Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

God

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Wow!  Talk about conflicts!  Jesus keeps teaching us to love our neighbors as ourselves, love our enemies and do good to those who hate us.  Now he says, “Hate your mother and father, your brother and sister, your wife and children, even your own life.”   Obviously, you cannot have it both ways: Love everybody and hate your family.

Jesus is inviting us to think it over seriously.  Listen to Him: “To be my disciple is unusually difficult. You must make a TOTAL commitment.  Nobody, absolutely nothing, can come before me. I am your one Lord and God. In case of conflict, your nearest and dearest must take second place.”

I’ll share now what Richard Rohr has to say on taking that first step to discipleship: recognize, acknowledge and accept the truth that we are everywhere and at all times in the presence of God.

We cannot attain the presence of God because we’re already totally in the presence of God. What’s absent is awareness.  Each time you take another breath, realize that God is choosing you again and again—and yet again. We have nothing to work up to or even learn. We do, however, need to unlearn some things, and most especially we must let go of any thought that we have ever been separated from God. Religion is to help us let go of illusions and pretenses so we can be more and more present to what actually is. We have to learn to see what is already here.

Such a simple directive is hard for us to understand. We have a “merit badge” mentality. We worship success. We believe that we get what we deserve, what we work hard for, and what we are worthy of. It’s hard for Western people to think in any other way.

Experiencing radical grace is like living in a different world. It’s not a world in which I labor to get God to notice me and like me. It’s not a world in which I strive for spiritual success.  Unfortunately, many good people are afraid of gratuity.  But God cannot be seen through such a small and dirty lens.

I suggest that this week we check our spiritual spectacles, clean off any smudges and be open to receiving the radical graces God has ready waiting for us.   In the Gospel, the two brief parables (a person constructing a tower and a king marching into battle) make Jesus’ lesson obvious – don’t start what you cannot finish. Jesus is asking us for TOTAL commitment.  We can only commit if we are prepared to put God before everything else.

We pray with words of the Responsorial Psalm: “In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge; teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.  Fill us at daybreak with your kindness that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

Please remember in prayer our Sister Jerome Leavy whose funeral we will celebrate Tuesday morning, Sept 9th at 10am.  Wake service and visitation will be 7pm Monday in our monastic chapel.

May Sister Jerome rest in eternal peace!

 

 

First Reading:   Wisdom 9:13-18b         Second Reading:  Philemon 9-10, 12-17
Gospel:   Luke 14:25-33
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Prayer

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It’s interesting to me that the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray “just as John taught his disciples.”   They wanted the words, didn’t they, for certainly Jesus had given them an example of prayer.  He had modeled time alone, told them to “go to your room and pray”.  They’d witnessed Him with raised eyes, hands and voice in intercessory prayer before miraculous healings.  But they, like us, want “the words to say.”  We forget sometimes that when we descend into our hearts, in silent waiting, it is there we meet the Spirit who is already praying within us.

We look for “words” … in a prayer book, on a holy card, in the life of a saint ….  We look for a guide, a director, a mentor.  I don’t mean to belittle the worthwhile role these spiritual aids play in our lives. They are often critical to our spiritual growth and our salvation.  We just need to keep in mind the tremendous role that Scripture plays in our lives. It is there that we read “the “Spirit of Truth will show you all things.”  St. Paul reminds us: “If you do these things, you can be saved. Be joyful at all times, pray without ceasing and give thanks for all things.”

In the shortened version of what we call the “Lord’s Prayer” we pray “give us each day”. We do not ask for a train load of blessings to last us all year – just today’s help, Lord, that’s all I am asking…   not even tomorrow’s help … just get me through today – I trust you will be there tomorrow – even when I feel like Mother Teresa once prayed: “I KNOW GOD WON’T GIVE ME ANYTHING I CAN’T HANDLE …  I JUST WISH HE DIDN’T TRUST ME SO MUCH.”

In the Gospel, did you notice the difference in the phrase regarding forgiveness in the Our Father?  We pray” forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us.”   That statement is strong, firm, and expresses willingness to forgive everyone.   In the traditional version we pray “forgive us our debts, (or trespasses) as we forgive our debtors.”   It sounds as if God’s forgiveness to me is measured by my willingness to forgive others.  I like the second version even while I feel it is a greater challenge.  I commit, I promise:  I will forgive EVERYONE who is in debt to me.  No willy nilly “this one but not that one, at least not today.”  I forgive EVERYONE.  Think of that in a few minutes when we pray the Our Father… and at Mass tomorrow…  you are agreeing to forgive EVERYONE…  a huge and freeing commitment.

