Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

God

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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“By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

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“Remember you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.  … By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”  In another translation we read: “This will be your chance to tell the Good News. Do not worry about what to say in court. For I will give you wise words. None of your enemies will be able to prove that you are wrong. They will not be able to say that your words are false.”

Much is written in support of the practice of imagining or role-playing various scenarios before actually confronting someone or being caught in a confrontational situation.  I don’t mean to belittle the value that might have to ease the knots in your stomach but these words of Jesus quoted by Luke remind us, when we actually get in a situation we can depend on God for Jesus says: “I myself will give you a wisdom, wise words, in speaking.”

A few months back my sign (Scorpio) read: “Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but gets you nowhere.”  Sometimes that “rocking chair” could work ruts in the carpet…

One group of researchers have evidence to proof that we worry about – (commentary is mine.)

40% of our worries are things that will never happen [Whew, that’s a huge chunk we can let go of]

30% are about the past – which can’t be changed anyway – so dump the gunny sack and look to today

12 % are about criticism by others, mostly untrue – and many imaginary – why do we so often assume that other people are going to spend time their precious time thinking about “me”?

10% are about health, which only gets worse with stress – better to relax, loosen up and let our bodies work their own magic on the knots (I hear you: “that’s easier said than done.”)

8% are about real problems that can be solved – so here is where we need to spend our energy and focus our prayer.  Remember Jesus’ promise (and He is a person of his word): “By your perseverance you will secure your lives!”  So, “hands off” and “zip the lip” offering God the right solution because our limited eyesight most likely will see only a rather self-serving solution …  “God-sight” knows the key to the best fix for all concerned.

 Worry and fretting allows what we see as problems to come between us and God.   It is the view that God has somehow lost control of the situation and we’ve lost trust in God’s omnipotent care for us.  A legitimate concern should draw us closer to God and cause us to rely on His providential love for us.

By our Corporate Commitment we profess to respond to the needs of the people of God with the “compassion of Christ.”  But how can we do that if we have not learned to depend on the compassion of Christ?   Saying the words is one thing; living with a firm conviction that compassion begets compassion is all together another matter.   Let us seek ways to be compassionate. Not wishy, washy – for COM-passion means “with passion” – with fervor, excitement, enthusiasm, even obsession.  Compassion is a component of the good zeal our Holy Rule commends.

Mother Evangelista Kremiter – founding superior of the Atchison Benedictines and certainly was a mover and shaker in founding our federation – is quoted as saying: “Our lives, not words, make us credible.  Words move but example motivates.”  May our lives, individually and collectively, be an example that motives all who meet us to be people of compassion.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving ….   Consider what you are doing for someone(s) less fortunate that you and your family ..  donate money or canned goods to a food bank or place a surprise in their mailbox or on the doorstep, work a church event ….. or invite a live-alone person for a meal and conversation ….  or  how long has it been since  you’ve worn some things hanging in the closet for eons ….

  “Bend a knee”  a whisper THANK YOU!

 

 

First Reading:   Malachi 8:19-20a         Second Reading:  2 Thess 3:7-12
Gospel:   Luke 21:5-19
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You don’t need a building to represent God’s presence – God is ever near

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Have you ever had the experience of talking to someone who is behind you?   You think you are having a really good conversation only to discover the other person has long since left the room or fallen asleep in the back seat.  Not long ago I experienced this when trying to converse with a friend as we walked down a long busy hallway.  What my friend did not realize was that someone had stepped between us while she continued speaking over her shoulder. “Let’s go into town tonight, find a good dancing place; maybe have a drink or two.”  Imagine her surprise when a male voice responded: “I’d like that – Is it OK if I bring my wife?”

That’s similar to what is happening in this Gospel story.  Folks are going through all kinds of activities directed to a God who has long stopped paying attention to all of their religious rituals, performances and pretenses.  What was taking place in the Temple was all the outward activity with none of the genuine reality. The motives had become mixed: it was much more about what they could get from the Temple rather than responding in gratitude for what God has done for them and their ancestors.

