Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Paul

Second Sunday of Advent

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Over the next few days in our Advent journey the church invites us to consider John the Baptist’s relationship to Jesus.  John appears in the tradition of the great prophets of Israel, preaching repentance and reform.  In fact, the description of John found in this reading is reminiscent of the description of the prophet Elijah.  John words are not directed only to the Pharisees and Sadducees.  John’s message is a pointed call to repentance aimed in our direction: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

John makes very clear that his relationship to the Messiah is one of service and subservience: “The one who is coming after me is mightier than I.  I am not worthy to carry his sandals.”  The highlight of John’s ministry was the fantastic success he enjoyed way out in the wilderness.  This man does not care what people think.  And his style worked!  He certainly was no fashion plate, with his camel hair clothing, leather sandals and the cincture around his waist.  His diet was simple: locusts and wild honey.  This note must have been important to the evangelists, or it wouldn’t be included in their Gospels.  It is symbolic.  You can’t wear anything more simple in the way of clothing, or eat a more basic diet.  John’s ministry, and our inheritance, is one of very simple beginnings.

But what does it say to us?  What is God, the Divine architect, designing and constructing in our lives?  When our life’s valley is filled in and the road made smooth, the crooked straight, will we be ready to “see the Son of Man coming in a cloud?”  As we approach the off-ramp of life, will we be attuned to the divine whisper that is familiar from our daily Lectio?  Will we hear clearly the voice of the One crying out to us?  Will we stand erect and call to others: “Look! The salvation of our God is at hand?”

What will it take to raise our weariness to consciousness, and conscientious attention to those with whom we live?  What will it take to crack the ridged set in our ways?  How many hosing-downs does it take to quiet a hot temper or a sharp tongue?  How can we remove our spiritual cataracts so we can see the bigger picture?  What kind of corrective lens do we need to protect our eyes from worldliness?  What strength of binoculars will it take to zero in on the faulty behavior we what to eradicate?  What kind of safe-guards will we need to keep us on the straight and narrow?  Is our prayer life regular enough, strong enough, secure enough to protect us from inevitable temptation?

No matter how we might like to think that we’ve got it all together, sooner or later we all need to have a maintenance check-up and a little divine repair job.  When a hurtful word slips through our lips or cares and daily concerns erode our promised Lectio time; when we are battered by life’s challenges, God promises to strengthen the areas of weakness that plague us.  Our God promises to fix what’s broken in our lives.

Paul reminds us in the Second Reading: “Whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by encouragement you may think in harmony with one another … that with one accord in one voice you may glorify God.”  John’s message prepared the way for Jesus in the first century.  We are called to be prophets in today’s world.  Each of us has a mission to communicate Christ’s message of hope, freedom, and peace; to help people fill in their valleys and make their rough paths more smooth.  “Prepare the  way of the Lord, make straight his paths: all shall see the salvation of our God!”

 

~by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

First Reading  Isaiah 11:1-10                        
Second Reading Romans 15:4-9  
Gospel Reading  Matthew 3:1-12
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Christ the King

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This weekend we observe the Solemnity of Christ, the King.  The celebration 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 the commemoration was 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.”

As the liturgical year draws to a close, we consider how Jesus is more than just a king.  He is the King, the King of the Universe.  We celebrate a ruler who, in mercy, was willing to die for us to give us true freedom.  Jesus willingly exchanged the trappings of a king for a place among the poorest of the poor.  In place of a red carpet, he’d had a rude stable floor strewn with hay.  Later in his life, it was palm branches that lined the way beneath a donkey’s feet.  His crown was not one of gems but a crown of thorns.  His choice of transportation was usually on foot.  In speaking of his home, Jesus said: “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

Some may wonder why we read a scene from the passion today.  How does that help us understand what Jesus’ kingship means?  We may always sense a vague uneasiness in calling Jesus “king” partly due to the changing attitudes toward kings throughout history.  Today, distrust of authority is rampant – accelerated by the rise in belief that the only authority is the individual self.  The idea of Christ as ruler, as king, is resisted by many who believe that such titles are borrowed from oppressive systems of government.  History proves that some kings have been oppressive.  But when we allow this type of thinking to overtake us, we miss the point that Christ’s kingship is one of humility and service.  In contrast to the oppression so prevalent in Jesus’ day, he saw his role as king as one of humble service.  He teaches us, his followers, to be servants as well. This is the behavior we must imitate.  Benedict teaches “Anticipate the needs of others and put them before our own; anticipating others’ in doing good works.”

