The Wonderful Gift of Family

"When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him." Luke 2: 40

On this the sixth day of Christmas, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family.  In Luke 2: 40, Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple for his consecration to the Lord as prescribed by law.  The Holy Family is approached by Simeon and Anna who recognize God’s Light in Jesus as gift to the world.  Simeon proclaimed to Mary “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted-and you yourself a sword will pierce-so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2: 34-35.  

When I listen to these words, I can see Mary and Joseph with a perplexed countenance as to the meaning of this message.  What were they thinking? Did they understand?  It seems that they were called to keep pondering their call in the Incarnation Mystery.  Were their hearts heavy as they returned with Jesus to Galilee?  They probably travelled on in silence and humbly resolved to fulfill God’s plan so that “the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him”(Luke 2:40) and Mary and Joseph too.

The Holy Family puts before us the image of community in family living.  At Eucharist this morning, Father Joel shared that “life begins in family.”  It is in family that we learn to live, love, and share our inner life with others.  Our immediate family life molds us to generate extended family life, either in married life or religious community life.  As I took time to thank God for my parents and my brothers and sisters, a wave of beautiful memories surfaced:

My mother’s attentive, caring, presence as she watched us take our first steps,

recorded our first word,

walked with us on the first day of school,

nursed us when we were sick,

made sure we ate together as a family EVERY night,

went to bat for us if there was a teacher-student conflict,

sacrificed her own needs so that we would have school clothes and books each year, 

hosted our birthday and graduation parties,

travelled with me when I entered the Monastery,

sat as Mother of Sorrows as two of my brothers lay dying,

and the list goes on and on. 

In other words, whenever there is a family celebration, whenever there is an unexpected or sad event, she has been right there with her heart wide open in love.

My parents on their Wedding Day
What were they pondering within their hearts?

I think of my father also, always faithful to his parental duties in our early years as he supported my mother in the raising of nine children,

diligently worked to support us,

insisted we be on time at the supper table,

helped us with homework,

took us on family outings such as the circus, the zoo, drive-in movies in the family station wagon dressed in our pajamas with plenty of popcorn and soda,

and going to Church every Sunday and getting there on time to make sure we sat in our regular pew (the Cohen Family pew).

I think of all my brothers and sisters and thank God for all the love they have shown me and am thankful for all the love I have been able to gift to them.  I thank God for their part in generating new life- for bringing so many nieces and nephews into the world for me to love.  I thank God for all my nieces and nephews who are now bringing forth more new life- all the grand nieces and nephews.

Life does indeed blossom forth from the Holy Family.  In our daily prayer with the Scripture readings of Jesus' life, we are formed and steeped into the qualities needed for holy family life-love, respect, kindness, consideration, generosity, humility, obedience and sacrificial service.  How can we not follow their example of community?  How can we better grow and become strong, be filled with wisdom, and definitely know that the favor of God is upon us also?"

My own holy family life fashioned me in preparation for my monastic family life.  St. Benedict, in his Rule, addresses parameters for a holy family life in community.  He insists on punctuality at prayers and meals, obedience to the Abbot and mutual obedience, humility, proper  order of work and prayer, proper care of the sick, and correction of faults. In Chapter 72 of the Rule, The Good Zeal of Monks, St. Benedict presents an exemplary model for holy family living, whether secular or monastic:  "This, then, is the good zeal which monks must foster with fervent love: They should each try to be the first to show respect to the other (Rom. 12:10), supporting with the greatest patience one another's weaknesses of body or behavior, and earnestly competing in obedience to one another.  No one is to pursue what he judges better for himself, but instead, what he judges better for someone else.  To their fellow monks they show the pure love of brothers; to God, loving fear; to their abbot, unfeigned and humble love.  Let them prefer nothing whatever to Christ, and may he bring us all together to everlasting life."  (Rule of St. Benedict, Ch. 72: 3-12.

What else is there to say about the wonderful gift of family?  There is probably so much more, but the important thing is to thank God for all the memories, good and sad, and in this remembering, the heart is softened to continue to grow the holiness of family life.

Sacred Heart Monastery
Monastic Community
Christmas Day 2011

The Cohen Family

 "Today the Church calls our attention

to not simply the importance of family life,

but the necessity that our families be holy.

Holiness is discovered in the realization that our lives are not about ourselves,

but are meant as a gift for others.

The families that embody this radiant gift of self to each other

imitate the Holy Family of Christ."

