Twenty-Third Day of Easter

Almighty God, you show the light of your truth to those who are in error, to the intent that they may return to the way of righteousness: Grant to those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s religion that they may avoid those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to it; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 72

On the Good Zeal Which They Ought to Have

Just as there is an evil zeal of bitterness
which separates from God and leads to hell,
so there is a good zeal
which separates from vices and leads to God
and to life everlasting.
This zeal, therefore, the brothers should practice
with the most fervent love.
Thus they should anticipate one another in honor (Rom. 12:10);
most patiently endure one another's infirmities,
whether of body or of character;
vie in paying obedience one to another --
no one following what he considers useful for himself,
but rather what benefits another;
tender the charity of brethern chastely;
fear God in love;
love their Abbot with a sincere and humble charity;
prefer nothing whatever to Christ.
And may He bring us all together to life everlasting!

The Fourth Sunday of Easter

O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with the you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 71

That the Brethren Be Obedient to One Another

Not only is the boon of obedience
to be shown by all to the Abbot,
but the brethren are also to obey one another,
knowing that by this road of obedience they are going to God.
Giving priority, therefore, to the commands of the Abbot
and of the Superior appointed by him
(to which we allow no private orders to be preferred),
for the rest
let all the juniors obey their seniors
with all charity and solicitude.
But if anyone is found contentious,
let him be corrected.

And if any brother,
for however small a cause,
is corrected in any way by the Abbot or by any of his Superiors,
or if he faintly perceives
that the mind of any Superior is angered or moved against him,
however little,
let him at once, without delay,
prostrate himself on the ground at his feet
and lie there making satisfaction
until that emotion is quieted with a blessing.
But if anyone should disdain to do this,
let him undergo corporal punishment
or, if he is stubborn, let him be expelled from the monastery.

A Fable: Sodomanians *

The Almighty spoke to Rabbi Ismus, Go now to the land of Sodomania and proclaim to the people of the south that I the Almighty love them.

Rabbi Ismus was deeply troubled. O Holy One Beyond All Knowing, you have no idea what you are asking. Do you not know who they are and what they do?

The Almighty spoke again to Rabbi Ismus, For too long these people have been denied their rights, they have been abused, persecuted, and some have been killed by the people of the north.

Rabbi Ismus was deeply perplexed for he was unable to fathom the words of the Holy One. Great and Holy One, he said, these people are sinners, they are vile in their relationships with one another, they commit obscene acts that you yourself denounced in your written word, they deserve to be separated, punished and shunned by the northern people.

The Almighty became perplexed and he responded to his prophet, you misread my word, you interpret the teaching with deaf ears and blind eyes. You hear harshness and judgment when I speak of love and community. You trouble yourself with divine things, when I created and redeemed human life. Stop wasting my time and pronounce the good news to the people of the south.

So Rabbi Ismus departed from the holy place and made his way by an abandoned road across the land of hypocrisy to the Sodomanians and there he lifted his voice: These are the very words of the Holy One: You are loved by God.

Immediately, the Sodomanians rejoiced and were exceedingly glad. They killed the fatted calf, prepared fresh vegetables, and gathered the wine stewards. They gave thanks to the Great One who they now knew as the Blessed One, the Father of All.

Rabbi Ismus, folded his arms and sat under a banana tree and cried: The world is not the same, even God is a revisionist. How will I ever believe again. I will remain here, I will not move, here I will die!

And so it was: The Anglophiles who had been debating whether or not the Sodomanians were a worthy people went their separate ways, there were those who defended God and there were those who had compassion for the outcasts; and so the fig tree withered ....

* apologies to the Prophet Jonah

Mystagogia #3

As Easter people we are to behold the new creation in the world and in ourselves; strengthened in the hope of the resurrection; living joyfully as children of our loving Father; renewed by the gracious gifts of life we have received; being grounded in the truth of the gospel with fidelity.

The Twenty-First Day of Easter

God our Father, by the waters of Baptism you give new life to the faithful. May we not succumb to the influence of evil but remain true to your gift of life through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 70

That No One Venture to Punish at Random

Every occasion of presumption
shall be avoided in the monastery,
and we decree that no one be allowed
to excommunicate or to strike any of his brothers
unless the Abbot has given him the authority.
Those who offend in this matter
shall be rebuked in the presence of all,
that the rest may have fear.

But children up to 15 years of age
shall be carefully controlled and watched by all,
yet this too with all moderation and discretion.
All, therefore, who presume
without the Abbot's instructions
to punish those above that age
or who lose their temper with them,
shall undergo the discipline of the Rule;
for it is written,
"Do not to another what you would not want done to yourself" (Tobias 4:16).

self-imposed excommunication

A great sadness of the church in this new century is the number of people within her Body who decide for whatever reason to no longer eat at the Table. Years ago, before the Reformation, it was a practice of the church to excommunicate those who were grave sinners in order to encourage them to repent. In this day, as the church seeks to embrace everyone, some of her members find openness so intolerable that they depart and move away from the Table.

Usually, the unhappy, angry, or disappointed depart without a word fading into society and the faith community is left to mourn their departure. It is as though they never were connected to the Life within the Body and unlike those that left they have no remorse. All of this goes on without a word, without dialogue, without a desire to interact with others in order to listen and to share one's pain in order that the Body may be enriched and strengthened.

I pray that these who 'wander the earth' in search for refreshing Bread and gladdening Wine will discover a new homeland, a faith community that is open wide to welcome them home.

The Twentieth Day of Easter

Father, by the love of your Spirit, may we who have experienced the grace of the Lord’s resurrection rise to the newness of life in joy through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 69

That the Monks Presume Not to Defend One Another

Care must be taken that no monk presume on any ground
to defend another monk in the monastery,
or as it were to take him under his protection,
even though they be united by some tie of blood-relationship.
Let not the monks dare to do this in any way whatsoever,
because it may give rise to most serious scandals.
But if anyone breaks this rule,
let him be severely punished.

The Nineteenth Day of Easter

Father, in this holy season we come to know the full depth of your love. You have freed us from the darkness of error and sin. Help us to cling to your truths with fidelity through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 68

If a Brother Is Commanded to Do Impossible Things

If it happens
that difficult or impossible tasks are laid on a brother,
let him nevertheless receive the order of the one in authority
with all meekness and obedience.
But if he sees that the weight of the burden
altogether exceeds the limit of his strength,
let him submit the reasons for his inability
to the one who is over him
in a quiet way and at an opportune time,
without pride, resistance, or contradiction.
And if after these representations
the Superior still persists in his decision and command,
let the subject know that this is for his good,
and let him obey out of love,
trusting in the help of God.

Sinfully Wrong

There is something gravely and sinfully wrong with a world where the division between the rich and the poor continues to expand, where some still live in palaces and recline on ivory couches while others starve outside their gates. In our day, the prophets still speak for a world where the hungry are fed, the ill are healed, where all children are educated and no one is denied the basic necessities of life.

+Katharine,
Presiding Bishop and Primate
of The Episcopal Church

A Secret Life

this town likes its secrets, so many masks worn to hid the pain, doors slammed shut to prevent the eye from seeing the truth, people separated, walled off from one another, unwilling to acknowledge the abyss within and around them, they push others away with a smile or a frown, shunning god, they hold to their fragile self respect in order not to become undone by their unveiled selves.

what is a little weird is that their masks are cracked, you can see their faces in their absence, in their silence, in their fear, and yet they will not come too close, hold back, desiring to remain under the fig leaf, waiting ....