This leads us to ponder: How is it that Jesus can be, at the same time, both Suffering Servant and King? That’s the very question that Jesus turns back on Pilate: “Do you ask this (are you a king?) on your own?  Or have others told you about me?”   It pushes us to question ourselves: Is Jesus my King?  Do I know him on my own, from my own experiences?  Or is my relationship with Jesus based on borrowed thoughts from books I’ve read; homilies and retreat talks? 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”, “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”, “Hail, Redeemer, King Divine”, “The King of Glory”, “At the Lamb’s High Feast, We Sing”?  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.  The One who is promised to us is foretold 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.”   He is the one who is acclaimed in Paul’s letter to the Colossians: “He is before all things, and in him all things are held together; in him all the fullness is pleased to dwell!”

 

~by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

First Reading  2 Samuel 5:1-3               
Second Reading Colossians 1:12-20  
Gospel Reading  Luke 23:35-43

 

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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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PEACE

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For today’s reflection I have chosen the theme PEACE because of the significance of tomorrow’s date: September 11 – Patriot’s Day.  I, probably like you, can remember exactly where I was when I heard the news of the attacks of 2001.

We find the theme of PEACE in our first reading from Exodus when Moses implores God to cool his wrath … and so, says the writer: “The Lord relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on the people.”  We might add: “And, so Moses and the people slept in peace for the first night in a long time.”

In the second reading, Paul tells Timothy that Jesus came to save sinners and “for that reason I was mercifully treated.”  We may add: “And, that night Paul slept peacefully, secure in God’s love for him.”

But what are we called to do when peace is fractured?  The burden of reconciliation falls on the shoulders of each and all involved.  Before healing can begin each person on both sides of the splintering – even if it is only a hairline fracture –  must assume ownership for the breakdown in the relationship.  This acknowledgement must be done without an attempt at justification for the blunder.  The REASON for a disruption may explain what or how it happened.  But rarely is a reason an EXCUSE for the gap in peace.  Nor will it prevent the breach from growing wider unless each one picks up her piece to fit back into the puzzle of PEACE.

Several years ago, the American Benedictine Prioresses adopted a statement that, with slight adaptation, speaks to all of us.  “All parties must assume responsibility for calling one another to ethical, moral and spiritual awakening that will end violence in all its forms so that peace will again be part of home, country and world.”

In our former monastery each time we entered or exited the chapel we were blessed with a mosaic of Benedict’s by-word: PEACE.  It was a reminder that we want to be a peaceful community.  But PEACE must be more that a decision, it must be a commitment.  We must do all that it takes to offer each other an environment where PEACE can flourish individually and as a group.

It takes many small tiles placed “just so”, and the cracks filled with an adherent, to make a beautiful mosaic – a symbol reminding us that we are a flawed people.  We have weaknesses, limitations, distractions that burden us and can rise up to put us on the defensive making us resentful, irritable, feeling picked on and sitting on the “pity pot”.   We have to hold strong to the belief in the words of Benedict when he says that seeking peace is the way to heaven.  And, he doesn’t mean just in the heaven of afterlife.  We strive, too, to have a little bit of heaven here on earth.

In the Prologue to The Rule, we find Benedict’s tip for maintaining PEACE in community (family and society).   “If you wish to have true and eternal life, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit; turn from evil and do good; seek PEACE and pursue it.”  Another translation says, “Seek peace and go after it.”  That conjures up quite an image:  dashing out of the chapel, down the hallway, into the dining room hoping to catch the coattails of PEACE.  We go climbing God’s holy mountain pursuing PEACE – never abandoning charity nor giving a false peace.  We peacefully perform whatever duties are entrusted to us and ensure that we have made peace before sundown.

Call to mind those beautifully colored tiles in the mosaic above the splashing holy water.  Ponder what a powerful impact PEACE can have on our lives.  Let us renew our commitment to make PEACE more than a concept we talk about; more than a gesture we exchange at Mass, more than a sign on a banner at a rally.  Let us make a daily pledge to nurture peace, be people of peace; to be a peaceful people.

