Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

King

Every Ending Holds the Seeds of a New Beginning

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The readings this weekend continue the theme (as Father John has been reminding us) of endings that signal a beginning.  Every “good night” holds the promise of a “good morning!”  The sunset kisses the earth good-bye for a brief moment in time and surprises us with its rising on what seems to be the other side of the earth.  Every death is a hand-off to new life. St. Augustine echoes this concept when he calls to God: “O Beauty, so ancient, so new.”  Every “good-bye” uncovers a “hello” and every ending is a step to a new adventure.  When does the “NEW” become “NOW”?   When does “tomorrow” turn to “today”?  When we let go of yesterday, where does it go?  The character Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof sings about this phenomenon: “Sunrise, sunset; Swiftly flow the days; Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers, blossoming even as we gaze.  Sunrise, sunset; swiftly fly the years, one season following another.”

In our Gospel Pilate asks: “What is truth?”  Jesus answers: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  A few evenings ago I was half-watching TV when out of my distraction I heard: “So, what is truth?”  I’d started this reflection earlier in the day so the question seemed like part of another reality.  A World War II veteran was sharing that upon retirement from active service, he’s been “down in the dumps”, experiencing a lack of appreciation for his years in service to our country in defense of freedom and truth. Then he’d recalled Jesus’ words: “The truth shall make you free.”  He turned his bitterness into working with youth when he came to the realization that “The truth that makes you free, is the truth that stirs you to action.”

This weekend we observe the Solemnity of Christ the King which was first proclaimed universally as a feast in 1925 by Pope Pius IX.  In 2015, the prescribed date was moved from October to the last Sunday in the church year and raised to a solemnity.  At that time Pope Francis added a phrase to the title of the day: “Christ the King, the living face of the Father’s mercy.”

In tomorrow’s responsorial psalm we will proclaim: “The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.”  We often raise a hand in benediction as we sing: “May the blessing of the Lord be upon you.”  If we believe it’s true that Jesus is Lord, why do we sometimes scramble to find a substitute to replace the word “Lord?”  That raises the question: Is Jesus my King?  Do I know him on my own or is my relationship with Jesus based on borrowed thoughts from books I’ve read or homilies and retreat talks that I’ve heard? Do I sing with conviction the sentiments of the kingly hymns that spring to mind: “Come, Christians, Join to Sing”, “Rejoice, the Lord Is King”, “Praise to our victorious King”?  And let’s not overlook the triumphant echoing of a favorite Christmas carol: “Joy to the world! Let earth receive her king!”

At the other end of this week, we will be “jump-started” into the season of Advent, an experience of an “ending” that is a “beginning” – a time of waiting for the One who will come.  He is the One who is promised to us in the second Mass reading from book of Revelation: “Behold, he is coming and everyone will see him; the Alpha and the Omega, the one who is and who was and who is to come.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

First Reading:   2 Daniel 7:1-14         Second Reading:  Revelation 1:5-8
Gospel:   John 18:33b-37
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“Christ Jesus Ruler, Christ Jesus Victor”

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As we observe the Feast of Christ, the King, we are celebrating a ruler who was willing to die for us, for all humanity, to give us true freedom.  Jesus radically redefined the traditional concept of kingship.  His example of radical love and kindness is lived out by us, his followers, in our reaching out to those in need – beginning with those with whom we live.

For over four and a half thousand years there has stood a great obelisk in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.  The structure, originally located in the Temple of the Sun in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis, was brought to Rome by the dreaded Emperor Caligula.   He had it set right in the middle of a Roman racetrack known as the Circus of Nero. It was in that Circus that St. Peter was martyred.  On the base is inscribed two phrases, The first, in Latin, the words of a familiar hymn: Christ Jesus Victor!  Christ Jesus Ruler!  Christ Jesus Lord and Redeemer!”  The other is an inscription that proclaims: “The Lion of Judah has conquered.”  It may well have been the last earthly thing that St. Peter saw as has he hung upside-down crucified to die.

