Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Gospel

Our God is a God of the Living, not the Dead

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In the 2nd reading for this 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Paul says to the Thessalonians: “Pray that the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified.”  Paul continues: “I am confident in the Lord that what we instruct you, you are doing and will continue to do as the Lord directs your hearts to the love of God and the endurance of Christ.”  This is a reminder that, yes, Jesus is depending upon us to be His hands and heart, acting on His behalf in our world.

Since last week a lot has happened in less than one chapter in the Gospel according to Luke. Jesus’ actions have made the religious leaders so angry “they wanted to lay hands on him right then but were afraid of the people.”  Why fear the people? Because the common people are absolutely spellbound by Jesus’ teachings. To top it off, Jesus had dared to eat with the sinner Zacchaeus.

This kind of behavior forced the religious leaders to wait until they could manipulate public opinion in their favor. Today, (in this Gospel) they try to trick Jesus in a very mean way with a question about what happens after we die.  If Jesus gives a yes OR no answer, then they could make fun of him and try to convince the people that they shouldn’t listen to Jesus. But Jesus knows they are up to no good and He does not fall for their trick. Instead of talking about what happens after we die, Jesus talks about God as the God of the living, not of the dead.

Technically our reading ends with verse 38. Why it ends there is anybody’s guess. We really need to hear verse 40 to appreciate the impact of Jesus’ words.  “Some of the scribes answered: ‘Teacher, you have spoken well.’  And, they no longer dared to ask him any more questions.” (Luke 20: 39-40)

If ever there was a group of people who were invested in the so-called “Gotcha” kind of questions, the religious authorities of Jesus’ day were that kind.  It’s little different today.  Sometimes certain politicians (usually the ones who are losing popularity points and don’t do well in interviews or debates) say that the reason they had such a shaky performance was that they were being set up all along with “Gotcha” questions designed to make them look stupid.  Whether or not that’s necessarily true is something one can determine by replaying the questions and their answers. But sometimes it does turn out to be true and you can tell just by carefully watching the interviewee’s evasive look or cast down eyes as well as the reporter’s smug look into the camera.  He/she didn’t really want an answer.  It was just a childish ploy to get under someone’s skin and gain a headline and Tik Tok followers.  It’s not an uncommon trick.

In this case in the Gospel, some thought it would be fun to publicly humiliate Jesus.  But Jesus turned the tables on his listeners. Now I don’t believe Jesus is telling us not to ask any questions.  But we do need to refrain from asking Sadducee-like questions. Those are trick questions; ones we already know the answer to. Or they might be questions for which we really do want the answer, but we only ask indirectly by pretending it’s someone else who wants an answer. You know how we do it:  Sister “Some-One-Else” was wondering if …  Or they might be hinting at a need or a desire instead of asking outright in the hope that the right person will overhear us, will catch on and come to our rescue.  Jesus is reminding us to ask open, honest questions and truly listen deep down for the Voice of the Spirit who often speaks to us through the lips of another.

If we drill deeply into this story in Luke, we’ll discover that the Sadducees were actually impressed by Jesus.  Maybe it was a flash-back to 20 years earlier when the 12-year-old Jesus amazed the people in the temple with his knowledge. Today Jesus is congratulated for his logic and use of Scripture to answer their tricky question.

In this week ahead, when we visit the cemetery and pray for our deceased Sisters, we will have the opportunity to focus on Jesus’ lesson about resurrection of the dead.  We will call to mind, by name, our 51 deceased community members and pray for all who are buried in that sacred space.  May all those who have gone before us on their journey of faith rest in eternal peace!

~by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

On Monday, November 7th our Sisters will gather at the cemetery located on Saint Leo University campus to honor the memory of their 51 deceased members.  Friends of the community are welcome to join them for the Prayer Service and laying of flowers on the graves. 

 

 

First Reading  2 Maccabees 7:2; 9-14            
Second Reading Thessalonians 2:16-3:5   
Gospel Reading  Luke 20:27-28

 

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Same Job; Different Destiny

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Have you ever been to a parade, a concert or a sports event where all that was visible in the direction of the stage was a sea of hats and banners and maybe some bald heads?  Well, today’s story is about such a situation.  A man went to a parade but being short he couldn’t see the main attraction.  He’d heard it was a man who had become quite famous for performing miracles. This man, Jesus was his name, was passing through Jericho, the town where Zacchaeus lived.  And, Zacchaeus REALLY wanted to see Jesus!  But he was small of stature, and he didn’t have a step stool or a periscope.  Quite a contrast with the story in this morning’s (Saturday) Gospel about people who were assuming to take the honorable places at table.