 

~by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

First Reading  Exodus 32:7-11; 13-14      
Second Reading  1 Timothy 1:12-17
Gospel Reading  Luke 15 :1-32 or 1-10
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Pentecost 2021

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“A Bird Does Not Sing Because It Has an Answer.

 It Sings Because It Has a Song.” (Chinese Proverb)

 Has it really been 50 days since Easter?  It seems to me, maybe especially this past year, when I try to recall when something happened either it seems ages ago or a couple days ago.  A review of the readings reminds me of all that happened in Jesus’ life and his interactions with his disciples during the 50 days following his resurrection.

A few minutes ago we concluded this year’s Novena to the Holy Spirit – the Church’s first novena.  For Mary and the eleven Apostles it was nine days of waiting (they did not know how long).  For us, it is nine days of anticipation for the Solemnity of Pentecost.  Between the extended Vigil Celebration and what is termed “Mass During the Day” there are eleven (11) selections for the readings.

In this reflection I’ll circle through the messages in Paul’s Letters to the Galatians, the Romans and the Corinthians.  I wondered: what would Paul say to us today?  I suspect he would say much the same things he wrote to the audience of his time.  He might personalize it a bit to highlight the gifts (he’d say “peculiar”) to the body of people he was addressing.  He’d speak of the group’s gifts – why? – because they are manifestation of the Spirit for the edification and benefit of the community.

I could hear him saying, of thinking to himself as he put pen to parchment:

You do know that to all of you – each of you – is given the gift of faithfulness to prayer, stability to each other and an endeavor for life-long learning.  To one of you may be given the aptitude of expressing psalmody in musical settings; to another the skills to lift the notes off the page in song and to another the gift of prayer in poetry.  To one is given the gift of sensitivity to the needs of the poor and to others the gift of touching the heart of the weary, the aged, the infirmed.  One may have the gift of never knowing a stranger, and another the flair and daring to entertain the community as emcee for a party.  To one is given the gift of calligraphy and to another the proficiency to write icons.  To one is given the gift of fingers that dance across the keyboard and to another a green thumb that provides food for the table; to a gardener the knack to raise flowers from the dirt and to another the gift of arranging bouquets that inspire prayer.  To some there is given ease in outreach ministries; to others the gift of keeping the home fires burning in internal ministries.  To some there is given a volunteer’s heart.  Some have the gift of quiet presence; to others the gift of keeping a conversation in play.

And never forget nor minimize that you are daily graced to witness each other’s perseverance in a life-long commitment to THIS community and your combined efforts to feed the hungers of the people of God.

Paul speaks again to us: “There is diversity of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.  Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given (why?) – for the common good.”

In your midst there presently are those who respond to the ring of the doorbell; to others, the ring of a phone.  There are those who serve as “personalized shoppers.”  There are those who wield a mop and those who sweep; those who run the dish washer and those who scrub pots and those who restore order wherever they see a need.  There are bell ringers, and weed pullers and mail carriers; those who write, those who read and those who watch.  Some share the news, some inspirational stories and others a “Lady of Guadalupe or “Mountain Men” episode.  Some set up the chapel, others the kitchen or buffet table or a meeting space.  Some seek companionship; others are happy in solitude – some indoors, others outdoors; some walk the halls, others the driveway and some mark their steps going up the road apiece.  Some like the later schedule, others still get up at 5 a.m. to catch the sunrise while others prefer to put the sun to bed at night.

Remember what Paul really said: “There is diversity of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.”  Listen to the voice in your heart: “My child, you always have the gift of prayer …  that doesn’t change … the words you use, silent or voiced, whether you sit or stand or kneel, the method you practice are all conversations with God.  Remember the old Chinese proverb: “A Bird Does Not Sing Because It Has an Answer.  It Sings Because It Has a Song.”  As needs and station in life and health permits, your “song” may change over the years.  Then, change your tune and let the world hear it.  Sing your song with your life just because you have a song!  It is one of the polyphonic parts in the grand harmony of the miracle of Pentecost – “They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to sing in different voices, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim the mighty acts of God.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

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Rejoice! The God of Peace is at Work among Us!