A Poem: ICU

motionless
she laid
in her bed
staring into
the emptiness
of the room

hopeful and scared
following triple bypass
surgery and beginning
dialysis

pictures of family
on table
to her right

she smiled when
i acknowledged her
teddy bear

together we prayed.

Let us remember

The conscious of the world was destroyed by those who were wont to blame others rather than themselves. Let us remember. We revered the instincts but distrusted the prophets. We labored to perfect engines and let our inner life go to wreck. We ridiculed superstition until we lost the ability to believe. We have helped to extinguish the light our fathers had kindled. We have bartered holiness for convenience, loyalty for success, love for power, wisdom for information, tradition for fashion.

Abraham J. Heschel
Man's Quest for God

The Feast of Saint Mark the Apostle

Almighty God, by the hand of Mark the evangelist you have given to your Church the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God: We thank you for this witness, and pray that we may be firmly grounded in its truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 67

On Brethren Who Are Sent on a Journey

Let the brethren who are sent on a journey
commend themselves
to the prayers of all the brethren and of the Abbot;
and always at the last prayer of the Work of God
let a commemoration be made of all absent brethren.

When brethren return from a journey,
at the end of each canonical Hour of the Work of God
on the day they return,
let them lie prostrate on the floor of the oratory
and beg the prayers of all
on account of any faults
that may have surprised them on the road,
through the seeing or hearing of something evil,
or through idle talk.
And let no one presume to tell another
whatever he may have seen or heard outside of the monastery,
because this causes very great harm.
But if anyone presumes to do so,
let him undergo the punishment of the Rule.
And let him be punished likewise who would presume
to leave the enclosure of the monastery
and go anywhere or do anything, however small,
without an order from the Abbot.

The Seventeenth Day of Easter

Father, you opened the kingdom of heaven to those born again by water and the Spirit. Increase your gift of love in us. May all who have been freed from sin in baptism receive all that you have promised through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 66

On the Porters of the Monastery

At the gate of the monastery
let there be placed a wise old man,
who knows how to receive and to give a message,
and whose maturity will prevent him from straying about.
This porter should have a room near the gate,
so that those who come may always find someone at hand
to attend to their business.
And as soon as anyone knocks or a poor person hails him,
let him answer "Thanks be to God" or "A blessing!"
Then let him attend to them promptly,
with all the meekness inspired by the fear of God
and with the warmth of charity.

Should the porter need help,
let him have one of the younger brothers.

If it can be done,
the monastery should be so established
that all the necessary things,
such as water, mill, garden and various workshops,
may be within the enclosure,
so that there is no necessity
for the brothers to go about outside of it,
since that is not at all profitable for their souls.

We desire that this Rule be read often in the community,
so that none of the brothers may excuse himself
on the ground of ignorance.

Is This The Church For You?

"They have too much fun. They don't dress like church people. There are too many children. Even teenagers like going to church now. They make the Bible interesting. The pastor tells jokes. Their music doesn't sound like church music. You might actually understand what's going on. They aren't after your money. And who ever heard of going to church in a movie theater?"

For once, I have absolutely no comment!!!

Is There An Answer?

We will never know the hidden suffering of the murderer who massacred twenty-seven students and five teachers on Monday, April 16th. We know already of his insanity and his suicidal tendencies, but within the quiet, sullen Mr. Cho, lived a terrible fear unexpressed and repressed. I can't begin to imagine the psychic pressure that he used to hold within himself the turbulent emotions that would not be contained for ever. Such suffering continued to isolate him more and more from human community, he was indifferent to those about him, he was impossible to reach.

If only he could have found a language that would have led him out of his incomprehensible suffering that made him mute - a language of lament, a cry - a language which at last would define his situation. Indeed, being speechless, walled off from others, is death. A dreadful hell lived within him.

His crude writings in English Class expressed only the outer boundaries of a life so hidden that the day would come that he would explode.

The Sixteenth Day of Easter

Let your people, O Lord, rejoice for ever that they have been renewed in spirit, and let the joy of our adoption as your sons and daughters strengthen the hope of our glorious resurrection in Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 65

On the Prior of the Monastery

To us, therefore, it seems expedient
for the preservation of peace and charity
that the Abbot have in his hands
the full administration of his monastery.
And if possible let all the affairs of the monastery,
as we have already arranged,
be administered by deans according to the Abbot's directions.
Thus, with the duties being shared by several,
no one person will become proud.

But if the circumstances of the place require it,
or if the community asks for it with reason and with humility,
and the Abbot judges it to be expedient,
let the Abbot himself constitute as his Prior
whomsoever he shall choose
with the counsel of God-fearing brethren.

That Prior, however, shall perform respectfully
the duties enjoined on him by his Abbot
and do nothing against the Abbot's will or direction;
for the more he is raised above the rest,
the more carefully should he observe the precepts of the Rule.

If it should be found that the Prior has serious faults,
or that he is deceived by his exaltation and yields to pride,
or if he should be proved to be a despiser of the Holy Rule,
let him be admonished verbally up to four times.
If he fails to amend,
let the correction of regular discipline be applied to him.
But if even then he does not reform,
let him be deposed from the office of Prior
and another be appointed in his place who is worthy of it.
And if afterwards he is not quiet and obedient in the community,
let him even be expelled from the monastery.
But the Abbot, for his part, should bear in mind
that he will have to render an account to God
for all his judgments,
lest the flame of envy or jealousy be kindled in his soul.

The Third Sunday of Easter

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of the bread: Open the eyes of our faith, taht we may behold him in all his redeeming work: who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one god, now and for ever. Amen.

A Prayer for the Presence of Christ:

Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in Scripture and the breaking of the bread. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 65

On the Prior of the Monastery

It happens all too often that the constituting of a Prior
gives rise to grave scandals in monasteries.
For there are some who become inflated with the evil spirit of pride
and consider themselves second Abbots.
By usurping power
they foster scandals and cause dissensions in the community.
Especially does this happen
in those places where the Prior is constituted
by the same Bishop or the same Abbots
who constitute the Abbot himself.
What an absurd procedure this is
can easily be seen;
for it gives the Prior an occasion for becoming proud
from the very time of his constitution,
by putting the thought into his mind
that he is freed from the authority of his Abbot:
"For," he will say to himself, "you were constituted
by the same persons who constitute the Abbot."
From this source are stirred up envy, quarrels, detraction,
rivalry, dissensions and disorders.
For while the Abbot and the Prior are at variance,
their souls cannot but be endangered by this dissension;
and those who are under them,
currying favor with one side or the other,
go to ruin.
The guilt for this dangerous state of affairs
rests on the heads of those
whose action brought about such disorder.

To "Anonymous"

"Anonymous" comments will no longer be posted on this blog in order to aid in open and free dialogue and the free exchange of ideas. Thank you for your understanding.

In the Breaking of the Bread

Every Eucharist is introduced with the reminder that the sacrament of Jesus' self-gift originates "in the same night he was betrayed." Those who eat at Jesus' table are his betrayers, then as now, yet from the death and hell to which our betrayal condemns him, he returns to break bread with us as before. It is no simple fellowship meal.

