Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

God

Look for Joy!

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Traditionally the third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday – the Latin word for “Rejoice” – the first word of the Entrance antiphon.  We mark this Sunday on the Advent wreath by lighting a pink candle instead of a purple one.

There is an African proverb that reads: “If the beat of the drum changes, so changes the dance of the feet.”  This is what we are called to do during Advent: listen to the beat of “Jesus’ drum” and set our pace to the rhythm of the Master drummer.  “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! … The Lord is near.”

Yes, the Lord IS near and we should make haste to prepare for Him, leveling the hills in our lives that create barriers, making straight the roads in our lives rather than maneuvering others around for our advantage,  Filling in the valleys, so that it will be easier for others to cross over to us and thereby to a spirit of joy in the Child who brightens all of our days.  Instead of asking what others can do for me, we should make haste to prepare for Our Lord and ask Him, “Jesus, Master, tell me what I should do?”   How do we become the joyful people called for in our Scriptural readings?  Re-joice: have joy again – be joyful … full of joy!  Not simply “happy” but “joyful.”

Is there a difference between happiness and joy?  What’s the difference?  By definition they are both emotions but the one (joy) is an interior contentment, an inner peace; the other is initiated from external events (happenings, happenstance).  The former is long-lasting, the latter can be momentary.   If circumstances are favorable, you are happy; if not, you’re unhappy.  Christian joy, however, is directly related to God and is the firm confidence that all is well, regardless of your circumstances.  Joy may show less in outward expression while happiness can unexpectedly bubble up from within and bring a smile to your lips.  Joy is related to happiness but joy, because it does not depend on external stimuli, gets us out of ourselves and in contact with others.  Some find when they give up the self-centered search for happiness, they actually find joy.  It may even be intermingled with suffering and pain but there is an overwhelming sense of peace and joy.

So, how can we bring joy into our lives if we’re not in the mood for it?  Can you have joy on demand?”  Too often we may take for granted the issue of joy.  We find people who are just naturally joyous, who have a kind of laid-back attitude – it’s just good to be in their presence.  Then there are others who always bring us down.  Could they develop joy?

I ask you: is joy genetic or acquired?  If joy can be acquired, then a very strong argument can be made that once you’ve lost a reason to be happy, or you’ve suffered grief, there’s no way of reconnecting.  However, if joy is a natural state of feeling, a certain sense of belonging, a feeling within that you are important and you have a value, then it’s just a question of reclaiming that right, not creating something new.  You can re-joice – being joyful AGAIN is possible.

Joy is God’s gift to every believer. It is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.  Meditation, lectio with the Word of God increases joy.  It is a gift – it must be handled with care or it becomes torn around the edges.  Like any treasured gift it cannot be put in cold storage, stashed on a back shelf, put under the hankies in a drawer or stuffed beneath old mail in your mailbox.  Like a snow globe that is never turned over, joy that has lain inert can be shaken to life with the tiniest twist of a wrist … or crinkled smile.

Rejoice, again I say: rejoice!

~by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 Rejoice! The Lord is coming, bounding over the hills to come to Earth this Christmas. Again, I say, Rejoice!

 

First Reading:  Zephaniah 3:14-18a                 Second Reading: Philippians 4:4-6  
Gospel Reading:  Luke 3:10-18

                     

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Wait and Watch!

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You’ve probably guessed it: You’re going to hear that theme again.  It’s all about waiting!  But first: welcome to Year C, the year of Luke.   We’ve been waiting for so long (actually for most of our lives) that the darkness may feel like home.  Maybe we’ve become comfortable in our incompleteness.  Now to leave home is downright scary! Change my ways of interacting with God and God’s people?  Whew!  Allow my rough edges to be smoothed – mmmm, sounds irritating.  We are gifted with this Advent-time to do personal “Isaiah work” of filling in every valley; leveling every mountain so the hills will become a plain, and the rough ways made smooth.  As the familiar banner asks:  If not now, when?

And if there is an answer, are we really waiting?  No!  You see, Advent is not a sit-on-your-hands-to-see-what-will-happen kind of waiting.  Nor is it waiting for someone else who is talking to God to hang up.  Saying that brings to my mind a memory of a home visit of my 3-year-old niece who was patiently waiting through what her mom had told her was my private time with God.  She had lasted through her first lectio experience with her books for 40 minutes.  She moved from the mat on her bedroom floor to sit just outside my doorway.  Laurie heaved a heavy sigh and said: “OK, what do I do now God; she’s still talking to You!”

The wonderful part of waiting and talking with God is that it’s more like a glorious party line.  You can pick up (or click ON the chat box) at any time, whenever you’re ready. It is wonderful!  We do not have to take turns – we don’t have to wait to be in touch!  At the heart of Advent is ACTIVE waiting.  Even when we don’t know that we are waiting, or what we are waiting for, we’re waiting. Even when we can’t find words for what we are waiting for, we’re waiting.

