Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

God

Pentecost

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Have we really come 50 days since Easter?  In the Gospel narratives, Jesus has told his disciples that he’s going to prepare a mansion for them in his Father’s house. He’s promised them that where he is going, they will be able to follow.  You’ll remember that Thomas told Jesus they did not know where Jesus is going – so, how can they get there?  Jesus explains that he himself is the way, the truth, and the life.

It was Philip who made a request that challenged Jesus’ words. Philip wanted Jesus to show the Father to the disciples.  Remember what Jesus has just told his disciples? “If you know me, then you also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”   Like the good teacher that he was, Jesus responded to Philip by elaborating on what he has just told the disciples: they have seen and known Jesus, so they have seen and known the Father. Then Jesus offers another reassurance about his departure: because of faith in God and in Jesus, the disciples will do the work that Jesus has done and more.

Jesus promises that the Spirit of truth will reveal all that He, and the Father, know and all that is to come.  This connection between Jesus and his Father, between Jesus’ work and the work of the Father, is made clear in today’s Gospel. Jesus is in the Father, and God the Father is in Jesus. As God spoke his name to Moses, “I am,” so too Jesus speaks his name to his disciples: “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

Do you recall the theme music and opening words from “Mission Impossible!”  “Good morning, Mr. Phelps!  Your mission, should you choose to accept it…”  Just before Jesus returned to heaven, He charged us to do something which seems impossible…one of the most amazing verses in the Bible.  In one translation: “Verily, verily, I say to you: You that believe the works I do, you also shall do – and even greater works than these shall you do.” Sounds like mission impossible! And yet, our God, who cannot lie, has said it… …so, how can we make it a reality?

We can’t share the Good News if we have not heard the Good News.  We must have a mission that is a vision of what Jesus meant by “greater things.”  Our coming retreat time might be a good time to re-read and spend some time in private self-evaluation with our Vision and Core Values statement.

Jesus fed 5,000 people with a lad’s lunch.  He walked on water.  He raised the dead?  How can we do “greater?” Jesus raised the dead?  How can we top that?  Well, let me ask you: “Did Jesus say we would be able to top his works?”  No, He did not say we’d work greater miracles than He, but that we’d do greater works!  What are the greater works?

Jesus raised Lazarus and the widow’s son – a physical miracle.  Greater than raising someone physically is to raise them spiritually.  And, our corporate commitment empowers us to do just that …  to respond to the hungers of the people of God …. With the same compassion that Jesus showed the hungry crowd and a grieving family.   The greater work is salvation…seeing people pass from spiritual death to spiritual life.

Jesus’ primary work was not walking on water, healing people physically, raising them from dead…though He did all of those things.  His primary work was to seek and save that which was lost.  The miracle of Pentecost convinces us of the greater work the Spirit accomplished through the disciples.

Jesus says His miracles were nothing compared to what is coming.  The greater things we can accomplish will not happen by merely focusing on our community. It’s “mission impossible” to reach the world unless we have a plan of how to reach outside of our geographic limits!  The price will be in going the extra mile: attentiveness, physical expenditure, emotional drain, consideration for the details of hospitality and self- and interpersonal care.  This is what we’re all about…bringing glory to God by seeing people saved!  That’s a purpose worth committing ourselves to. It’s bigger, greater than just ourselves and our problems. In so doing we bring great glory to God!  Jesus BEGAN a work that we are to bring to completion. He BEGAN it in His earthly body, and He will CONTINUE it through us.  The ultimate purpose is to bring glory to God.  That goal is impressed on us every time we enter the chapel: that in all things God may be glorified!  I’ll close with a little story that reminds us we can do greater things.  Three friends were spending the day fishing in Lake Jovita.  After they were out in the boat, one realized she had left the bait on the dock.   So, she stepped out of the boat and walked on water to the shore and back to boat!