All meals with Jesus after Calvary speak of the restoration of a fellowship broken by human infidelity: the wounded body and shed blood are inescapably present. We do not eucharistically remember a distant meal in Jerusalem, nor even a distant death, we are made 'present to ourselves' as people complicit in the betrayal and death of Jesus and yet still called and accepted, still companions of Christ - those who break bread with him. When the Church performs the eucharistic action it is what it is called to be: The Easter Community, guilty and restored, the gathering of those whose identity is defined by their new relation to Jesus crucified and risen, who identify themselves as forgiven. What happens in the eucharist is that the Church assembles simply to make this identification in praise and gratitude, and to show in concrete form its dependence on Christ. It is an action which announces what the community's life means, where the activity radically opens to the creative activity of God in Jesus. Every sacrament is a sharing in Easter, in the paschal mystery. All their betrayals are to be understood as betrayals of him, and through that understanding comes forgiveness and hope.

Philippe Rouillard, From Human Meal to Christian Eucharist

Can Doctrine Develop?

When Saint Augustine of Hippo developed the doctrine of original sin in the fifth century, he said that due to the iniquity of our first parents all children who died before they were baptized were destined to hell. In the Middle Ages, this doctrine was soften suggesting that the unbaptized would dwell in a suspended state, neither in hell nor heaven. Their eternal address would be "limbo" coming from the Latin "limbus" meaning 'hem' or 'edge' suggesting that the child would share in a state of natural happiness outside heaven.

For several years the Roman Church has been studying this teaching and fifteen years ago removed it from their catechism. However, this restrictive view of salvation has finally been put to rest under the authority of Benedict VI of Rome. The new study states that there are "serious theological and liturgical grounds for hope that unbaptized infants who die will be saved and brought into eternal happiness."

As a more open and broad understanding of salvation takes hold within the church the critics are complaining that removing the teaching of limbo will discourage the christening of infants, making baptism a formality and not a necessity, and no longer will there be an argument to present to parents who make the agonizing decision to abort the fetus, because without limbo those fetuses will no longer be denied communion with God.

What do we make of this development of doctrine? Do you think it is possible for other doctrine to be developed that would present a more open, inclusive, invitation to salvation and human wholeness?

Mystagogia #2

United in faith and love, through the Paschal Mystery, of our Lord's dying and rising, we may overcome the demonic forces within the world, remain faithful to the gift of grace that we have received being assured of our salvation. May our lives reveal true liberty and enjoy the happiness of heaven that we have already begun to taste and experience on earth, being able to express with our lives the reason for the hope that is within us.

Feast of Saint Anselm of Canterbury

Almighty God, you raised up your servant Anselm to teach the Church of his day to understand its faith in your eternal Being, perfect justice, and saving mercy. Provide your Church in every age with devout and learned scholars and teachers, that we may be able to give a reason for the hope that is in us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 64

On Constituting an Abbot

Once he has been constituted,
let the Abbot always bear in mind
what a burden he has undertaken
and to whom he will have to give an account of his stewardship,
and let him know that his duty is rather to profit his brothers
than to preside over them.
Hhe must therefore be learned in the divine law,
that he may have a treasure of knowledge
from which to bring forth new things and old.
Hhe must be chaste, sober and merciful.
Let him exalt mercy above judgment,
that he himself may obtain mercy.
He should hate vices;
He should love the brethern.

In administering correction
He should act prudently and not go to excess,
lest in seeking too eagerly to scrape off the rust
He break the vessel.
Let him keep his own frailty ever before his eyes
and remember that the bruised reed must not be broken.
By this we do not mean that he should allow vices to grow;
on the contrary, as we have already said,
he should eradicate them prudently and with charity,
in the way which may seem best in each case.
Let him study rather to be loved than to be feared.

Let him not be excitable and worried,
nor exacting and headstrong,
nor jealous and over-suspicious;
for then he is never at rest.

In his commands let him be prudent and considerate;
and whether the work which he enjoins
concerns God or the world,
let him be discreet and moderate,
bearing in mind the discretion of holy Jacob, who said,
"If I cause my flocks to be overdriven,
they will all die in one day."
Taking this, then, and other examples of discretion,
the mother of virtues,
let him so temper all things
that the strong may have something to strive after,
and the weak may not fall back in dismay.

And especially let him keep this Rule in all its details,
so that after a good ministry
he may hear from the Lord what the good servant heard
who gave the fellow-servants wheat in due season:
"Indeed, I tell you, he will set that one over all his goods" (Matt. 24:27).

Liviu

In the midst of the darkness shined a life-giving light, as Liviu Librescu, 76, a Holocaust survivor, stood at the door of room 204 in order to free his students from pending death by the insane Cho who massacred students and faculty at Virginia Tech. Allowing his students to escape through the classroom window, Liviu was fatally wounded.

Hero is too shallow of a word to describe the final acts of this wonderful man, whom many called "father". There is no doubt that the final act of his life reflects that way he lived every moment. The shema was carved into his heart. In him the Torah is made flesh and dwells among us.

This Romanian was killed on Yom Hashoah, the international day that commemorates Holocaust victims. May we give thanks to God for revealing the inner heart of what it means to be human.

The Thirteenth Day of Easter

O Lord, you have saved us through the Paschal mystery of Christ: Continue to support your people with heavenly gifts, that we may attain true liberty, and enjoy the happiness of heaven which we have begun to taste on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 64

On Constituting an Abbot

In the constituting of an Abbot
let this plan always be followed,
that the office be conferred on the one who is chosen
either by the whole community unanimously in the fear of God
or else by a part of the community, however small,
if its counsel is more wholesome.

Merit of life and wisdom of doctrine
should determine the choice of the one to be constituted,
even if he be the last of the order of the community.

But if (which God forbid)
the whole community should agree to choose a person
who will acquiesce in their vices,
and if those vices somehow become known to the Bishop
to whose diocese the place belongs,
or to the Abbots, Abbesses or the faithful of the vicinity,
let them prevent the success of this conspiracy of the wicked,
and set a worthy steward over the house of God.
They may be sure
that they will receive a good reward for this action
if they do it with a pure intention and out of zeal for God;
as, on the contrary, they will sin if they fail to do it.

Finding Strength

Last night several of us gathered to remember those who had died or were wounded at Virginia Tech on Monday, to lift them up in prayer, to pray for their families and loved ones, and to offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving in the eucharistic meal. The liturgy with its timeless quality drew us close to the suffering and gave us an opportunity to grieve the great loss of life at the university. We rejoiced that among us was a student from Virginia Tech, one of our own, and her parents. Her presence with us gave us an opportunity to live more deeply into the realities of this past week. May we continue to hold in our prayers and hearts those whose lives have been altered for ever by this tragedy.

Feast of Saint Alphege of Canterbury

O loving God, your martyr bishop Alphege of Canterbury suffered violent death when he refused to permit a ransom to be extorted from his people: Grant that all pastors of your flock may pattern themselves on the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for the sheep; and who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict

On the Order of the Community

The juniors, therefore, should honor their seniors,
and the seniors love their juniors.

In the very manner of address,
let no one call another by the mere name;
but let the seniors call their juniors Brothers,
and the juniors call their seniors Fathers,
by which is conveyed the reverence due to a father.
But the Abbot,
since he is believed to represent Christ,
shall be called Lord and Abbot,
not for any pretensions of his own
but out of honor and love for Christ.
Let the Abbot himself reflect on this,
and show himself worthy of such an honor.

And wherever the brethren meet one another
the junior shall ask the senior for his blessing.
When a senior passes by,
a junior shall rise and give him a place to sit,
nor shall the junior presume to sit with him
unless his senior bid him,
that it may be as was written,
"In honor anticipating one another."

Boys, both small and adolescent,
shall keep strictly to their rank in oratory and at table.
But outside of that, wherever they may be,
let them be under supervision and discipline,
until they come to the age of discretion.

