Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Lent

Fifth Sunday of Lent

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This story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is so familiar that I’m curious what I may need to hear this Lenten season.  I feel the anguish of the sisters and friends of the deceased as they watch their loved one struggle with a terminal illness, and then watch life drain out of him.  I can feel their frustration when Jesus does not come at their call.  They are hoping against all hope that he would get there in time to keep Lazarus from dying.

We wander into a scene of much confusion.  The two sisters of the dead man had sent word to Jesus that his friend, their brother, was ill. Jesus is said to have loved the three siblings: Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, but he delays responding with the haste we and they might have expected.  To the puzzlement all who were aware of the situation, it is two days later that Jesus finally declares that he will make the journey to Bethany.  Thomas says to his companions: “Let us go with him.”  And he warns that they must be prepared to die with Jesus.

This is the seventh and final sign in John’s gospel.  It appears that the crowd has overheard the exchange between Jesus and Lazarus’ siblings.  It seems obvious Jesus was a frequent “drop in” at their house.  They seem very comfortable with chiding Jesus, weeping in his presence and engaging in a verbal back and forth with him.

Jesus’ delay heightens the drama.  We know the end of the story, so we can recognize that the delay was deliberate.  Jesus had to wait until Lazarus had succumbed to his illness for Jesus to glorify His father through Lazarus’ resurrection.

Can’t you see Jesus?  He elicits from Martha a profession of faith, probably amid many nodding heads of the bystanders, “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”  (Do you hear the “but” coming?)   Then she runs for Mary – why?  Perhaps she thinks that Mary’s special friendship with Jesus will win his favorable response to their request to “do something!”   Touched by Mary’s tears, Jesus wept!  Then there is a preview of what will happen in a short while: Jesus asks that they roll aside the stone – sign of resurrection.

Don’t you love what happens next?  Raising his eyes Jesus says “Thanks, Father, for hearing me.  I’ve tried with this crowd. I need a little help here – that they may believe that you sent me.”  Then he says in a loud voice: “Lazarus! Come out!”  When Lazarus appears at the mouth of the cave, his burial place, Jesus orders: “Untie him and let him go.”

All through Lent this is what Jesus has been doing for us and calling to us:  He says in a loud voice “Come out!  Be your true self!  Let me untie you, and let you go.  I know you, I love you! And, I know what you are capable of doing and who you can be.  I have a special niche carved out for you.  You are in the palm of my hand.  You have a unique role I have carved out for you to play in the work of creation.  If you stay in the cave of your selfishness and self-interests, hidden behind your mistaken concept of humility, reluctant to respond to the call of my poor ones, the job will not get done.  I need YOU to be my hands on this one.  You say you believe my words.  Now it is time for you to COME OUT.  Let me untie the binding cloths (this is something you can’t do yourself), uncover your face – and let the world see the person that has existed in the mind of God for all eternity.  Don’t worry about the stench from the “four days” you’ve lain in the tomb of resistance to my call.  I invite you again, COME OUT!”

 

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   Ezekiel 37: 37: 12-14       Second Reading:  Romans 8: 8-11
Gospel:   John 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45
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Fourth Sunday of Lent

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Today in our country, there has been a glut of news and information that can wash us away if we are not careful.  Unfortunately, much of it is commentary disguised as factual news which can mislead well-intentioned people.  It is easy to become overly skeptical of anything we hear or simply become deaf to it – tune it out and live in a news-free bubble.  We become over-saturated, de-sensitized, numb to the sounds of guns that we invited into our family rooms.  We may close our ears to the sounds of violence and personally offensive language.  Or we might shut our eyes to distasteful ads while at the same time are not bothered by liturgical graphics of weapons of cruelty.  We may leave the room during the 7-minute commercial phase that brings previews depicting guns, cyber-crimes, fictionalized murders polluting our relaxation space.

It’s past time we created our own litany of care.  Call to mind caretakers, emergency workers, medical personnel… those who keep a death-watch for a loved one.  Pray for enlightenment for those who are frustrated because in their mental state they cannot recognize the seriousness of the world situation. Pray also for those who are burdened with an already existing anxiety disorder which is only compounded by the 24/7 cycle of dire news.  Pray for those who are isolated and lonely, secluded in small spaces.  Remember in gratitude those who check-in by phone with persons who live alone. Pray for those who are called to make decisions, often unpopular, for those under their care and persons who make poor decisions seemingly oblivious to the ripple effect of their choices.  Pray for those whose theme song is “I am special”.  Pray you never portray the attitude: “I don’t have to follow the rules of the RULE.”  Remember those who attitude projects “I don’t have to do what ‘they’ tell me.”  I am the exception.  I have God’s special protection.  Unusual circumstances call for unusual (some would say heroic) responses.