~Fr. Robert Barron

Sermon 468

"What Makes a Holy Family"

http://wordonfire.org

What Day Is Christmas?

In my toddler years, before I learned to read a calendar or had developed a sense of time, I’m sure I must have asked my mother “What day is Christmas?”  I am sure I hear her instructive words to this day: “Christmas always falls on December 25 and it is preceded by four weeks of Advent as a special time to prepare for Christ’s birth.  We do not put up the Christmas tree, the manger scene, or any other decorations until December 15.  The Advent wreath is the only decoration for right now and we will light a candle for each week of Advent.  When the fourth candle is lighted, then you will know that Christmas is only a week away.” 

The season of Advent has always been a welcome invitation to immerse myself deeper into the Light of God’s Presence, especially in my monastic years.  I think of St. Benedict’s words from the Prologue of his Rule: “What is more delightful than this voice of the Holy One calling to us?” (Prologue: 19).  The rich liturgical readings of Advent emphatically begin with the exhortation of vigilance: “Be watchful! Be alert! ... Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming…May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping” (Mark 13: 33, 35-36).  The Isaiah readings heard throughout the weeks of Advent rouse a commitment within the heart to cultivate a contemplative preparation for the re-birthing of Christ.

“O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” (Isaiah 2:5)

 “On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse

And from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (Isaiah 11:1)

 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of one bringing good news,

Announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, saying to Zion,

Your God is King!”  (Isaiah 52:7)

“A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the Lord!

Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!

Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low…

Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,

And all people shall see it together.” (Isaiah 40:3-5)

“Be strong, fear not!

Here is your God, he comes with vindication;

With divine recompense he comes to save you.

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared;

Then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.” (Isaiah 35:4-6)

These readings ignite the child-like anticipation of Christmas.  It is one thing to know Christmas is coming, but in later years, it is quite another thing to keep up the momentum of staying with the

Mystery of it all.  Although there were four full weeks of Advent this year, it wasn’t long before I started swerving off Expectation Road.  My regular horarium, ministry, and occasional assignments not on my “To Do” list, combined with Christmas preparations (prayer services, shopping, coordinating special work lists, decorating, and two unexpected out of town trips) monopolized my time the first three weeks of Advent.  With the sudden arrival of the fourth week of Advent, I was awakened from my “slumber” as we sang the following hymn at Morning Prayer:

“See how the Virgin waits for him:

Mary in wonder waits for him.

Shake off your slumber: come all full of wonder.

Jesus is coming as the Prince of Peace.

Gently she hears the distant breeze swaying the silver olive trees.

What is she thinking as the sun is sinking,

Waiting the birthday of her first-born Son?

Now a new pattern on the loom;

Now a new presence in the room.

Waking or sleeping, all her love she’s keeping,

Waiting the coming of the Son of God.

Slovak Folk Melody, Willard F. Jabusch

OCP, 1967

In the Gospel passages for the final week of Advent, Mary’s expectation and preparations for Jesus’ coming into the world took center stage.  Even though very much perplexed at her call to become the Mother of God, she resigned herself to fulfilling God’s plan in birthing the Son of God to the world.  She quietly pondered this challenge in her heart as she gratefully sang:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.”

 (Luke 1: 46-48)

For two days I pondered as Mary did the meaning of the Christmas Mystery about to transpire.  But it wasn’t long before I got busy with last minute Christmas preparations.  The words of Thomas Merton kept surfacing in my heart: “People in the world think the monastery is so calm and peaceful, but in reality, there is much activity inside these walls.” (Paraphrased, do not recall source) I strived to get all this “holy” business done so I could get back to pondering the coming of Christ in my heart, but was still quite active until the afternoon of Christmas Eve.  Midnight Mass proved to be solemn and my prayer wordless with the faith that I was embraced with the Mystery, a prayer that has no words, an unfathomable encounter with the Divine.  I gazed at the Nativity scene in the sanctuary after Mass, also a wordless encounter of the Divine, a faithful acceptance of the Mystery that must be lived daily all the days of my life.

As I awoke the next morning, realizing how tired I was, I resolved to renew my efforts in celebrating the events of Christmas day.  A few more last minute details consumed my energy in preparation for Mass, dinner, Community Christmas party, and Vespers, all beautiful, all holy, and enjoyed by all.  After all the blessed activities of the day, I was free to savor the evening hours as I relaxed in the recliner to gaze on the lights of the Christmas tree, while watching the Concordia Christmas concert on PBS.  As I went to bed, I knew I would awaken on the Feast of St. Stephen, December 26 with no specific duties and that this would be my Christmas Day this year. 

