Jesus
“Don’t simply seek to find a place for Jesus in your life; live your whole life in Jesus.”
With the singing of the Vigil this past Saturday evening, we begin our celebration of the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ – once called Corpus Christi (but that only refers to the Body of Christ). I suspect many of us can recall when th
is was an all-day in-church occasion with processions and Benediction in three locations? I can remember that but I recall most vividly enduring curlers in my hair. I had stringy, VERY straight hair and my mother did not consider braids or a ponytail appropriate for church. So I slept with toilet paper twists in my hair to make curls that barely lasted until the end of Mass. Before lunch my hair was secured in bobby pin twists to get me through the afternoon processions. Not a very holy memory but one that certainly marks this day as special.
In the Gospel account just read, Mark describes for us only those elements of the Passover that he believes to be most essential: Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it and shared it with his disciples. Similar words and actions follow as Jesus shares the chalice with his disciples. And don’t you love the part about where the Passover will be celebrated! Go to town. You will see a man with a jug on his shoulder. (Another evangelist says, “you’ll see a man with a donkey.”) Ask him “Where is your guest room, where we may eat the Passover meal.” Isn’t that what Jesus says to us when He appears in the person of the guest, the stranger: “Where is your guest room, where may I eat?”
I think back to 1959-60 when our original wood-frame convent-home building was condemned by the fire department. The local community responded with generous hearts when we asked, “May our Sisters and academy girls live with your family and on the third floor of Saint Anthony School until we can build a new house.” We certainly felt “welcomed as Christ” – the people saw it as a privilege to meet our need. Over the course of this year we will have our turn to return the favor. Gradually we will begin to open our doors wider.
Today, each and every day Jesus asks each of us … “have you reserved a guest room for Me in your heart? Where I may rest, where I may eat a meal with you? Our corporate commitment continues to challenge us to “respond with the compassion of Christ to the hungers of God’s people.” I envision Jesus, his cloak open wide, to envelope all creation – no space between peoples – ALL persons gathered with, and into, Christ.
Pondering the significance of this feast (other than curlers in my hair), it strikes me that with Christmas we are touched with joy and awe at the birth of Christ. At Easter we explode with ALLELUIA at the resurrection of our Savior. The Ascension leaves us quietly looking upward, waiting in expectation for “what’s next?” Then, comes the solemnity of the Trinity – the
mystery that baffles us … that God is so great, so awesome that only in three persons can all the divine manifestations be expressed. And today; the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ – this touches, awakens in us feelings we can hardly express – that our God, our Jesus, our Savior would choose to gift us in such a personal, intimate way. The Psalmist knew a close relationship with God. Sometimes on a 1:1, face-to-face basis. In Psalm 103 we pray, “The Holy One enfolds us in tenderness, fills our life with richness, renewing our youth like an eagle’s.” We, who live since Jesus’ coming on earth … how privileged we are! Our God and Savior chooses to be assimilated within the body of the creature. His body and blood become, over and over, absorbed into my body – His blood courses in my veins. Did you ever wonder how an aspirin knows where you ache? Or an antibiotic knows what to attack? Is it heresy to say: Jesus attaches himself to every fiber of my being? When the Eucharistic minister and I look each other in the eye, the minister says: “Body of Christ.” Note the minister does not say “This is the Body of Christ.” No, it is greeting that the minister and communicant exchange. The one greets us: “Body of Christ” – it’s a greeting not an announcement. Our one-word response, AMEN, acknowledges, “You, too, are the are the Body of Christ. AMEN!”
Some of you have heard this story from my first year as a CCD teacher. Sister Rosaria, the pastor and I were unsure if Jimmy had sufficient reasoning to make First Communion. (How little we understood!) On First Communion Sunday, following the Consecration, when the priest elevated the Host, the child’s voice could be heard by everyone in the church. With awe in his voice he said aloud: “Here He comes!” A lesson to us all. Yes, here He comes! He is only depending on us to make room in our hearts, in our lives to respond generously and unhesitantly to his query: “Where is your guest room? Where may I rest; where may I eat a meal with you?”
~ Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress
First Reading: Exodus 24:1-6
Second Reading: Hebrews 9:11-15 Gospel: Mark 14:14:12-16; 22-26
Continue ReadingTrinity Sunday
Pray over this Memorial Day weekend for prudence and safety for all those celebrating the holiday in the company of large crowds.
Remember and pray for the our deceased military service personnel and military families coping with their loss and often with lingering mental health and other conditions that plague retirees and their loved ones.
God bless you each with good health, much happiness and abundant peace.
