A Commentary for the First Sunday of Lent by Sr. Pamela Kay Doyle, OSB

Repent, and believe in the Gospel!

Repent. Believe.  Jesus states it very plainly to us.  Repent. Believe.  Powerful words, words not denoting action but demanding action, words in which we are called to live!

But how?  Repent:  The list is so  long!  Believe:  Of course!  Don't we all? But how?  Let us turn to our Holy Father, St. Benedict.

In Chapter 4 of the Holy Rule, The Tools of Good Works, Benedict shares with us ways in which we may live this Gospel message of "Repent, and believe in the Gospel."

Repent:  Never do to another what  you do not want done to yourself.

Believe:  You must honor everyone.

Repent:  Renounce yourself in order to follow Christ.  Do not pamper yourself.

Believe:  Discipline your body.  Love fasting.

Repent:  Rid your heart of all deceit.  Never give a hollow greeting of peace.

Believe:  Relieve the lot of the poor.  Go to help the troubled and console the sorrowing.

Repent:  Never turn away when someone needs your love.

Believe:  Love your enemies.

Repent:  You must not be proud.

Believe:  Place your hope in God alone.

Repent:  Every day with tears and sighs, confess your past sins to God in prayer and change from these evil way.

Believe:  Listen readily to holy reading, devote yourself often to prayer, and never lose hope in God's mercy.

Throughout this Lent may God grant us the graces of repentance, and may we be filled with great love and hope at the promise of Easter joy!

A Quote from St. Basil the Great

The bread you do not use is the bread of the poor.
The garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of him who is naked.
The shoes you do not wear are the shoes of one who is barefoot.
The money you keep locked away is the money of the poor.
The acts of charity you do not perform are so many injustices you commit.

Sr. Mildred's Favorite Benedictine Quote

In this post Sr. Mildred shares her favorite Benedictine quote, "The love of Christ must come before all else" and how it has related to her entire Monastic life.

60+ years in the Monastic life I find myself thinking more often of the place Christ takes in my life. There have been many challenges as well as many blessings in my years. But it seems that always I am reminded that Christ is the Center of whatever I do. If it is teaching in the classroom, it is His message I bring. Working with people in Formation I felt I needed to let them know the importance of Christ in their lives. Leadership showed loud and clear that He and I had to be partners. Parish work was simply working as His messenger. Now that I am retired I have more time to think of Christ in my daily life. My values have narrowed and I can honestly say they focus on what Christ wants. Really nothing else matters. I know that, not too long in the future, I will finally meet Christ face to face and my greatest joy will be that He is no stranger to me. For all eternity I will enjoy knowing more of His relationship in the Trinity and being a part of that mystery. St. Benedict has much in his Rule about Christ for each of us and this statement seems to sum it up:

"The love of Christ must come before all else."

The “Little Way” of Therese of Lisieux

Sr. Kathy Smolik, OSB will periodically post teachings of St. Therese. This is her first post.

A Way of Love:
“'Here is the teacher whom I am giving you; he will teach you everything that you must do. I want to make you read in the book of life, wherein is contained the science of LOVE.’ (St. Margaret Mary) The science of Love, ah, yes, this word resounds sweetly in the ear of my soul, and I desire only this science. Having given all my riches for it, I esteem it as having given nothing as did the bride in the sacred Canticles. I understand so well that it is only love that makes us acceptable to God, that this love is the only good I ambition. Jesus deigned to show me the road that leads to this Divine Furnace, and this road is the surrender of the little child who sleeps without fear in its Father’s arms. ‘Whoever is a little one, let him come to me.’” Therese of Lisieux

These words of Therese come from “Manuscript B” of Story of a Soul, her autobiography. This manuscript is her masterpiece and gift to us as we learn her “Little Way.”

What was Therese about? What is she trying to teach us? Therese discovered that the only thing to live for and by is LOVE. Everything she teaches is for our instruction on how to love.

Start where you are. Great deeds are not necessary. Her way is a “little way.” Small acts of kindness are done with great love and attention to Jesus, our Beloved. Therese once exclaimed, “To pick up a pin with love can save a soul…what a mystery!”

Whoever you are, and whatever your circumstances in life, begin now. God’s Mercy is greater than His Judgment. He is waiting for you to return to Him by love, and Therese will teach you how to do this.

Jesus is our real Teacher on this path. However, we often need help along the way when we can’t see. Sometimes God sends people to help us. We can also pray to Therese to teach us how to be a “little child” who abandons herself to God. Pray to her, ask her for help and intercession to Jesus, and she will teach you the “little way.”

Fr. Matthias Neuman's homily for the 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Feb 22, 2009

Readings: Is 43:18-25; 2 Cor 1:18-22; Mk 2:1-12

1. One of the things that has always struck me about this gospel story is the phrase, "When Jesus saw their faith." He was deliberately including at least some of the men who were lowering the paralytic through the roof. But I’ve always wondered if he was referring primarily to them; we never know the paralytic’s thoughts or feelings—he never speaks. Perhaps over time he had become a very bitter man, afflicted as he was with this debilitating condition. It does happen. But his friends didn’t give up. They were willing to make the effort to bring him to Jesus and try to save their friend. Perhaps it was mainly their faith that Jesus saw, that persuaded Jesus to work the miracle of healing on the paralytic.