In 1925, Pope Pius XI universally instituted the Feast of Christ the King to be celebrated on the last Sunday of October.  However, since the reform in the liturgical calendar in 1969, the feast falls on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Sunday before Advent.

At the time of the institution of the feast, secularism was on the rise and respect for Christ and the Church was waning.  Today, we witness the same sense of distrust of authority – accelerated by political situations and the rise of individualism.  Some reject the titles of “lord” and “king” for Christ, believing that such titles are borrowed from oppressive systems of government.  History proves that some kings have been oppressive.  Others have been converted to a more Christian style of ruling, often by the influence of a woman.

In 2015, during the Jubilee year of Mercy, Pope Francis added another part to the title: “…the living face of the Father’s mercy.”  The combined readings this year for the solemnity give us a glimpse of how Christ is at the same time both king and the face of the Father’s mercy.  In contrast to the oppression so prevalent in Jesus’ day, he connected his role as king to humble service, and taught his followers to be servants as well.  “You are my disciples if you do what I command you: love one another as I have loved you.”

Deep down do we believe JESUS IS LORD or is it just from force of habit that we say or sing those titles for Jesus?  At the opening of every Eucharistic gathering, the celebrant greets us with the words: “The Lord be with you.”  In tomorrow’s Responsorial Psalm we will proclaim: “The Lord is my shepherd.”  We will profess in the Creed: “I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ.”   We often raise a hand in benediction as we sing: “May the blessing of the Lord be upon you.”  If we believe it’s true that Jesus is Lord, why do we sometimes scramble to find a substitute to replace the word “Lord?”  It strikes me that while we may struggle with the concept of Jesus as king, somehow, especially on feasts of Mary most of us have no problem calling Mary queen: Queen of the Universe, Queen of Heaven, Regina Caeli.

At the end of this coming week, we will be jump-started into the season of Advent: an experience of an “ending that is a beginning” – a time of waiting for the One who will come.  This is the One who is promised to us in the Book of Revelation: “Behold, he is coming and everyone will see him; the Alpha and the Omega, the one who is and who was and who is to come.”

Let us pray that we can portray to the world the beneficence of a humble king, truly putting flesh on our Corporate Commitment: to be Christ to one another.  For it is not so much what we say or what we do that puts flesh on our commitment.  It is who we are that “responds with compassion to the hungers of God’s people.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

First Reading:   Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17         Second Reading:  1 Cor 15:20-26, 28
Gospel:   Matthew 25:31-46
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The Kingdom of God is Open to Everyone

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Have you ever watched a make-over program on TV?  I’ve watched a few on house make-overs.  But recently when I was channel surfing, I was attracted by a young lady’s plea to get her boyfriend to dress appropriately for a wedding. This was one of those make-over shows where a person gets their entire wardrobe revamped.  As these shows go, they took him – he seemed to go without protest – to an up-scale clothing store for a new wardrobe that would make him acceptable at the wedding – at least in the eyes of his girlfriend.  He watched helplessly as his favorite clothes were thrown in a heap and replaced with more “fashionable items.”

The party in today’s Gospel would have been a highlight in many people’s lives. free food, hobnobbing with people whose names they’d only heard in passing.  Why would they not jump at the chance to be a guest at such a fantastic occasion?  But you just throw a party yourself and you will quickly figure out that some who say “yes” won’t show up and a goodly number will figure you knew they’d come so they did not really need to RSVP.

The people to whom Jesus was telling this parable understood the absurdity of the situation. They knew that Jesus was not simply telling them a strange story but that he was telling them something about their own lives.  He was in essence telling them that they were the invited guests and that they had refused the invitation. They understood that Jesus was telling them that the kingdom of God is open to everyone: to the outcasts and the sinners and to them.