So yesterday I took time to re-read and pray with the Christmas Mass readings and contemplate the meaning of Christmas for me at this time of my life.  I came across a quote from a book, A Child in Winter (Caryl Houselander/Thomas Hoffman):

“The light from our Advent vigil now shines and draws crowds.

Our Lady keeps us connected to Advent,

But the way of the shepherds points forward-

To seek and to share what we have seen.”

(Hoffman)

 The journey of Christmas continues in the daily call of staying connected to the reality of the Advent and Christmas Scripture readings, internalizing the Word within me, and proclaiming Mary’s Canticle each evening as I pray with my Sisters.  Even though I may occasionally get distracted in following the Expectation Road, I know that every day is Christmas. Christmas is celebrated for 12 days in the liturgical cycle, but really 40 days, up until February 2, The Presentation of the Lord in the Temple.  So this being the third day of Christmas and if every day is Christmas, I still have 362 days left to celebrate the Christmas Mystery.

 

“The Christ is our dream come true.

This is the wholeness of God’s love made flesh.

He is beautiful and he is ours.

Come, let us adore.”

~Caryll Houselander, A Child in Winter

"Delicious Autumn"

"Delicious Autumn!

My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird

I would fly about the earth seeking successive autumns."

~George Elliot



For the past week, I have tasted "delicious autumn" as I gazed on the brilliant golden hue of this tree outside my bedroom window.  It's almost as if I cannot let its presence out of my sight.  I am drawn into God's Presence, without words, without thoughts, and without the need to justify the time sitting and gazing on this awesome icon of God's beauty.  My only thought this morning as this life-giving tree situated itself in my line of vision was "O tree of beauty, where have you been?  How come I have not noticed your illuminated presence before this week?"  Then it dawned on me that I recently rearranged the furniture in my room so that my chair now faces the window, thus framing this beautiful autumn portrait. 

In one of my favorite books, The Circle of Life, by Joyce Rupp and Macrina Wiederkehr, the season of autumn "stands as an epiphany to the truth that all things are passing and even in the passing there is beauty..  Autumn is a wonderful metaphor for the transformation that takes place in the human heart each season...Autumn speaks of connection and yearning, wisdom and aging, transformation and surrender, emerging shadows, and most of all, mystery." (p.166, 168)

The Autumn landscape invites me inward to ponder the turning points in my life.  How lively is my soul at this point of my life?  What are my areas of darkness?  What are my colors?  How do I need to grow into the Tree of Life I am called to be?

As my heart absorbs the various fall hues of red, yellow, brown, and lime green nestled against the contrast of the hearty evergreen pine, cedar, and magnolia trees and already barren branches that announce the approaching season of winter, I am fully aware of all four seasons.

My beautiful autumn leaves will disappear, but deep within the roots of their home, new life is stirring that will gift me with the luscious, vibrant Easter green hues of spring.  This barren time will invite me to die to old ways and birth new possibilities for inner growth.  In the words of Macrina Wiederkehr (The Circle of Life, p. 173-174),"I am listening to a call for inner growth, to my need to let go of material possessions, to my need to reach out for invisible gifts.  I am listening to a call for transformation."

This Tree of Glorious Light on which I gaze reminds me of the following words of St. Benedict:

"What ...is more delightful than this voice of the Lord calling to us?  See how the Lord in his love shows us the way of life."(Rule of St. Benedict, Prologue 19-20) This Tree of Love reveals Jesus' Paschal Mystery to me as the colors of my leaves change with the dailiness and seasons of my life to become the Tree of Love that I am called to be. 

My heart knows that my favorite yellow leaves will soon start falling to the ground and that God will be inviting me to surrender and enter into deeper transformation, so that new seeds of generativity will blossom forth my beautiful yellow leaves again next year.  And I will be sure to have my chair facing the window!!!

"Bless the Lord, O my soul.

O Lord, my God, you are very great.

You are clothed with honor and majesty,

wrapped in light as with a garment."

~Psalm 104: 1-2





The Oratory of the Heart

The Oratory of the Heart

poem written on the 80^th anniversary of the

Dedication of Sacred Heart Monastery Chapel,

Cullman, Alabama

How majestic and inviting this Sacred Space

that daily calls me to ever deeper wonder.