The Eleventh Day of Easter

Grant, O Lord, that we may so live in the Paschal mystery that the joy of these fifty days may continually strengthen us, and assure us of our salvation; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 63

On the Order of the Community

Let all keep their places in the monastery
established by the time of their entrance,
the merit of their lives and the decision of the Abbot.
Yet the Abbot must not disturb the flock committed to him,
nor by an arbitrary use of his power ordain anything unjustly;
but let him always think
of the account he will have to render to God
for all his decisions and his deeds.

Therefore in that order which he has established
or which they already had,
let the brethren approach to receive the kiss of peace and Communion,
intone the Psalms and stand in choir.
And in no place whatever should age decide the order
or be prejudicial to it;
for Samuel and Daniel as mere boys judged priests.

Except for those already mentioned, therefore,
whom the Abbot has promoted by a special decision
or demoted for definite reasons,
all the rest shall take their order
according to the time of their entrance.
Thus, for example,
he who came to the monastery at the second hour of the day,
whatever be his age or his dignity,
must know that he is junior
to one who came at the first hour of the day.
Boys, however, are to be kept under discipline
in all matters and by everyone.

Receiving Holy Communion

Several Sundays ago, a parishioner asked about the correct way to receive the eucharistic bread and wine. Tradition informs us that we are to receive "into our hands" the Sacrament of the Lord's Body; we should not receive it with our fingers, nor with one hand only. Our practice comes from the teaching of Cyril of Jerusalem, 382 AD, "by making the left hand a throne for the right, and hollowing the palm of the right to receive the Body of Christ, " by placing the left hand under the right, both hands being held open and lifting them together to be received by the mouth. Also, it is proper to use the hands, guiding the chalice, in the reception of the Blood of Christ.

Though one may receive only the consecrated Bread (since the Real Presence of Christ is manifested in both the Bread and the Wine), the Chalice has its own special grace - "the grace of gladdening." As a physical banquet is incomplete without drink, so Christ's Spiritual Banquet can only be completely enjoyed, with entire satisfaction for the soul, if to spiritual eating is added spiritual drinking. Indeed the common cup powerfully suggests human fellowship of an intimate, unselfish, generous, and uplifting nature.

(Some notes drawn from Liturgy and Worship: A Companion to the Prayer Books of the Anglican Communion, 1964>

A Poem: death came ....

death came
to blacksburg
yesterday
in a cloud of
murderous rage
as children
were slaughtered
in the academic halls
of a university.

death came
to blacksburg
yesterday
as Seung-Hui Cho
"a normal looking kid"
they say fired rounds
of ammunition in
dorm and classroom
brutalizing, terrorizing,
destroying human life.

death came
to blacksburg
yesterday
and we yearn
to know why;
our grief is unrelenting
our sorrow weighty
with tormenting emptiness.

death came
to our children
yesterday
in the blackness
of gun powder
and the horror
of madness.

death came,
death came,
my God, my God why ....?

The Tenth Day of Easter

O God, by the waters of Baptism you have renewed those who believe in you: Come to the help of those who have been reborn in Christ, that they may overcome the wiles of the devil, and continue faithful to the gifts of grace they have received from you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, wo lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 62

On the Priests of the Monastery

If an Abbot desire
to have a priest or a deacon ordained for his monastery,
let him choose one
who is worthy to exercise the priestly office.

But let the one who is ordained
beware of self-exaltation or pride;
and let him not presume to do anything
except what is commanded him by the Abbot,
knowing that he is so much the more subject
to the discipline of the Rule.
Nor should he by reason of his priesthood forget
the obedience and the discipline required by the Rule,
but make ever more and more progress towards God.

Let him always keep the place which he received
on entering the monastery,
except in his duties at the altar
or in case the choice of the community and the will of the Abbess
should promote him for the worthiness of his life.
Yet he must understand
that he is to observe the rules laid down by deans and Priors.

Should he presume to act otherwise,
let him be judged not as a priest but as a rebel.
And if he does not reform after repeated admonitions,
let even the Bishop be brought in as a witness.
If then he still fails to amend,
and his offenses are notorious,
let him be put out of the monastery,
but only if his contumacy is such
that he refuses to submit or to obey the Rule.

A Day of Horror

We can't imagine what it was like to be on the campus of Virginia Tech today when a lone gunman opened fire killing at least 31 people and wounding 29. Those reporting, not knowing what to say have already sensationalized the events by calling it "the deadliest campus shooting" in American history. I am unable to even begin to get my thoughts around this unfathomable thing that has happened. Most of those responding to the events of the morning are speaking out against the NRA, as well as, violence and sex in our media. Only one response was a prayer from a Jewish reader. It will take all of us sometime to comprehend this tragedy. What would cause one human being to destroy human life? What is our response as people of faith to such a barbaric act? How are we affected by the unspeakable? Will our lives be changed by this event? Or will we forget about this horror as the weeks go by? May we pray for the children who were killed and their parents and families. May we pray for the killer and his family? May we pray for the university and all the students and faculty. May we ask Christ to help us to understand and interpret the unimaginable.

Benedictine Spirituality: Hospitality

Reading the Holy Rule must at times appear rather archaic for we find ourselves far from living under discipline and obedience. However, in the midst of what at times must sound harsh and intolerant there is a wonderful spirit of hospitality that we as a parish, or any community of faith, must learn to embrace.

The rule calls the community to receive a guest as Christ, to show honor, charity, humility, kindness toward the stranger, to share the peace of Christ and the Word of God with those who have arrived; and to show even greater care and solicitude toward the poor. All guests and pilgrims are welcome at the Abbot's table giving them seats of honor and respect.

Those who desire to enter for the amendment of life are to test the spirits to see if their desire is of God; and priests desiring to enter must come without any expectation or desiring special treatment, but must take their place among the community. Once living within the monastic community, guest and pilgrims are to respect the communal life of the brothers.

How does such a spirituality of hospitality reflect our own welcoming of those who come among us? What do we need to do to share Christ's love with the stranger? How welcoming are we to the poor when they come through our doors?

The Ninth Day of Easter

O God, you have united diverse peoples in the confession of your Name: Grant that all who have been born again in the font of Baptism may also be united in faith and love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 61

How Pilgrim Monks Are To Be Received

But if as a guest he was found exacting or prone to vice,
not only should he be denied membership in the community,
but he should even be politely requested to leave,
lest others be corrupted by his evil life.

If, however, she has not proved to be the kind
who deserves to be put out,
he should not only on his own application be received
as a member of the community,
but he should even be persuaded to stay,
that the others may be instructed by his example,
and because in every place it is the same Lord who is served,
the same King for whom the battle is fought.

Moreover, if the Abbot perceives that he is worthy,
he may put him in a somewhat higher rank.
the Abbot may establish them in a higher rank
than would be theirs by date of entrance
if he perceives that their life is deserving.

Let the Abbot take care, however,
never to receive a brother from another known monastery
as a member of his community
without the consent of his Abbot or a letter of recommendation;
for it is written,
"Do not to another what you would not want done to yourself" (Tob. 4:16).

Second Sunday of Easter

Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, and the Holy Spirit one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 61

How Pilgrim Monks Are To Be Received

If a pilgrim monastic coming from a distant region
wants to live as a guest of the monastery,
let him be received for as long a time as he desires,
provided he is content
with the customs of the place as he finds them
and does not disturb the monastery by superfluous demands,
but is simply content with what he finds.
If, however, he censures or points out anything reasonably
and with the humility of charity,
let the Abbot consider prudently
whether perhaps it was for that very purpose
that the Lord sent him.

