Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

do not be afraid

Come!

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It is the 4th hour of the night; sometime between 3 and 6 a.m.  The sun is just beginning to peek over the horizon.  Earlier, Jesus had shepherded his disciples into a boat and pushed them off deeper into the lake.  Jesus himself headed toward one of his favorite places for solitude, up the hillside by himself.  Out on the lake, until a few minutes ago, everyone in the boat was asleep or in that twilight state between sleep and alertness; that brief moment when you’re not quite sure if you’re awake or still dreaming.  Suddenly, the rocking of the boat shook them all awake.  Gasping for air they shouted to each other: “Where’s Jesus?”

Then Peter spied Jesus in the mist and heard “Come!”  At Jesus’ beckoning, Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.  As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, his feet found steady grounding even in the liquid churning sea.  It’s difficult, isn’t it, to keep your eyes on the goal when there is a whirlwind surrounding you?  But, remember, as long as we keep our eyes focused on Jesus, on our overall goal, and on each other, we’ll stay afloat with a tangible sense of peace.  Don’t disregard that fact that it was at dawn when Jesus came toward his disciples walking on the water.  You may have to squint until your eyes adjust to the darkness to make out clearly your surroundings.  But listen!  It’s not a ghost.  There is a whisper that, strange as it seems, is booming over the sound of the threatening waves of the storms in life: “Do not be afraid.  It is I.”

Jesus is reaching out a hand toward us, but it will fall empty to his side if we do not reach out in return.  Jesus, in the person of our donors, reaches out with eager hands to help us; sometimes in ways we may not be sure we really need.  For the gift to be received we figuratively grasp their hands in acceptance of their generosity.  We strive to respond without fear when we see them walking on the water toward us with their gift of self.  Like impulsive Peter, we speak up: “If that is really you, Lord, command me to come to you on the water.”

There is a story about Mark Twain on one of his visits to the Holy Land.  He and his wife were in Capernaum.  One moonlit night they were walking along the Sea of Galilee and decided to take a romantic boat ride.  Twain asked how much the charge would be.  Assuming the couple to be wealthy Americans the owner of the boat told them an outrageous fee.  Mark Twain thanked him and walked away.  After a few steps he turned to his wife, “Now I know why Jesus walked!”

At some point in our lives, we just have to leave behind the safety and security of our boats.  We have to step into the realm of the unknown.  We must be willing to trust our life to our God’s care.  It’s difficult to leave our safety nets.  We work hard to insulate ourselves from the danger of failure.  The threat of the unknown can be paralyzing.  It’s pretty comfortable in the boat we’ve constructed.  It’s not fancy but we have everything we need.  Then God invites us to step out of our boat and venture into an unknown future.

Gesturing with his hand, Jesus repeats, “Come.”  Why did Jesus not go to Peter; why did he beckon him to “come”?  That’s the lesson for us.  We can’t sit, as they say, on our laurels, in our boat and do nothing.  When the storms of life are blowing all around us, Jesus says: COME.  Like a parent coaxing an infant to take a first step.  “You”, Jesus says: COME; Come apart and rest in Me.  I am always within reach.  Grab that life jacket or that raft or an inner tube and get those arms and legs moving.  SWIM!  Pray, yes, but don’t forget to paddle, swim or row.  Take your time if you need to; catch your breath.  And don’t worry about calming the storm; I’ll take care of that.  You just calm yourself.  Look around.  You will spot me in the mist, beckoning to you: COME!

 

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

Please join us this week as we pray that all people will realize the profound impact of gun violence. Help us to be peaceful and diplomatic in times of trouble. Guide us, we pray towards peace, and away from all forms of disrespect and violence.

   We also call to mind this week the peoples of India who, on August 15th will be celebrating the 77th Independence Day, marking 76 years of freedom from British rule. In India, the people are suffering the effects of the Monsoon season: heavy rains and flooding; loss of crops in infestation of creatures seeking higher ground. 

In your prayers bet God’s mercy and kindness for the peoples who are suffering the devastation of fires, flooding and extremes of heat.