Zacchaeus ran on ahead of Jesus and the moving crowd to a spot where he climbed a sycamore tree so he could get a good view.  Now, I’ve read that the city codes did not allow the planting of sycamore trees within the city limits. They had to be planted at least 75 feet outside the city walls. So, Zacchaeus had to run past everyone in town to climb up that tree.  Jesus arrives under the tree, makes eye contact with Zacchaeus and communicates to him how glad he was to see Zacchaeus.  Jesus knew everything there was to know about Zacchaeus and his fraudulent tax collection practices.  Yet, He loved him and had compassion on him “briers and all.”  What a picture of grace!  That’s how it is for us, too.  Jesus knows everything there is to know about us, but He still loves each of us.

The other day I came across my notes on this Gospel from 2010.  We would have been deep into the planning process for the big move to this monastery building.  My jottings based on Margaret Wheatley’s book TURNING TO ONE ANOTHER continue to speak to us today in this post-pandemic season.  I wrote: “I see our community, climbing a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus and a vision for our future.  We know change won’t happen overnight, but we also know that the future is germinating in the NOW.”

Wheatley reminds us: “There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about.  Ask what is possible, not what’s wrong?  Be intrigued by differences.  Expect to be surprised.  Treasure curiosity more than certainty. Invite everybody who cares, to work on what’s possible.  Stay together. Know that creative solutions come from new connections. Remember, you don’t fear people whose story you know. Trust, that meaningful conversations can change the world.”

Isn’t that the message Jesus had for Zacchaeus? “Come down quickly for today I must stay at your house.”

“Come down quickly!”  How many times does Jesus have to tell us just that?  Come down off your high horse; come down from your stubborn opinions; come down from your unreasonable expectations, come down from your self-elevation above your confreres.  How comforting, reassuring is Jesus reason for asking us to come down: “So I might stay at your house tonight.”

We must come down out of our “trees” of isolation, aloneness, self-satisfaction.  And, while we are together at table with Jesus, let’s practice Wheatley’s advice: “Rely on human goodness.  Stay together. Talk to people you know and those you don’t know and those you never talk to. Be brave enough to start of conversation that matters.  Assume that many others share your dreams.” (Adapted from Wheatley)

An interesting part of the Zacchaeus story is that, as far as we know, Zacchaeus did not change jobs after his encounter with Jesus. He did not join the entourage that traveled with Jesus.  He was a tax collector before he met Jesus, and it seems he continued collecting taxes after he met Christ. His job was the same, but his destiny was different.

The text says Zacchaeus was “seeking” Jesus.  But if I read the story right, Jesus really was seeking Zacchaeus.  He came to seek and save all the lost.  Zacchaeus tried to climb up to God, but he didn’t get past the lowest branches.   While other folks look up for Jesus, Zacchaeus climbed up in order to lo down.  In this instance, it was Jesus who looked up.  Jesus beckoned Zacchaeus to come down and invited Himself to dinner. Jesus invites Himself here, to each of us, today and every day with the same the message He spoke to Zacchaeus: “Come down; salvation has come to your house.  I want to dine with you this night. Looking up Jesus said: Come down quickly for today I must stay at your house.”

 

~by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

Listen to the ditty on You Tube of the children’s hymn: “Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man” –  Be forewarned: it may leave you humming and toe-tapping the rest of the day …

Have an enjoyable Halloween, pleasant All Saints’ Day and pleasant memories as you recall family who have gone before you in faith on All Souls’ day.

 You are invited,  if you have not already done so, to send us the names of deceased relatives and friends to be remember throughout November …  those lists are placed in a basket before our altar throughout the month.

  May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace!