If afterwards he should want to bind himself to stability,
his wish should not be denied him,
especially since there has been opportunity
during his stay as a guest
to discover his character.

Preparing for Sunday

We give you thanks, O God, for revealing your Son Jesus Christ to us by the light of his resurrection: Grant that as we sing your glory at the close of the day, our joy may abound in the morning as we celebrate the Paschal mystery; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect for Saturdays, Compline, BCP, page 136

Act of Loving

My goal is this: always to put myself in the place in which I am best able to serve, wherever my gifts and qualities find the best soil, the widest field of action. There is no other goal.

Narcissus in Herman Hesse's Narcissus and Goldmund

Mystagogia #1

The Collects of the Day during Easter Week proclaim the fulfillment of the promise of new life in Christ and calls us to live more deeply in the Covenant of the Father: that dying daily to sin we may live with Christ in the joy of his resurrection; being renewed in body and mind, we may worship the Father in sincerity and truth; that through the life-giving Spirit we may be raised from the death of sin; that we may be found worth to attain to the everlasting joys; abiding in his presence, and rejoicing in the hope of eternal glory; beholding in this life all his redeeming work; professing in our lives what we profess by our faith; and always serving him in pureness of living and truth.

As we contemplate the mystery of our salvation we are overwhelmed by the gift of new life that is ours through, in, and with Christ. May our journey toward Pentecost be one of deepening our relationship with our Savior and Lord and come to know him more deeply in prayer and mission.

Seventh Day of Easter

We thank you, heavenly Father, that you have delivered us from the dominion of sin and death and brought us into the kingdom of your Son; and we pray that, as by his death he has recalled us to life, so by his love he may raise us to eternal joys; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 60

On Priests Who May Wish to Live in the Monastery

If any ordained priest
should ask to be received into the monastery,
permission shall not be granted too readily.
But if he is quite persistent in his request,
let him know
that he will have to observe the whole discipline of the Rule
and that nothing will be relaxed in his favor,
that it may be as it is written:
"Friend, for what have you come (Matt. 26:50)?"

It shall be granted him, however, to stand next after the Abbot
and to give blessings and to celebrate Mass,
but only by order of the Abbot.
Without such order let him not make any exceptions for himself,
knowing that he is subject to the discipline of the Rule;
but rather let him give an example of humility to all.

If there happens to be question of an appointment
or of some business in the monastery,
let him expect the rank due him
according to the date of his entrance into the monastery,
and not the place granted him
out of reverence for the priesthood.

If any clerics, moved by the same desire,
should wish to join the monastery,
let them be placed in a middle rank.
But they too are to be admitted only if they promise
observance of the Rule and stability.

They Waited

she was gone
transfixed they stood
unable to move
unable to take
it all in;

as though they
hadn't expected it
even though they
knew she was ill;

into empty space
they stared, unable
to release her form
still in the bed
they spoke to her
as if she were
still there;

the grief was palpable
not knowing what
to do now they
waited for her
to tell them
that all will be well
and that they
could go on living.

The Sixth Day of Easter

Almighty Father, who gave your only Son to die for our sins and to rise for our justification: Give us grace so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always serve you in pureness of living and truth; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 59

On the Sons of Nobles and of the Poor Who Are Offered

If anyone of the nobility
offers his son to God in the monastery
and the boy is very young,
let his parents draw up the document which we mentioned above;
and at the oblation
let them wrap the document itself and the boy's hand in the altar cloth.
That is how they offer him.

As regards their property,
they shall promise in the same petition under oath
that they will never of themselves, or through an intermediary,
or in any way whatever,
give him anything
or provide him with the opportunity of owning anything.
Or else,
if they are unwilling to do this,
and if they want to offer something as an alms to the monastery
for their advantage,
let them make a donation
of the property they wish to give to the monastery,
reserving the income to themselves if they wish.
And in this way let everything be barred,
so that the boy may have no expectations
whereby (which God forbid) he might be deceived and ruined,
as we have learned by experience.

Let those who are less well-to-do make a similar offering.
But those who have nothing at all
shall simply draw up the document
and offer their son before witnesses at the oblation.

Divine Silence

between the dying
and the helplessness
of the one who keeps vigil:
in the silence is God.

between the brokenness
of a relationship; the
pain of rejection;
the hopelessness
of closure:
in the silence is God.

between the human madness
of war, the dying of young men
and women on the battle field
and the prayers for peace:
in the silence is God.

between all human indifference
to poverty and the cry of
those who suffering:
in the silence is God.

between the tears of the repentant
and the joy of the forgiven:
in the silence is God.

death shows no partiality

he laid
in the hospital bed
that had been
brought to the house.

the sheet and blanket
draped his naked body,
hairless due to
the chemo.

some time he
was found sleeping,
and other times
entertaining:
wearing wigs,
trying on umiaks,
clutching rosaries;
loving his friends,
longing
not to loose them
in death;
frustrated that
he was still
here.

rest in peace,
new friend.

transformation of an illness

she is quiet now
resting in her hospital bed
breathing gently
the oxygen
that she needs;

she is weak,
but eager to be removed
from the ICU
to a room below.
She hopes it will
be tomorrow.

her spirit awakens
when one comes into
the room,
she asks about others
and for a moment
forgets herself
and her illness.

to be with her for
a moment is to be
ministered to;
to sit with her for
awhile is to
know the presence
of Christ in the room;
to rest with her
is to know that you
both are in the
hands of a loving Father.

Clouds On The Horizon

It really goes without saying that the Anglican Communion is quaking all over the world. You would have thought that after Adam and Eve were driven from the garden of Eden that the issues regarding sexuality would have been settled and the faithful would be able to respond to God's call to mission; but the evil one has other plans for us and we will simply have to live through the turbulence that we are presently facing. What has set the Episcopal Church apart from the rest of the Anglican Communion was the ordination of women to the priesthood in 1974; the ordination of an openly gay man as the Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003; and the enthronement of the first female Presiding Bishop within the Communion in 2006. Because of the actions of the Episcopal Church we find ourselves being punished by many within the Communion, even within our own country with several parishes withdrawing from their diocese in order to place themselves under the pastoral care of an African Bishop. Even within our own parish, several who are unhappy about the church's direction have decided that they need to leave and to find a spiritual home in "less" troubling waters.

Is is very sad when the Body of Christ becomes broken by forces that are dark and divisive. When people can no longer talk or listen to one another, and draw lines in the sand, as if they can live without one another. I have always believed that "truth" is to be found "between" and not in any one (supposed) authority; and that it is only through dialogue that people begin to see things differently.

In this Easter Season it is important for people of faith to reflect together on what they truly believe. Christianity is about grace and not simply about morality. It is about Christ on the Cross forgiving us before we knew what we were doing. It is about a love that will not let us go, but claims us for all eternity. If we are truly God's people we will do all we can to invite those who have left home. Yet we must remember that such an invitation is the message of the Good News itself, proclaiming hope to a darkening world.