2. How much that has been a part of our Catholic tradition—that we help others and pray for others. We pray for others at all times, but especially in their moments of great weakness. To me one of the most beautiful expressions of that comes in John Henry Newman’s long poem, "The Dream of Gerontius." It’s an imaginative account of what’s going through a person’s mind as they approach very closely the moment of death, indeed, what it’s like to go through the act of dying. The poem begins: "Jesu, Maria—I am near to death, and Thou art calling me; I know it now—not by the token of this faltering breath, this chill at heart, this dampness on my brow, (Jesus, have mercy! Mary, pray for me!") .... O horror! This it is, my dearest, this; So pray for me, my friends, I who have not strength to pray." (Pp. 25-26) It’s the community of prayer that we rely on in our moment of weakness. It’s one of the strongest expression of the "communion of saints" that we believe in.

3. One of the first ways that the early Christians were recognized by Roman authorities was not as a religion, but as a "burial society." They were known as a group of people who took care of the sick and the dying and the burials afterwards. And they prayed during this time of tending to the dying. It was one of the places where the sense of "community" was so strong among the early Christians. And burial societies have continued though the centuries in the Catholic tradition. We still see that so often in obituary notices today when it will say: "The Rosary will be prayed by the Christian Mothers or the Daughters of Isabella or the Holy Name Society" at such and such a time.

4. Of course, we all know that well in our monastic communities. Gathering around the dying person and praying for that individual is a regular practice of monastic houses. To announce over the PA that a sister is going to be anointed will bring an instant crowd to that sister’s room—as has happened many times in the nine years that I have been here. It amazes me how quickly people congregate. In those moments I like to think of today’s gospel, "When Jesus saw their faith," we trust that Jesus "heals" that person into heaven.

5. But we also pray for those who seem hopeless—maybe like today’s paralytic---who have given up on faith. How many of us know some member or members of our family who have fallen away from the practice of faith. We can be sorry for them, but we don’t stop praying for that person. We trust that the strength of our prayer will help our relative. We trust that Jesus, seeing our faith, might heal that person into heaven. That’s a very important part of our Catholic belief in the communion of saints. Let’s take a moment right now and each of us pray for just such a member of our own families.

A Commentary for the 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time by Sr. Mildred Wannemuehler, OSB

In reading Mark's Gospel today, many thoughts came across my mind.  Two thoughts stood out and I'd like to reflect on them with you.

1.  In the story in Mark's Gospel, the friends of the paralytic brought him to Jesus.  Jesus saw THEIR FAITH.  Because of THEIR FAITH, He cured the man.  I find myself thinking about all the people I (or we) pray for each day.  How much faith is behind those prayers?  Do we really believe that God will cure those we pray for?  I'm not sure I think of my faith as that important.  Maybe I need to work on my faith. We recall the value of faith, hope and love we professed at our Baptism.  Maybe it is awareness or being awake that I need to focus on.  How many times we hear Jesus say, "Your faith has saved you."  My faith will also save others.  With Lent coming, a season of springtime growth will be a good time for us to work on our soil...renew our faith.  Thus we will be able to bring many to Christ to be cured.

2.  The other words in today's Gospel that struck me were Jesus' words:  "What is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven' or to say 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk?'  This is a message that is easy to forget.  God's forgiveness is so freeing and powerful that it truly can be experienced as a healing.  We read a similar theme in Isaiah's, the first reading.  There are many times that we witness forgiving as a healing for the individual in daily life.  I think this Gospel is a good one for us to reflect on.

Sr. Renee Wargel's Vocation Story

From early childhood, I dreamed about playing in a symphony orchestra, helping poor people and being like my Benedictine teachers at St. Philip School.

Upon graduating from St. Philip, I attended Academy Immaculate Conception, and then entered the Ferdinand community. My first missions were teaching music at Christ the King, St. Pius X, St. Paul, Tell City, while getting my Masters in Music at Butler University. I next taught music at Our Lady of Grace Academy and Latin School.

In 1971, I received an MA in Religious Studies at Mundelein College, Chicago, taught Religion at Immaculata HS, music at Carmel, and Guerin High Schools. Peace and Justice issues beckoned me to work during the summers with blind children in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. , Hispanic children in Los Angeles, California. and a Chicago food pantry. I was privileged to sing with the Apollo Chorus and Chicago Symphony.

In 1980, the community gave “The Sound of Music” at Beech Grove HS where I was English and Drama teacher.

In 1996, I became SSD at Hermitage Healthcare Center, caring for 52 terminally ill patients, plus music at St. Thomas Aquinas. I love working here. Our residents are treasures. Heaven will be better when they arrive. In 1997, I left St. Thomas to be Liturgy/Music coordinator at the monastery, and continued working at St. Paul Hermitage.

I am beginning my 34th year singing- first with Chicago Apollo Chorus, Liberty-Fremont Concert Choir, Evansville Philharmonic, and Indianapolis Symphonic Choir.

For Benedictine life, music, and opportunities to serve those in need, I thank God and my Benedictine Community.