Benedictine Sisters of FL

Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

Peter

Companions Like Porcupines on a Cold Winter’s Night

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In this Sunday’s Gospel reading Peter asks Jesus how many times one ought to extend forgiveness to another. Peter proposes a reasonable number of times, perhaps seven. Jesus replies by extending Peter’s proposal by an enormous amount; not just seven times but 77 times. There is a temptation to quantify forgiveness as Peter tried to do, but 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 will risk forfeiting the effects of God’s mercy in our own lives.

Picture this: a cluster of porcupines on a cold winter’s night. The cold drives them to huddle together to keep warm, but as soon as they get close to one another they start jabbing each other with their spines and forcing them to move apart; thus they are forever coming together and moving apart in a kind of slow dance.  There may be a great deal of truth to that. Remember the saying about Benedictine life: we fall down and we get up.

For Jesus’ and Benedict there is no excuse for violating the first step in their instruction.  It’s not just a suggestion – these are words from the lips of Jesus.  If you’ve been offended, it is your responsibility to GO.  You don’t wait for the one who has offended to come to you.  You are accountable for your own actions!

So, you’ve approached the person who you feel has offended you – had a little “come to Jesus” chat with her– all seemingly to no avail.  What’s the next step? No, it is not turning a blind eye to the behavior IF you truly feel it is disrupting your peace and peace in the community.  The challenge is finding a person who can remain neutral.  Benedict describes this person as “wise and mature who secretly goes to the person to urge her to be humble and to offer her consolation so she is not overcome with excessive sorrow.”

Now it is time again to question yourself. Am I making a mountain out of a mole hill?  Am I acting out of my OCD tendencies?  Can I really let go and let God?  Or is God urging me to kick it up a notch and take a witness with me to listen in objectively, offering no opinions, just listen, and only speak if it seems needed to repeat what seems to be being said?

I want to affirm that I am not acting with rash judgement.  Do I have all the facts? We are human and God gave us a mind and the ability to reason but sometimes we don’t have all the pieces. Was I just being overly sensitive?

So, now you and a witness-friend have had that calm, rational talk with the person you are convinced intended to offend you.  Hopefully, your love and genuine concern are evident and she will not feel: “She’s just out to get me” or “They’re ganging up on me!”  If the truth be told, she would never have approached you in the first place if she did not trust you and care for you.  The hope is that the intervention will bring about reconciliation and peace.

What’s next?  Benedict advises separation from the community provided that she understands the nature of the measure.  For Benedict, non-participation in chapel and separation from the community table was a grave measure.  Benedict doesn’t say to starve the offender … just let her take her meals alone and at a different time.  Some today do that by choice.  But, I suppose, if it were announced that she is not allowed to have meals with the rest of the community, it would have a different feel and effect.

When all else fails, Jesus and Benedict agree there is no other choice than to apply the “cauterizing iron of excommunication … lest one diseased sheep infect the whole flock.”  But even then Benedict looks favorably on the return, the re-entry of a dismissed or dissociated member if she promises to make full amends, not simply say “I’m sorry”, but to make a sincere effort to change her ways and fit into community.

Just remember to always start with Step One: GO, don’t wait for the other to make an approach – Go alone (take a walk; share a cup of tea, sit on a swing, whatever but keep it private between the two of you).

Jesus and Benedict assure us if we follow their directives we’ll come to be like the little 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 puzzled and said, “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 just the trouble”, the child said: “Susie isn’t my enemy; she’s my sister.”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

First Reading:   Sirach 27:30 – 28:9         Second Reading:  Romans 14:7-9
Gospel:   Matthew 18:21-35
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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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19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Imagine it is the fourth hour of the night, between 3 to 6 a.m. The sun is just beginning to peek over the horizon.  If Father John is in his usual breakfast place, he’s on the porch sipping English tea and pondering his homily for the Sisters’ Mass as he observes the rising sun coming up.  He might take a photo if the sky is beautifully lit up.

Let’s return to Jesus’ story.  Earlier, He had shepherded his disciples into a boat and pushed them further out into the lake.  Jesus himself headed toward one of his favorite places for solitude, up the hillside by himself. Out on the lake, until a few minutes ago, everyone in the boat had been asleep or in that twilight state between sleep and alertness, that brief moment when you’re not quite sure if you’re awake or dreaming.  Suddenly, the rocking of the boat shook them all awake.  Gasping for air they shouted to each other: “Where’s Jesus?”