But Jesus doesn’t stop his parable with that. He goes on to say that once the street-people had been invited into the banquet, the king spotted someone who wasn’t properly dressed.  When asked why, the man was speechless. The king demanded that he be handcuffed and thrown into the outer darkness. How are we to understand this part of the parable?  Why was lack of a certain type of garment such a big deal?

Some may say the king invited everyone so people should come just as they happen to be when they decided to join the banquet.  Others argue it means we should be given a special robe at the door of the church to wear during the service.  Of course, these answers miss the point. This is a story that has a deeper meaning. Yes, it is a story, but remember parables are earthly stories with heavenly ­meanings.

I find it intriguing that while the last group brought into the wedding came from the hedgerows and by-ways, the main character was still expected to be wearing a wedding garment.  This lets us know, doesn’t it, that we better be ready at all times to come to the wedding.  The point, of course, is not what type of clothing covers our nakedness. At some stage in life we’ve all learned that although not the most important thing in life, fashion is not something to be totally ignored either.   Just ask anyone who is getting married, or celebrating a jubilee or going to a funeral, if what people wear isn’t of some significance.  At one end of the spectrum, there are folks who believe brand name labels are the key to admittance into their coveted social circle. But for others, fashion is just not a big deal at all.  They may not even own a full-length mirror.

The wedding garment Jesus was talking about was like a choir cloak that was provided at the door.  To the listeners, this guest was one who snubbed social rules, the significance of the occasion and the prestige of being included on the guest list.

Even though everyone is invited into the banquet of the kingdom of heaven, there will be some who simply don’t send back their RSVP card. There will be those who show up but do so without the proper spiritual clothing and are sent away. The reading leaves us with that same probing question we first heard in our mother’s voice: “You’re wearing that?!”  We quickly recognized it was not really a question but an order.

Maybe a good place to start re-doing our spiritual wardrobes would be to heed St. Paul’s admonition to the Colossians (3:13):  “As God’s chosen people …  clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”  Just be sure you’re wearing the proper attire when Jesus says: “Come in, Friend, I’ve saved a seat with your name on it.“

~ Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

Pray for peace in the world and people’s safety; for justice and access to health services; and protection from all forms of violence. 

 

First Reading: Isaiah 25:6-10a     Second Reading:  Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Gospel:   Matthew 22:1-14
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Forgiveness is always a choice

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In this Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, the disciple Peter comes to Jesus asking a question that’s troubling him. “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?  Up to seven times?”  Part of the Rabbinical teaching was that people should forgive those who offended them three times.  So, Peter, was trying to be more generous than the Rabbis.  Maybe trying to impress Jesus by suggesting seven times which was considered a perfect number.

Jesus’ response (seventy times seven) surprises Peter.   Seventy times seven!  Seventy times the perfect number is an endless number of times.  We should forgive with sincerity, no matter how many times someone asks.  True forgiveness doesn’t keep records.  True forgiveness does not say: “Sure, I’ll forgive you, but I’ll never forget this!”  Or, “Yes, I can forgive you this time but this is the last time.”

The servant in Jesus’ story seemed so sincere when he begged for mercy, a little time to repay his loan, that the king gave him more than he requested.  He erased the man’s whole debt. And what did the servant do?  He went out, found one of his co-workers who owed him money, laid into him and began to choke him.  When his co-worker begged for leniency, a little time for repayment, the unforgiving servant refused the gift he had just be granted.

When the king heard this, you can imagine his reaction.  He became furious, called the unforgiving servant in, and turned him over to the jailers to be tortured until he paid back all he owed.  One wonders how being thrown into prison enables one to pay back a debt.  It’s next to impossible unless the person sells off everything they own, or if their relatives and friends set up a “Go Fund” on Facebook.   Jesus’ point is that forgiveness is not about quantity.  The lesson is clear.  If we hoard God’s mercy for ourselves while showing no mercy to others, we risk forfeiting the effects of God’s mercy in our own lives.

