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.

Prayer for Holy Week

Assist us mercifully, with your help, O Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts, whereby you have given us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
At the Liturgy of the Palms (Sunday of the Passion)

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 49

On the Observance of Lent

Although the life of a monk
ought to have about it at all times
the character of a Lenten observance,
yet since few have the virtue for that,
we therefore urge that during the actual days of Lent
the brethren keep their lives most pure
and at the same time wash away during these holy days
all the negligences of other times.
And this will be worthily done
if we restrain ourselves from all vices
and give ourselves up to prayer with tears,
to reading, to compunction of heart and to abstinence.

During these days, therefore,
let us increase somewhat the usual burden of our service,
as by private prayers and by abstinence in food and drink.
Thus everyone of his own will may offer God
"with joy of the Holy Spirit" (1 Thess. 1:6)
something above the measure required of him.
From his body, that is he may withhold some food, drink, sleep, talking and jesting;
and with the joy of spiritual desire he may look forward to holy Easter.

Let each one, however, suggest to his Abbot
what it is that he wants to offer,
and let it be done with his blessing and approval.
For anything done without the permission of the spiritual father will be imputed to presumption and vainglory and will merit no reward.
Therefore let everything be done with the Abbot's approval.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 48

On the Daily Manual Labor

On Sundays, let all occupy themselves in reading,
except those who have been appointed to various duties.
But if anyone should be so negligent and shiftless
that he will not or cannot study or read,
let him be given some work to do
so that he will not be idle.

Weak or sickly brothers should be assigned a task or craft
of such a nature as to keep them from idleness
and at the same time not to overburden them or drive them away with excessive toil.

Their weakness must be taken into consideration by the Abbott.

If only ....

From time to time, parishioners raise the question about how are we, a little parish, going to be able to finance building the church and a new parish life center. For some reason the question of money always rises to the top, like oil on water, when decisions are made to strengthen our life together by making necessary changes to our facilities thus allowing more people to enjoy fellowship, creating space for more outreach opportunities, providing sacred space for our children's experience of christian formation, etc.

Yet, it seems to me that the financial issue is minor and one that will take care of itself, if we would only commit ourselves to do the following:

1) Affirming the parish as a place of hospitality for all people;
2) Inviting newcomers into the very heart of our life together;
3) Participating frequently in the eucharistic meal;
4) Refusing to allow conflict to move underground;
5) Learning to speak the truth in love;
6) Being prayerful;
7) Learning to follow, and not to lead, becoming a disciple;
8) Celebrating the children of our parish;
9) Living a life of gratitude;
10) Serving others;
11) Becoming involved in a servant ministry; focusing one's energies
on only one ministry;
12) Engaging in adult education, bible study, small groups.

As we embrace these principle in our lives as a faith community, our financial worries will go away; for Christ will be leading us into the future.

The Sacrament of Salvation

The Church is not only a sign of conversion but also the universal sacrament of salvation. Sins are Christian's 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. Sin and penance are first seen in relation to God: sin offends God by breaking asunder the love relationship that commits us to God. The purpose of penance, then, is a deeper love and a total commitment on our part. While the trinitarian nature of the return is noted, the social and ecclesial character of sin and reconciliation is more absorbing. The Christian's sin and holiness affects other Christians and the Church as a whole. Penance consequently always involves reconciliation with those who have been harmed by our sins. Sin is social (e.g. people cooperate in committing injustice) and so people should also help one another do penance. Liberated from sin by Christ's grace, they can then work together with all people of goodwill for justice and peace in the world.

James Dallen, The Reconciling Community

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 48

On the Daily Manual Labor

From the Calends of October until the beginning of Lent,
let them apply themselves to reading
up to the end of the second hour.

At the second hour let Terce be said,
and then let all labor at the work assigned them until None.
At the first signal for the Hour of None
let everyone break off from his work,
and hold himself ready for the sounding of the second signal.
After the meal
let them apply themselves to their reading or to the Psalms.

On the days of Lent,
from morning until the end of the third hour
let them apply themselves to their reading,
and from then until the end of the tenth hour
let them do the work assigned them.
And in these days of Lent
they shall each receive a book from the library,
which they shall read straight through from the beginning.
These books are to be given out at the beginning of Lent.