Then Peter spied Jesus in the mist and heard “Come!” At Jesus’ beckoning, Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.  As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, his feet found steady grounding even in the churning sea.  It’s difficult, isn’t it, to keep your eyes on the goal when there is a whirlwind swirling around you.  But remember, as long as we keep our eyes focused on Jesus, on our overall goal, and on each other, we’ll stay afloat with a tangible sense of peace.

Now, don’t disregard the fact that it was early dawn when Jesus came toward his disciples walking on the water.  You may have to squint until your eyes adjust to the darkness to make out clearly your surroundings.  But listen!  It’s not a ghost.  There is a whisper that, strange as it seems, is booming over the sound of the threatening waves of the storms in life: “Do not be afraid.  It is I.”

Jesus is reaching out a hand toward us, but it will fall empty to his side if we do not reach out in return.  Jesus, in the person of our donors, reaches out with eager hands to help us.  For the gift to be received we simply have to grasp their hands in ours in acceptance of their generosity.  We strive to respond without fear when we see them walking on the water toward us with their gift of self.  Like impulsive Peter, we speak up: “If that is really you, Lord, command me to come to you on the water.”

At this point in our lives, that moment has come as we move into American House.  We’ve left behind the safety and security of the known at the monastery building. We’ve stepped into the realm of the unknown. We must be willing to trust our life to our God’s care. It’s difficult to leave our safety nets.  We worked hard to insulate ourselves from the danger of failure.  The threat of the unknown can be paralyzing.  It’s pretty comfortable in the boat we’ve constructed. It’s not fancy but we have everything we need. Then God invites us to step out of our boat and venture into an unknown future.

Jesus repeats, “Come.”  Why did Jesus not go to Peter; why did he beckon him to “come”?   That’s the lesson for us.  We can’t sit, as they say, on our laurels, in our boat and do nothing.  When the storms of life are blowing all around us, Jesus says: COME.   Like a parent coaxing an infant to take a first step or like Elijah in the First Reading, you’ll hear a tiny whispering sound: COME! Come apart and rest in Me.  I am always within reach.  Grab that life jacket or that raft or an inner tube and get those arms and legs moving.  SWIM!  Pray, yes, but don’t forget to paddle, swim or row.  Take your time if you need to; catch your breath.  And don’t worry about calming the storm; Jesus promises “I’ll take care of that.  You just calm yourself.  Look around.  You will spot me in the mist, beckoning to you: COME!”

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13         Second Reading:  Romans 9:1-5
Gospel:   Matthew 14:22-33
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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 them up a high mountain.”

The Transfiguration story in Mark’s gospel appears just after Jesus has reminded the disciples: you who desire to save your life, must lose it.  Whoever loses your life for My sake, and the gospel – you will save your life.  And, says Jesus, I will not be ashamed of you when I come into the glory of my Father.   Then Jesus lets these remarks take root for six days before he sets off up the mountain with Peter, James and John.

Here Jesus is transfigured, glorified by God.  Is He telling Peter, James and John that He is not ashamed of them: Peter who will later deny even knowing Him, James and John, the Sons of Thunder, whose mama requested preferential seating for them in heaven?  They climbed the mountain with Jesus and witnessed His glory.

The story (I believe) calls each one of us to examine what mountain we must climb to see God’s glory.  We can apply the story to death or a near-death experience.  But, if we do that we miss the everyday mountains we must climb.  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…. Some days they are like a little pebble on our path, which we glibly kick aside. Or, they can be like a grain of sand inside your shoe – no bother when you are sitting still but the instant you start to move it quickly makes itself felt.   Other days, they are like boulders we can’t move with a backhoe.  Everyone’s mountain is different. But, to witness God’s glory, we must climb our “mountains”.

Once on the mountaintop, we must have eyes to see God’s glory.  We must stay alert, have the insight to know that we are at the top.  Our cooperation with God’s grace has brought us to a mountaintop.  The disciples could have missed Jesus’ transfiguration if they:

  • had been too busy taking in the view
  • were gloating over their status or talking about those left behind
  • were wondering about what was on the agenda for tomorrow
  • were wondering how long were they going to be up on this mountain anyway
  • were wondering if there would be time to finish what they had started when Jesus summoned them
  • were bickering over who was going to get use the walking stick going down the mountain
  • were asking themselves who provided the fish for supper last night and whose turn is it now?