 

 

 Its firm foundation and soaring heights,

its rays of stained glass jeweled beauty,

have gifted Sacred Presence and peace to all who enter its welcoming portal.

For 80 years, hearts have burst

into magnificent chants of praise and gratitude

for God’s ever present love.

For 80 years, hearts have celebrated

God’s call to grow deeper in love,

to pray God’s mystery of love,

to contemplate the meaning

of one’s awesome call.

For 80 years, hearts have come together to celebrate

entrance into new life,

profession and renewal of commitment to monastic life,

the ongoing journey of good times and bad times,

the ending of earthly life to the beginning of heavenly embrace.

Grateful I am

for the Sisters who created this architectural masterpiece

that still stands as a beacon of light, 

 God’s holy dwelling place of love and peace

to all who enter its glorious embrace.

The oratory of my heart knows

that this majestic foundation

 will continue to stand
in spite of torrents of mighty winds

because it is built on the faithful

foundation of the daily song

of God’s love together.

~Sister Priscilla Cohen, OSB

"The oratory ought to be what it is called,
and nothing else
is to be done or stored there."
~Rule of St. Benedict, Ch. 52: 1

Focus

I recently had the opportunity to attend a retreat given by one of our Sisters.  Sister Therese Haydel presented a “Praying with Light” retreat and very artistically described gazing on photographic images as an invitation to prayer.  Walking with a camera in hand and being attentive to images of God’s surprises is an opportunity to step out of the ordinary to glimpse Sacred Presence.  We can pray with light as well as the words of Scripture.  If we are spiritually attentive to the various nuances of life, perspective is deepened.   On our spiritual journey, we come to equate images of Light with the Divine, the fiery rose sunrises at morning dawn, the illuminant rays of the sun piercing through the branches of the trees, the golden harvest moon sighted on the drive home from work, or the sunset colors cascading over the flowing ripples of the lake. 

It is these moments, these unexpected “epiphany moments” (ref. Sr. Therese), these “Kodak moments,” that put us in touch with God, remind us of what our journey in life is all about, and call us to see the sacred in every moment of ordinary life. 

The camera assists us in focusing our perspective of an image.  We learn to pay attention to the various nuances of light and hues of color.  The camera becomes our intimate friend as we internalize the many functional settings to produce the perfect artistic image.  Often we plan exactly what we want to capture.  At other times, what we think we captured is not what we really intended when the printed image is revealed.  Our eyes may behold something totally different when gazing at the final image and we are often astounded with the unexpected beauty of an image our eyes were not cognizant of at the click of the lens. 

Robert Waldron, in his book Thomas Merton, Master of Attention, describes monk Thomas Merton’s love for photography as a means of being attentive to the sacredness of photographic images.  Waldron says “the camera focuses in on the object chosen by the eye to be seen, not a cursory but a deep seeing, as if one is attempting to see into the life of things, like monks with eyes fixed upon religious ritual or Scripture, hoping for a divine glimpse.” (pg. 71)

In the Benedictine tradition of lectio divina (sacred reading), we read God’s Word, listen to God’s message to us in the Scripture reading, meditate on its meaning for us, and rest in God’s loving embrace.  We do this day in and day out.  It is the formative element of the living out of our vows of obedience, stability, and fidelity to the monastic way of life.  As we grow in this practice and this intimate relationship with the Sacred Word, we walk through every moment of our lives, at prayer, at work, and at table, opening our eyes to the perspective of the Sacred.  At the end of the day, we mull over all the blessings and painful conflicts of the day.  We learn to focus our physical lens on what went well and we learn to gain perspective on how we could have changed our emotional focus to master the true image of what should have transpired.

The same process of lectio divina can also be applied to praying with photographic images.  The contemplative practice of visio divina (divine seeing) opens the lens of our eyes to see what is, to gaze on the Light of the Divine Presence.  We gaze, we listen, we ponder, and we behold the gift God wants to speak to us through the image.  The icon of God before us engages us in considering the questions and perspectives of life.  Why am I drawn to this image?  What is God saying to me?  How does this picture transform me?  What lesson do I need at this time in my life?  What memories surface? How am I led to respond in gratitude and praise? How am I being called to share my experience with others?