Forgiveness is always a choice.   When we realize how much God has forgiven us, over and over without keeping a record, shouldn’t that realization alone produce in us a generous spirit of empathy and compassion toward others?   Twenty-four hours a day, day in and day out, we hear and see evidence of acts of domestic and national terrorism and violence as well as devastation wrought by natural disasters.  We see how violence begets violence, and hate begets hate.  This practice of an “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” only results in everyone ending up blind and toothless.

We can each begin where we are, in our little world, our family, our community, our friends.  We can make a start with the first step Jesus gave us. GO!  Don’t wait for the other to make an approach.  Jesus assures us if we follow this first directive Jesus gave us, we’ll come to be like the child who was saying her bedtime prayers. As she went down the list of family members, asking God to bless them one-by-one, she omitted her sister’s name. Her mother injected:  “Why didn’t you pray for Susie?” She looked up but paused.  What didn’t her mother understand?  “I’m not going to ask God to bless Susie because she broke my doll’s arm.”  “But,” her mother said, “Don’t you remember Jesus said to forgive your enemies?” “That’s the trouble,” the child said with a sob.   “Susie isn’t my enemy.  She’s my sister.”

 

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

Readings:  Sirach 27:30-28:9       Romans 14:7-9
Gospel:   Matthew 18:21-35
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Feast of Corpus Christi

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Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ – at one time called Corpus Christi and originally celebrated on the Thursday, 10 days after Pentecost.  Some of us of a certain generation may remember huge Corpus Christi processions which brought the body of Christ into the streets around our parishes.  Many of the faithful would pay visits to three different churches to attend Benediction services.  Today we still bring the body of Christ into our streets because we are there.

A little history about the feast:  In the 13th century, a Belgian nun named Juliana had a recurring dream of a brilliant full moon coming down to earth but with a black spot on it. Christ interpreted it for her in that the moon represented the calendar year of the church with all of its wonderful festivals, but the black spot showed that there was something missing, an occasion to remember the institution by Christ at the Lord’s Supper – the institution of the Eucharist. As fortune would have it, she had a friend in the Bishop of Liege.  He believed her vision and he subsequently became Pope Urban IV. As a result, the feast of Corpus Christi was first celebrated in 1264 with hymns and prayers written by Thomas Aquinas.  Such an awesome gift deserves its own feast!

This crowd that Jesus is speaking to in the Gospel had made a pilgrimage to see him instead of going to Jerusalem for the celebration of Passover.   It would have been easier to go to the nearby city, but something was drawing them to the great teacher.  Walking was their mode of transportation, and the distances were often across rough terrain or long detours around lakes.  Jesus and his apostles may have rowed across the lake but not all his followers found a ferry.  And in case you’re intrigued with numbers, someone has calculated that Jesus in his 3-year public ministry could have walked over 900 miles.

Meanwhile, the crowd wanted to take Jesus by force and make him their king.  In other words, Jesus is speaking to a crowd that has felt the pangs of deep longing for something much more than physical hunger.  They had glimpsed the possibilities of true satisfaction in Jesus. But they have misplaced the object of their yearning on “king,” when Jesus wants them to see that their true longing is for “living bread”. Today, our Gospel writer, John, wants us to see that our real longing is not for things that pass away but for things that endure, for an imperishable Light.  But, remember when Jesus is speaking it is before the Last Supper, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.   Not even His closest apostles could have realized the full significance of His words.   Abbot Primate Notker Wolf has written “In times of individualism we need new ways to build a modern consciousness of community which revolves around the Eucharist as the central celebration of faith.”

The bottom line is that people are scrambling like crazy to find a diet that is right for them. And there is a such diet we hear too little about.  It’s the diet presented in today’s gospel.  Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.” And He gives us His word that people on His program “will never hunger or thirst again!” This is an extravagant claim!  But Jesus can deliver on what he promises!

~Sister Roberta Basiley, OSB

 

First Reading: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16    Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:16-18
Gospel Reading: John 6:51-58
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Salt to the World

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I don’t mean to make light of the Scripture designated for this weekend.  However, I would like to call to your attention the lines between last Sunday’s proclamation and the verses skipped coming into today’s Gospel.  They are too rich, I believe, to let them slip from our attention.