But certainly one or two of the seniors should be deputed
to go about the monastery
at the hours when the brothers are occupied in reading
and see that there be no lazy brother
who spends her time in idleness or gossip
and does not apply herself to the reading,
so that he is not only unprofitable to himself
but also distracts others.
If such a one be found (which God forbid),
let him be corrected once and a second time;
if he does not amend,
let him undergo the punishment of the Rule
in such a way that the rest may take warning.

Moreover, one brother shall not associate with another
at inappropriate times.

Wondering

I spent the morning in the Juvenile Court serving on the citizens review panel. The panel, composed of citizens from the community, has the responsibility for reviewing cases regarding abused or neglected children to determine the best course of action for them: whether to recommend to the court the removal of parental rights and adoption, or to return the child to their parents.

Following these hearings, I am never fully myself, for I always feel that no matter what we decide that we have let someone down, that we have not truly "heard" the pain of the parents or the child. And I wonder how much my own middle class values get in the way of being able to purely look at particular situations preventing me from seeing (perhaps) the love the parents actually have for their child. And then, of course, there is always the question of defining "abuse" and neglect." Sometimes a definition comes easily when there is a clear legal matter; but sometimes it is rather subjective, and I feel as though I sit in judgment of those less fortunate who are struggling with what they have, or don't have, to make things all right.

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 48

On the Daily Manual Labor

Idleness is the enemy of the soul.
Therefore the brothers should be occupied
at certain times in manual labor,
and again at fixed hours in sacred reading.
To that end
we think that the times for each may be prescribed as follows.

From Easter until the Calends of October,
when they come out from Prime in the morning
let them labor at whatever is necessary
until about the fourth hour,
and from the fourth hour until about the sixth
let them apply themselves to reading.
After the sixth hour,
having left the table,
let them rest on their beds in perfect silence;
or if anyone may perhaps want to read,
let him read to himself
in such a way as not to disturb anyone else.
Let None be said rather early,
at the middle of the eighth hour,
and let them again do what work has to be done until Vespers.

And if the circumstances of the place or their poverty
should require that they themselves
do the work of gathering the harvest,
let them not be discontented;
for then are they truly monastics
when they live by the labor of their hands,
as did our Fathers and the Apostles.
Let all things be done with moderation, however,
for the sake of the faint-hearted.

The Triduum

Karl Rahner writes: “What we call his resurrection – and unthinkingly take to be his own private destiny – is only the first surface indication that all reality has already changed in the really decisive depth of things. The new creation has already started, the new power of a transfigured earth is already being formed from the world’s innermost heart, into which Christ has descended by dying ... He is here. He is the heart of this earthly world and the mysterious seal of its eternal validity.”

Jesus did not begin to save the world by transfiguring first the visible symptoms. Because the evil of injustice, war and greed still carves new marks in the face of the earth, we fear that Easter really is about the next life. We wonder whether the world is absolutely saved. But, as with sick and shallow institutions and churches, the resistant surface is usually the last to collapse. Easter faith is about believing in the light while it is still dark. The Triduum is never over. And a vital contribution still belongs to us. By virtue of our solidarity with the Saviour, everyone and everything is redeemed and completed

Daniel O'Leary's Human touch of Easter in the TABLET, March 2007

The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 47

On Giving the Signal for the Time of the Work of God

The indicating of the hour for the Work of God
by day and by night
shall devolve upon the Abbot
either to give the signal himself
or to assign this duty to such a careful brother
that everything will take place at the proper hours.

Let the Psalms and the antiphons be intoned
by those who are appointed for it,
in their order after the Abbot.
And no one shall presume to sing or read
unless he can fulfill that office
in such a way as to edify the hearers.
Let this function be performed
with humility, gravity and reverence,
and by him whom the Abbot has appointed.

Among the Benedictines

Within the Benedictine Monastic Communities today, Saint Benedict is being remembered as the founder of monasticism. The universal church also remembers him on July 11th; but on this day those who belong directly to his family celebrate his life and renew their vow of conversion of life. May we learn something of their faithful intention to live with integrity the evangelical virtues.

O God, by whose grace your servant Benedict, kindled with the flame of your love, became a burning and a shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and walk before you as children of light in the school of the Lord’s service; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.