 

 

First Reading  Wisdom 11:22—12:2            
Second Reading 2 Thessalonians 1:11—2:2   
Gospel Reading  Luke 19:1-10

 

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P.U.S.H. – Pray Until Something Happens

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Have you ever seen in action the dynamic described in the Gospel?   Recently I witnessed it in play in the Dade City Dollar Tree.  A 4-year was touching every bag of candy that was within his reach from his seat in the grocery cart.  His mom retraced her steps a couple of times trying to decide what the kids might accept for supper. The child’s voice was a continuous undertone of hinting.  “Oh, Mom, this looks so good!  Mom, this is a good one, too.  Mom, the other kids would really like this kind.”  Mom repeated her mantra: “But we are not here for candy.  We are not getting candy today.”  As they were coming to the end of the aisle, her automatic reply changed: “Oh, just stop and put it in the basket.”  Can’t you hear that child silently cheering?  “Yea, it worked again.”

Remember, in Jesus’ time a widow not only had the hurdle of being a woman, but she also faced a terrible judge who had no fear of God.  The widow in our story today didn’t sit at home wringing her hands about her problem. She got up and she took action!  She figured: “God helps those who help themselves.”  So, she approached the only person that could help her.  She didn’t let worry fill her mind with bad thoughts of the worst that could happen. She is an example of one who sees the glass, not half empty, but half full.  She didn’t let worrisome thoughts stew until her worry became like water spilling over rocks.  First a mere trickle of doubt creeps into your mind. If it isn’t stopped, it soon becomes a stream of fear which creates a pond of paranoia which overflows into a river of distress which develops into a raging torrent of tension. And before you know it, the flood of worry has carved a Grand Canyon of anxiety in your mind!  Attention to detail is one thing but worry, one writer says is “faith in the negative”.  “Worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s troubles.”  (Author unknown)  Charles Schulz of “Peanuts” fame, once said: “Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia.”

The Apostle Paul is a typical example of someone who could set worry aside as he attacked his problems.  Stuck in a Roman dungeon facing the possibility of being beheaded, he did not worry about dying.  He prayed.  And in addition to praying, he wrote letters to encourage Christians to pray instead of worry. For instance, he wrote to the Philippians from his damp, dark, depressing dungeon: “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worry into prayers. Before you know it, you’ll feel a sense of God’s wholeness.  Everything will come together for good and settle you down.”

When we face a challenging circumstance, we have two choices. We can lose heart and let worrisome thoughts control our minds; or we can pray the sentiment in the prayer commonly referred to as the Serenity Prayer:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

The child at the Dollar Tree and the widow in the Gospel both seem to innately know an acronym that was new to me: “P.U.S.H.”  Pray Until Something Happens!  Every time you come to a door that says PUSH – let God remind you: “Pray Until Something Happens!”

 

~by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

First Reading  Exodus 17            
Second Reading  2 Timothy 3:14-4:2
Gospel Reading  Luke 18:1-8
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No Single Person Needs To Do It All

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In the Gospel we hear: “as Jesus entered a certain village a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home…. Mary sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.”  In tomorrow’s first reading from Genesis, we have the story of Sarah slaving in the kitchen and Abraham entertaining their three guests: bowing in greeting, sending them to wash up while he scurries about getting a choice steer and giving Sarah orders on what and how to prepare the meal which he alone hosts for his new buddies.

Both Scripture readings (it seems to me) concern more than the contrast between the activists – Martha behind the scenes and Abraham busy arranging the details – and the more reticent ladies, Mary and Sarah.   The incidents illustrate more than hostesses each doing what they do best to make an evening delightful.  There is a bit of all these characters in each of us – one or the other prevails from day to day, and situation to situation.

Jesus’ response to Martha’s “don’t you even care that I am stuck in the kitchen?” reminds us “only one thing is necessary.”  It causes us to realize that I, as an individual, do not have to do it all.  This is evident in our practice of taking only one role in at a time in the dining room or in a single liturgy – we acknowledge (for instance) that liturgy is a communal act where all present are on the same level: differing in gifts but equal in importance.  Everything needs to get done, there are plenty of roles to share: leaders and readers, cooks and servers, singers and keyboardists, prayer leaders and bell ringers, gift bearers and petitioners, Eucharistic ministers and the celebrant.   At times our ranks may be slim, especially when members are away or illness prohibits or limits our participation, but we strive to engage everyone in the communal roles.

This is the attitude we strive to express also in the distribution of daily chores.  No single person needs to do it all – choices have to be made.  Self-importance can creep in the way if I am not careful to realize the impression I make if I try single-handedly to assume the burden of chores failing to ask for assistance.  There are times, certainly, when we have to double up on duties but we need to be conscious of enabling others to offer service and to give them the respect of recognizing their capabilities.