Pray for all of us, pray for yourself – that we may be patient and forbearing with those who bear the cross of cognitive decline.  Slow your pace to match someone using a walker, hold the door open an extra minute, find the seatmate’s page in the prayer book.  In all ways treat each other, as Benedict says: as a vessel of the altar.  Anticipate the other’s need before she recognizes she can use an extra hand.  May we be graciously cooperative team players with an intact sense of humor.

Strive to live up to the ideals Benedict proposes:

  • Pursue what you consider better for the other.
  • Be the first to show respect to the other.
  • Be patient with each other.
  • Earnestly compete in obedience (even when it goes against the grain).

In all circumstances, may we prefer nothing whatever to the love of Christ.  May we together know Benedict’s promise of life in abundance. (RB 72).  But, as Sister Julia Marie Roy OSB, Benedictine Sister from Tulsa, says: “There is no precedent for us to follow.  For Benedictines, so mindful of tradition, that is a lot to try to process!”

The Gospel readings for these middle three weeks of Lent. Last week the Samaritan woman, today the curing of the blind man, and next week the raising of Lazarus, are proclaimed every year at the liturgies that feature Scrutinies for those in OCIA, (the Catholic Church’s process for welcoming new members).  They tell of a Jesus who offers us new life in him.  These are stories of a Savior who offers us living water, dispels the darkness of our blindness, and conquers the power of death.  They are not simply the plot and climax of good stories.  They tell the real truth.  This isn’t simply factual news.  It is the good news.  Jesus was and is real and the fact that he can heal us should not be disputed.  Too often too many people live lives of anxiety, desperation and despair, seemingly unaware that Jesus wants to help all of us bear our burdens.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   1  Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a      Second Reading:  Ephesians 5:8-14
Gospel:   John 9:1-41
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First Sunday of Lent

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This weekend’s Gospel tells us that Jesus fasted 40 days and then the intense temptations began.  The first temptations were about food – then self; then, stones, the temple, Jesus’ immediate surrounding, and His community.  The final temptation was related to political power, the kingdom, and the whole world.

In the first temptation, the devil is trying to entice Jesus away from his mission so he can avoid suffering and death.  Aren’t we, too, sometimes tempted to turn aside from our Lenten mission?  When we are tired, hungry, and feeling drained of energy on many levels, it is then that the devil is grinning with glee at the prospect of getting us to throw in the towel on all our good resolutions. Beware the wiles of the devil – they are cunning. Jesus enjoyed good food, a good meal with friends.  Walking through fields of grain, he savored the wheat kernels. In Cana He supplied first rate wine. And He sent his disciples ahead to arrange for supper the night before He died.

In the second temptation, the devil insists that Jesus is entitled to divine safety and protection.  Whenever you are tempted to amaze people with grand ideas, remember Jesus’ reply: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

In the third temptation, the devil wants Jesus to compromise good by using the wrong means.  We, too, can be tempted to meet legitimate human needs using the wrong means.

In this Gospel story Jesus’ temptations occur at the outset of his ministry.  Some may say it was his first day on the job. He is confronted with three major enticements, but he outfoxed the devil and went on to win His crown.  You know the saying “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”  Did you see the story about the deputy who landed his first job?  A local sheriff was looking for a deputy, and one of the applicants, who was not known to be the brightest academically, was called in for an interview. “Okay,” began the sheriff, “What is 1 and 1?” “Eleven,” came the reply. The sheriff thought to himself, “That’s not what I meant, but he’s right.” Then the sheriff asked, “What two days of the week start with the letter ‘T’?” “Today & tomorrow,” replied the applicant. The sheriff was again surprised by the answer, one that he had never thought of himself. “Now, listen carefully. Who killed Abraham Lincoln?” asked the sheriff. The jobseeker seemed a little surprised, then thought really hard for a minute and finally admitted, “I don’t know, Sir.” The sheriff replied, “Well, why don’t you go home and work on that one for a while?” The applicant left and wandered over to his pals who were waiting to hear the results of the interview. He greeted them with a cheery smile, “The job is mine! The interview went great!  First day on the job and I’m already working on a murder case!”