The others marveled at such faith!   With that another girl, discovered she had forgotten her lunch box back in the car.   She nimbly trotted across the water and back.  The third fisher exclaimed: “That’s incredible!  I am in the presence of greatness!  But I believe – I have faith, too!  She needed to use the restroom, so she stepped out of boat and promptly sank to bottom of the lake!  Her two fishing companions looked at each other: “Should we tell her where the rocks are?”!   We can depend on Jesus to be there when we need a stepping stone – He IS our rock.

~S. Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

First Reading: Acts 2:1-11              Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 17:3b-7, 12-13
Gospel Reading:  John 20:19-23
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It’s just not going to be the same.

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Today’s Gospel is an expression of an impending separation cushioned with a promise of an abiding presence. Jesus is speaking to his disciples at their last supper together.  And it must have been a LONG, many-course supper given the length of Jesus’ discourse. He lovingly reassures those gathered with him that even though he must leave them, he is not abandoning them.  In his stead, he promises, he will send the Holy Spirit.  And, on that day they will realize that He and the Father God are one.

When a lifetime friend moves far away we can reassure one another that we’ll stay in touch but we also probably agree [even if we do have FaceTime and Instagram]: “It’s just not going to be the same.” This may have been the feeling of the disciples.  Jesus is saying “goodbye”.   This is not just a farewell before going on a short trip, when they will see one another again in a few weeks or months.  It’s a more permanent farewell. He is preparing them for the shock of his violent death and the collapse of their plans for the future. Everything is about to change for them “It’s just not going to be the same.”

Jesus is sensitive to the feeling of loss they are about to endure. He’s telling them quite clearly, “It’s just not going to be the same.”  He knows they won’t make it on their own.   Their human courage, like ours, just won’t  be enough – they’ll need continued support to spread Jesus’ message after He is gone.

So, Jesus makes a FANTASTIC, and unbelievable promise:  He is going to the Father and he will send the Holy Spirit to guide them as they face new challenges.  There are going to be new issues and suffering for what they believe. But they will become aware of Jesus’ abiding presence.

We may be 2000+ years away from those disciples around the table with Jesus that night; but we too have experienced loss and need. We have said many goodbyes to family and community members.  We’ve experienced big changes in our lives.   There have been times when we’ve needed to be strong ourselves and for others: times of grave illness, worry over a troubled or addicted loved one, sorrow over a broken relationship or an uncertain future.

Those are the times when we’ve known: “It’s just not going to be the same.” And it wasn’t.  God sends us curve balls when we least expect it.  But, like a skilled ball player we can still hit a home run.  God gives us the strength to stay faithful and the wisdom to maneuver life’s many twists and turns.

Who could have foreseen, or even imagined, this day when we would be lesser in number?  These are times when we know well the feeling: It’s just not going to be the same.

Our duty, our challenge, then, is to believe, to trust that we DO have the Spirit with us – in Word, the Eucharist, in each other.  We believe Jesus has kept his promise to give us the gift of the Spirit – an abiding, permanent dwelling with each and every one of us.  We believe Jesus when he says: I will send the “Advocate” – a counselor, a consoler, a mediator – divine energy that will bind you together with one another, and all you in God.

A Thomas Merton prayer speaks to me when all I do know is: “it’s just not going to be the same.”

 “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.  But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.  And, I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.  I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.  And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.  Therefore, will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.  I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

                                    [Thomas Merton, Thoughts on Solitude, 1956}

 

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   Acts of the Apostles 8:5-8, 14-17         Second Reading:  1 Peter 3:15-18
Gospel:   John 14:15-21
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Second Sunday of Lent

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“Jesus took Peter, James and his brother John off by themselves and led them up a high mountain.”

The Transfiguration story in Mark’s gospel appears just after Jesus has reminded the disciples: you who desire to save your life, must lose it.  Whoever loses your life for My sake, and the gospel – you will save your life.  And, says Jesus, I will not be ashamed of you when I come into the glory of my Father.   Then Jesus lets these remarks take root for six days before he sets off up the mountain with Peter, James and John.