“Everyone will be purified by fire, as a sacrifice is purified by salt.  Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, how can you make it salty again?”  “Insipid” – that’s a rich descriptive word, isn’t it?  If one becomes “insipid” can her/his ‘tang’ ever be restored?

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t like at least a hint of salt.  We may use it sparingly but we use it, or a salt substitute, to make our food tastier.  Some, even when the doctor dictates against it, experience a craving for salt.  How quickly the potato chips and Fritos disappear!

Other spices are different – many people are picky about them.  Some think food is distasteful unless it’s peppery-hot.  The mere thought of hot spicy foods ties my stomach in a huge knot.  I marvel at people who devour a whole chili or ghost pepper.

But salt, you know, has many more uses than only bringing out flavor in foods.  I found a list of 60 everyday uses. Here is a sampling: it can be used to end an ant parade, deodorize your shoes, to gargle a sore throat, clean flower residue from a vase, freshen up artificial flowers, remove water rings from furniture, extinguish a grease fire, or a cloth soaked in salt water will prevent cheese from getting moldy.  Some of you will remember Sister Bernadette’s big dye pot!  Well, salt is used to fix the dye in fabric.  Without salt, the bright colors that we wear today would quickly fade.  It’s used in the production of over 14,000 different products.  Each year, food companies use an amount that is every bit as staggering as it sounds – 5 billion pounds of salt.

Let me not stray too far afield from Scripture, but it helps us understand why Jesus or the evangelist would use the image of salt in a lesson with us.  The usefulness of salt was a well-known fact long before Jesus walked this earth.  At one time, salt was so important and valuable that people were paid with salt.  Thus came the expression “are you worth your salt?”  Is it any wonder that Jesus told us that we were to be like salt to the earth?  Listen again to the words of Jesus.  “Salt is good, but if it becomes insipid, how can you restore its saltiness?  Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”  I think that he was saying that we should “salt” that is, flavor our world with love.  And that likewise we should allow God to use us, and our saltiness, in making the world a better place.

You may remember this Indian folk tale about salt.  The story goes thus: Once there was a king who was trying to decide which of his daughters should inherit the kingdom.  So he asked each one, “How do you love me?  The first three daughters each answered: “I love you as sugar or honey.”  The youngest said, “Father, I love you as salt.”  The king frowned, but she persisted in repeating it, to the point that the king waved her away.

Sometime later she prepared a meal for her father but she didn’t add any salt to it.  When the king sat down to eat, the first course included only sweets which he picked at with displeasure.  Next, he was served meat, which he usually enjoyed but this was AWFUL.  By now he was very hungry, longing for something which he could eat.  The princess offered him a dish of common spinach, seasoned with salt.  The king signified his pleasure by finishing off the dish with relish.  She stepped cautiously forward saying, “Oh my father, I do love you so.  I love you as salt.  My love may be homely, but it is true, genuine and lasting.  Thus, as the saying goes, were the Scriptures fulfilled: let us “Have the salt of friendship among yourselves, and live in peace with one another.”

How about you?  Are you allowing Jesus to use you to be salt to the world?  How are you flavoring the world?  Are you an irritant rubbing salt in the wound?  Or are you a soothing poultice held lovingly to a tender hurt?  Are you worth your salt?  Are we drying the salt of tears for the abused?  Salt seasons soup in order to fulfill its purpose.  Remember salt is no good by itself – it takes companionship to bring out its flavor.  In whose life are you bringing out the flavor?  Who is salt in your life?

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress

Please join us in prayer for Congress that the members may come to one mind for the betterment of the people whose lives are impacted by their decisions.

 

First Reading:   Genesis 2:18-24             Second Reading:  Hebrews 2:9-11
Gospel:   Mark 10:2-16

 

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