Pentecost

Feast of Corpus Christi

June 12, 2023 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

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 13^th 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

Pentecost Sunday

May 30, 2023 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

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 leading to the feast of Pentecost. At various times Jesus has greeted his disciples with the gift of peace and commissioned them to continue the work that he has begun: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Heads up! Listen intently because the “you” Jesus speaks of includes each one of us. Where does Jesus send us? And to do what? Where is anywhere we can be an agent of peace and harmony. And what is to be a reconciling presence in the world amidst situations of conflict in our own homes or our workplaces.

If we believe Jesus’ words when He said “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I” then we know that people have only to come to us, to our community, to find the power and peace of the Spirit. What a truly breathtaking gift that is! We can make God present! Wherever, whenever we pray, whenever “two or three gather” Jesus is there. What an awesome responsibility rests with us! And consider this: what form of the gift of the Spirit has God imparted to you? Look back through the years. What have family, coworkers, community members, friends reflected back to you? Has it been your gift of discernment, your kindness, your optimistic, joyful outlook? Or was it maybe your serenity, calmness and peace, your simplicity, or your awareness of God’s presence everywhere?

If we are to be true to our commission, we need to nourish our ability to call upon this Spirit and to stay close to Jesus because others are depending on us. We need to proclaim the Good News to them with our words and our lives. We may be the only image of God they’ve come to know. Peace must be for us more than just a wish; more than a handshake or a hug. It is a GIFT – a deep confidence that can withstand even the most tragic experiences.

When we live in a positive and loving way, we are fulfilling the mission of Jesus in our world. We may seem to be warming and redeeming only the small, chilly space that we happen to occupy in life. Our kindness radiates, in fact, in wonderful ways like the ripples in a pond ruffling the surface of the water far beyond where we stand. What may begin with a simple, unpretentious act in our dining room, chapel or community room vibrates the air full-circle and comes back to us in a new, life-giving form. Like the game of GOSSIP you whisper a message that gets repeated and distorted many times over. By the time it comes back to you, there is little left of the sentence that you spoke.

There are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit from which spring twelve fruits of the Spirit. The fullness of the Spirit can comfort and challenge us doing lectio with the titles of the Spirit found in our Novena: Comforter, Peacemaker, Root of Virtues, Bestower of Gifts, Bond of Unity, Fountain of Faith, Cause of Holiness, Soul of Ministry, Source of Love. We can BE these gifts to each other only through the Power of the One who commissions us to affirm the mysteries of the universe, to see the lasting value of justice and mercy, to fill our lives with wonder and awe in God’s creative omnipotent presence.

Light years ago, in the first catechism class I taught as a postulant in Dade City, there was a child who, in those days, was labeled “retarded.” The pastor, Father Benedict, Sister Rosaria and I deliberated and prayed for insight to determine whether the child was able to understand the mystery to be received. At the First Communion Mass all doubts were erased. At the elevation of the sacred host, his childish, high-pitched pronouncement could be heard throughout the church: “Here He comes!”

Jesus prayed: “I wish that where I am they also may be with me.” And, so we pray: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill our hearts with your presence. May our lives be rooted in your love and wisdom.” The words of that excited child are worth inwardly proclaiming whenever any person or situation approaches us: “Here He comes!”

~S. Roberta Bailey, OSB

First Reading: Acts 2:1-1 Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13

Gospel Reading: John 20:19-23

Pentecost

June 6, 2022 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

The Holy Ghost

O Holy Ghost, whose temple I

Am, but of mud walls and condensed dust,

And being sacrilegiously

Half wasted with youth’s fires, of pride and lust

Must with new storms be weather-beat;

Double in my heart Thy flame,

Which let devout sad tears intend; and let

(Though this glass lanthorn*, flesh, do suffer maim)

Fire, Sacrifice, Priest, Altar be the same.

by John Donne

*lanthorn – an archaic word for lantern

Pentecost 2021

May 25, 2021 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

“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