The Fifth Day of Easter

Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 58

On the Manner of Receiving Brothers

When he is to be received
he promises before all in the oratory
stability,
fidelity to monastic life
and obedience.
This promise he shall make before God and His Saints,
so that if he should ever act otherwise,
he may know that he will be condemned by Him whom he mocks.
Of this promise of his let him draw up a document
in the name of the Saints whose relics are there
and of the Abbot who is present.
Let him write this document with his own hand;
or if he is illiterate, let another write it at his request,
and let the novice put his mark to it.
Then let him place it with his own hand upon the altar;
and when he has placed it there,
let the novice at once intone this verse:
"Receive me, O Lord, according to Your word, and I shall live:
and let me not be confounded in my hope" (Ps. 118[119]:116).
Let the whole community answer this verse three times
and add the "Glory be to the Father."
Then let the novice prostrate himself at each one's feet,
that they may pray for him.
And from that day forward
let him be counted as one of the community.

If he has any property,
let him either give it beforehand to the poor
or by solemn donation bestow it on the monastery,
reserving nothing at all for himself,
as indeed he knows that from that day forward
he will no longer have power even over his own body.
At once, therefore, in the oratory,
let him be divested of his own clothes which he is wearing
and dressed in the clothes of the monastery.
But let the clothes of which he was divested
be put aside in the wardrobe and kept there.
Then if he should ever listen to the persuasions of the devil
and decide to leave the monastery (which God forbid),
he may be divested of the monastic clothes and cast out.
His document, however,
which the Abbot has taken from the altar,
shall not be returned to him, but shall be kept in the monastery.

A Silent Alleluia

alone
underneath or behind
where the tendrils lift
and give shape
the young pillow
attached itself
and weaved from
its own body,
as if to give its
very best,
a tomb
made of silk,
where it
laid ever so still
until the chrysalis
hardened and where
the metamorphosis began
to unveil
the beauty of
a butterfly.

The Fourth Day of Easter

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of the bread: Open the eyes of our faith that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 58

On the Manner of Receiving Brothers

When anyone is newly come for the reformation of his life,
let him not be granted an easy entrance;
but, as the Apostle says,
"Test the spirits to see whether they are from God."
If the newcomer, therefore, perseveres in his knocking,
and if it is seen after four or five days
that he bears patiently the harsh treatment offered him
and the difficulty of admission,
and that he persists in his petition,
then let entrance be granted him,
and let him stay in the guest house for a few days.

After that let him live in the novitiate,
where the novices study, eat and sleep.
A senior shall be assigned to them who is skilled in winning souls,
to watch over them with the utmost care.
Let him examine whether the novice is truly seeking God,
and whether he is zealous
for the Work of God, for obedience and for trials.
Let the novice be told all the hard and rugged ways
by which the journey to God is made.

If he promises stability and perseverance,
then at the end of two months
let this rule be read through to him,
and let him be addressed thus:
"Here is the law under which you wish to fight.
If you can observe it, enter;
if you cannot, you are free to depart."
If he still stands firm,
let him be taken to the above-mentioned novitiate
and again tested in all patience.
And after the lapse of six months let the Rule be read to him,
that he may know on what he is entering.
And if he still remains firm,
after four months let the same Rule be read to him again.

Then, having deliberated with himself,
if ahe promises to keep it in its entirety
and to observe everything that is commanded,
let him be received into the community.
But let him understand that,
according to the law of the Rule,
from that day forward he may not leave the monastery
nor withdraw his neck from under the yoke of the Rule
which he was free to refuse or to accept
during that prolonged deliberation.

Mystagogia: The Great Sabbath

The Great Sabbath stretches from Easter Day until the Day of Pentecost. These Great Fifty Days signify (in the words of Thomas Merton) the eternal day of heaven. As we await the coming gift of the Holy Spirit on Whitsunday, the church spends its time reflecting on the events of the Triduum, the Great Paschal Days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday (the first announcement of the Resurrection after dark). This Great Octave of the Christian Year provides the faithful time to assimilate the mystery of their redemption and to take into themselves the risen Lord. As the Jews were brought forth out of their bondage in Egypt, across the Red Sea, into the wilderness and into the Promised Land; so we are brought forth from our bondage to sin and death and drawn into the very life of Christ through faith.

The Third Day of Easter

O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ, destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that we, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence, and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 57

On the Artisans of the Monastery

If there are artisans in the monastery,
let them practice their crafts with all humility,
provided the Abbot has given permission.
But if any one of them becomes conceited
over his skill in his craft,
because he seems to be conferring a benefit on the monastery,
let him be taken from his craft
and no longer exercise it unless,
after he has humbled himself,
the Abbot again gives him permission.

If any of the work of the craftsmen is to be sold,
those responsible for the sale
must not dare to practice any fraud.
Let them always remember Ananias and Saphira,
who incurred bodily death (Acts 5:1-11),
lest they and all who perpetrate fraud
in monastery affairs
suffer spiritual death.
And in the prices let not the sin of avarice creep in,
but let the goods always be sold a little cheaper
than they can be sold by people in the world,
"that in all things God may be glorified" (1 Peter 4:11).

The Second Day of Easter

Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that we who celebrate with awe the Paschal feast may be found worthy to attain to everlasting joys; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 56

On the Abbot's Table

Let the Abbot's table always be with the guests
and the pilgrims. But when there are no guests,
let it be in his power to invite whom he will of the brothers.
Yet one or two seniors must always be left with the others
for the sake of discipline.

Early Dawn

It was still dark as I arrived at the parish this morning. There is a wonderful stillness when you enter the church in the early morning, a gentle sense of hospitality surrounds you as you move from the outer door toward the chancel. You can feel almost a mysterious invitation to come, pray, sit awhile. The altar guild, who had feverishly worked so hard yesterday making sure that everything was just so for the Easter liturgies were now gone, everything is readied. I don't think I ever remember the church looking so beautiful and so inviting to guest and parishioner. The bird's song is beginning to break the stillness, announcing the first Allelulia of the new day. Soon people will begin to gather, most likely it will be a larger congregation than most Sundays: visitors from out of town, grandparents or children visiting, occasional worshipers will make their way in through the narthex as they did at the time of the celebration of our Lord's birth. Many will have come, expecting to hear some good news, and yet they were not present on Good Friday, they don't really know the story of their own rebirth into God that took place on a Cross near the city. It is only when they understand the profound terror and grief that took place on that day that they will begin to understand the fresh newness and power of the resurrection to transform mortal lives. I can only pray that they will leave with just a glimpse of renewed hope, faith, and love; that they will awaken to the beauty around them, that they will begin to know a God who without partiality embraces even the most unloved. May this Easter fill us with eternal joy!

Easter Day

Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

BCP, page 222

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 55

On the Clothes and Shoes of the Brethren

For bedding let this suffice:
a mattress, a blanket, a coverlet and a pillow.

The beds, moreover, are to be examined frequently by the Abbot,
to see if any private property be found in them.
If anyone should be found to have something
that he did not receive from the Abbot,
let him undergo the most severe discipline.

And in order that this vice of private ownership
may be cut out by the roots,
the Abbot should provide all the necessary articles:
cowl, tunic, stockings, shoes, belt,
knife, stylus, needle, handkerchief, writing tablets;
that all pretext of need may be taken away.
Yet the Abbot should always keep in mind
the sentence from the Acts of the Apostles
that "distribution was made to each according as anyone had need" (Acts 4:35).
In this manner, therefore,
let the Abbot consider weaknesses of the needy
and not the ill-will of the envious.
But in all his decisions
let him think about the retribution of God.

The Use of Incense in the Liturgy

Incense has been part of Christian worship since the beginning; today, it is carried in procession, and is employed to prepare both priest and people for worship, at the reading of the Gospel and the preparation of the altar for celebration of the Eucharist. At the moment of offertory, the people along with their gifts of bread, wine, and financial offering for the mission and ministry of the church are incensed signify that they have been set apart for a holy use.

