Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

kindness

Unity Week

by Leave a Comment

The three readings we have this weekend are, I believe, they present an example of a woven piece of God’s mysterious message-giving.  It creates a colorful piece with threads that weave the way from Isaiah, through the Letter to the Corinthians, into the Gospel of John, laced with verses from the Responsorial Psalm 40.

From Isaiah we hear: “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.”  Then Paul tells us who the “you” is: “You who are called to be holy with all who call upon the name of Jesus.”  Now slip in a line from Psalm 40: “Sacrifice or offerings you wish not, but ears open to obedience you gave me.”  This leads us right into the Gospel and a declaration of obedience to listening.  Here John the Baptist speak: “I did not know him (that is, when Jesus came to the River Jordan for baptism) “I saw the Spirit and the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, “On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one…”  Then slide back to Psalm 40 “To do your will, O my God, (to be obedient) is my delight.”  Obedience is the psalmist’s delight – John’s, Jesus’ and ours.

This week Wednesday, we will begin the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with the 2023 theme: “Do Good; Seek Justice” (Isaiah 1:17)   The theme is captured in the Gospel reading the presence by the two groups who were present at Jesus’ baptism at the River Jordan: the followers of John and of Jesus in combination with the presence of our Triune God (the voice of the Father, Jesus in the Jordan, and the hovering Spirit in the form of a dove).  The week of prayer for Christian Unity has a 100-year history in which Christians around the world pray for the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper “that they all may be one .”

A question: How did John (the evangelist) come to know so many intimate details about John the Baptist’s encounter with Jesus at the Jordan?  It is generally assumed that the disciple James and his younger brother John were among the followers of the Baptist.   It is likely this is how they, along with Peter and Andrew, first met Jesus.  John was the only one of Christ’s original disciples who lived into old age and the only one who was not martyred for his faith.  He can tell the story of Jesus from an old man’s perspective, wisdom and vision that is a gift of the elderly…. pondering the essentials, sifting out the riff raff of gossip, suppositions and guess work [or, spicing up the stories with borrowed memories and supposed tidbits.]

As we in community know so well, stories are a gift given by older members to newer members.  The elders are the torch bearers, the younger folk the keepers of the torch.  It is they who are responsible to coax the sparks to keep the flame burning.  Our future will be enriched by those who keenly listen and preserve the traditional word-of-mouth stories.  This is what enriches our present by helping us better understand the past and the people who gave shape to our present.  Stories of the “good old days” may get “old” but consider what we’d miss if John and the other evangelists had kept secret their experiences with Jesus.

In today’s world, much like the days of early Christianity, people are facing crises of migration, prejudice, violence and indifference. How can we show “unusual kindness” that is a witness to God’s loving providence for all people? When we invite people to “come and see” they are looking for more than a tour of our monastery building and a list of volunteer ministries. Our spirit of hospitality will have a ripple effect (positive or negative) that makes visible (or not) Jesus’ love in today’s world. We pray that we and all peoples of diverse backgrounds, cultures and religions, are enlightened to accept each other with open hands and hearts and that world peace will prevail in our lifetime.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

First Reading:   Isaiah 49:3, 5-6         Second Reading:  1 Corinthians 1:1-3
Gospel:   John 1:29-34
 
Continue Reading

The Measure With Which You Measure

by Leave a Comment

We live in a society that seems to have forgotten much of this Gospel message.  Children come to believe there is a trophy for every event in life.   They have forgotten – if they ever knew – 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!”

All-too-quickly lose (many sadly never rediscover) the warm, fuzzy feelings of self-satisfaction that was once a natural reaction to success – 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 the first nail into mom’s precious table or exhibited their wonderful drawing with indelible pen on the living room wall…no one could be prouder of an achievement!

School children vie with each other to make donations to a collective cause.  Why?  Because they are learning the virtue of mercy?  Or because they get a “free dress” day at school?  When they come home with evidence of a playground tussle… what often is a parent’s response?  Did you offer your other cheek?  Hardly likely – too frequently I suspect it is more like “I hope you let that other kid know what it’s like to get hit.”

Jesus tells us: Give to everyone who asks; treat others as you’d like to be treated; don’t take back what you gave as gift; give God the credit due for the generous urges you feel toward others and the charitable thoughts that squelch the unkind words that try to spring thoughtlessly past our lips.

Jesus advises us: Give your cloak AND your tunic – not just your warm coat (since you have another at home) but also the shirt off your back.  Today Jesus might challenge us – Why is your closet stuffed with blouses you haven’t worn since before you lost weight – or gained it?  It is quite unlikely you’ll never wear them again.  But that DAYSTAR customer, or that lady from the Sunrise women’s shelter who is going for a job interview?  Your blouse would fit her perfectly and add an ounce of confidence to her self-esteem.

