Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

family

Your family is outside asking for you

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A crowd that has gathered is so large that Jesus and his disciples are not even able to eat their bread in peace and quiet. Jesus’ family comes to take him away because they think he is “beside himself”, speaking out of His head.  This would be a good opportunity for Jesus to point out that family for him is not based on results from a search on Ancestry.com or an interview with Henry Louis Gates on Finding Your Roots.

The evangelist tells 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.”

In his youth, his family probably thought of Jesus as a normal boy.  His cousins and friends would have 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 that things were getting a little out of control and they urged him to quit.

In the instance reported in this Gospel reading, several of the group had come ready to distract Jesus and get him away from the crowd.  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?”

Is his family 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 could all turn out.  He tells the crowd, and us, mine is an extended family where each and every one 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 for a look around and to speak to us?   Do they want to be a part of our extended 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.   Here at home, on our Oblate mailing list we have upwards to 40 Oblates.  That’s almost 4 times the size of our vowed community members.  Our oblates are faithful persons who are reaching out into the greater community, telling our story often better than we do.  These are persons who are immersed in “the world,” living out the values and mission of our Benedictine 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, “Oblates are the hope in this century that the llfe and values of the Benedictine vision can be born … again and anew.”  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

 

Kindly remember our Sisters in your prayer this week …  we will be on retreat beginning Sunday evening and close after mass on Friday with a sumptuous brunch and our halos shining.  God’s blessing with each of you!

 

 

First Reading:   Genesis 3:9-15         Second Reading:  2 Corinthisans 4:13-5:1
Gospel:   Mark 3:20-35

 

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Make a Will Month

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Did you know August is Make a Will Month?

People often put off making a will. Why? Some believe they don’t own enough to have a will. (They probably do.) Others believe that everything will automatically go to their spouse or children, so they don’t need to do anything. (It may not.) And still others simply don’t like to think about the fact that they’ll die someday. (But they will.)

August is Make a Will Month…and for good reason. If you don’t have a will, making one is the only way to ensure that everything you’ve built or been blessed with goes to those you intended to have it.

And if you do have a will, here are three quick things to check off your list:

  • Keep your will in a safe, secure place. Let a family member or two know where it is, and who prepared it for you. Be sure your Executor has a copy.
  • Pull it out every three to five years and see if anything needs to be changed. Sometimes your circumstances have changed. You may have sold some things or purchased others. Sometimes outside circumstances change. The person you named as Executor may no longer be able to serve in that capacity. You may have switched banks or insurance companies. So take a look.
  • Make sure you’ve named beneficiaries wherever you can — on insurance policies, investment and retirement accounts and so on. And check those to make sure they’re all up to date.

Here’s something else to ponder. As you think about your will and your legacy, consider including a gift to the Benedictine Sisters of Florida in your planning. There are lots of ways to do this, and all of them allow you to continue supporting the good work of the Sisters even after you’re gone.

 

 

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Making Thanksgiving Safer

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Celebrating Thanksgiving

Traditional Thanksgiving gatherings with family and friends are fun but can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu.  The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving this year is to celebrate with people in your household.  If you do plan to attend a gathering, bring your own food, drinks, plates, cups, and utensils; wear a mask, and safely store your mask while eating and drinking; avoid going in and out of the areas where food is being prepared or handled, such as in the kitchen; and use single-use options, like salad dressing and condiment packets.

 

 

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In the time of Covid-19

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Dear Friends,

We miss the presence of our guests at the monastery and pray daily that all of you, and your families, are safely sequestered and free from any signs of COVID- 19.

I continue to be inspired by the care and concern people are showing toward each other.  With our housekeepers furloughed (at full pay), the Sisters are stepping “up to the plate” to do many of their daily chores.  It’s amazing how quickly the sign-up sheets for volunteers get filled in.  As a former educator for many years I feel for the principals and teachers who find themselves scrambling to provide worthwhile experiences for their students.  Pity the parents who are trying to work from home having to share their one computer with their children.  And, think how helpless parents must feel who don’t have computers and/or no Internet connection.  Makes us ever more grateful for the wonders of technology we have in place.  For us, we are grateful for the closeness to and the tech services provided by Saint Leo University.

Beginning April 2nd we will join Benedictine communities in the HERALD OF HOPE practice of ringing our Angelus (outdoor) bell at 3 p.m. each day of the pandemic.   We will stop to call to mind all those whose lives are affected by COVID-19: you, our friends as well as those who are the unemployed or lonely, isolated, especially elderly people; those without food resources and all who are striving to meet that need.  We remember those who are ill and all the care-takers … There are just SO many …  we gather everyone in our prayers and present them to our holy founders, Benedict and Scholastica, along with our deceased Sisters to present to God for mercy, comfort and compassion.

I invite you to join us at 3 p.m. for a moment of intercession for people everywhere that they may have the courage and courtesy to practice appropriate social distancing.