The Gospel also gives us a glimpse of Jesus as a gracious guest: the object of Mary’s attentions and the recipient of Martha’s service.  Jesus knew his role as servant and the one being served – the contrast between serving and resting gently and securely in the role of being a servant or a guest.

To paraphrase some thoughts from Richard Foster in his book Celebration of Discipline:

  There is a difference between choosing to serve and choosing to be a servant (with emphasis on the word CHOOSING).    When we chose to serve, we are still in charge.  We decide whom we will serve and where we will serve and when we will serve.  And if we are in charge, we will worry a great deal about anyone stepping on us, that is taking charge over us.

     But when we choose to be a servant, we give up the right to be in charge.  There is a great freedom in this.  When we choose to be a servant, we surrender the right to decide who and where and when we will serve.  We become available and vulnerable.

We pray, then, for the grace to have a balance in our lives of being servant (a server) and of being open, receptive, gracious when others render us service – thus enabling them to achieve their God-given calling to serve.  We pray that God grant us the grace to be:

  • Humble when helpless
  • Patient when infirmed
  • Gracious when a guest
  • Comfortable when the object of service and attention, affection and praise from others

~Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress

 

 Have good week … a little of “Martha” balance by some “Mary” in your life…

 

First Reading: Genesis 18:1-10         Second Reading: Colossians 1:24-28          Gospel: Luke 10:38-42
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Old Things Have Passed Away

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Notice the rose colored appointments in our chapel!  It’s Laetare Sunday – a common name for this Fourth Sunday of Lent.  The Latin word comes from the Entrance Antiphon which begins “Laetare, Jerusalem” (“Rejoice, O Jerusalem”).  A little known custom for Laetare Sunday designates the day “Mothering Sunday”.  But it is not a celebration of mothers (although many countries do fix their Mother’s Day celebrations on this day).  It goes back to the 16th Century when it was common practice on the 4th Sunday of Lent for people to go “a-mothering” – to pay a visit to their “mother church” – the church of their baptism.

In England, Mothering Sunday was the only day during Lent when marriages could be celebrated.  In the United States, domestic servants were usually given a day off to visit their mothers.  Lenten fasting was relaxed and cakes were distributed to family members, giving rise to the name “Refreshment Sunday”.  The name Rose Sunday stems from the color of the priest’s vestments – a muted lavender bringing out red tones.

Let’s turn to our Gospel reading of a young man’s “growing up” experience.  It took moving away from home for this younger son to “come to himself.”   Developmental psychologists tell us, and parents know, that some young people need to reject their conventional faith in order to come to their own faith.  That reminds me of the story of Jesus straying from his parents after services in the temple in Jerusalem.  [Or, I wonder, was it his parents who went off without him.]  He was 12 now.  He was a man.  So he figured his parents would understand this “coming to himself” moment.  Put another way, like the young man in the Gospel, they both “came to themselves” and were welcomed back into the security of loving parents.

At such times parents may feel like a failure.  But let’s turn it around – it can be viewed as a success.  They’ve given the young person the confidence, and enough rope, to leave home, to spread their wings and find their own faith.  You’ve probably heard the saying: “If you love something set it free, if it returns it was meant to be; if it continues to fly, let it soar.  Have faith that God has something better in store.”

The gospel suggests that the parent was his look-out for the wandering child, daily scanning the horizon (or FaceBook, Tik Tok, Instagram and YouTube) hoping against hope for a sign of their child.  Upon sighting their child, the parent’s heart is “filled with compassion” and, in the case of our Gospel story, rushes out to welcome the one for whom they have yearned and prayed.  “Prodigals” of all ages need to know that, like the heart of God, we are hoping for their return and that they will always be welcome home – with open arms.

Our Gospel shows us the difference between “coming home” and a “home-coming.”  The son approached in fear and trepidation; the parent flung aside any resentment and ill-will.  The young man was coming home to he knew-not-what kind of a reception.  This parent threw a spontaneous homecoming party!  And, welcomed and embraced the Prodigal almost before he could utter his rehearsed apology.  What a picture of unconditional love!

It doesn’t matter if prodigals don’t return to our particular expression of faith within God’s family.  We pray that the good values that were instilled and modeled for them over the years – will sustain their journey, whatever road they take.  And, we pray that we remember: true “for-giveness” is present long before the embrace of their homecoming.  The waiting father, the renegade son and the “look at how good I have been” son … all knew peace at the end of the day.

