The Splendor of Autumn

It's been over a year since I've spent time with this blog.  Though the intent is forever on my mind, it has been a year of so many events that hinder my fidelity to this creativity and expression I so dearly love.  I have been at a conference this past week at Our Lady of Grace Monastery, a Benedictine Monastery in Beech Grove, Indiana, just south of Indianapolis.  As I strolled the campus today, admiring God's sunny presence on fall colors beginning to announce their presence, my eyes beheld the beauty of the above yellow leaves already falling to the ground below. 

Yellow leaves are truly a favorite for me. But I also love red leaves.  But I also love yellow, red, and orange leaves.  And I also love yellow, red, and orange leaves, interspersed with lime green leaves.  But the best of all sights to behold are all the above colors illuminated with the sun's rays.

Autumn is definitely my favorite season of the year.  The foliage colors awaken my heart to God's beauty and remind me of the seasons of my own life.  As I watch the leaves letting go of their home and falling to the ground, I am reminded to search my inner soul to let go of what has been and to fall to the ground to be re-nurtured in earth's soil that I may begin again my daily commitment of living life joyfully, lovingly, and peaceably. 

Autumn is a prayer for me.  It is a very contemplative prayer.  I don't have to say anything.  All I have to do is be there to behold its beauty and God will do the rest.  So these past few days at Beech Grove have been a prayer for me and a time to share the inner work of my soul with other Sisters who live my same journey day after day. This "beginning of autumn" adventure "magnifies my soul to proclaim the greatness of the Lord."

Next week I will be traveling with my family to the Smokies for a few days.  My heart eagerly awaits this contemplative experience.  So more to come.  I hope to pray with my eyes and my camera to capture the illuminative gift of God's arrays of color.

A Saint Twice Honored



Saint Benedict

(480-547)
Founder of Western Monasticism
Patron of Europe

As Benedictines we celebrate the feast of St. Benedict twice a year. On March 21st we commemorate the passing of St. Benedict and July 11th is the Feast recognizing him as Patriarch of Western monasticsm. Generally, March 21st is considered the primary feast of celebration. However, there is controversy as to which feast is primary. We at Sacred Heart Monastery celebrate both days with uplifting liturgy specific to the feast and a festive meal gathering. We are grateful to have the opportunity to celebrate twice yearly because it helps to keep our heart focused on the journey of our monastic call. The celebration is a step out of our ordinary routine to invite us to awareness of the sacredness of this life.

Pope Benedict XVI, in a general audience address in 2008, lauded St. Benedict as a "luminous star" (words of St. Gregory the Great, Dialogues-on the life of St. Benedict). "The Saint's work and particularly his Rule were to prove heralds of an authentic spiritual leaven which, in the course of the centuries, far beyond the boundaries of his country and time, changed the face of Europe following the fall of the political unity created by the Roman Empire, inspiring a new spiritual and cultural unity, that of the Christian faith shared by the peoples of the Continent."

                                                      Abbey of Monte Cassino, Italy

From a life of solitude to the founding of Subiaco and MonteCassino and other monasteries in Italy, Benedict's charism thrives today, not only by vowed men and women living in community, but also by enthusiastic lay people affiliated with monastic communities, living the invitations of the Rule in their daily lives. Benedict "bequeathed with his Rule and the Benedictine family he founded a heritage that bore fruit in the passing centuries and is still bearing fruit throughout the world." (Pope Benedict XVI)

At Vespers, we frequently sing the following hymn by Ralph White, OSB, that I think captures both the life of St. Benedict and our daily journey of being faithful to the graced heritage of our call:

Blest in name more blest in calling, Benedict, we sing your praise,

Proud to be your sons and daughters, walking in your proven ways.

From those days when by the mountain, in the cave some way from Rome,

you were called to seek the Godhead, and to live for God alone.

In that hidden cave new wisdom and new holiness were born.

Seeking God, the light in darkness, others came in search of dawn,

begging you to be their leader, and to guide them to that home,

where the One who is eternal, welcomes all who are God's own.

Slow long years distill'd your wisdom into words that are your Rule,

That we too might learn to follow, learn to live in God's own school,

learn to love and learn to listen, learn with patience to obey.