If the liturgical readings these last couple of weeks did not shake you up enough, the Advent gospels will make you perk up your ears and pay attention: “It is high time for us to arise from sleep.”  Take heed! Be on guard! Watch! Be alert, stay awake, and don’t grow careless.  Don’t give up!  And St. Benedict admonishes us: “Never swerve from God’s instruction but faithfully observe God’s teaching in the monastery until death.”

Advent offers us a new opportunity to awaken to the signs of the times.   In the words of John the Baptist, we hear the voice of Isaiah warning us to be alert for “the voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord.”  The last Gospel we heard as the liturgical year ended (this morning) and the first Gospel for the new liturgical year impress upon us the same warning: Be vigilant! Pray always! Beware that your heart does not become drowsy!

Remember Jesus berated the crowd for knowing how to interpret the signs in nature, but not the present time, the already.  This is where we too may fall short.  This kind of waiting requires a common-sense alertness to natural signs.  But the kind of waiting Jesus is talking about requires a deeper discernment and alertness to the signs of His appearance – the signs of the times, our times.  It’s that kind of waiting that Paul is talking about in the second reading: May the Lord make you increase and abound in  love for one another … to strengthen your heart.  I earnestly exhort you in the Name of Jesus to conduct yourselves to please God and be blameless in holiness before our God.  Amen!

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

Happy St. Nicholas Day on December 6th.

 

First Reading:   Jeremiah 33:14-16         Second Reading:  1 Thesssalonians 3:12-4:2
Gospel:   Luke 21:2528,34-36
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Every Ending Holds the Seeds of a New Beginning

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The readings this weekend continue the theme (as Father John has been reminding us) of endings that signal a beginning.  Every “good night” holds the promise of a “good morning!”  The sunset kisses the earth good-bye for a brief moment in time and surprises us with its rising on what seems to be the other side of the earth.  Every death is a hand-off to new life. St. Augustine echoes this concept when he calls to God: “O Beauty, so ancient, so new.”  Every “good-bye” uncovers a “hello” and every ending is a step to a new adventure.  When does the “NEW” become “NOW”?   When does “tomorrow” turn to “today”?  When we let go of yesterday, where does it go?  The character Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof sings about this phenomenon: “Sunrise, sunset; Swiftly flow the days; Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers, blossoming even as we gaze.  Sunrise, sunset; swiftly fly the years, one season following another.”

In our Gospel Pilate asks: “What is truth?”  Jesus answers: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  A few evenings ago I was half-watching TV when out of my distraction I heard: “So, what is truth?”  I’d started this reflection earlier in the day so the question seemed like part of another reality.  A World War II veteran was sharing that upon retirement from active service, he’s been “down in the dumps”, experiencing a lack of appreciation for his years in service to our country in defense of freedom and truth. Then he’d recalled Jesus’ words: “The truth shall make you free.”  He turned his bitterness into working with youth when he came to the realization that “The truth that makes you free, is the truth that stirs you to action.”

This weekend we observe the Solemnity of Christ the King which was first proclaimed universally as a feast in 1925 by Pope Pius IX.  In 2015, the prescribed date was moved from October to the last Sunday in the church year and raised to a solemnity.  At that time Pope Francis added a phrase to the title of the day: “Christ the King, the living face of the Father’s mercy.”

In tomorrow’s responsorial psalm we will proclaim: “The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.”  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?”  That raises the question: Is Jesus my King?  Do I know him on my own or is my relationship with Jesus based on borrowed thoughts from books I’ve read or homilies and retreat talks that I’ve heard? Do I sing with conviction the sentiments of the kingly hymns that spring to mind: “Come, Christians, Join to Sing”, “Rejoice, the Lord Is King”, “Praise to our victorious King”?  And let’s not overlook the triumphant echoing of a favorite Christmas carol: “Joy to the world! Let earth receive her king!”

At the other end of this 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.  He is the One who is promised to us in the second Mass reading from 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.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

First Reading:   2 Daniel 7:1-14         Second Reading:  Revelation 1:5-8
Gospel:   John 18:33b-37
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We are called to BE the Good News

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Last weekend we observed Jesus as he sat in the temple quietly taking in what was going on around him.  We heard His remark about the contributions being made to the temple treasury.  We saw what he saw.  A widow, as unobtrusive as she could be, slipped (almost unnoticed) among the other donors to deposit her “two cents” that settled softly with the rich folks’ paper money. And if you’ve read Mark’s gospel continuously from that incident to today’s Gospel you also know Jesus’ prediction about the destruction of the Temple, his teaching about the cost of discipleship, the woes that will accompany the end times and Jesus’ instruction to his disciples about the need for watchfulness so that they will not be caught unprepared for the final judgment.

