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.