A prayer walk with camera in hand can focus our intent to catch God’s surprises and awaken us to new perspectives in our daily lives.  We place ourselves in God’s Presence, open our hearts to God’s plan, and wait for the image God wants us to capture.  So after the retreat, I took a leisurely stroll on our beautiful campus.  I probably took about 50 shots.  Later, in the quiet hours of evening, my eyes lingered on this picture of the statue of Mary outside our retreat house. 

 What caught my attention was the sunlight caressing her with its light.  I deliberately captured a close up image.  This statue is only about three feet in stature and I’m sure I have walked by it many times but never even noticed it.  But this close up image presents a different perspective. Here she stands with a calm, peaceful and prayerful pose. She is adorned in a flower petaled cloak I’ve never noticed before.  Her beautiful presence stands at the center of the Retreat Center grounds to welcome everyone, whether she is noticed or not.  Her attentive presence reminds me of a mother, always available, always welcoming.  Her message is “Welcome to this holy dwelling place, this Oasis of Peace, where you will find the God of Love and Peace.”  God’s message to me as I reflect on this iconic image is that I also must be like Mary, attentive, calm, peaceful, and welcoming to all who come into this Oasis of Peace.

Focus,

Wake to the Light,

Behold the illuminant rays piercing the tree’s beauty

Feel your gasp

at the wondrous beauty

of God’s ever present light

AND NEVER FORGET IT!

~Sister Priscilla Cohen, OSB

The Power of "Three"

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you."  2 Cor. 13: 11-13

Today we celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.  Following the closing of the Easter season last week with the renewing and energizing fire of  Pentecost, it's as if we continue to keep on celebrating God's mystery in our lives so that we do not forget what we have been about during the Lenten and Easter season.  The mystery of the Trinity invites us into relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  I can remember as a "growing up Catholic girl" memorizing a definition of the Trinity from the traditional Baltimore Catechism:
What do you mean by the Blessed Trinity?   
By the Blessed Trinity I mean one God in three persons.
Can we fully understand how the three Divine Persons are one and the same God?
We cannot fully understand how the three Divine Persons are one and the same God because this is a mystery. 
Now I must confess I could not find an old Baltimore Catechism on the monastery bookshelves, so I googled  my queries  and was amazed that my religious education of those primary years was still available and sounded so very familiar.  The answer to the second question, that the Trinity cannot be fully understood because it is a mystery, conjured up a chuckle.  I can actually remember writing that exact answer on a test. I was relieved I did not have to understand it; I could just accept it as faith.  I can remember turning to a boy who kept asking Sister to explain this mystery and saying, "Johnny, we cannot understand it; it's a mystery!!!  After I entered the monastery, I remember my novice director teaching us about the hypostatic union of the Trinity, drawing mathematical-like diagrams on the board that made absolutely no sense to me at all. Now she may have used the term "it's a mystery" but I certainly wasn't going to be the one who said that to her. 

There is a story told about St. Augustine, who one day was taking a stroll along the seashore, trying to ponder the mystery of the Trinity.  He discovered a child with a little pail, who trekked back and forth, emptying bucket after bucket into a hole in the sand. When Augustine asked him what he was doing, the child replied that he was putting the ocean into the hole.  When Augustine told him this was impossible, the boy responded that it was just as impossible for him to comprehend the mystery of the Trinity. Bingo! "It's a mystery, Gus! We cannot understand it."

The liturgical celebrations and Scripture readings put us in touch with the three Divine Persons, Creator, Redeemer, and and Spirit.  Barbara Reid, O.P. in her reflection entitled, "A Dance of Love," states that today's Gospel (John 3: 16-18) "tells of God's ecstatic love of the world that overflows in the gift of the Son.  He was not sent to die, but to share the life and love that is the very essence of the Holy One-in-Three."  She goes on to explain the concept of perichoresis which helps us to "envision the dynamic love relationship of the Trinity in a circular fashion.  The word means literally "going around" and suggests a vigorous dance-like movement of each person circling, interweaving, whirling in vibrant interaction.  The point of this dance of love, however, is not for the sole enjoyment of the divine Dancers. The dance is an open circle that invites all onto the dance floor, drawing them right into the midst of the energetic flow of divine delight. If some hesitate, preferring to sit on the sidelines, the Three-in-One circle back again and again, extending the invitation over and over to each and to all, changing the pace and the rhythm, so that even the most clumsy of us can learn the steps in the dance of divine love."  Now this makes perfect sense to me.  I love the image of life as a dance. I love the image of circle, the image of inclusivity, unity, and community. I see God the Father creating the universe out of love, sending Jesus to love, and sending the Spirit in ever abiding love.  And all Three-in-One beckon us to stay faithful to this dance of love.