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I don’t mean to slight or undervalue the testimony of John the Baptist that was just read (in John’s Gospel).  After all, he’s “The voice of one crying out in the desert.”  He was the star of the show last week with his cry: “Make ready the way of the Lord!”  This week let’s turn our attention to the admonitions of St. Paul – in our second reading – in his Letter to the people of Thessalonica about how to prepare the way of the Lord.  Paul says: “Rejoice always.  Pray without ceasing!  In all circumstances!”  IMPOSSIBLE!   You say.  Always?  Without ceasing?  In all circumstances?  Who can possibly do that in today’s world with all the violence, discord, illness and death?  But Paul has an answer for us.  “THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD.  DO NOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT.  Test everything; retain what is good.  Refrain from every kind of evil…..  the One who calls you is faithful, and will accomplish it.”

With his solicitous instructions, Paul sounds like “helicopter parents” as they drop their children at a new neighbor’s: “Remember what I’ve told you: Always be respectful. Listen closely.  Put away the toys you play with.  And, if you forget everything else, remember: ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ go a long way.  Call me if you need anything.”  Most times the kids know the spiel by heart, “Okay, Okay!  See yah Mom.”  Many of us may have memorized Paul’s exhortations.  Maybe our ears will perk up this round when we hear tomorrow’s reading proclaimed.

You may be surprised, if you consciously look for good, at all the positive things, all the surprises that God sends you each day – making Paul’s words ring true when he says: “The one who is faithful, will accomplish it.” In the 1950s the number one book on the New York best sellers list was Norman Vincent Peale’s: The Power of Positive Thinking – for 48 weeks – that’s almost a full year.

Peale said he wrote the book “with the sole objective of helping the reader achieve a happy, satisfying, and worthwhile life.”  His techniques were simple and, the best part, if you are serious about it, they were achievable.  For example:

  • Believe in yourself and in everything you do
  • Break the worry habit and achieve a relaxed life
  • Improve your personal relationships
  • Be kind to yourself

Bet you’re thinking, that sounds like advice of someone I know?  Like maybe John the Baptist, the Proverbs, my mother or grandmother… and certainly Jesus!

Perhaps one of the most reassuring statements in history is “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”  I have not examined my Bible to prove it, but “Siri” tells me that the phrase “Do not be afraid” can be found 365 times in the Old and New Testament.”  Think about it: that’s one time per day, for a full year that the expression is recorded in Scripture.  Goodness only knows how many times in the short span of our own lives someone has said words meaning: “I’ll be with you; you don’t need to be afraid.”

Simple reminders like those given to a child before a first piano recital, or acting in play, or the first day at a new school.  Or right here in this house, assurances to the first-time table reader, or Lector, or cantor.  Sometimes the advice is silly, at other times, simplistic.  But, if we let it soak in, it works.  “Keep your eyes on me, I’ll be the one smiling.”  Sometimes it’s hard to believe …  like the person who says: “This dog doesn’t bite – I’ll hold him.  “Don’t be afraid!”  This one is from a movie but could have been heard in our back yard.  Julia Roberts and Richard Gere are pushing their way through a tall grass short-cut.  She says: “Watch out for snakes.”  He: “I don’t like snakes.”  She: “Then walk nice; snakes won’t get you.”

Now – here it is the 3rd week in Advent – rose candles and vestments to remind us: “Be joyful!”  The church offers us once again for our consideration – Paul’s admonitions as we await the celebration of Jesus’ birth and His final coming.  Paul is insistent that Christ will come again!  Pandemics, death, pain, suffering, turmoil, sadness do not get the last word.  We await a Savior who has conquered Death.  This period of waiting, though, is not a time to twiddle our thumbs.  The words, the phrasing that Paul uses are all active verbs (nothing passive about it).  Rejoice!  Pray!  Give thanks!  Test EVERYTHING.  Retain!  Refrain!  Model what is good and peaceful!  Allow God’s Spirit to shine in your midst.”  And why?  Because: “The God of peace is really at work among us.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB, Prioress

 

First Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2a,10-11             Second Reading  1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Gospel John 1:6-8, 19-28

 

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