On Saturday, February 28, 2026 the Benedictine Sisters of Florida will celebrate the 137th anniversary of the day in 1889 that the “interview went great!”    The five founding Sisters from Pittsburgh, PA hit the floor running for their “first day on the job.”  And we’ve been running ever since.  The heritage of our Founders has been our inspiration for prayer, good works and life in community.  God bless them and all who have gone before us on their faith journeys: those as academy and prep school students; those who came and stayed awhile; those who discovered their life path elsewhere.  Blessed are those who spent their lives and went to their eternal reward as lifelong members in our community.

From the 2011 archives of Sister Roberta Bailey (revised 2026)

Attached Founders Day Prayer 2026

 

Prayer for Founders’ Day

137th Anniversary

February 28, 2026

Bavaria

To Elk County PA 1852

To Pittsburgh, PA 1870

To San Antonio, FL 1889

 

“Your work is written on the wings of time, it will be wafted to Heaven, where it is read with heavenly delight, and it will be transcribed on the chronicles of eternity.  May you be loved for your goodness; may you be assisted for your purpose, and may you be cheered on in your blessed mission.

With fond love, M. Alegunda

Saint Mary, Elk County, PA  @1870

 

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

110th Anniversary Morning Praise and Eucharist

Homily March 1, 1999…by Sister Roberta Bailey, O.S.B.

Revised for 137th Anniversary 2026

 

If we are selective, we can choose strands in today’s readings which fit our occasion of anniversary. In the first reading and the psalm we heard: “Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you…Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name…we, your people and the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever…” In the Gospel reading Jesus gives us an admonition that will never go out of style, and one we profess to enflesh our mission: “Be compassionate, as God is compassionate.” In the Prayer Over the Gifts you will hear Father say: “May the grace of this mystery prevent us from becoming absorbed in material things,”

Thus, the “great work” continues…the work begun by our founding sisters 110 years ago today. At the outset of Lent we prayed that we may “begin with God’s inspiration, continue with the help of divine grace, and reach perfection under God’s guidance…” This seems to have been the attitude and prayers of our founding sisters. A powerful mindset! What is begun in God’s name with God’s blessing will be nurtured and cultivated by God and finally reach perfection under the benevolence of divine providence.

In 1989 we took as our Centennial slogan “Recall the Past; Embrace the Future.” We can continue that theme in the celebration of our 110th anniversary. In recalling the past, we honor the memory of all the people who lived it those who endured the hardships and lived through the challenges brought about by the poverty of many sharing little, fewness of members to do much work, homesickness and distance from loved ones, longing for things as they used to be, world wars, the Great Depression, deaths at a young age, changes in society, changes in the church and changes in the interpretation of Benedictinism.

To honor “mothers” we strive to learn and relearn, tell and retell their stories we are uplifted by the inspiration (and hilarity) of everyday pleasures, of the ways people learned to survive the nonsense of the “letter of the law,” the simple things that occasioned a celebration.

We preserve the stories because we want never to forget that the opportunities we have today were not simply lavished upon us. They were purchased at the great price of travel from home; cold, cracked work-worn knuckles; study by the light of midnight oil; stomachs that ached with hunger; raking, hoeing and manuring groves and gardens – saving, scrimping and salvaging.

What firm faith and incredible courage our founding sisters must have had! The records in the Pittsburgh archives remind us that these young sisters were clearly told if the venture did not work they were not to return to Pennsylvania. An examination of the papers shows us that of the five women who signed their severance papers on the evening of February 22, one never made it to Florida. However, one of the sisters who served as a witness, must have decided overnight to join the mission band – she is named in the group of five founders.

Imagine what daring it took to venture south into Indian territory! These were ordinary women just like us. They were Benedictine women with a dream and a mission. Above all they were motivated by the love of God and a strong desire to spread the Good News. In 1889 Rome considered the church in America “missionary territory.” In relative terms, the slaves had only recently been freed. Had our sisters ever seen a black person in their northern neighborhood? Surely not an Indian. And most assuredly not an alligator!