I see my living in community as a sacred dance.  The Trinity embraces us in the divine dance as we pray together, share meals together and share our gifts with one another. The Three-in-One dances with us as we go about our various ministries, inviting others into this dance of divine love.  Because of the daily fidelity to this circle of love to which we have been called, we can understand the Trinity as lived reality, as sacred gift of all-embracing love, and as life-giving breath for our world today.

At our Vigil service last night, three Sisters opened prayer with the following invitatory and candle lighting:                                                                                  
In mystery and grandeur
we see the face of God
in earthiness and the ordinary
we know the love of Christ.

In heights and depths
and life and death:
the spirit of God
is moving around us.

Let us praise God.

I will light a light
in the name of God
who lit the world
and breathed the breath of life into me.

I will light a light
in the name of the Son
who saved the world
and stretched out his hand to me.

I will light a light
in the name of the Spirit
who encompasses the world
and blesses my soul with yearning.

We will light three lights
for the trinity of love:
God above us,
God beside us,
God beneath us:

the end,
the everlasting one.
From In Spirit and In Truth

So, yes, I finally get it, or do I? May this image of the dance of love be an icon in the dailiness of life  and may we be faithful to the following invitation of St. Benedict:

"But as we progress

in this way of life and in faith,

we shall run on the path of God's commandments,

our hearts overflowing

with the inexpressible delight of love."

What Zeal

It’s been over a month since I posted my last blog. The April 27th tornado rampage put me at a loss for words. Our Monastery buildings and our lives were spared, but the devastating effects of the city and neighborhood so close to us is unbelievable. Some places are totally wiped out, others unrecognizable, others still intact. Cullman County experienced only two deaths. Over 800 homes and 90 businesses were destroyed. Without power for six days, without TV and Internet for almost two weeks, we had no idea of the devastating impact of nature’s wrath all around us. Whenever I drive through the city, I become aware of another building destroyed that I had not noticed before. The spirit of the city of Cullman remains hopeful for rebuilding and surviving. The disaster relief and volunteer efforts have shown an overwhelming and generous, caring spirit.

Two blocks from us, corner of Hwy 278 and Convent Road

As I prepared a reflection yesterday for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, the readings reminded me of the virtue of good zeal that St. Benedict teaches in Chapter 72 of his Rule. I am finally able to write of our tornado experience because I see the good zeal manifested by so many during the aftermath of the April 27th monster tornado. And so I share this reflection with you…

In last Sunday’s Gospel (John 14:1-12), we hear Thomas and Philip still asking Jesus for clarification regarding his future destination and revelation of the Father. Jesus’ response “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?” gives us food for thought in our own faith life. As we grow in our monastic way of life, we might chuckle at Jesus’ response and realize Jesus’ frustration with the fact that they still don’t get it. But then, it hits us that we probably have not gotten it either. Jesus’ statement calls us to reflect on our way of life, our fulfillment of his mission, and our proclamation of his message of love to each other and to the world.

In today’s first reading (Acts 8:5-8, 14-17), we see Philip proclaiming Christ to the people of Samaria. The crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip and saw the signs he was doing. The people witnessed the healing miracles Philip performed and there was great joy in the city. In John’s Gospel (John 14:15-21), we no longer hear any of the disciples asking Jesus for any clarification. We only hear Jesus’ words of instruction to love him and keep his commandments. He will send the Spirit to be with us always. He will not leave us orphans, but will come again. “In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live.” And more and more of the same words of the Gospel of John we have heard over and over throughout the Easter season to make sure we get it.

Philip’s journey of continuing Jesus’ mission confirms he finally got it. We see the zeal with which Jesus’ life within him showed Christ to a world in need of healing and proclamation of love. Perhaps the virtue of good zeal in the Rule of St. Benedict parallels the message of today’s Gospel.

“Thus monks should practice this zeal with the warmest love.”

“Let them strive to be the first to honor one another.”

“They must compete with one another in obedience.”

“No one should pursue what he judges advantageous to himself, but rather what benefits others.”

“They must show selfless love to [all].”

“Let them fear God out of love.”