Jesus says: “Learn a lesson from the fig tree.”  Jesus could have said citrus tree or olive tree.  They grew nearby, too.  But, he says “fig tree” and happily for us we have fig trees to observe.   When the branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, we know that another season of fruit is near.

After Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree, He gives several brief parables. We know that Jesus’ words are not spoken to frighten his disciples, nor should they frighten us.   The prophetic Word of God is as sure and secure as the rest of His message.  It is offered to prepare us for the changes we will experience during our lifetime and at the end time. Our consolation and hope are found in the lasting nature of Jesus’ words and God’s never-ending love for us.

When you see the things happening that Jesus talks about, know that he is near, at the gates.   “But,” says Jesus, “of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”    Then He assures us: “Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

So, how, as followers of the Jesus, do we prepare in the face of struggles not unlike our times as community and as a nation?  How well do you read signs?  Can you train yourself to be more observant of the signs?  Do you naturally notice signs in nature?  Road signs?  How well do you read nonverbal body language?   Do you work to sensitize yourself to recognize everyday signs?  How do you heighten your sensitivity to spirit signs?  Do you use Scripture, the Rule, the example of a favorite saint? What helps you to listen more keenly to your heart in the quiet of the night when sleep eludes you?  Maybe your quiet time is walking, working or driving along a familiar road; passing through the hall at a leisurely pace; setting the table, readying yourself for communal prayer in the chapel – do you hear God’s whisper in your heart?

Cultivation of the inner spirit helps prepare us to see the direction of the cultural winds we face, whether agreeable or frightening.    God does not usually shout to us in fury or in a tumultuous hurricane.  Much of the time God speaks softly.  So stay tuned.  In the face of cultural garbage and shifting government structures or a changing church, we steady ourselves not to be tempted to hoard food and possessions.  We guard against the temptation to build a hermitage and hide out.  We pray to be strengthened to stay in the fray.  Many things will just happen in our lives – things not scheduled by the calendar, or watch, or clock or a computer “ding”.  With all the scheduled things we have to do, we are called by today’s Gospel to keep our hearts attuned to the significant things that just happen.

How can we do this day in and day out and year after year?  Can we do it by heeding Jesus’ directive to the disciples who accompanied Him in the garden the night before his death:  Stay here, watch and pray.   Watch: ask for God’s Wisdom to let us see God’s perspective so we discover our moment within our cultural context.  And, pray!  Remember, “to pray” is not simply to read books about God, spirituality or prayer, or to think about those topics.  To pray is simply – to pray!  We don’t even have to start the conversation.  Simply let God in.  Let us strive to keep in mind that we are called not so much to do the Good News.  We are called to be the Good News.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

First Reading:   Daniel 12:1-3         Second Reading:  Hebrews 10:11-14,18
Gospel:   Mark 13:24-32
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Each day is our moment to resist any act of violence against creation.

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This weekend’s first reading, the story of the widow in Elijah’s time, and the Gospel of the widow in Jesus’ time, prompt us to take a hard look at our individual and communal giving practices.  As followers of Jesus Christ, we see clearly that God is the giver of all.  That raises the question: What portion of our blessings do we give back to honor God and build up God’s Kingdom on earth?

In this reflection, instead of emphasizing the spirit of giving often connected with the story of the widow’s mite, I’d like to share some ideas that convey the perspective that it is not all about GIVING.  This summer’s siege of storm devastation and raging fires in the western U.S. is often blamed on changing weather patterns.  But is not much of it due to poor land management, human carelessness and a growing history of trying to control the forces of nature?  The Benedictine value of STEWARDSHIP (preserving the earth and respecting people) calls us to responsible care rather than oppressive authoritative dominance.  Our current readings from the Rule of Benedict remind us: “Treat all things as INSTRUMENTS of the ALTAR.”  “A good word is better than the best gift.”  Living out the Benedictine value of prudent stewardship can require a radical shift in our thinking lest we too easily become accustomed to regarding earth’s resources as if they had no intrinsic worth.  For example, the demand for fast, prepackaged food contributes to the stripping of rain forests in order to provide pastureland.  In the process, many Indigenous peoples have been rendered homeless, and the habitat of endangered species has been lost forever.  Advances have been made in the production of biodegradable substances but so far, it’s only resulted in a reduction in the time it takes plastics and Styrofoam to disintegrate – they still constitute a hazard to the environment.