 

First Reading:   1 Kings 19:9a,11-13a         Second Reading:  Romans 9:1-5
Gospel:   Matthew 14:22-33
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World Day of Prayer for Vocations

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World Day of Prayer for Vocations

“Dream of Joseph” from Pope Francis

This evening I’d like to share with you excerpts from Pope Francis’ message for the 2021 World Day Prayer for Vocations.  Back in December 2020, His Holiness Pope Francis declared Saint Joseph “Patron of the Universal Church” as he opened the Year of Joseph.  His letter to us for today’s International day of prayer for Church Vocations is entitled “Saint Joseph: The Dream of Vocation.”  Pope Francis writes:

God looks on the heart and in Saint Joseph he recognized the heart of a father, able to give and generate life in the midst of daily routines.  Vocations have this same goal: to beget and renew lives every day.  The Lord desires to shape the hearts of fathers and mothers: hearts that are open, capable of great initiatives, generous in self-giving, compassionate in comforting anxieties and steadfast in strengthening hopes.  The priesthood and the consecrated life greatly need these qualities nowadays, in times marked by fragility but also by the sufferings due to the pandemic, which has spawned uncertainties and fears about the future and the very meaning of life.  Saint Joseph comes to meet us in his gentle way, as one of “the saints next door.”  At the same time, his strong witness can guide us on the journey.

Saint Joseph suggests to us key words for each individual’s vocation.  The first is dream.  If we were to ask people to express in one word their life’s dream, it would not be difficult to imagine the answer: “to be loved.”  It is love that gives meaning to life, because it reveals life’s mystery.  Indeed, we only have life if we give it; we truly possess it only if we generously give it away.  God’s call always urges us to take a first step, to give ourselves, to press forward.  There can be no faith without risk.  Every “yes” bears fruit because it becomes part of a larger design, of which we glimpse only details, but which the divine Artist knows and carries out, making of every life a masterpiece.  Every true vocation is born of the gift of oneself, which is the fruit of mature sacrifice.  Our gift of self will not come to fulfilment if it stops at sacrifice.  Were that the case, instead of becoming a sign of the beauty and joy of love, the gift of self would risk being an expression of unhappiness, sadness and frustration.

Pope Francis continues: “I like to think of Saint Joseph, as the protector of vocations.”  In fact, from his willingness to serve comes his concern to protect.  The Gospel tells us that Joseph wasted no time fretting over things he could not control, in order to give full attention to those entrusted to his care.  Such thoughtful concern is the sign of a true vocation, the testimony of a life touched by the love of God.  What a beautiful example of Christian life we give when we refuse to pursue our ambitions or indulge in our illusions, but instead care for what the Lord has entrusted to us through the Church!  God then pours out his Spirit and creativity upon us – he works wonders in us, as he did in Joseph.

Together with God’s call which makes our greatest dreams come true, and our response which is made up of generous service and attentive care, there is (another) characteristic of Saint Joseph’s daily life and our Christian vocation, namely fidelity.  Joseph is the “righteous man who daily perseveres in quietly serving God and God’s plans.”  At a particularly difficult moment in his life, he thoughtfully considered what to do.  He did not yield to the temptation to act rashly, simply following his instincts or living for the moment.  Instead, he pondered things patiently.  He knew that success in life is built on constant fidelity to important decisions.  This was reflected in his perseverance in plying the trade of a humble carpenter, a quiet perseverance that made no news in his own time, yet has inspired the daily lives of countless Christians ever since.  For a vocation – like life itself – matures only through daily fidelity.

How is such fidelity nurtured?  In the light of God’s own faithfulness.  The first words that Saint Joseph heard in a dream were an invitation not to be afraid, because God remains ever faithful to his promises.  Do not be afraid: these words the Lord also addresses to you whenever you feel that, even amid uncertainty and hesitation, you can no longer delay your desire to give your life to him.  He repeats these words when, perhaps amid trials and misunderstandings, you seek to follow his will every day, wherever you find yourself.  They are words you will hear anew, at every step of your vocation, as you return to your first love.  They are a refrain accompanying all those who – like Saint Joseph – say yes to God with their lives through their fidelity each day.

This fidelity is the secret of joy.  A hymn in the liturgy speaks of the “transparent joy” present in the home of Nazareth.  It is the joy of simplicity, the joy experienced daily by those who care for what truly matters: faithful closeness to God and to our neighbor.  How good it would be if the same atmosphere, simple and radiant, sober and hopeful, were to pervade our seminaries, religious houses and presbyteries!  Pope Francis continues…”I pray that you will experience this same joy, (my) dear brothers and sisters who have generously made God the dream of your lives, serving God through a fidelity that is a powerful testimony in an age of fleeting choices and emotions that bring no lasting joy.  May Saint Joseph, protector of vocations, accompany you with his fatherly heart!”

Please pray for perseverance for our postulants: Marietta and Kathleen.