There is some evidence that the pioneer band traveled from Allegheny Country to the Benedictine house in Covington, Kentucky – then southward by train which would have deposited them in south Georgia or north Florida. It seems safe to me to guess that someone from San Antonio would have met the sisters at the train to bring them in wagons or on horseback down along what is now Hwy 19 and 41 – parts of the Seminole trail. Perhaps they met cattle droves bringing their herds to Tampa or Punta Gorda. By the time they reached San Antonio, traveling through the Florida wilderness – in February probably not too many mosquitoes but surely they’d have heard or seen black bears and panthers, “strange birds, and had run across a snake or two. On Thursday, February 28, I bet they breathed a sigh of relief to at last be among people they may not have personally known but whose northern cultural practices and manners, whose speech patterns were similar to their own.

The next day, March 1, being Friday and most probably a Lenten Friday, would have been a black fast day. They would have partaken of very little, if any, breakfast. They’d have prayed the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin. And as we known from the annals: “the great work was begun.” Perhaps they had a main meal of fish, fresh caught from Lake Jovita. Evening came, and morning came, the second day.

Now here we are at day 40,178 in the 110th year of our history! And the GREAT WORK goes on. As long as there are gaps between our ideals and our reality, there will always be great work to be done. Our founding sisters, and the women who followed them into community, knew that they probably would not live to see all the changes they promoted. We face challenges our foremothers could not have imagined. Our “daughters” will face challenges unimaginable to us. This is part of Florida Benedictine women’s experience – we strive to be better, to be compassionate and caring; to keep faith with our founding ideals and to enflesh them into a reality worthy of those who will inherit what we build today.

And, since this new day is already upon us…and we must be about the great work that awaits us…

Let us simply pray these words from the psalms: “Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you…we, your people will give thanks to you forever.”

 

 

 

First Reading:   Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7        Second Reading:  Romans 5:12-19
Gospel:  Matthew 4:1-11
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Palm Sunday

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Palm Sunday

 

Note: Inspired and expanded from an unidentified note in my journal.

This Palm Sunday we are the two friends, sitting on angel wings, waiting for the unfolding of 2000-year old story. Iit unfolds each year during what earthlings call LENT.  We are  watchful, attentive, waiting.

We, you and I are aware that the ministry of Jesus has not been a secret ministry, but a public one.   People constantly surround him. Today the crowd is particularly exuberant.

All morning, the people kept coming in droves to laud his praises: to sing and wave branches, to spread their cloaks on the street.  They shouted with joy at his arrival.  But only days later, we know the story, and their shouts change.  No longer do they sing, “Hosanna in the highest.”  Their shouts that day are cruel: “Crucify Him!”  Then, just like that, there is no crowd.  There is only the tomb and Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, who “remain[ed] sitting there, facing the tomb.”  In the end, there is only the Lord, placed in the tomb, and his two friends, still there, with Him.

This Palm Sunday we are two friends, sitting watchful and attentive. Mystified.  How heavy our hearts, and yet we would not be separated from our Jesus.  We recall that He had promised, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”  So, we stay here together, watching and waiting.

Reminiscing about the wonders we have seen (even still see around us) binds us all the more to Him. Now is not the time to abandon Him. Now is not the time to turn from faith. Now is the time to cling to Him!

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary arrive at the tomb on the morning of the third day. They bring with them spices to anoint the Lord’s body in an attempt to preserve, to keep death at bay.  And yet, the Lord has so much more in store for them. The Lord will not be beholden to death!

And so we will stay, two friends, seated beside the tomb, at a loss and shaken by what the Lord is doing. We could not yet see all that would come to pass.

This Holy Week, 2025, may we not leave Him. Let us revel in this time alone, which can be time alone with Him.  May our thoughts and prayers always turn to Him. May our hearts reach out to Him – and to each other. Let us give each other time, quiet and space to ponder the mystery about to unfold.  If we remain with Him, watchful and waiting, we will not miss the glory He intends to reveal.

   ~by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

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Third Sunday of Lent

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The Choice is Ours

 

One day, a week or so after the “big storm,” I saw the Master Gardener in our gardens.  Have you met Him?  This day He seemed to be assessing the damage Milton had reeked on our plant life.  Like the fig tree in Luke’s story, our plants, our Laudato Si Aquaponic Gardens and the “hobby gardens” were about to get a reprieve.  Insurance money gifted us with the wherewithal to rebuild the Hydro/aquaponic operation. And if you look closely, you can see plants that appeared to have been cut off at the root, are beginning to sprout ever so tiny green leaves peeking through the churned up soil.