We believe Benedict when he says that seeking peace is the way to heaven – heaven in the after-life and a little bit of heaven here on earth.  In the Prologue to Benedict’s Rule we find the admonition: “seek PEACE and pursue it.”  I like the translation that says “seek peace and go after it.”  That conjures up quite an image…  dashing out of the chapel, into the dining room, down the halls, out the door, into the neighborhoods, climbing God’s holy mountain pursuing PEACE – never abandoning charity nor giving a false peace.

Let us each renew our commitment to make PEACE more than a concept that we talk about.  Let us make a daily pledge to be people of peace, to be a peaceful people.  Make each day an echo of what Paul tells us in the second reading: “The old things have passed away; behold new things have come….  We have been reconciled through Christ and (this is the punch line) WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN A MINISTRY OF RECONCILATION.”

~ Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress

 

First Reading:  Joshua 5:9a; 10-12     Second Reading:  2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Gospel:  Luke 15:1-3; 11-32
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Will You Give with Open Hands and Heart

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The measure with which you measure,

will in turn be measured out to you.

 

It seems to me, that sadly, we live in a society that seems, in many ways, to have forgotten much of this Gospel message.  Children participate in what is termed “competitive sports”, but they come to believe there is a trophy or a tiara for everyone for every event.  They miss an opportunity to know the thrill of running for the sheer joy of feeling the wind on their faces, a hug from a parent – a loving squeeze without words that conveys, “I am so proud of you!”  The pleasure St. Paul writes about to Timothy: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.”  I wonder, did he watch or participate in the competitive games in the coliseum he writes about to the Corinthians: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize?”

All-too-quickly today’s young people can lose (and sadly never rediscover) the warm, fuzzy feelings of self-satisfaction that was once a natural reaction to success.  You know that gleeful, almost smug smile the first time they stood alone, took their first step… when, for the first time, to the consternation of the adults, they opened a child-proof container, hammered that first nail into mom’s precious table or exhibited their wonderful drawing with indelible pen on the living room wall and exclaimed: “Look what I did!”  No one could be prouder of an achievement!

Jesus advises us: Give your cloak AND your tunic – not just your warm coat (that you haven’t worn in eons) but also the shirt off your back.  Today Jesus might challenge us – Why is your closet stuffed with clothing you haven’t worn since your weight changed or we moved across the street?  It is quite unlikely you’ll ever wear them again.  But that Daystar customer, or that lady from the Sunrise shelter, or the Saint Leo University student who is looking for a business outfit for her first job interview?  Your blouse would fit her perfectly and give her a boost of confidence.

Jesus reminds us, when we invite company for a meal not to wait for a return dinner date.  Don’t ask: whose turn is it to pick up the tab this time?  He says to lend freely without expectation of repayment.  And when you respond generously to the impulse to do good – what caused that desire arise?  Be slow to assume it is due to anything you have done.  Remember Jesus says, “Even sinners lend to their own kind.”  Give, and gifts will be given to you – in good measure, tamped down, packed tight, so your vessel can hold every tiny possible grain of blessing – full to overflowing – spilling over into your life and influencing those around you.

So how will you measure out your kindness – by the teaspoon, tablespoon or a cupful?  By the minute, by the hour it might take you?  We have 24 hours in a day; that’s 168 hours a week.  It’s true they’re not all waking hours.  All toll we have time in excess of 8000 hours a year!  How flexible will you be with these God-given hours?  Will you respond to an imposition on your time?  Now?  Tomorrow?  Next week?  Or with a prayer that the request will be forgotten or someone else will be enlisted to make a donation of her time?  Or will you give with open hands and heart – freely, without measure?

Jesus promises us: “The measure with which you measure, it will in turn be measured out to you.”  And, in turn we will reap the kind of joy recognized by the child who is quoted in the current issue of Reader’s Digest.  She received birthday money from her grandmother to “buy something nice for yourself.”  “I did,” she said when questioned about why she put her gift money in the church collection basket.  “I did” she said, what Grandma said: “I brought happiness!”

~ Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress

 

First Reading:  1 Samuel 26:2,7-9,12-13,22-23     Second Reading:  1 Corinthians 15:45-49
Gospel:  Luke 6:27-38
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