With prayers and our affection,

Sister Roberta Bailey and Benedictine Sisters of Florida

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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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Our Blind Eyes Opened, Spread God’s Love

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eye for GodMark 10:46-57                                           Intention:  Jubilarians

 

The story of Bartimaeus rings with a familiarity of the plight of many people today.  He once had a family, a job, a house, kids, the whole works. He was active at the local synagogue. He would tell his children stories of their ancestors.  Then things started to change, he started to get these real bad headaches and his vision would become blurry. At first he did not allow this to bother him but kept on working and living, but eventually the blurred vision got worse and worse and eventually he could barely see his wife and children. He told them to leave because he wouldn’t be able to support them or protect them. Then things went black and that’s the way it was.

He would lay his cloak on the ground so people could throw their loose change on the ground next to him. Most people avoided him altogether because in those days many people felt that blindness was caused by sinfulness either by the person or by their parents, so they were avoided. That’s the way it was for years. He struggled to survive, always hungry and thirsty and everything always black.

Despite all the hardships that he faced he still loved God. He remember the stories that he told his children and he saw in his mind the people in those stories and how God always came through for them in the end. Now Bartimaeus sat daily next to the road listening to the people passing by. The conversation lately had been about this guy named Jesus who had healed people, even blind people. Some had even said that he was the messiah that had come to redeem Israel. Bartimaeus thought, “Wow, if only Jesus would come around here.”

Then one day there was a commotion. There were more people on the road than usual and then he heard the name, Jesus. He was coming. Should he say something? Would Jesus come to him? Could he restore his vision? Something deep inside said “Yes, call out the name.” Bartimaeus opened his mouth: the crowd around him tried to silence him. Yet Bartimaeus persised, calling out more loudly and with greater urgency. He will not be silenced or deterred from getting Jesus’ attention. We notice how quickly the crowd’s reaction changes when Jesus calls for Bartimaeus. Those who sought to quiet him now encourage him.

Bartimaeus recognized power and authority when he saw it. We do the same thing. If we had a broken leg we wouldn’t go to AutoZone to have it fixed.  If the doctor came in overalls, we might have a few questions, but if he was in a white coat, with a stethoscope and a pocket protector we would have no problem. Even though it might be some Joe Schmo from the street dressed as a doctor, we recognize the uniform as power and authority; we don’t ask for credentials or references, we simply accept what experience told us was the situation.

Bartimaeus recognized Jesus’ authority.  Jesus didn’t have on a uniform, even if he did Bartimaeus was blind he couldn’t see him anyway. He had heard stories, but he had heard false rumors, too. This recognition came from a place deep within him.

We have that some recognition of Jesus. We have never seen Him.  We’ve see artistic renditions of Jesus but our recognition originates from a different sense than sight..  It comes from a spiritual sense. It comes before anything. It is grace that allowed us to have that first moment with God, when God was not just a figure in religion classes or in the Bible but God became personal, a friend.

When Bartimaeus recognized Jesus, he still had a choice to make: act on that recognition or let it pass by.  Bartimaeus cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” He addressed Jesus by name and by title, Son of David, the messianic title reserved for the redeemer of Israel.   We cry out as well when we get to the last point, the straw that breaks the camel’s back.  We cry, “Help me, Jesus.” “Have mercy, Jesus” Or simply, “Jesus” “Got in Hiemel.”  “Mi Dios!”  We realize that only God can help us in whatever situation we are in. God’s grace not only gives us the ability to perceive God’s power and love. It also gives us the strength to respond to it. Unlike Bartimaeus however, we are not limited to a once in a lifetime response. We must continually respond to the gift of grace and power in our lives.

What is Jesus’ response to Bartimaeus? “Go; your faith has made you well.” It is interesting to see that Jesus says that it is Bartimaeus’ faith that produced his healing not Jesus’ faith that made him well.   Bartimaeus’ faith, and ours too, is not born out of nothing, it does not come out of thin air, but it is a response to the love and grace of God.  It was Bartimaeus’ response to God’s initial contact through grace that made him well – restored his sight. Our response to the power or grace is also a restoration and a reconnection.  We might not be blind, physically but spiritually we may be walking around aimlessly. Our spiritual vision may be black as night, but God still initiates the reconnection through grace and gives us the freedom to respond or reject His gift.

That’s the end of the story, right? Not quite. What does Bartimaeus do once he has been restored?  Immediately he follows Jesus on the way.  It is not the end, but the beginning of a journey.  We don’t receive the fire of the Holy Spirit, the connection with God, only to sit it in the corner or in the closet, or even the chapel.  Instead we must take up the invitation and follow Jesus on the way.  The question facing us is: Am I going to do for God today, or for myself?  Am I going to spend today in connection and in conversation with God or am I going to satisfy my own selfish wants and desires?  Our blind eyes opened, we have a unique opportunity to spread God’s love in the world.  Lord, we pray: open our eyes and strengthen us to following your prompt to be an expression of your compassion and mercy in our world.

                                                                                                                        By    Sister Roberta Bailey, O.S.B.
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