How the humble find the kingdom, how the grumblers lose their way.

Humbly walking in your footsteps, Benedict we praise your name,

Thanking God for your great wisdom, letting faithfulness proclaim

still the wonder of that vision of this world you received:

All the beauty of Creation in a sunbeam you perceived.

In the valleys, on the mountains, in the cities of our land,

still we pledge our lives in worship, building on God's rock, not sand,

and in leading lives of silence, lives that balance work and prayer,

with great joy we prove by patience that our God is everywhere.

My prayer today is that all those gifted with a Benedictine heart may continue to follow the call of Christ and the invitation of St. Benedict to build on God's rock a fruitful life of silence, work, and prayer, constantly seeking the "luminous light" of God's presence everywhere. Following the theme of our present capital campaign, may we all

 "Reflect, Renew, Rejoice, Continuing the Sacred Tradition."

"The Flame Lives On"

"The Flame Lives On"

A Pentecost Poem

The Spirit invites me once again

to that holy Upper Room of long ago

where driving winds gush to and fro

and the Spirit's purifying presence descends upon me.

I sit in utter amazement

of this most awesome event:

What breathtaking Presence!

What fiery Luminescence!

What overshadowing Mystery!

I truly hear:

The peaceful breath of the Spirit.

I truly see:

The Flame of the Spirit illuminating

my heart and those around me.

The Holy Flame draws me inward

gifting me with only

a faint glimpse of the Face of God.

But this powerful Flame also draws me outward

and I am called to share

this glimpse of God with others.

Suddenly,

all are awakened

to the glory of Jesus standing among them.

proclaiming greetings of peace,

breathing the Spirit's Life-Force upon them,

and inviting all to continue his mission on earth.

May each flame on which I gaze,

may each breath I raise,

renew me to proclaim

"The Flame Lives on!"

~Sister Priscilla Cohen, OSB

Palm Sunday Pagentry

As we gathered this morning for the blessing of the palms to begin our procession with Jesus on this Holy Week Pilgrimage, the mood was somber, but at the same time jubilant.  We heard the following words of instruction: "Today we gather together to herald with the whole Church the beginning of the celebration of our Lord's Paschal Mystery, that is to say, of his Passion and Resurrection.  For it was to accomplish this mystery that he entered his own city of Jerusalem. Therefore, with all faith and devotion, let us commemorate the Lord's entry into the city for our salvation, following in his footsteps, so that, being made by his grace partakers of the Cross, we may have a share also in his Resurrection and in his life."

As we processed outside to the chapel on a glorious spring morning, the mood was jubilant with the knowing of embarking on a most gifted journey.  The singing of "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! can't help but raise our hearts in glorious anticipation for the gift of Easter.

The first reading (Isaiah 50:4-7) immediately brought on a somber mood as we heard the following Messianic prophecy: "I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting."  The Responsorial Psalm (22) uttered the feeling of complete abandonment, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"  The second reading (Philippians 2:6-11) was more jubilant as it sings of Jesus' mission, emptying himself, coming in human likeness, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  This act bespeaks his ultimate gift of love whereby "at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."  In fact, this message reminds us of our Baptismal commitment and vocational call in life, to follow Jesus and proclaim Jesus with the same heart of love.

Then we listened to the long Passion narrative (Mark 14:1-15:47).  It would take me to this time next year to blog about the meaning of this Gospel because it is just so full of implications for my life's journey.  Perhaps it is an invitation to take just one section per day throughout Holy Week and place myself in the story to ponder its meaning at this time in my life.  While listening to the Gospel, my heart flip flopped between feelings of sorrow and joy: the joyous extravagance of the woman with the alabaster jar anointing Jesus' head and Jesus' recognition of her prophetic role, the sorrowful betrayal, the making ready for the Passover celebration, the sharing of bread and wine (Body and Blood) at the Last Supper, Peter's denials, Jesus' Gethsemane and Sanhedrin experience, the Crucifixion, and the Burial.  The Gospel ends with "Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched where he was laid."  And so I am called to watch also.  To continue to watch my heart as I ponder this Passion narrative throughout the week.  I will hear sections of this Gospel repeated in the liturgy throughout the rest of the week.  And, of course, I will again experience the various nuances of sorrow and joy as I hear it again on Good Friday.  In the meantime, I "Remain here and keep watch" as I journey with Jesus on the most holy of journeys.

Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane
Sacred Heart Monastery
Cullman, Alabama













Bread and Soup Night TOGETHER



nytimes.com

Wednesday and Friday nights during Lent at the monastery are reminiscent of more traditional monastic times when meals were, for the most part, eaten in silence while listening to holy table reading.  Monastics were not only fortified physically, but their souls were nourished in holy silence as they mulled over the words they heard as the reader shared whatever she was instructed to read by the Abbot.  St. Benedict, in Chapter 38 of his Rule, The Reader for the Week, exhorts "Let there be complete silence.  No whispering, no speaking- only the reader's voice should be heard there.  The brothers should by turn serve one another's needs as they eat and drink, so that on one need ask for anything." 

Our silent monastic meal tonight consisted of split pea and ham hock soup with homemade zucchini bread right out of the oven.  St. Benedict always advocates a second choice, so those who were not particularly fond of this flavor of soup could be seen navigating to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal.  The silent atmosphere somehow invites one to slow down, to truly taste the food, and to listen attentively to the word being read.  In a way, this is prayer time TOGETHER, silence TOGETHER, community time TOGETHER, formation TOGETHER. 

Tonight, as I listened to the reading, I realized we are all on the same journey TOGETHER, intent on our Lenten Pilgrimage TOGETHER.  After the reading was over, we sat in silence for a few minutes until Sr. Janet Marie rang the bell, the sign that the meal was completed and we could then proceed to clear the tables and take our dishes to the cart for dishwashing.  I sat for a few minutes just to watch the Sisters.  I noticed several Sisters taking dishes for Sisters who needed help.  This reminded me of our holy service TOGETHER that should flow out of our silence and our interiorization of God's message through the spoken word.



The book that Sr. Janet Marie chose for our Lenten table reading this year is The Gift of Years, Growing Older Gracefully by Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB.  The following paragraph struck me as a possible Lenten message for us all as we live this monastic life TOGETHER, "growing older gracefully" TOGETHER:

"A burden of these years

is that we must consciously decide how we will live,

what kind of person we will become now,

what kind of personality and spirituality we will bring into every group,

how alive we intend to be.

A blessing of these years is being able to live so openheartedly,

and to adjust so well,

that others can look to us and see what being old can bring

in terms of life,

of holiness, of goodness

to make the world new again."

~Joan Chittister, OSB

The Gift of Years

BlueBridge Pub. 2008, p.65

So our Lenten time TOGETHER is an opportunity, a call, to make everyday a new day so that the Christ within us can make the "world new again."









Lenten Pilgrimage

The readings for this first Sunday of Lent are packed with rich imagery of water, rainbows, creatures of every kind, and desert wilderness.  We once again travel the covenantal pilgrimage of salvation history.  In the words of Patricia Sanchez, “through the story of Noah and the great flood, the authors of Genesis remind us that no one goes it alone in this world. God has chosen to be bound forever to us and to our world in a covenantal relationship

...This covenant supersedes all the differences that divide us and all the controversies that place us at odds with one another.  Just as Noah and company were preserved in the ark from the flood waters, those who are baptized into Christ are saved through the waters of the sacrament.  …The bow in the clouds stands as a witness to God’s ever deepening love and commitment to all.  Among the ancient Near Eastern peoples, the rainbow was thought to be a divine weapon used by the gods to inflict harm on humankind.  However, with the biblical narrative of Noah, the bow (undrawn) became a symbol of God’s unwillingness to harm covenantal partners.  It bore silent, colorful witness to God’s “never again” pledge…” Through our own response to God’s covenantal relationship with us, “we are to echo God’s “never again” promise so that future generations might also know” this covenantal relationship.