Start Where You Are
I ask you the same question Moses asked the people in Sunday’s first reading: “I ask now, did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of? Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking as you did?” “This” Moses says: “is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the Lord is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. I enjoin this upon you today that you and your children after you may prosper, and you may have long life on the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you forever.”
Is there any greater reason, and motivation, found in Scripture than these words to prompt us to take stock of what we have and where we are going? If you need another nudge, just read the Gospel passage for this weekend. “The disciples gathered with Jesus and worshiped him, BUT they doubted!” Jesus stepped closer to them and reminded them: “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Then, in so many words, Jesus told them to put their own hands on the plow and get on with the job. “Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded YOU.” Then, he reassures them and he guarantees us …“Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the ages.”
That’s a tall directive! But Jesus is serious! “Therefore, GO!” Or as Father Henry said earlier today: “Jesus is saying: No excuses!” So, where do we begin? This much I know: we have to start where we are. Awaken our hearts to recognize and embrace the truth of who we were and who’ve we become; who we are. In the message of a song performed by EMBRACE, an English band: “I’ve been running for oh so long; there’s a light that guides us, I don’t see. Catch the light, reflect it down on me; show me where I went wrong. The lies are bad; the truth is worse. One day there’ll come a time when our questions have all dried up and chance can come back into your life. Til then you’ll know that it’s all a waste. Invite the chance back into your life; it’s time to invite all the chance back into your life.”
You’ve probably heard the principle that if a person doesn’t treat inanimate objects with respect, we can predict she/he will have no respect for living things. Benedict knew this, didn’t he? In RB 31 he cautions the members, not solely the person given charge of the inventory, “To take care of everything; to regard all utensils and goods of the monastery (that includes the persons) as sacred vessels of the altar, aware that nothing is to be neglected.” It could not be clearer that as Benedictines we are charged to care of ALL creation. To practice good stewardship, sound environmental practices, reverence for all persons. To operate machinery and tech tools; close a door, set a table and push in chairs with the same gentleness we cradle a chalice. This attitude of devotion and sensitivity starts with our own person and extends to all persons. It is reflected in our demeanor and decorum; our respect for an atmosphere of monastic quiet. We move with a touch of gentleness for the environment in which we find ourselves. It shows in our manner of walking, speaking, acting and interacting.
You’ve heard of the “butterfly effect” – EVERY thing we do or say sends seemingly unending ripples into the environment – affecting and effecting and infecting a circle of influence beyond our imagination. When we acknowledge this our response must be one prayer for forgiveness any negativity we’ve spewed into the world. May I suggest we offer a prayer inspired by Servite Sister Joyce Rupp and adapted for this community:
A PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TOO MUCH
To our brothers and sisters in developing areas of our country and around the world:
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While I was deciding which of seven cereals to eat this morning, you were searching in dumpsters for leftover scraps.
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While I was working out in the exercise room or walking the paved track, you were working in the wealthy landowner’s fields under a scorching sun or in teeming rain.
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When I choose between soda or juice, your parched lips are yearning for the touch of water. When I choose between brands of bottled water, you search in the landfill for something you could exchange for pennies to buy food for your children.
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While I complain about the poor service in the local restaurant or turn up my nose at the food on our buffet table, I think of you who gratefully accept a bag or box of government commodities from Daystar.
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When a sudden noise startles me, a shout for a winning team or the ice machine motor interrupts conversation, I think of you who live in fearful threat of unpredictable noise and violence and the frequent eruption of gunfire day and night.
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When I complain about a lack of connecting speed on my shining laptop, I remember 1000s of children who are losing a year of education because they have no WiFi connection, no Internet service or probably not a computer to use.
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While I poured my “all-in-one” detergent into the washing machine, you stand in the river with your small bundle of clothes.
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While I watch the evening news on our wide-screen TV, you are among those I witnessed being terrorized by the dictatorship government.
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While I scanned the ads for a bargain price on a new shirt, you woke up and put on the same shirt and pants that you have worn for many months, thankful for others’ cast-offs.
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While I grumbled over the need for more storage space, your family of l0 found shelter in a one-room packing-box hut you call home.
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When I went to chapel and felt slightly bothered at the length of the prayer service or the silence or a boring homily, you looked out upon the earth and those around you and felt gratitude to God just for being alive for one more day.
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(So, we pray) My brothers and sisters, forgive me for my arrogance and my indifference. Forgive me for my greed of always wanting newer, bigger and better things. Forgive me for not doing my part to change the unjust systems that keep you suffering and impoverished. I offer you my promise to become more aware of your situation and to change my lifestyles as I work for transformation of our world.