Here Jesus is transfigured, glorified by God.  Is He telling Peter, James and John that He is not ashamed of them: Peter who will later deny even knowing Him, James and John, the Sons of Thunder, whose mama requested preferential seating for them in heaven?  They climbed the mountain with Jesus and witnessed His glory.

The story (I believe) calls each one of us to examine what mountain we must climb to see God’s glory.  We can apply the story to death or a near-death experience.  But, if we do that we miss the everyday mountains we must climb.  Call those mountains what you will, we must climb them to witness God’s glory: hurdles, challenges, enticing temptations, near occasions of sin, quirks of personality, Lenten resolutions, pet peeves…. Some days they are like a little pebble on our path, which we glibly kick aside. Or, they can be like a grain of sand inside your shoe – no bother when you are sitting still but the instant you start to move it quickly makes itself felt.   Other days, they are like boulders we can’t move with a backhoe.  Everyone’s mountain is different. But, to witness God’s glory, we must climb our “mountains”.

Once on the mountaintop, we must have eyes to see God’s glory.  We must stay alert, have the insight to know that we are at the top.  Our cooperation with God’s grace has brought us to a mountaintop.  The disciples could have missed Jesus’ transfiguration if they:

  • had been too busy taking in the view
  • were gloating over their status or talking about those left behind
  • were wondering about what was on the agenda for tomorrow
  • were wondering how long were they going to be up on this mountain anyway
  • were wondering if there would be time to finish what they had started when Jesus summoned them
  • were bickering over who was going to get use the walking stick going down the mountain
  • were asking themselves who provided the fish for supper last night and whose turn is it now?

You fill in the blanks…you know what it is that keeps you from seeing God’s glory.   Theses are the things that cause you to miss the “small miracles”, the “everyday transfigurations” in yourself, in one another, in nature.  And, gently remind yourself, that Jesus and the disciples also went back down the mountain.  We need to thank God when we get to the top.  But we can hardly stay there.  There are more mountains to climb.  While you are at the top, if only for an instant, witness the transfiguration.

Jesus did not become “more God” that day on the mountain.  I don’t think the change was so much in Jesus, as it was in the disciples.  They were ready.  They had climbed the mountain.   And their eyes were open to witness the miracle of the moment.  Miracles (transfigurations) are all around us IF we but have the eyes to see

  • the miracle of God’s graciousness when a person holds a door open for another
  • the miracle of God’s mercy when a mistake is not challenged
  • the miracle of God’s steadfastness when day after day we gather for communal exercises
  • the miracle of God’s humility when reconciliation occurs
  • the miracle of God’s humor when it rains on our picnics
  • the miracle of God’s artistry in the beauty of nature that surrounds us.

You can make your own litany of miracles.  God is already there, is here.   Jesus invites us up the mountain and leads the way.  We must open our eyes to witness the transfiguration.

 

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

Gospel:   Matthew 17:1-9

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Baptism of Jesus

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“Yes, Now’s the Time!”

Maybe you’ve heard the story about the fellow wandering soul, lost in thought, who stumbled upon a baptismal service one Sunday afternoon.  This was one of those “down by the river” sort of baptisms in the warm waters of the South.   Curious about what was going on, this fellow walked right down into the water and stood next to the Preacher.  When the minister finally noticed him, he asked the young man, “Are you ready to find Jesus?”  With a quizzical look and some hesitancy in his voice, he answered: “Yes, Preacher, I think I am.” The minister then dunked the fellow under the water and pulled him right back up.

“Did you find Jesus?” “No… should I have?!” The preacher then dunked him under for a bit longer, brought him up and said, “Now, brother, have you found Jesus?” “No … I haven’t, Preacher.” The preacher in disgust held the man under for at least 30 seconds this time; brought him to the surface of the water and repeated the question, “Friend, are you sure you haven’t found Jesus yet?” The confused fellow wiped his eyes, gasping for breath said, “Naw, Sir, are you sure this is where he fell in?”