And we do that day after day after day.  Repetition isn’t just for those things we may have told our mothers were stupid… things like making the bed that we are only going to rumple up in a few hours or doing the dishes after every meal instead of collecting them until the cupboard is bare or cleaning the toilet that someone is going to mess up the minute I leave the bathroom.  Repetition perfects skill in music, in handwriting, in the acquisition of good, or bad habits.   And, in the repetition of daily chores (even the ones only I see), there is a meaningful expression of hospitality to myself and my companions.  In the repetition of the Psalms, of favorite prayers, and liturgical actions there is a meaningful acknowledgment of our creaturely participation in God’s creative act, day after day after day.

In today’s Gospel the church offers us three examples of prayer: first the GREAT prayer, then the “ask-seek-knock” words that have inspired hymns, and finally the story of the persistent neighbor which teaches us that knocking at the door gets God’s attention and rewards our persistence.  So, we pray, day after day for peace, for relief from suffering and war and for a forgiving heart.

Through our communal and personal prayer, we feed not only our own spirits, but we are, so to speak, attached by a spiritual cord to everyone with whom we have ever come into contact.  That is literally, collectively the cord that nourishes thousands of people.  We feed ourselves spiritually, and we also nourish all those contacts through our prayers.  Our prayer is universal.  We forgive everyone who is in debt to us.   Luke’s recollection of Jesus’ words in his Gospel is not everyone to whom we owe a debt … rather those who are in debt to us.  Who would that be?  And why would someone be in debt to me?

I’ll close with a story – a simplistic reminder that sometimes we just have to be in the right DIS-position to pray:

A priest, a minister and a guru were discussing the best positions for prayer.  Unbeknownst to them a TECO linesman was listening in as he worked with wires on the nearby pole.  The priest was saying:  “Kneeling is definitely the best way to pray.”  “No,” the minister said, “I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven.” “You’re both wrong,” the guru said. “The most effective prayer position is lying down on the floor.” The repairman could contain himself no longer. “Hey, fellas,” he interrupted, “The best praying I ever did was when I was hanging upside down from a power pole.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

First Reading: Genesis 18:20-32                       Second Reading: Colossians 2:12-14
Gospel: Luke 11:1-13
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Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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The dialogue in this Gospel starts with a question: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” It seems like a reasonable question, something you would ask a visiting rabbi.  But what was behind the question? On the one hand it may have been idle curiosity.   Or perhaps the person wanted to trick Jesus by poking fun at Him in front of the crowd.  Maybe, just maybe, the questioner thought that God might let anyone and everyone, including the riffraff, into heaven.  Was the raised voice from the crowd an enemy of Jesus, who was just out to get him?  Or might it have been pride? In his heart he may have been feeling: “Hey, look at me! I’ll be one of the few saved! These poor souls surrounding me – I hope they realize how pleased God is with me.”

It seems possible, too, that the question was neither purely academic nor a trick to entrap Jesus. It could have been a sincere question on a very personal level. Maybe the fellow was worried sick about himself, that he wouldn’t make it. Despair could have driven his question.  He was looking for the slightest sliver of hope.

In any case, we’re not told the outspoken one’s motivation. What we do know is how Jesus answered (or didn’t answer).  Instead of a direct answer, Jesus gives us another story, a very human story, a story that changed the world.

Often near the end of the TV evening news we hear news castors make reference to “Good Samaritan” stories.  For instance, a traffic accident witness stepped forward to offer assistance.

Here in our diocese, we know the Good Samaritan Society, perhaps best, through summer volunteerism.  The Good Samaritan Project (GSP), is a week-long service retreat led by the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry.   Middle and high school teens gather from across our Diocese to serve, pray, and have fun together for the betterment of the community and the Glory of God.  Our monastic community has been the beneficiary of services of youth and young adult groups from Las Vegas, California.  They have come from Catholic high schools and parish faith formation programs as well as our nearby university.  Local food banks and the Daystar Hope Center in Dade City have also benefited from initiatives such as  “Food for the World” Saturday and “Pack a Bag”.

Who knows how many trillions of dollars in charitable giving this one story from Jesus has inspired over the years? More than that, it has inspired countless small acts of human kindness that have made our world a more livable place.

Good Samaritans are people who open their schedules to accommodate another’s need.  They are persons who open their wallets or keep a fistful of fast food gift certificates to hand out the car window to the empty hands seen many mornings at the busiest of intersections.