Saint Augustine of Hippo, said that whenever the Holy Eucharist is celebrated Christ comes to a place where he already is: the Body of Christ is given to the Body of Christ. Holy Communion is given to the Holy People of God. It is in and through the eucharist that the Christian comes to recognize him or herself, not simply as an individual, but a participant in the redeemed community.

Preparing for the Great Vigil

Dear friends in Christ, On this most holy night, in which our Lord Jesus Christ passed over from death to life, the Church invites her members, dispersed throughout the world, to gather in vigil and prayer. For this is the Passover of the Lord, in which, by hearing his Word and celebrating his Sacraments, we share in his victory over death.

Saint Augustine of Hippo called the Easter Vigil the "mother of all holy vigils". The sights, sounds, smells, texture and tastes of the vigil are a vibrant celebration of the Resurrection coveying that deep sense of movement - from the tomb of Holy Saturday to the Garden of Easter, movement from darkness to light, from death to life. It is the turning point, the pivotal moment.

Paula Bailey quoted in the TABLET, 7 April 07

The liturgies of the Triduum, the Great Paschal Days, are not for the faint-hearted. Only the most committed parishioners will gather for these sacred moments, moving from passion, death, to resurrection. These days are central to our faith for they express the saving acts of God through Christ. May our alleluias that ring forth from the tomb continue to brighten our days that we may experience the utter joy that reaches to heaven.

Who are we?

To be a Christian is to be signed with the mark of the cross, the baptismal mark of incorporation into Christ. To bear the cross in solidarity with Jesus is not to endure some mysterious kind of suffering which is thrust upon us, still less is it a way of describing an interior psychological attitude or orientation. It is a path freely chosen, the social reality of committing oneself in this world to the values of the world to come. This is clearly a call to lose one's life for the sake of the gospel. It is not a call to imitate Jesus as a figure form the past but to follow the risen and present Jesus today. Christians do not maintain the memory of a dead Jesus: grieving over the body was prevented by the very large stone which was rolled away from the tomb before the grief could get under way. To respond to the cross is to follow, to share; it is to be a disciple. It is to respond to a new and amazing relationship of co-operation with God which is utterly different from the relationship of slave to master. We are sealed not as slaves but as children, as inheritors of the Kingdom of God.

Kenneth Leech

Awaiting Resurrection

This is our Day of rest, the true Sabbath. Christ entered into His rest, and so do we. It brings us, in figure, through the grave and gate of death to our season of refreshment in Abraham's bosom. We have had enough of weariness and dreariness, and listlessness, and sorrow, and remorse. We have had enough of this troublesome world. We have had enough of its noise and din. Noise is its best music. But now there is stillness, and it is a stillness that speaks. We know how strange the feeling is of perfect silence after continued sound. Such is our blessedness now. Calm and serene days have begun; and Christ is heard in them, and His still small voice, because the world speaks not. Let us only put off the world, and we put on Christ. The receding from one is an approach to the other. We have now for some weeks been trying, through His grace, to unclothe ourselves of earthly wants and desires. May that unclothing be unto us a clothing upon of things invisible and imperishable. May we grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, season after season, year after year ...
John Henry Newman

Holy Saturday

O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life, who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

BCP, page 283

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 55

On the Clothes and Shoes of the Brethren

Let clothing be given to the brethren
according to the nature of the place in which they dwell
and its climate; for in cold regions more will be needed,
and in warm regions less. This is to be taken
into consideration, therefore, by the Abbot.

We believe, however, that in ordinary places
the following dress is sufficient for each monk:
a tunic, a cowl (thick and woolly for winter,
thin or worn for summer), a scapular for work,
stockings and shoes to cover the feet.

The monks should not complain
about the color or the coarseness of any of these things,
but be content with what can be found
in the district where they live and
can be purchased cheaply.

The Abbot shall see to the size of the garments,
that they be not too short for those who wear them,
but of the proper fit.

Let those who receive new clothes
always give back the old ones at once,
to be put away in the wardrobe for the poor.
For it is sufficient if a monk has two tunics and two cowls,
to allow for night wear and for the washing of
these garments; more than that is superfluity and
should be taken away.
Let them return their stockings also and anything
else that is old when they receive new ones.

Those who are sent on a journey
shall receive drawers from the wardrobe,
which they shall wash and restore on their return.
And let their cowls and tunics be somewhat better
than what they usually wear.
These they shall receive from the wardrobe
when they set out on a journey,
and restore when they return.

Reflection on the Cross, Salvation, and Community

One of the great blessings of the Great Paschal Days is the recognition of our unity within the Body of Christ, the deep intimacy that comes in knowing that our Lord died for us and has given us life through the power of the cross. We are drawn together as a believing community in love and witness. Unlike any other time of the year, the Triduum brings God's family together to remember, to celebrate, and to support one another in this time of solemn and ecstatic joy.

Anglicanism and Saint Benedict

Recently, someone asked about why the daily readings from the Rule of Saint Benedict are presently on the blog. After all what does the founder of monasticism have to do with the Episcopal Church?

Benedict of Nursia, the Abbot of Monte Cassino, in 540 has greatly influenced the Anglican Communion. By its very nature, Anglicanism, with its emphasis on corporate worship, the ongoing recitation of the psalter in the Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer, the prayerful and reflective reading of Holy Scripture, and the necessity of personal prayer and discipline are grounded in Benedictine spirituality. The parish system, in most provinces of the Anglican world evolved from the monastic community which gathered tenant farmers around it.

Historically, our church is rooted in the monastic life of English Christianity. Those who influenced the faith and spiritual life, in the early centuries were Ninian, who brought a missionary form of monasticism to England before the end fo the fourth century, Germanus, Patrick, Columba, Augustine of Canterbury, etc.

The Reformation in the sixteenth century did not eliminate the essentials of the Benedictine spirit. With the Book of Common Prayer, 1549 and following, the influence of the Benedictine life became accessible. It is extremely important to recognize that the English Reformation had no towering reformer, like Luther or Calvin, not a theological doctrine or a moral code, but a book of liturgical prayer. In this fundamental respect alone, the Anglican Reformation had a clearly Benedictine spirit.

Dom Robert Hale, O.S.B. Cam.

Good Friday

Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

We glory in your cross, O Lord,
and praise and glorify your holy resurrection;
for by virtue of your cross
joy has come to the whole world.

Collect of the Day, BCP, 276
Anthem 1, BCP, 281

The Rule of Saint Benedict

Whether a Monastic Should Receive Letters or Anything Else

On no account shall a monastic be allowed
to receive letters, blessed tokens or any little gift whatsoever
from parents or anyone else,
or from his brothers,
or to give the same,
without the Abbot's permission.
But if anything is sent him even by his parents,
let him not presume to take it
before it has been shown to the Abbot.
And it shall be in the Abbot's power to decide
to whom it shall be given,
if he allows it to be received;
and the brother to whom it was sent should not be grieved,
lest occasion be given to the devil.

Should anyone presume to act otherwise,
let him undergo the discipline of the Rule.

Love III

Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lack'd anything.

"A guest," I answer'd, "worthy to be here";
Love said, "You shall be he."
"I, the unkind, the ungrateful? ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee."
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
"Who made the eyes but I?"

"Truth, Lord, but I have marr'd them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve."
"And know you not," says Love, "who bore the blame?"
"My dear, then I will serve."
"You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat."
So I did sit and eat.