Sound familiar?  Isn’t that sometimes how we are?  Our heads under the waters washing over us?  Cares, distractions, prayer for others’ intentions, confused by the circumstances of our life?  Looking for Jesus in muddy waters of our own making?  Sometimes we aren’t quite sure if “now” is the right time for things. At the Jordan River, about 30 years after Jesus was born, NOW was the time. If you could go back and stand on the shoreline of that river in the wilderness, you’d probably be nodding your head in agreement, “Yes, now is the time!”

John recognized Jesus as one who didn’t need a baptism of repentance or forgiveness. He knew that Jesus was much greater than he was, and that he wasn’t even fit to tie Jesus sandals. John must be thinking, “This is backwards! This shouldn’t be happening this way!”  But listen to Jesus’ response, “‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” And John consented.  Jesus was saying, “At another time, John, you would be right in what you’re thinking. But NOW is the time for this baptism. This is what my Father in heaven is asking of us NOW!   NOW is the time for Jesus to begin his public mission, the course that would take him to the cross. NOW we hear the Father’s affirming commendation: “Outstanding, Son!”

In our lives, too, there have been times, (haven’t there?) when we had no idea how close the kingdom of heaven had come to us.  A time when you just didn’t see it or recognize it for what it was. You had no idea that God would show up in that way, that place, that time, that situation.  You can look back and realize what you missed.

How many times, I wonder, do we ignore God simply because we have no idea or we doubt the possibility?  Or we’re just plain were oblivious to the truth that divine providence is working in the mix.  “And do you come to me?” That’s not just John’s question; it’s also ours. Sometimes it just seems too incredible to believe that God would come to us. Maybe it’s because we see God as distant … sitting on a throne, up there in heaven … observing but not really involved.  Maybe it’s because we see ourselves as unworthy and undeserving. Maybe it’s because we were raised with the idea that God is more concerned about our behavior than our life. Maybe the pain, difficulty, and losses in one’s life have caused them to wonder whether God even cares. Maybe God’s ways don’t fit within our expectations. God won’t fit within our box and we can’t seem to get out of it.

Whenever or however that question comes up for you – reach down deep – you DO know the answer.  The answer is found in the baptism of Jesus. His baptism answers once and for all the question, “And do you come to me?”  He answers: “Allow it for now… thus it is fitting.” That’s Jesus’ answer to John … and, to you, to me, to everyone.  “Allow it for now.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   Isaiah 47:1-4, 6-7         Second Reading:  Acts 10:34-38
Gospel:   Mark 1:7-11

 

 

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Gaudete Sunday

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This Third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday, meaning Rejoice!  Seems to me one might be tempted to sing for the Open Hymn “Pretty in Pink” as the celebrant comes reverently to the altar in rose-colored vestments and the altar server lights the one rose or pink candle in the Advent wreath.  The candle and vestments remind us that the coming of Christ is very near. The focus is joy — not a fleeting feeling, but deep down spiritual gladness rooted in God’s goodness. This week encourages us to recognize the ways God is at work in our lives and to share that joy with others, especially those who are burdened or discouraged.  The story that follows is not AI generated but it is adapted from the Internet.

“One cold rainy night at 4 a.m. a young girl entered the diner where I worked.  The lass was trembling. She looked fragile, like she’d been crying, and she had no money. When I asked if she needed help, she stayed silent whether from the cold or fright.  I gave her a cup of warm cider and a muffin to calm her down.

My boss saw it and fired me on the spot for “giving away free items.” I was devastated. That job was the only way I had to support myself and my baby.

Before she left, the girl handed me a clean green sock — just one — and said, “This will save you one day.  Someday you’ll get the matching green sock.”

