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Holy Name Monastery
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Water

Ascension

May 22, 2023 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

So when is the last time you “grabbed the devil by the tail?”  Or sought a big rock to dash your unruly thoughts against?  Uttered something in a language you never studied?  Or, as it happened to St. Benedict, had a goblet crack from rim to stem and spill out its poisoned contents?  After all, we live at HOLY NAME Monastery and the evangelist Mark quotes Jesus telling us these will be our signs if we are baptized and believe in the holy name!  And, on top of that, we have the command to: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”

A little overwhelming, isn’t?  But we had best take this message to heart all the while assured by the words that follow in the Gospel: Jesus took his seat at the right hand of God, but they (meaning we) went forth and preached EVERYWHERE, while the Lord worked with them.”

Praise God the full brunt of the message does not fall on us alone.  But we must take seriously our commitment to shoulder our share of the burden to spread the Good News to all with whom we come into contact.  We express this in a variety of ways in multiple community documents:  in our PHILOSOPY statement, our MISSION statement, our VISION statement, our CORPORATE COMMITMENT and our CORE VALUES.  We recognize and acknowledge our responsibility to harken to Jesus’ call personally and to contribute to its fulfillment in the context of our Benedictine vocation.

There is an ancient and beautiful story about the ascension of Jesus into heaven. When the grand welcome ceremony was over, the angel Gabriel quietly approached Jesus and shared some doubts.  “I know that only very few in Palestine are aware of the great work of human salvation you have accomplished through your suffering, death and resurrection. But the whole world should know and appreciate it and become your disciples, acknowledging you as their Lord and Savior. What is your plan of action?”  Jesus answered, “I have told all my apostles to tell other people about me and preach my message through their lives. That’s all.” “Suppose they don’t do that,” Gabriel responded. “What’s your Plan B?” Jesus replied, “I have no other plan; I am counting on them.” That fanciful story reminds us that Jesus is counting on each one of us to make him known, loved and accepted by others around us.

Perhaps what this means can best be illustrated within another story.

A man was stumbling along in a desert, thirsty and with little hope of survival.  All he had was one small disposable bottle of water.  When it was gone, he knew that certain death lay in store for him.  But, wonder of wonders, as he topped the next dune, he saw what he took to be an old decrepit shed.  He dragged himself on his elbows over to it, hoping he might find some source of water.

Ah, thank God, there was a pump outside the shack.  Frantically, the man pumped the handle.  Nothing happened.  Then his eyes fell on a crude hand-lettered sign that read: “This pump must be primed to work.”  His dreams of survival seemed dashed.

He held up what was left of the bottle of water, rolled it across his cheek, cuddled it, kissed it and prayed for faith.  Then he acted.  He primed the pump with all the water he had.  He closed his eyes and pumped the handle.  Wonder of wonders out came streams of fresh, cool water!  He was saved because he gave of all he had.  (Based on a story in Unity Magazine November 1986).

Pope Benedict XV expressed well the attitude and necessity of self-giving:  “My deep personal sharing in the needs and sufferings of others becomes a sharing of my very self with them….  I must give to others not only something that is my own, but my very self, I must be personally present in my gift.”

Like the man who sacrificed his last drop of water on the rusty, frozen pump we step out in faith with no plan B in mind.  In the words of a hymn made popular several years ago by the Medical Mission Sisters: “Give it all you’ve got!”

God loves a cheerful giver, give it all you’ve got.

He loves to hear you laughing when you’re in an awkward spot.

When the odds add up against you,

It’s time to stop and sing:  Praise God to praise Him is a joyous thing!