In the Gospel of Mark, we join Jesus on his wilderness pilgrimage.  Having just been baptized in the Jordan, he escapes to the desert for 40 days, a “fearsome place where wild beasts were a constant danger, [but] also the place where Israel and God sealed their relationship and where they had come to rely on God for their survival. Similarly reliant on God and strengthened by the Spirit and the ministrations of the angel messengers, Jesus not only survived the desert experience, he emerged victorious and eagerly intent upon beginning his mission.  He would preach the gospel of God!” (Patricia Sanchez, from “Preaching Resources,” Celebration, February, 2012)

Jesus calls us to be serious about our own Lenten pilgrimage, to recall our baptismal commitment, our moments of monastic profession, our sufferings, our conversions, our joys.  As the rite of “election” or “enrollment of names” for the catechumens who are to be admitted to the Sacraments of Christian Initiation at the Easter Vigil takes place tomorrow, we recall our own Baptismal celebration, the many catechumen celebrations we have witnessed, and all of our Sisters who have responded to Jesus’ call throughout the years to form new members into God’s covenantal relationship.

Each day of our daily monastic pilgrimage, with its desert and garden moments, its peaks and valleys, is a re-commitment to our Baptismal commitment- to our vow of stability, no matter what.  The Lenten journey, indeed, our everyday journey, is definitely an adventure.   Joyce Rupp, in her book, Walk in a Relaxed Manner, Life Lessons from the Camino, shares that “adventure depends on openness and an attitude of risk taking.  Life can be boring and yawningly predictable or it can be surprisingly eventful and growth- filled.  It depends on how we see it and what we allow it to be for us. The landscape of our daily routines may be the same but we are never the same inside.  There is always something new waiting for us, if we will only open ourselves to it.  What we consider to be everyday and ordinary can have freshness to it if we are willing to enter into it fully.  Every day is an adventure daring us to be more fully alive.”

Our daily lives enrich our understanding of the liturgical readings from year to year.  Something new is always waiting for us.  With our listening hearts, we stand ready to embark on new adventures, inviting others, through our hospitality and ministry, to embark on the holy journey of life with us. 

We can easily see the readings for tomorrow as the Paschal Journey.  The water images of the flood might make us think of the virulent budding of spring gifts to come, the desert sands conjure up times of aridity and tribulation, the rainbow assures us there is hope, and Jesus’ presence in the desert reflects that in God all things are possible if we look to Him as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

The scallop shell design, worn as a badge by pilgrims to Compostela, symbolizes the many European starting points from which medieval pilgrims began their journey, all drawn to a single point at the base of the shell, Santiago de Compostela.  So perhaps we should keep this scallop shell in mind as our symbol to carry along on our Lenten journey, where each week of Lent is drawn to a single point at the base of the shell, the arrival at our Easter destination.

 As we think of pilgrimage, the following quote from James Healy is appropriate:

"Whether we gaze with longing into the garden or with fear and trembling into the desert, of this we can be sure---God walked there first!  And when we who have sinned and despoiled the garden are challenged now to face the desert, we do not face it alone; Jesus has gone there before us to struggle with every demon that has ever plagued a human heart. Face the desert we must if we would reach the garden, but Jesus has gone there before us." 

              (from A Lent Resource Book, The Forty Days, Book One, pg.68,

               Liturgy Training Publications, 1990)

  

"The Rest of the Story"

Postscript to yesterday's blog- "Angel at the Super Bowl"

(must read blog of February 4, 2012)

What a game!!!! The Patriots tried so hard the last 50 seconds or so to score a touchdown to beat the Giants.  Yet, for most of the game they were ahead.  I felt a real adrenalin rush at their last-ditched effort to come through for the win and heard myself shouting for Dave to help them out.  Believe it or not, I shed a little tear for their loss, but I think I heard Dave say, "Sis, it's allright, the score shows they are BOTH the best.  And don't forget, I was in New York for several years and attended a few Giants' games. Though I love the Patriots, I'm OK with the Giants winning since they were part of my life too."

David M. Cohen
In Memoriam
February 6, 2005
Our Super Bowl Angel

I celebrated with you this night
you coaxed me to the Super Bowl
your most favorite delight.
Your beautiful face with Stetson hat
I did not see
but never mind that
my heart felt your presence.
Tell God thanks
for all of us!
We love you and miss you so much!
So we promise
to meet you every year at the Super Bowl
and we know one day that you will meet us at the gates of the Real Super Bowl.

From Mom and all your brothers and sisters