of Ascension and Pentecost.   This is why we might call this “Goodbye Sunday.”  Jesus talks of leaving this world so that even greater works can be accomplished. But to the disciples this does not come across as a cheerful message.  Jesus will be leaving so how can things be better?! The answer Jesus gives is that he will send the Holy Spirit, and in the power of that Spirit his work will pervade the entire world.

Affection is evident in the exchange between Jesus with Thomas and Philip.  There is no rebuke or even disappointment in his tone as Jesus encourages Philip one more time to recognize him as the manifestation of the Father’s love.  He asks Philip, “Have I been with you all this time and you still do not know me?”  He is asking us the same question. If we really believe that Jesus is the way and the Truth and the Life, then we will find fresh and creative ways to keep alive his memory.  We will work to create safe, secure, happy, peaceful places for one another so we can undertake the really important work of keeping our priorities straight. Now it is our duty to lead the people whose lives we touch.  That’s what the sub-heading on our stationery promises: “Touching lives through prayer and service”.  This is the great challenge of transformation that enables us to respond to the needs of others with the compassion of Christ.  Note: we do not pledge with compassion like Jesus would show; but with the very compassion of Christ.

Jesus asks us the same question he posed to Philip: “You still do not know me?” Jesus continues by repeating what he has said before: “The Father and I are one.” Like Philip, we all tend to repeatedly ask the same similar question hoping for a clearer explanation.  The simple (and awesome) message we get in the Gospel exchange is that if we want to know what God is like, we must look at Jesus.  We must look at his life, ministry, words, death, resurrection and ascension.  If only we open our eyes, our spiritual eyes and heart, the Holy Spirit will enable us to have the kind of vision we need.

Nothing can take the sadness out of the encounter spoken of in the Gospel. Jesus is about to leave the company of friends with whom he has been through so much. But there is consolation even in the sadness. We all know the pain of departure from loved ones – family, community members, friends – through death or the separation by distance caused by job or living circumstances. Jesus’ consoling words support us in our pain, give us reason for hope and spur us forward with renewed faith.  We live assured that a time is coming when there will be no more pain of separation, only the joy of reunion in eternity.

By the time Rose Kennedy was age 93, she had been hit by tragedies again and again.  Four of her nine children had died violently and her husband’s rather unscrupulous life had been told and retold in the press. A reporter had asked her about all this.  Rose answered, slowly: “I have always believed that God never gives us a cross to bear larger than we can carry. And I have always believed that, no matter what, God wants us to be happy. He doesn’t want us to be sad.  Birds sing after a storm,” she said, “Why shouldn’t we?”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

First Reading:  Acts 6:1-7        Second Reading:  1 Peter 2:4-9
Gospel:   John 14:1-12
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