George Herbert

Maundy Thursday

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one god, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect of the Day
BCP, page 274

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 53

On the Reception of Guests

Let there be a separate kitchen for the Abbot and guests,
that the brethren may not be disturbed when guests,
who are never lacking in a monastery,
arrive at irregular hours.
Let two brethren capable of filling the office well
be appointed for a year to have charge of this kitchen.
Let them be given such help as they need,
that they may serve without murmuring.
And on the other hand,
when they have less to occupy them,
let them go out to whatever work is assigned them.

And not only in their case
but in all the offices of the monastery
let this arrangement be observed,
that when help is needed it be supplied,
and again when the workers are unoccupied
they do whatever they are bidden.

The guest house also shall be assigned to a brother
whose soul is possessed by the fear of God.
Let there be a sufficient number of beds made up in it;
and let the house of God be managed by prudent men
and in a prudent manner.

On no account shall anyone who is not so ordered
associate or converse with guests.
But if he should meet them or see them,
let him greet them humbly, as we have said,
ask their blessing and pass on,
saying that he is not allowed to converse with a guest.

Preparing to enter the Triduum

As we stand at the threshold of the Triduum, the Great Paschal Days of our Salvation: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday (the Great Vigil of Easter) there are somethings to hold in mind:

Many people alienated from the Church are unable to bare their souls before they experience acceptance, welcome, and love.

Sins are Christians' failure to respond to Christ's call to holiness, their infidelity to their baptismal pledge as members of the covenant community, and obstacles to the Church's mission of signing salvation to all the world. It can no longer be enough for the sinner to feel forgiveness by God; penitents must experience and strive for reconciliation with their brothers and sisters as sign of reconciliation with God.

The need for reconciliation is for the believer, Christ's challenge to his Church to be converted, and the support that is needed to meet that challenge is present in his Spirit. In every case, the power of that Spirit, reconciling us to God in Christ, offers both challenge and support. The future of a reconciling community is ours to shape.

The Church ... must work for global peace and justice as well as respond to individual's needs for healing. It must struggle to eradicate all forms of division and discrimination and transform sinful social structures - within itself first - as well as strengthen individuals to bear up under oppression and resist sinful influences. Community rituals must be a prophetic protest against social evils and a means of sensitizing participants to the part they play in causing, perpetuating, or tolerating such evils.

Sacramental revitalization requires a sense of the Church as a reconciled and reconciling community, a community in which all members are coresponsible for mission and worship.

from James Dallen's The Reconciling Community

The Gospel for Holy Wednesday

Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, "Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me," The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. John 13:21-32

who is betraying our Lord;
is it one of them,
those who sit close,
who enjoy his friendship,
who dips his morsal
into the wine?

who is betraying our Lord;
is it one of those,
who is so very faithful,
who say their prayers,
who eats the Bread
and drinks the Wine?

who is betraying our Lord;
is it truly me;
how does he know,
who told him?

failing to follow,
I succeed in denial.

you are unworthy to come
under my roof.

Wednesday in Holy Week

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect of the Day
BCP, page 220

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 53

On the Reception of Guests

Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ,
for He is going to say,
"I came as a guest, and you received Me" (Matt. 25:35).
And to all let due honor be shown,
especially to the domestics of the faith and to pilgrims.

As soon as a guest is announced, therefore,
let the Superior or the brethren meet him
with all charitable service.
And first of all let them pray together,
and then exchange the kiss of peace.
For the kiss of peace should not be offered
until after the prayers have been said,
on account of the devil's deceptions.

In the salutation of all guests, whether arriving
or departing, let all humility be shown.
Let the head be bowed
or the whole body prostrated on the ground
in adoration of Christ, who indeed is received
in their persons.

After the guests have been received
and taken to prayer, let the Superior or someone
appointed by him sit with them.
Let the divine law be read before the guest
for his edification, and then let all
kindness be shown him.
The Superior shall break his fast for the sake of a guest,
unless it happens to be a principal fast day
which may not be violated.
The brethren, however, shall observe the customary fasts.
Let the Abbot give the guests water for their hands;
and let both Abbot and community
wash the feet of all guests.
After the washing of the feet let them say this verse:
"We have received Your mercy, O God,
in the midst of Your temple" (Ps.47:10).

In the reception of the poor and of pilgrims
the greatest care and solicitude should be shown,
because it is especially in them that Christ is received;
for as far as the rich are concerned,
the very fear which they inspire
wins respect for them.

The Gospel for Holy Tuesday

Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:20-36

Poem 1:

E-go
echo-ing
through the caverns
of self only
re-sona (ting)
an emptiness
dis-stressed by
the inability to see
the ground
where one
must die
in order to stop
the vibrating
that prevents one
from receiving the
other.

Poem 2:

attraction
gives birth to desire
drawing one
to the other;
isolation dies.

Tuesday in Holy Week

O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with yo and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 52

On the Oratory of the Monastery

Let the oratory be what it is called, a place of prayer;
and let nothing else be done there or kept there.
When the Work of God is ended,
let all go out in perfect silence,
and let reverence for God be observed,
so that any brother who may wish to pray privately
will not be hindered by another's misconduct.
And at other times also,
if anyone should want to pray by herself,
let him go in simply and pray,
not in a loud voice but with tears and fervor of heart.
He who does not say his prayers in this way, therefore,
shall not be permitted to remain in the oratory
when the Work of God is ended,
lest another be hindered, as we have said.

The Gospel for Holy Monday

Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. John 12:1-11

Jesus had arrived in Bethany as a guest of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. It would be his final visit with them and the meal was somewhat of a celebration as the disciples had also been invited, and Lazarus who had been raised was with them. You can imagine the conversation: sharing experiences of the past and talking about things to come. It was a night filled with joy and melancholy. In the midst of the meal, overflowing with gratitude Mary removed from her trunk the ointment that she had been saving for this occasion. It was expensive perfume, costing almost an annual wage. She knelt before Jesus and began pouring the fragrant oil over the feet of Jesus. Judas, the keeper of the purse, was enraged, how could one be so wasteful. It should have been sold and given to the poor.

Who do we identify with in the story: Mary or Judas: one filled with faith and gratitude, one careful and prudent; one acting spontanieously, the other with calculation; one unaware of those about her; the other noticing and objecting; one acting out of love; one simply reacting.

Let us use this day to reflect about our own relationship with Jesus. How do we respond to his unconditional love?

Monday in Holy Week

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified. Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect of the Day
BCP, page 220

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 51

On Brethren Who Go Not Very Far Away

A Brother who is sent out on some business
and is expected to return to the monastery that same day
shall not presume to eat while he is out,
even if he is urgently requested to do so
by any person whomsoever,
unless he has permission from his Abbot.
And if he acts otherwise, let him be excommunicated.

By God, Don't Linger

By God, don't linger
in any spiritual benefit you have gained,
but yearn for more - like one suffering from illness
whose thirst for water is never quenched.
This Divine Court is the Plane of the Infinite.
Leave the seat of honor behind;
let the Way be your seat of honor.

Rumi
Mathnawi III, 1960-1961

The Sunday of the Passion

Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us an example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect of the Day
BCP, Page 272

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 50

On Brothers Who are Working Far From the Oratory or Are on a Journey

Those brothers who are working at a great distance
and cannot get to the oratory at the proper time --
the Abbot judging that such is the case --
shall perform the Work of God
in the place where they are working,
bending their knees in reverence before God.

Likewise those who have been sent on a journey
shall not let the appointed Hours pass by,
but shall say the Office by themselves as well as they can
and not neglect to render the task of their service.