~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB
Deuteronomy 4:32-34; 39-40 Romans 8:14-17 Matthew 28:16-20
Continue Reading“Do Whatever He Tells You”
Did you hear that? Jesus said: “Ask for whatever you want and it will be given you.” I wonder how many times he may have said that to his parents? Isn’t that the same directive Mary gave the wine servers at the wedding feast at Cana? This is May and May is traditionally the month of Mary.” As one author notes: “Many Christians (particularly Catholics) consecrate themselves to the virgin Mary … to become ‘another Mary for Jesus, a faithful, loving, and trusting companion of the Savior.” We see that trustful relationship between mother and Son at that wedding feast. It seems to me that’s a good message to ponder in the time and space we find ourselves in this week. “Do whatever He tells you.” [you may recall some of what comes next …]
The miracle at Cana has never ceased happening. Every moment of every day Christ pours himself into the empty jars of our lives. He is the GOOD WINE – extravagant, abundant, endless. We can’t understand how it happens. We don’t know how it happens. We only know that it does happen. We’ve experienced it and witnessed moments when death is turned into life, sorrow into joy, and despair into hope. We’ve been surprised when fear was transformed into courage and we’ve seen people do things they never thought possible. We’ve done what we thought was impossible! We’ve known moments when empty lives have been filled back up. So …
When the wine runs out and you are confused – but others are looking for answers – (recall what Mary told the wine servers) – DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.
When the wine runs out, and troubles swirl about you so your head is a muddle … When COVID is raging and safety guidelines are restrictive, turn to our Savior who was constrained on a Cross … and, DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.
When the wine runs out, and you know aridity and still you struggle to be upbeat … When the wine runs out, when a loved one dies or a friendship withers, DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.
When good intentions don’t fill the void but only seem to pave the road to you-know-where – DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.
When your illusion of self-sufficiency is shattered and your spirit is empty, and you shake your water jar and hear the sound of hollowness, don’t despair – just … DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.
When the day is a disaster, an embarrassment, a failure, grab your empty jar, fill it with what water of your tears and then DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.
When your wine is running low, and no one else seems to notice, listen to your mother; remember what she told you: DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.
When life lacks vibrancy and the future is colorless, fill your jar with the water of common life, not bottled water, not Dasani or Zephyrhills water … the water of your everyday life, and DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.
When hope wears thin and faith is shaky; when you’re filled with guilt for deeds left undone and offenses given, bend your knee and bow your head and, DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.
When life is full of changes that threaten, lean into the One who is changeless. When you have more questions than answers, there’s an answer for any query … DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.
When your best efforts fall short and your life-glass looks more than half-empty, breathe deeply and, DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.
“They have no wine,” Mary said. But they will. The miracle always begins when the wine gives out. Regardless of how it feels or what we think about it, the day the wine runs out is the beginning of a miracle. Christ does not simply refill our glasses. He transforms our lives, turning water into wine. That which was colorless becomes vibrant. That which had no taste now tingles the tongue. That which had no fragrance now has a full bouquet.
Simply remember this – plant it in your heart: when the wine runs out,
DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.
Continue ReadingActive Contemplation
On this third Sunday of Easter, we continue to hear accounts of Jesus’ appearances following his Resurrection. The first lines of this Gospel refer to the Emmaus story. Two disciples were taking a Sunday stroll – well, a seven-mile walk – chatting about the events of the last several days. Suddenly a stranger unceremoniously slipped into their company. In today’s account, the two disciples hurry back to Jerusalem to report the glad news of how they recognized Jesus in the breaking of bread. To their surprise, they discovered that the apostles, still hiding in the Upper Room, were already convinced of the resurrection of Jesus. Mary of Magdala had told them and Simon also had seen Him.
Consistent with all the reports of Jesus’ post-Resurrection appearances, He greets the assembled disciples with the words, “Peace be with you.” They have witnessed the death of someone they loved, and they fear for their own lives. Peace is what they need more than anything else. But, at Jesus’ sudden appearance they are startled and terrified. They are uncertain about what to make of the figure before them. Quite understandably, they mistake Jesus for a ghost. Yet the figure before them is not a ghost; Jesus invites them to experience his resurrected body with their senses, to look and to touch. They can’t forget his sufferings but peace begins to take root in their hearts, as their fears turn to joy and amazement.
