Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Paul

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Have you ever had this the experience? You’ve composed an email and as you push “send” you have a flash of insight that you forgot a word or an idea but off it goes into cyberspace anyway.  If Peter lived today, he’d probably have quite a few of such experiences.  He is a prime example of the saying: “Open mouth, insert foot.”  He may have wished he’d heard what Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in his classic book, The Cost of Discipleship: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him to die.”

As with Peter, it’s probably a good thing we don’t know the bottom line when we sign on with Jesus.  We haven’t yet read all the fine print or it might literally scare us to death, or at least cause us to shrink or depart from his company.

It’s a good thing that we have become cynics when it comes to promises received in the mail or on the computer in spam mail.  Almost daily, some spam mailing assures us that we are the “lucky winner of one of several prizes.” All we need to do is contact them to identify our prize. Fortunately, we’ve learned that no matter how good the promises sound, they simply are not true.  Have any of you become the promised “Publisher’s House” mystery winner – and then heard them knocking at your door to televise your exuberant surprise?!

In order for you to more easily understand this “bottom line” business and the “fine print” concept, let’s imagine a contemporary, local situation.   Let’s say a local dairy farmer sees a TV ad for a great buy on a new pickup truck.  The ad promises deep discounts and unbelievable factory rebates. So, he decides to trade in his old clunker. He chooses a new model and was ready to write the check for the full amount. The salesman says, “Wait, wait I haven’t given you the final cost yet.” The farmer says, “Isn’t it the price I saw on TV?”  The salesman says, “Well, yes, but that’s for the basic model, all the options cost extra. After the options you’ve chosen are added, this is the price.”  The farmer really wanted that new truck – and anyway he’d gotten all his junk out of the old clunker.  So, the farmer reluctantly writes a check and drives off in his new pick-up.

A few months goes by.  That same car salesman calls on the farmer because he wants to buy a cow for his daughter’s 4-H project. The farmer assures the car salesman he has several good milk cows for sale for $500. The salesman drives out and selects a cow and takes out his checkbook. The farmer says, “Wait. I haven’t given you the final cost yet.” Then he hands the salesman a bill that reads:

BASIC MODEL COW          $500
Two-tone exterior                  $45
Extra stomach                        $75
Milk storage compartment     $60
Straw recycle compartment   $120
4 handy spigots  @  $10each  $40
Leather upholstery                  $125
Dual horns                               $45
Automatic rear fly swatter      $38
Natural fertilizer attachment $185
               GRAND TOTAL  $1,233

Sadly, many people are only interested in the basic model of Christian living. They want just enough to keep them out of hell without intruding on their fun. You won’t find the full cost of discipleship advertised in many places today. It doesn’t fill the pews in our churches or religious vocation programs.  Whether you’re buying cars or cows, it’s important to get to “the bottom line” even if we go into sticker shock when we discover the full cost.

Be assured by what Paul says in this weekend’s second reading: “I urge you to discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”  We know what Jeremiah means in the first reading when he says: “God’s word becomes like fire burning in my heart; I grow weary holding it in.”  That’s our bottom line.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

First Reading:   Jeremiah 20:7-9         Second Reading:  Romans 12:1-2
Gospel:   Matthew 16:21-27
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Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

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Saints Peter and Paul are probably the best known of all the saints in the Catholic Church.  Both of them were personally chosen by Jesus for the building up of the Mystical Body of Christ.  Peter’s mission was twofold: to lead the Catholic Church in the early stage and to lead the Jewish people into the new Covenant.   Saint Paul came into the picture a little later and played a major role for the Church in converting a great number of the Gentiles to follow Jesus.

Theirs is the same God who continues to reach out to us, calling us to spread God’s light throughout the world. To us, simple human beings, not angels, God gives the Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us according to the evolving needs of the Church – the people of God.

This evening I chose to proclaim the gospel given for the Vigil Mass rather than the one for tomorrow’s liturgy.  The Scripture selection highlights Peter, but Paul will get his solo turn later on.    Many look at the Gospel passage with wonderment. Why did Jesus ask Peter the same question over and over?

Seemingly out of the blue, Jesus says to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?”  Peter responds, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love you.” I cannot imagine a more insulting way for Peter to answer!  Peter is sitting with the risen Jesus  who asks him “Tell me, Peter, do you love me with a selfless love?” and Peter responds using a verb that means: “I am really quite fond of you.”

We can only imagine how “out of place” Peter now felt being with Jesus. Where he had once been comfortable and self-assured as one of the chosen disciples; he now feels the shame of denying he is one of Jesus’ friends.  Self-confidence and faith had withered to self-doubt and a feeling of being an utter “failure.” How could he even bear to look into the face of the resurrected?

The rest of this passage shows Jesus’ compassion for, and continued confidence in, Peter.   “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.”  Jesus is confirming his love for Peter even though Peter had failed him.  Jesus gives Peter the opportunity to confess his love for Jesus in front of witnesses.

Jesus then told Peter that he was going to die for Him. What a wonderful piece of prophecy!  Jesus was telling Peter that he was going to have faith great enough to be the kind of man he thought himself to be when he said, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.”   He didn’t die WITH Jesus, but he knew now he was going to be allowed another chance; to LIVE FOR Him, and that he would eventually die for Jesus. We can only imagine the joy and relief that Peter felt!  Later, in different circumstances, Jesus will issue the same invitation to Paul.

What does this mean for you and me?   Even though we may have failed the Lord miserably, He is sharing GREAT news with us: it is not too late!  We have another chance to prove to the Lord, and to ourselves, what kind of Christians we really are.

~ Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey

 

 

 

First Reading: Acts 12:1-11                       Second Reading: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18
Gospel: John 21:15-19
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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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