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 to 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 all around you.

But there is a condition – if you are stingy, stinginess will be yours.  But, If you give without measure, ah, blessed the gift! – generosity will be yours.

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?  You have 24 hours in a day (you know?) …  a 168 a week, (true not all waking hours). That’s 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 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.”

~Reflection by S. Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress
Luke 6:27-38
Continue Reading

A Story from the Buddhist Religion

by 1 Comment

First Reading  2 Kings 4:8-11,14-16a   Second Reading  Romans 6:3-4,8-11
Gospel Matthew 10:37-42

From the riches of the Buddhist religion we have this story:

A young widower, who loved his five-year-old son very much, was away on business, and bandits came, burned down his whole village, and took his son away. When the man returned, he saw the ruins and panicked. He took the charred corpse of an infant to be his own child, and he began to pull his hair and beat his chest, crying uncontrollably. He organized a cremation ceremony, collected the ashes, and put them in a very beautiful velvet pouch.  Working, sleeping, or eating, he always carried the bag of ashes with him. One day his real son escaped from the robbers and found his way home. He arrived at his father’s new cottage at midnight, and knocked at the door. You can imagine, at that time, the young father was still carrying the bag of ashes and crying. He asked, “Who is there?” And the child answered, “It’s me, Papa. Open the door, it’s your son.”

In his agitated state of mind the father thought that some mischievous boy was making fun of him, and he shouted at the child to go away, and continued to cry. The boy knocked again and again, but the father refused to let him in. Some time passed, and finally the child left. From that time on, father and son never saw one another.

You see, the Buddha said, “Sometimes you take something to be the truth. If you cling to it so much, when the truth comes in person and knocks on your door, you will not open it.”

Jesus said, “Those who welcome you also welcome me, and those who welcome me welcome the One who sent me.” But what does it mean to welcome Jesus. Perhaps we carry with us a velvet bag of ashes. Valuable yes, but they are the ashes of a childish love for Jesus. Those carefully held notions about who Jesus is will fail us if we cling so tightly that our knowledge and love cannot mature in age and grace.  Remember what St. Paul says: “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I matured, I put away childish things.

In order to welcome Jesus, we just might have to lay aside our bag of ashes in order to move beyond our carefully held notions about who Jesus is.   Our storyteller today (Matthew) has Jesus giving his disciples some instructions about how they are to represent him.  He doesn’t baptize them first. He doesn’t have them memorize a creed. He doesn’t give them a vet’s manual so they can identify sheep from goats. He certainly doesn’t ask them about their age, culture, social circles, and gender preferences or why he should hire them. He doesn’t even give them the assurance of salvation.  In fact he tells them it’s not about them at all. He suggests they have to have a right attitude.  As important as family is, they need to understand that what Jesus represents is more important.  What he represents is even more important than life itself.  He tells them their task is to represent him and in doing so they represent the ONE who sent Him.

The whispered questions begin:  “Huh?  What do you mean? How do we that?  Do we wear special clothes?  Do we need a clerical collar?  Should we keep the Torah always within reach so we can quote it chapter and verse?”  Can’t you see Jesus shaking his head with a bemused smile?  “No, just welcome people into your lives. Welcome everyone, but especially welcome those no one else does. Don’t look so shocked.  Even if all you do is give them is a cup of water, you will find that most gratifying.”  “Is that all??!” they ask.

“That’s it.  Be hospitable and everything else will follow.”  Why did Jesus make hospitality the basis for his ministry?  Perhaps, because it is essential to building relationships.  It is the first step to overcoming fear, finding understanding, and giving respect.  Ultimately it is the foundation of bringing about a peaceful world. It is the source of harmony.

Jesus lived to change the world and change it, he did – one person at a time.  To this day Christ lives in. with and through us to change the world one person at a time. Each act of kindness, each word of welcome, each act of hospitality binds us together in love and moves the universe that much closer to peace. Not the fragile peace that the world gives; but the peace of God, that transcends selfishness, greed, hostility, prejudice, hatred and even war. Peace, which can begin with something as simple as a glass of water, a welcome, an act of hospitality.  If you doubt this, I challenge you to think of a time when you were shown unexpected hospitality that at least improved your day and may even have changed your life.

Hospitality it turns out is at the heart of our faith.  A Christian, a Benedictine, is simply someone who is hospitable.  The truth is, whoever gives a cup of cold water to one of the world’s poor ones, also welcomes Christ, and those who welcome Christ welcome the One who sent Christ.  So it shall be among us who promise to “commit ourselves and our resources to respond with the compassion of Christ to the physical, spiritual, social and emotional hungers of the people of God.”

~ Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress
Continue Reading