This is Jesus: real and alive as he had been over the past three years. He asks for something to eat – a sign they recognize and cannot deny. It convinces them that they are not dreaming or having a mere vision or hallucination. He goes on to explain to them how the prophecies are being fulfilled in him. The evangelist says Jesus “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” A lectio experience – one we ask for as we enter into a period of lectio or centering prayer or active contemplation. Sounds like a contradiction: active contemplation? But often it takes concerted effort to “quiet down” to let the Spirit come into our presence. We actively say NO to all the distractions that may tempt us to do almost anything: read, do an act of charity, visit the sick, talk to the lonely, do a puzzle, clean a room, catch up on the news, – the devil calls us to do anything rather than center ourselves to give Jesus prime space and allow the Spirit to “open our minds, our ears, our hearts.” As one author puts it: “contemplation is the gift given simply because we showed up.” Like the disciples, we gather in mutual support. We pray, we eat and Jesus steps into our midst saying: “Peace! See, it is I.”
This gospel, and all the appearances of the resurrected Jesus, show us not only how Jesus convinced his disciples of his resurrection, but this same Jesus prepares us to come together to listen to God’s words and offer ourselves along with our gifts of bread and wine. And don’t minimize the parting message at Mass: “Go forth to share the message you have received.” We can’t share what we do not have – so listen up, attune your mind and your heart, read the Scriptures ahead of time, let the message begin to steep like tea in the warmness of your heart.
The philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once told a story about a circus that caught fire. The flames spread to the fields surrounding the circus grounds and began to burn toward the village below. The circus master, convinced that the village would be destroyed and the people killed unless they were warned, asked if there was anybody who could go to the village and warn the people. The clown, dressed in full costume, jumped on a bicycle and sped down the hill to the village below. “Run for your lives! Run for your lives! “A fire is coming and the village is going to burn!” he shouted as he rode up and down the streets. Curious, the villagers came out of their houses and shops and stood along the sidewalks. They shouted back to the clown, laughing and applauding his performance. The more desperately the clown shouted, the more the villagers cheered. The village burned to the ground and the loss of life was great because no one took the clown seriously. After all, he was just a clown.
When Jesus comes in our door, do we recognize Him? Maybe he’s not dressed as a clown or shouting and waving. How will we recognize Him? Have we met Him often enough in our everyday lives that we immediately recognize Him? Have we met Him in the wounds of the poor? Or in the broken hearts of the bereaved? In the victims of violence? In people who live in dire poverty – maybe with ragged, smelly clothing because they have no place to wash up? Maybe there are times when it is easier to see Jesus in the face of the stranger or the guest than it is in the face of the Sister (spouse, person) across from us at the dinner table or the chapel aisle or walking the hallways. Jesus says: “Look at my hands and my feet (we can add: look at my face); see that it is I, your Lord.”
~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress
First Reading: Acts 3:13-15,17-19 Second Reading: 1 John 2:1-5a
Gospel: Luke 24:35-48
Continue ReadingLent 2021 – Part 3
Jesus’ Peace
Abbot Gregory J. Polan talks about the peace that Jesus gives in his Lenten Circular Letter. You can read the first two parts on our website under “Articles of Interest”: www.benedictinesistersoffl.org. The Abbot’s brief bio is at the beginning of the first post.
The following is from Abbot Polan’s recent Circular:
The gift of Jesus’ peace forces us to seek our God’s mysterious and inscrutable ways, to understand that faith and trust in God’s providential care for us take us to new levels of meaning and significance of peace. Jesus would certainly have a sense of how the leaders of his time were threatened by his teaching and also his strong following from among the people. This is how Jesus encourages his disciples, and also us, as we face the uncertain future that will roll-out in the coming weeks, months, and even years. Economic, social and national rebuilding will all take time, effort and patience. I hope this can be a word of encouragement to the Benedictine men and women, knowing that our willingness to remain faithful will bear rich fruit in times to come. Paschal living calls for great courage and faith, and its fruits are already growing within us.
Jesus emphasizes that the peace which he gives is not “as the world gives it,” that is to say, not an immediate feeling of well-being and fulfillment. Rather we note how Jesus speaks here as he bestows his own peace upon his closest friends. The peace of Jesus is not something that comes without a price, a price of surrender to the unfolding plan of God in his life, and also in our lives. The Dominican preacher, Father Bede Jarrett, uses an expression which describes this Scriptural passage so well and speaks to us today: “Jesus looked at his life intensely.” The peace that comes from following Jesus comes with the price of following him, remaining close to him, trusting him, believing in his unique yet salvific path to glory. We know that “paying the price” for finding this peace enables us to live in hope, a divine gift that comes at a price and whose rewards are eternal, even now.
The last post from Abbot Polan’s Circular Letter will be sent Friday, April 29th.
Continue Reading