Did you know Jesus was quite a gardener Himself?  Artists often depict Him with His foster father Joseph in a carpenter’s workshop.  But He also spent time with Mary, His mother, learning the art of cultivation of plants.  What cultivation skills did we learn under our mother’s watchful eye?  It may not have been working in a garden, but someone in our life showed us how to coax maturity to signs of new life.

The Gospel is asking us to take a good look at ourselves.  The tree in the parable is showing signs of life but it bears no fruit.  We ask ourselves: Is that me?  Am I barely managing to “hang in there?”   Am I being called to more than that? Yes, God has higher hopes for each of us, if we will but give grace a chance.

For instance, we can ask ourselves:

  • How do I relate with those I reside with? With outsiders?  Is my presence a positive element or do I fall into the negativity trap?  Do I pass judgment without giving God credit for knowing the whole story?
  • Am I a good or sour influence within my community (or my family circle)?
  • What is my attitude towards people I do not know or who aren’t “useful” to me?
  • What kind of contribution (including being physically present) do I make to the life of this community?
  • In general, what kind of contribution do I make to our community and beyond?  What COULD I be doing?

Pope Francis has reminded us more than once of something we know deep down – but sometimes, especially in the midst of trouble, we tend to forget.  He says: “There are no situations we cannot get out of.  We are not condemned to sink into quicksand where the more we move the deeper we sink.  Jesus is always there, his hand extended, ready to reach out to us and pull us up out of the mud, out of sin, out of the abyss into which we have stumbled.

The barren fig tree in Jesus’ story is given a reprieve.  It is allowed another chance to respond favorably and to produce fruit.  Every Lenten season offers us a chance to fertilize our tree, the tree which is our life, and to see how it can be more fruitful.

We need to realize love is only fully completed in us when we become a genuinely loving and caring person; one who loves both God and others in word and action.  We have the choice to open ourselves and come closer to God, to experience the gift of LOVE personified in Jesus. The choice is up to us. God’s love is there for the taking.  What are you, what are we waiting for?

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

First Reading:   Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15       Second Reading:  1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12
Gospel:   Luke 13:1-8
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Second Sunday of Lent

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“Jesus took Peter, James and his brother John off by themselves and led hem up a high mountain.”  This transfiguration account appears just after Jesus has reminded the disciples, “Whoever loses your life for My sake, and the gospel – will save your life. Jesus lets these remarks soak in and take root for six days before he sets off up the mountain with Peter, James and John in tow.

The story (I believe) calls each one of us to examine what mountains we have yet to climb to see God’s glory.  We could apply the story to death or a near-death experience, but if we do that, we miss the everyday mountains that we must scale.  Call those mountains what you will, we must climb them to witness God’s glory: hurdles, challenges, enticing temptations, near occasions of sin, quirks of personality, Lenten resolutions, pet peeves…   They can be like a grain of sand inside your shoe.  Other times, they may feel like huge boulders that we need a backhoe to lever inch by inch.  Everyone’s mountain is different. To witness God’s glory, we must each climb our own “mountains”.

As we become aware that we are nearing a mountaintop, we must relax take a breather, yes, but with our spirit-eyes open to see God’s glory.  Stay alert, careful not to misread the signs; have the insight to know that we are at the top.  Gaze on the God of the Revelation.  In awe we may wonder: Why did God choose me?  Why does God love me so much?

What causes us to miss the “small miracles”, the “everyday transfigurations”?  The “Emmaus” moments along the path to Life? Gently remind yourself, that Jesus and the disciples also went back down the mountain.  Thank God when you get to top and do not be distracted with worry over “what’s going to happen next?”

Jesus did not become “more God” that day on the mountain.  It seems to me the change was not so much in Jesus, as it was in the disciples.  They were ready.  They had climbed the mountain.   And their eyes were open to witness the miracle of the moment.   What are those moments in your life?  Maybe it happens at the Consecration of the Mass or when you look across the dining table or at confreres across the aisle in chapel.

God is already there; is right here NOW.   Jesus invites us to go up the mountain with Him.  He leads the way.  We must open our awareness to witness the transfiguration. God reveals the Son little by little to those who take the time and interest to stay with him.  When we follow His lead, stay with the experience, do what it takes to build our relationship, foster life with the Other; in essence we live out our vow of stability; our promise of “stick-to-tive-ness.

 

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

First Reading:   Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18        Second Reading:  Philippians 3:17-4:1
Gospel:   Luke 9:28b-36

 

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