 I didn’t understand, but I kept it.  5 weeks later, I found the matching green sock on my doorstep. Mmmm! It was heavy. Inside was $30,000 in cash and a small note with a phone number. When I called, a man answered and said, “You don’t know me, but you saved my daughter. This is my ’thank you’!”

He explained that the night she came to the diner, her boyfriend had thrown her out with no phone and no wallet. My simple act of kindness kept her safe until her father found her. Later on, she told her dad everything and begged him to help me because I’d lost my job for helping her.  The money was his way of thanking me. He said, “Good people are rare. My daughter was lucky to meet one. So, I asked about you and found your address.”

That unexpected money truly saved me. It helped me open a small bakery — something I had dreamed of for years. The girl still visits whenever she’s in town. She’s now happily married, and her daughter is thriving.  I’m grateful every day that our paths crossed.”

In our fast and unpredictable world, even small gestures can create big shifts. A quiet act of compassion, a burst of empathy, or a wholesome moment can brighten any day.  Heartwarming stories highlight inspiring acts of kindness. Uplifting experience reminds us how powerful human connection and everyday good deeds can be. What did you do today to bring a smile to the face of the one God placed in your path?

~by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

 

First Reading:  Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10                  
Second Reading: James 5:7-10
Gospel Reading:  Matthew 11:2-11
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John the Baptizer

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In our Gospel account for the second Sunday of Advent, John the Baptizer is the voice of prophecy in a world where such voices had been silent for nigh on 400 years.  It’s hard for us to realize as we read the Old Testament and turn to the New Testament, that there is this lengthy period of time between the prophetic word of the Old Testament and the prophetic voice of John the Baptist.  Now, in the Scriptures we hear the echo of John’s voice sounding once again through the voice of modern day prophets.

Jesus’ cousin had a message that people were ready to hear.   Is the same true today? The key is when I perceive that voice to reply, “Yes, I believe that the Lord is coming! The Kingdom of heaven is near!”  The oppressed Jews looked forward eagerly to the coming Messiah.  Many listened to what John had to say.  His was a teaching firmly anchored in their religious traditions.  John was speaking their language, and they understood what he had to say.  The practice of baptism which earned John his nickname “John the Baptizer” was not new to the Jews. It was a frequent practice used to mark atonement for sin and a renewed and purified spirit, to show that one who had been unclean was made ritually clean again.

John was an inspired preacher, one in whom could clearly be seen the power of God. After all, who would live like John out in the wilderness on locust and wild honey?  Well, take a look around!   Look at the effects of climate change and just plain selfishness!  Hundreds, thousands go to bed hungry.  They wake up (if they ever got any sleep) hungry and freezing or exhausted from the heat. If we listen with an open heart, we can hear their cries.   Do we act on it?  Do we take heed, and put flesh on our Corporate Commitment?  Or do we apply “band aids” (a stamp and a dollar) while we stuff our monthly allowance in our purses and pockets?  Do we remain blind to what surrounds our 39 acres?   Are we true to our word that we “respond to the hungers of the people of God.”  And pay honor to the slogan “Think global, act local.”

We must take care that we do not become complacent when we hear an overlay of quiet unassuming accounts of today’s inspired, even unaware, leaders. Or we don’t listen to the news because it just may “rattle our cages.”   We can’t just admire others’ good deeds or simply shake our heads when we see newscasters talking about how cold it is across the country as they stand there in a cozy warm newsroom smiling in a short-sleeve shirt while the homeless huddle shivering under bridges or cardboard huts.

On the one hand, one can clearly see the power of a giving, and forgiving, heart, influencing our world.  But, are you, are we, simply admiring the kindness of folks OUT THERE who are part of a “pay it forward” movement? Are we the recipients only of others’ kindness and generosity?  Keep in mind “if we are not part of the solution, we are part of the problem.”  What will be our legacy?

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   Isaiah 11:1-10         Second Reading:  Romans 15:4-9
Gospel:   Matthew 3:1-12
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