 

~Sister Roberta Bailey, OSB

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Filed Under: Blog, Front Page, Homily Tagged With: Ascension, Gabriel, God, Jesus, Pope Benedict XV, pump, Water

The First Miracle

January 19, 2016 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

water to wine(John tells us that Jesus and his disciples were invited to this wedding at Cana, as was Jesus’ mother, Mary.) There is no parallel report of this miracle at Cana in the other three Gospels. Don’t you think it is significant that John included the story – about Jesus and his disciples at a wedding – at a PARTY – as the very first miracle Jesus performs? Of all that Jesus said and did in his three years of ministry, this is first – Jesus at a party, turning water into wine. (and not communion size wine but party size wine)

John must have kept his eye on Mary whenever he was in her company.  Even after Jesus’ death, at Jesus, behest he took Mary into his home and heart until her own death.  Though in relating this story he does not call her by name, he must have been deeply touched by her gentleness and gutsiness; keen intuition and comfortableness in staying in the background.  Only Mary, Jesus and the wine steward (and, of course, our writer John) apparently noticed the exchange between Jesus and his mother – and the miraculous result.  There is no mention about whether the other wedding guests are aware of what happened.  This lavish response to a simple human need is a vision for us of the abundance of God’s workings in our lives. Jesus got involved in a BIG WAY – those six jars of wine would fill 6 to 9 HUNDRED bottles.  That’s a lot of wine, even for a wedding party that would, in Jesus’ time, last a week.

Jesus quiet generosity challenges us to respond generously when confronted with human need today – simply, quietly without looking for credit or announcing the “miracle.”   We respond as best we can, fully confident that God can transform our “water of humility into wine of unselfish generosity” bringing the Kingdom of God to fulfillment among us.

Do you know people who ‘feel bad about feeling good’?   (Or are you one of them?)  Do you feel that Jesus should have just attended the wedding ceremony (the ‘religious part’) and kept away from the festivities?  Do you have a problem with Mary enjoying a glass of wine or two?  There are some people, maybe more than we know, who seem to feel that, in order to be a ‘good’ person they always have to be denying themselves, always ‘making sacrifices’ or putting themselves down and minimizing their God-given talents.  If they think they are really enjoying life, there must be something wrong. They are in a constant state of waiting for the other shoe to drop.

To echo Pope Francis’ thinking: “Our religion is a religion of joy.”  But people miss his point when they spend their time living Lent but without Easter.  Pope Francis says in his introduction to THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL,” Joy adapts and changes, but it always endures!”   He continues: “I understand the grief of people who have to endure great suffering, yet slowly but surely we all have to let the joy of faith slowly revive as a quiet yet firm trust, even amid the greatest distress.”

And, we really do have much to celebrate, to be joyful and be thankful for in so far as so many people have used their gifts to promote our well-being and support  our community.

I quote here Max Lucado from When God Whispers Your Name:”

Why would Jesus, on his first journey, take his followers to a party? Didn’t they have work to do? Didn’t he have principles to teach? Wasn’t his time limited? How could a wedding fit with his purpose on earth? Why did Jesus go to the wedding?

The answer? It’s found in the second verse of John 2. “Jesus and his followers were also invited to the wedding.”

Why did they invite him? I suppose they liked him.  Big deal? I think so. I think it’s significant that common folk in a little town enjoyed being with Jesus. I think it’s noteworthy that the Almighty didn’t act high and mighty. The Holy One wasn’t holier-than-thou. You just don’t get the impression that his neighbors grew sick of his haughtiness and asked, “Well, who do you think made you God?” His faith made him likable, not detestable. Would that ours would do the same!

Lucado asks:  May I state an opinion that may raise an eyebrow? May I tell you why I think Jesus went to the wedding? I think he went to the wedding to-now hold on, hear me out, let me say it before you heat the tar and pluck the feathers-I think Jesus went to the wedding to have fun.”

So here’s a question for us:  Jesus took time for a party.  So, shouldn’t we?

How are you going to party?  And who is God using – like Mary speaking to Jesus – to give us a nudge in the right direction?  If you don’t know – as Benedict says:  listen more carefully.  And, if you do know – take the hint!

                                                                                                        Reflection by Sister Robert Bailey, OSB, Prioress

 

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Filed Under: Homily Tagged With: Cana, Jesus, John, Mary, Miracle, Second Sunday, Water, Wine

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