“Let them prefer absolutely nothing to Christ, and may he lead us all together to everlasting life.”

(Rule of St. Benedict, Ch. 72)

Sr.Aquinata Bockmann, OSB, a renowned scholar on the Rule of St. Benedict, says the following in her commentary on Ch. 72:

“Fervor and love are congruent. They are to be practiced not only within the community, but also in our conduct toward all people who need us. Good zeal thus is ardent enthusiasm, the total engagement of our power of loving. It urges us to hasten, not just to walk, with the whole community and it marks all our actions. When we think of the texts from the Fathers that emphasize that the Holy Spirit makes our hearts wide, that the Spirit is love in person, dwelling within us, then we can also say here: zeal is not just a good force within people and flowing from people, but it is the active presence of Christ himself who urges us on. Zeal is the ardor, the fire of the Holy Spirit, and the dynamic power of community life and of the apostolate. “For the love of Christ impels us.”
(from Perspectives on the Rule of St. Benedict, pp. 57-58)


April 27th brought forth the living out of the practice of good zeal for us. Our togetherness in our sacred space without power, telephone, TV, and Internet was a truly zealous witness of community commitment. We continued to live out our monastic rhythm- praying together in chapel without light or microphone, sharing meals only because we were fortunate enough to have a gas oven, sharing community time with candlelight, celebrating Eucharist in the Great Room to be with those who could not walk up the steps. If we were not faithful to the day in and day out of living the Rule together, these six days of such close proximity and inconvenient interruption of our daily routine may have presented a real challenge for us. But it didn’t, we felt very much at home, because after all, “home is where the Heart is.”

The zealous action of others toward us has been such a gift to us and ignites our hearts to increase our zeal in reaching out to others:

             Two young monks coming over from St. Bernard after the tornado

                               to check on us and showing us pictures of the devastation right around

 us that we had not yet seen

Friends calling friends to check on us

Our employees reporting to work the next morning to help us clear debris

 even though they still had debris in their own yards to clean up

The contribution of generators from Golden Construction

Our Cenocolo community “tree surgeons”

Sisters pitching in to clean up the yard, or help in kitchen

Sister Therese and Robby faithfully adding diesel fuel to the generators

The Bradview Sisters’ hospitality, Sister Margaret Mary Liang’s good cooking for our Sisters that stayed at Bradview (our Birmingham house), and Carolyn Namie’s and Frances Bruno’s generosity in cooking a banquet for them that included scrumptious steak

Other Benedictine houses’ prayers and contributions

The list goes on and on.

As were able, we started to reach out beyond the monastery walls with zeal and fervent love:
Showers or rooms for staff if needed
Contribution of food to disaster relief services

Offering of sacred space to area churches impacted by the tornado
Donation of funds to relief organizations because of generosity of funds given to us
Sisters walking devastated areas and expressing concern for those they met along the way
Sr. Elisabeth’s fidelity to her blogs in keeping others up to date on our status and her prayerful ability to see debris picked up as part of people’s lives
(http://www.shmon.org/  Living the Tradition: A Benedictine Blog)



And most of all our prayer for all those affected by the country wide tornado rampage
And the love of Christ continues to impel us:
Sister Lynn Marie initiated a free legal clinic this past week.
We continue to contribute funds as generous contributions keep pouring in.
We continue to pray daily for all those affected and for those who assist them.
We share our sacred chapel space with the Lutheran community because
of the loss of their worship space.

The Easter Season always revs us up for what our life is about. Pentecost will light the fire of our hearts to continue Jesus’ mission every day for the rest of our lives. Let us take the following words of Joan Chittister, OSB, from her book, The Monastery of the Heart, as a mantra from this day forward:

“We must zealously do what is best for others,

rather than concentrate

simply on what we have decided

is best for ourselves.

We must zealously love one another

chastely and appropriately,

not selfishly

or exploitatively.

We must be in zealous awe

of the presence of God

in us and around us.

We must zealously love our community,

its tradition and its teachers,

with real affection.

Most of all, we must prefer nothing

in the world

to the love of God.

Then, if we do these things-

if we live life

in our Monastery of the Heart-

with this kind of zeal,

we will have reached

the heights of love

to which Benedictine spirituality

is designed to bring us.

“Let them prefer

nothing whatever to the love of Christ,

and may he bring us all

together

to everlasting life.”

The Rule of St. Benedict, Ch. 72:11-12