You fill in the blanks…you know what it is that keeps you from seeing God’s glory.   Theses are the things that cause you to miss the “small miracles”, the “everyday transfigurations” in yourself, in one another, in nature.  And, gently remind yourself, that Jesus and the disciples also went back down the mountain.  We need to thank God when we get to the top.  But we can hardly stay there.  There are more mountains to climb.  While you are at the top, if only for an instant, witness the transfiguration.

Jesus did not become “more God” that day on the mountain.  I don’t think the change was 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.  Miracles (transfigurations) are all around us IF we but have the eyes to see

  • the miracle of God’s graciousness when a person holds a door open for another
  • the miracle of God’s mercy when a mistake is not challenged
  • the miracle of God’s steadfastness when day after day we gather for communal exercises
  • the miracle of God’s humility when reconciliation occurs
  • the miracle of God’s humor when it rains on our picnics
  • the miracle of God’s artistry in the beauty of nature that surrounds us.

You can make your own litany of miracles.  God is already there, is here.   Jesus invites us up the mountain and leads the way.  We must open our eyes to witness the transfiguration.

 

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

 

 

Gospel:   Matthew 17:1-9

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Jesus invited: Come after me.

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Jesus invited: Come after me. 

At once they left their nets and followed him.

Our call to holiness is not a one-time beckoning.  Everything was not hunky-dory when Peter, Andrew, James and John rolled up their nets and walked away with Jesus.  The call back to the simple, predictable life of a fisherman may at times have been strong enough to give them second thoughts about this little-known upstart from Nazareth.  The barbs of criticism aimed at them and their hero and their suffering as the butt of jeers must have stung deeply.  But they were, for the most part, steadfast in their loyalty to the Master.  They could have spent time wringing their hands bemoaning the awful conditions of their known world.  Instead, they looked to Jesus for direction and followed his unwavering example of feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, comforting the sorrowful.

Even in the darkest hours they clung to hope.  Hope is a spark that can become a flame.  The same puff of breath that can snuff out the spark, more gently exhaled can coax the spark to burst into a lively flame.  The same vocabulary we use to engender hope, spoken in a derisive tone, may dash all hope to the ground.

In these days of our Sisters’ strategic planning I invite you to figuratively hold hands in fervent prayer that we will be courageous, hope-filled, sensitive, patient, considerate – truly “sisters” to one another as we grapple with the tough issues that lie in our laps.

We are made for this time.  Benedictines are committed to being life-long learners.  For all our preceding years we have been training, practicing, getting ready for this exact moment in our history. As Hel Basse writes in Give Us This Day for January 23, 2026: “If you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, travel together.”

A few years ago, Pope Francis said in one of this Sunday addresses: ”Go forth and don’t be discouraged.  Don’t be fools, remember, a Christian doesn’t have the luxury of being foolish.  An idiot, a fool – you can’t give yourself that luxury.  You have to be clever, be astute!”

Let us reach out.   Let us catch the light from each other’s flickering flames, coax them brighter and bring them closer together to shed a united light on possibilities that will lead us into the future God already has in mind for us.

Pray this week that you may discern what nets are holding  you back from following Jesus’ daily quiet calls.

~Reflection by Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

 

This is also Oblate Sunday at the Monastery – they will gather at the monastery or via ZOOM for Mass and dinner with the Sisters.  This Sunday they will spend time with S. Tonette for a presentation on the obligations of Oblates.  As time permits, S. Mary David will lead a teaching session including discussion of the “homework” assignments.

Basically, a Benedictine oblate is a layperson or secular priest who associates themselves with a specific Benedictine monastery, committing to live according to the

Rule of Saint Benedict in their daily life. While not taking formal vows or living in the monastery, they become part of an extended monastic family, integrating prayer, work, and spiritual values into their personal lives in the world.

 Key Aspects of a Benedictine Oblate:

  • Spiritual Affiliation: Oblates affiliate with a particular monastery, participating in its spiritual life while maintaining their own vocations, whether single, married, or working.
  • The Rule of Saint Benedict: They adapt the principles of the Rule—such as moderation, community, and prayer—to their secular life.
  • Oblation as Self-Offering: The term means a “gift of themselves” to God in union with the monastery.
  • Promises: Oblates make promises that often include stability (a commitment to their monastery), fidelity to the spirit of the Rule, and obedience to God’s will.
  • Prayer Life: They often engage in the Liturgy of the Hours and Lectio Divina (sacred reading)

 

 

 

 

First Reading:   Isaiah 8: 23- 9: 3-6         Second Reading:  1 Corinthians 1: 10-13, 17
Gospel:   Matthew 4: 12-23
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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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