Even people who are not God-followers or believers appreciate this ethical parable of Jesus. Re-read it.  Let it seep in.  Look at the words with fresh eyes.  Listen to the story. Read it aloud with open ears, hands and heart. (Read it now ….   ) “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus replied: “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

First Reading:   Deuteronomy 30:10-14         Second Reading:  Colossians 1:15-20
Gospel:   Luke 10:25-37
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Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

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This is one of my favorite feasts.  It celebrates the ultimate in self-giving, not only to lay down one’s life for another but, further, to freely give one’s essence to another.  This story of the feeding of the 5,000 is the only one of Jesus’ miracles that appears in all four Gospels. In Luke’s version the feeding of the crowd is not the result of Jesus’ compassion for the crowd.  It is an incentive to the disciples to do something about the problem they perceive.  When they want Jesus to send the crowd away so they (the crowd and themselves) can get something to eat, Jesus tells them,  “Give the people some food on your own.”  When we come to the Eucharistic table, hungry for the Word of God and the Body of Christ, what does the Jesus, in the person of the priest say?  “Take this, all of you, and eat of this.  Take this, all of you, and drink.”

That’s the challenge before us.  What, exactly, does Jesus mean by “food.”?  The story is about food for the body in a deserted place.  People who live in fear and hiding lest they be persecuted or killed over the practice of their religion certainly live in a deserted place.  The “food” they desire is the courage, the support to sustain them in faith.  We pray that all people of goodwill will find strength in hope, convinced that, as St. Paul wrote to the Romans, “the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come.” (Romans 8:18)  In the midst of current challenges may they, and we, seek the kingdom and find strength in hope.

I recall in 1959-60 when our wood-frame convent was condemned by the fire department.  The townspeople responded with open hearts when they were asked: “May we live with you until we can build a new house?”  We certainly felt “welcomed as Christ” – the people viewed it a privilege to house the sisters and some of our boarding school students.

PS     I will share another true little story with a Eucharist theme.

One day (in a Montessori class of 4-5 year-olds) I had shown a filmstrip.  (Remember them?  They were the precursors of PowerPoint and Smart Boards.)    After the class had viewed the story of the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, I asked them to tell me the story.  Martha was so animated that the rest of the class sat mesmerized as she explained how it happened.  “There was a little boy named Benjamin who had some bread.  He gave it to Jesus.  Jesus raised his eyes to heaven, thanked his Heavenly Father, and said (click your fingers) Bing!  And there was enough for everyone!”  He said what?  “You heard him – he said BING and there was enough for everyone!” (Clue: The cue to move to the next picture frame.)

I think it is safe to predict you won’t hear Fr. Pat (our celebrant) at Mass say “BING” – although it may ring in your head.  However, at the sacred words of consecration there will be enough for everyone – enough of Jesus for our whole world!  He is only depending on us to make room in our hearts and in our lives to respond generously and without hesitance to his query: “Where may I eat today? Where may I rest?”

~Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

Have a good week! In your kindness: pray for protection for violent weather, good growing season, and for adequate health care benefits and food for  ALL the hungers of the body and heart.

 

 

First Reading: Genesis 14:18-20              Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Gospel Reading: Luke 9:11b-17
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Pentecost

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 Pentecost Sunday

 

Jesus Is Our Rock

If I had the recording, I’d play for you the theme music and opening words from the TV show “Mission Impossible!”  Remember it?  “Good morning, Mr. Phelps!  Your mission, should you choose to accept it…”  Just before Jesus returned to heaven, He charged us to do something that seems impossible.  It’s one of the most amazing verses in the Bible.

One translation reads: “Verily, verily, I say to you: You that believe the works I do, you also shall do.  Even greater works than these, shall you do.” It sounds like a mission impossible! And yet, our God, who cannot lie, has said it… …so, how can we make it a reality?

Our coming community retreat will offer us an opportunity to spend some time in self-evaluation with our Core Values statement.  How well do I personally espouse the values?  How well does the community put them into practice?  Which ones do we do well?  Which might we give more attention to?  (Copies available)   Jesus fed 5,000 people with a lad’s lunch.  He walked on water.  He raised the dead.  How can we do “greater” than that!? 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?