If it be God’s will, we pray: send vocations to our community.

God bless  you!  Stay safe – keep healthy and happy and never lose hope – believe that God has a plan that is unfolded for us day-by-day … which is all we need one-day-at-a-time.

~Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress

 

For the full text of Pope Francis letter (cited in the attached reflection) click on the link below.

Pope Francis’ full message

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Rejoice! The God of Peace is at Work among Us!

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I don’t mean to slight or undervalue the testimony of John the Baptist that was just read (in John’s Gospel).  After all, he’s “The voice of one crying out in the desert.”  He was the star of the show last week with his cry: “Make ready the way of the Lord!”  This week let’s turn our attention to the admonitions of St. Paul – in our second reading – in his Letter to the people of Thessalonica about how to prepare the way of the Lord.  Paul says: “Rejoice always.  Pray without ceasing!  In all circumstances!”  IMPOSSIBLE!   You say.  Always?  Without ceasing?  In all circumstances?  Who can possibly do that in today’s world with all the violence, discord, illness and death?  But Paul has an answer for us.  “THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD.  DO NOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT.  Test everything; retain what is good.  Refrain from every kind of evil…..  the One who calls you is faithful, and will accomplish it.”

With his solicitous instructions, Paul sounds like “helicopter parents” as they drop their children at a new neighbor’s: “Remember what I’ve told you: Always be respectful. Listen closely.  Put away the toys you play with.  And, if you forget everything else, remember: ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ go a long way.  Call me if you need anything.”  Most times the kids know the spiel by heart, “Okay, Okay!  See yah Mom.”  Many of us may have memorized Paul’s exhortations.  Maybe our ears will perk up this round when we hear tomorrow’s reading proclaimed.

You may be surprised, if you consciously look for good, at all the positive things, all the surprises that God sends you each day – making Paul’s words ring true when he says: “The one who is faithful, will accomplish it.” In the 1950s the number one book on the New York best sellers list was Norman Vincent Peale’s: The Power of Positive Thinking – for 48 weeks – that’s almost a full year.

Peale said he wrote the book “with the sole objective of helping the reader achieve a happy, satisfying, and worthwhile life.”  His techniques were simple and, the best part, if you are serious about it, they were achievable.  For example:

  • Believe in yourself and in everything you do
  • Break the worry habit and achieve a relaxed life
  • Improve your personal relationships
  • Be kind to yourself

Bet you’re thinking, that sounds like advice of someone I know?  Like maybe John the Baptist, the Proverbs, my mother or grandmother… and certainly Jesus!

Perhaps one of the most reassuring statements in history is “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”  I have not examined my Bible to prove it, but “Siri” tells me that the phrase “Do not be afraid” can be found 365 times in the Old and New Testament.”  Think about it: that’s one time per day, for a full year that the expression is recorded in Scripture.  Goodness only knows how many times in the short span of our own lives someone has said words meaning: “I’ll be with you; you don’t need to be afraid.”

Simple reminders like those given to a child before a first piano recital, or acting in play, or the first day at a new school.  Or right here in this house, assurances to the first-time table reader, or Lector, or cantor.  Sometimes the advice is silly, at other times, simplistic.  But, if we let it soak in, it works.  “Keep your eyes on me, I’ll be the one smiling.”  Sometimes it’s hard to believe …  like the person who says: “This dog doesn’t bite – I’ll hold him.  “Don’t be afraid!”  This one is from a movie but could have been heard in our back yard.  Julia Roberts and Richard Gere are pushing their way through a tall grass short-cut.  She says: “Watch out for snakes.”  He: “I don’t like snakes.”  She: “Then walk nice; snakes won’t get you.”

Now – here it is the 3rd week in Advent – rose candles and vestments to remind us: “Be joyful!”  The church offers us once again for our consideration – Paul’s admonitions as we await the celebration of Jesus’ birth and His final coming.  Paul is insistent that Christ will come again!  Pandemics, death, pain, suffering, turmoil, sadness do not get the last word.  We await a Savior who has conquered Death.  This period of waiting, though, is not a time to twiddle our thumbs.  The words, the phrasing that Paul uses are all active verbs (nothing passive about it).  Rejoice!  Pray!  Give thanks!  Test EVERYTHING.  Retain!  Refrain!  Model what is good and peaceful!  Allow God’s Spirit to shine in your midst.”  And why?  Because: “The God of peace is really at work among us.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress

 

First Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2a,10-11             Second Reading  1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Gospel John 1:6-8, 19-28

 

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