The picture here is not a gentle, soft-spoken Jesus – not the smiling Jesus calmly confronting the religious establishment with authoritative teaching and divine wisdom.  He does not ask the vendors to kindly remove their display tables outside the temple.  Nor does he ask the buyers to hold on to their money and put it in the donation basket.  Rather, he appears with His sleeves rolled up ready for a fight. He makes his own whip and chares through the heart of the religious establishment striking forcefully and aggressively at a religious system that has become skewed. Imagine it! Jesus is opening the cages of sheep, and doves with one hand, while, wielding a whip of cords in the other. He is driving animals and people alike into confusion and retreat.

The Jewish leaders ask Jesus for his credentials: what sign does he offer for taking this radical action?  Their demand is amazing but it seems a fair question.  They are checking what right He has to clear the Temple. Even among those who trusted Jesus, there is something that is not trustworthy. Jesus knew that even among those who believe, there is something fundamentally wonky. We are prone to get it wrong. Even among those who have true faith in Jesus, there is the possibility that we will let ritual replace reality.

Recall Jesus’ response to his critics in the temple?  “You want proof that I have the right to condemn religious pretension.   Let me give you the sign that I have the authority to condemn the Temple. You are going to kill me, and when you destroy me, I will raise it up again.” He is saying that resurrection is the ultimate authentication that he is who he says he is.  The religious leaders were incredulous.

He’s telling them and us: You don’t need a building to represent My presence because I am the connecting point between you and God.  In just a little more a month we will be celebrating Christmas and singing about Emmanuel, God with us. Authentic worship is not attached to Jerusalem or any other place. It is attached to Jesus. You / we won’t be making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. But, we will be moving through Advent – a movement of the heart.  Turn away, Jesus says, from all that detracts from Me and our relationship.

So, if the Gospel message is that we don’t need a building to find and worship God, why are we celebrating the dedication a basilica today?  Parishes commemorate their founding dates but that’s usually a local celebration.  Why does the dedication of a building in a faraway city supersede the 32nd Sunday liturgy?  This church, the Lateran Basilica, not St. Peter’s, is a diocesan cathedral, the pope’s church, in his role as bishop of Rome.  It was built in the 4th century on donated land.  The structure has suffered fire, earthquake and ravages of war.  The present structure was commissioned 1200 years later, in 1646.  Beneath its high altar rests the remains of a small wooden table, on which according to tradition, St. Peter celebrated Mass.  The building may have been repaired and its role changed since the fourth century, but Jesus Christ remains its cornerstone.  This is our mother church, the spiritual home of the people who are the church.

Shortly before his death, Pope Francis give us insight into his concept of Church:

“I would like a more missionary church, not so much a tranquil church, but a beautiful church that goes forward in joy.”    At the opening of the Synod on the Family Pope Francis made it clear no question would be out of place, Discussion was not to be censored; no topics or questions were to be off the table. He wanted full, robust debate.   Then, in his closing remarks at the Synod he challenged the bishops with homework: “We still have one year to mature, to find concrete solutions to so many difficulties and innumerable challenges to confront; to give answers to the many discouragements that surround and suffocate.”

Our gospel is not a bedtime pretend story about some long-ago hypocritical religious leaders. It’s really our story too.  Our covenant relationship with Jesus, with God is not just about becoming a better version of ourselves through self-improvement.  It’s not about following a set of rules, reading the words of someone else’s prayers, being on our knees or sitting down, genuflecting or bowing.  It’s about becoming the best we can be – living to our full potential – not putting ourselves down in false humility or denying God’s free gifts to us.

A very real question is whether we believe that the resurrection fact or fiction?  Do we truly believe the sign that Jesus gives us, that He rose after three days buried in the earth?   If you believe He did, then we need to pay attention, because this is no ordinary man.  Let us, pray, then THAT our community, that every community of faith gathering to worship, may go forth from church buildings into their everyday lives to share their faith and resources with those in need.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12        Second Reading:  1 Corinthians 3:9-13,16-17
Gospel:   John 2:13-22
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