One of the biggest offenders is plastic bottles.  In landfills toxic gases are leached into the environment causing a variety of health issues.  Landfills in the U.S. have over 2- million discarded plastic bottles that each take up to 1,000 years to decompose.  How many thousand years did we toss into the landfill this week?  In the last month?  Trying to conserve by switching from plastic to glass containers is foiled here in our county because glass is not recycled.  Our primary motivation is that all (now and in the future) may have a share in God’s gifts. We have to think bigger than the cash register. Each day is our moment to resist any act of violence against creation.

We wrestle prayerfully with questions about how we can adopt, and adapt, to a simpler lifestyle: letting go of some things, being patient when our preferences are denied by unavailability of pantry supplies. We have to start where we are, doing what we can, with the insight and energy we have to make a difference.  Maybe we begin with one thing, one purchase, one habit a month that we change.  For example: spend a few pennies more to make a purchase from a local vendor that you usually make at a big box store.  Or make a pint or gallon purchase of hand soap instead of several smaller bottles.    Run 2-sided copies and use scrap paper for note pads. After a month, don’t forsake the new habit, keep it up and add a new pattern.  By the end of the year, you’ll be 12x more conservative.  You may ask: how does doing any of this help the people in the 3rd world?  The truth is, it doesn’t directly.  It changes YOU.   At the heart of our actions must rest the conviction that our world belongs to God and any misuse dishonors the Creator.

The widow in the Gospel was made destitute by life’s circumstances.  We by no means live a life of destitution – but we know people who do.  We are invited to ask ourselves: What can I, what can we, do to reverse the destructive patterns of life that are making a negative impact on our earth and in the lives of those we profess to serve?  In the mix, is the challenge THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL.  Each day we are challenged to figure out what to do with our “too much”?  The answer is NOT to find an empty shelf, an empty room, to store it.  If we are not using it, do we REALLY need it? If we haven’t worn it since we moved into this building, who could use it?  If we have forgotten we ever had it, did we ever really need it?  Are we saving it because, deep down, we don’t trust God to come through for us on a “rainy day?”  We can only give from our need if we trust (really and truly deep down) that God will provide.   We can sing God’s praises with Elijah’s widow in tomorrow’s first reading because, for nigh on 137 years, our community “jar of flour has not gone empty” and “our jug of oil has never run dry”.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

Thank God for the gift that Veterans have offered for our nation and for world peace ….   Remember, too, the families of veterans …  their lives too were, and are, affected by the impact on service women and me …  witnessing the effects of turmoil between peoples and nations.  Pray for strength for veterans and their families to be compassionate, supportive, faithful to relationships and seeking available medical and mental services.    

Have a good week!

 

First Reading:  Kings 17:10-16                 Second Reading:  Hebrews 9:24-28
Gospel:  Mark 12:38-44
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“The Son – Who will take the Son?”

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I want to tell you a story – it’s been in my collection just waiting to be told.   I trust, in the end, you will see how it relates to this weekend’s Gospel selection

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They would often sit together and admire them.  When the conflict in the Mideast broke out and Desert Shield and Desert Storm were declared, the son went to war where he died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.  He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly.  I recall that he often talked about you, and your love for art.  I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this”.  It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. The father stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son. His eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. “Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift.”

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home, he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.  A few months later the older man died. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.  On the platform sat the painting of the son. “We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?”

There was silence.  Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, “We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.”  But the auctioneer persisted. “Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?”  Another voice shouted angrily: “We didn’t come to see this painting. Get on with the real bids!”  But still the auctioneer continued. “The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?”

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime housekeeper of the man and his son. She bid her last penny.   “I’ll give $10 for the painting.”   The crowd shouted angrily: “Give it to her for $10. Let us see the works of the masters.”  The auctioneer pounded the gavel. “Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!”  A man sitting on the second row shouted, “Now, let’s get on with the collection!”

The crowd grew quiet; shocked when the auctioneer responded: “I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. And, whoever bought that painting, would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.  The person who took the son, gets everything!”

Much like that auctioneer, God’s message today is: “The Son, the Son, who’ll take the Son?”  Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything!

In our Gospel today the Son reminds us of his two-pronged commandment: love of God and love of neighbor.  When we accept the Son, we accept the responsibility, along with all the blessings, the Son offers us.  Part of our acceptance package, like the housekeeper-bidder in our story, is the “whole collection.”  It is not an easy choice but one we know is possible because we trust the words of Scripture.  In the writings of the Evangelist John we read: “My friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.  God is love!  We love because God first loved us.”

What is your response when the auctioneer’s voice rings out in our assembly: “The Son – who will take the Son?”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

Pray for a peaceful election season: Bless our nation in this time of great transition.

 

 

First Reading:   Deuteronomy 6:2-6         Second Reading:  Hebrews 7:23-28
Gospel:   Mark 12:28b-34

 

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