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.   The greater work is salvation, seeing people pass from spiritual death to spiritual life.  His primary work was to seek and save that which was lost.  Jesus says His miracles were nothing compared to what is coming.  These greater things that we can accomplish will not happen by merely focusing on our community. It’s mission impossible to put our prayerful arms around the world unless we have a plan of how to reach outside of our geographic limits!  The price will be going the extra mile:  attentiveness, physical expenditure, emotional drain, consideration for the details of hospitality and self- and interpersonal care. We have a purpose greater than just ourselves and our problems. Jesus began a work that we are supposed to bring to completion. He began it in His earthly body, and He will continue it through us.  That goal is impressed on us every time we enter the chapel and see the writing on the wall: 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 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 the boat and promptly sank to bottom of the lake!  Her two fishing companions looked at each other: “Should we have told 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

 

 

‘Tis the season to say a daily prayer to avert storms and for the protection of all who are in the path of summer violent weather.

This prayer can be traced to St. Anthony of Padua.

Jesus Christ a King of Glory has come in Peace. God became man, and the Word was made flesh.  Christ was born of a virgin.  Christ suffered.  Christ was crucified. Christ died. Christ rose from the dead.  Christ ascended into Heaven.  Christ conquers.  Christ reigns.  Christ orders.  May Christ protect us from all storms and lightning.  Christ went through their midst in Peace, and the Word was made Flesh.  Christ is with us with Mary.  Flee you enemy spirits because the Lion of the Generation of Judah, the Root of David, was won. Holy God! Holy Powerful God !  Holy Immortal God!  Have mercy on us. Amen!                              (From the Pieta Prayer Book)

 

First Reading: Acts 2:1-11              Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13
Gospel Reading:  John 20:19-23
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Believing Can Bring Sight

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Each day since Easter we’ve heard post-Resurrection stories of personal encounters. The resurrected Christ has visited the disciples and his mother Mary in the Upper Room to breathe peace upon them.  We’ve heard the story of how Jesus slips in and out of the company of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.   In John’s narrative Peter’s head is whirling at all that was going on.  It appears his message to the others is: “This is too much for me; I’m going to clear my head. I’ll be back later. I’m going fishing!” A few of the others jumped aboard.  At daybreak a very human Jesus appears to these disciples who’ve spent a night of non-productive fishing.  We know that Jesus must have known this but still he calls to them: “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”  Then he suggests to them that they toss the nets on the other side of the boat.  Lo and behold, the nets encircle 153 large fish!”  No one dares ask him: “Who are you?”  To their astonishment, Jesus invites: “Come, have breakfast.”

Last Sunday the church made sure that we heard the message that Jesus came a second time to the group in the Upper Room.  Again, He came right through “locked doors.” He greeted the fearful group: “Peace!”  And He turned to address Thomas to quiet his fear that the one the disciples claimed they had seen a week ago might be an imposter.   Nothing could keep Jesus away from those who had been his companions for three years.

At that 2nd visit in the Upper Room Jesus praises those who do not seek proof.  On the other hand, neither does He condemn those who seek a sign.  He meets us where we are on our faith journey. He does not condemn Thomas for wanting to see proof in the nail marks.  Instead, he offers living proof to help his unbelief.  “See my hands; put your finger here.”  And then He nurtures maturity in faith when he says: “Blessed are they who have not seen but have believed.”

In Monday’s gospel there is an exchange with Nicodemus about the wind. From whence does it come, and where does it go?  Jesus gently tries to explain, “If I tell you of earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?”  If only if we understood that seeing may not be believing but believing can bring sight.

 The lessons remembered by John continue.  “God does not ration the gifts of the Spirit; the Father gives everything to the Son.”  As the evening grows long, the disciples go down to the sea.  It grows dark as they rest and row and drift in the boat.  When they are several miles from shore, one by one the Apostles perk up and point to a silhouette of a man who appears to be walking on the water toward them A calming voice is heard: “It is I.  Do not be afraid.”  Those who are familiar with the voice of God will immediately recognize when Jesus speaks.

Today we hear a curious detail. John relates that before Peter jumps from the boat into the sea, he grabs his clothing “for he was lightly clad.”  He puts on more clothes to jump into the water?  Is that typical of what we tend to do?  If you think about it, it probably is.   We don’t want to leave anything behind even when it only adds weight to our journey.  What does Jesus tell us to do?  Not, grab all your belongings, we’re going on a journey of a lifetime.  Rather he says: Feed my sheep; feed my lambs.   Follow me!

What is your excess baggage?  What needs to be left behind?  We have to clear out old expectations if we are to have room to welcome new experiences.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   Acts 5:27-32; 40-41         Second Reading:  Revelation 5:11-14
Gospel:   John 21:1-19
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