New Year's Resolutions or Daily Conversion

December 31--New Year's Eve...
At midnight today, we will turn the page on a new year 2014.  2013 will quickly become a memory for the history books.

With the start of a new year, there is a sense of excitement and anticipation-Maybe this will be the year when I finally lose that excess weight, repair that fragile relationship, take my spiritual life more seriously (we all have something that can be inserted in this blank).  Too often, I find that my New Year's Resolutions are more like a wish list than a statement of commitment to changing my life for the better no matter how small.  I start off half-hearted with a sense that resolutions are what need to be made yet with really no plan or intention to see them through past January 15th, if they make it that long.

Our monastic tradition offers an alternative to these wishes for change-conversion.  Conversion is one of the vows that monastic men and women profess at the time of final profession (commitment).  It is an intentional decision to always continue growing closer to who God initially created me to be.  It is a public promise to get up after ever fall as I progress in this way of life.  It is the desire to continue improving with God's help on my way to holiness with this group of women that are placed in my life.

To me, conversion seems much more doable than resolutions.  In conversion, I am fully aware that I am fallible and that there will be some rough spots along the way and I know that God will provide the grace necessary for me to succeed in this if I remain focused on the path.  Conversion is not about what I can do by myself but about what God and I can do together when I cooperate with God's plan.

Blessings on your new year.  Know of our prayers for all of you.

Sister Catherine

Listening With the Ear of Your Heart

Serving one another involves listening to another with the ear of your heart so that you might choose not only what is best for yourself but also what is best for all.     

 

Calling One Another to Growth

When we serve one another we bear one another’s weaknesses, we hold one another up and

we call one another to growth in holiness and wholeness.

 

Sharing with Others

We reverence creation by giving to others what we really don’t need and are not using.

 

 

Being Truly Happy

Only those who serve others will be truly happy.

 

Loving and Serving

Jesus intends us for service, for leadership, for faithfulness; let us respond today to Jesus’ call to go out to love and serve the world in peace.

In case you missed our announcement about Midnight Mass at St. Joseph Monastery:

 

Tuesday, December 24, 2013  –  Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Dear Friends,

 

May these Advent days be blessed with many graces.

 

We want you to know that we will no longer celebrate Christmas Midnight Mass here at the monastery.

We know this is a tradition for many of you, as it has been for us.

 

We will miss the opportunity to see as many of you this Christmas season. 

Please know that you are all in our hearts during these holy days.

 

In the peace of the Christ-child~

Sister Christine and Benedictine Sisters

May you all have a blessed Christmas and many blessing in 2014.

Benedictine Sisters

Service: Being the Voice of Others

We serve one another by being the voice of the powerless, those who are not heard, those who are hungry and alone, the forgotten folks around us.

 

Following Jesus

If we wish to follow Jesus we must keep serving, keep walking on the ground, keep struggling.

 

Moving Out of Ourselves

Our prayer each day should be, “Lord, move us out of our self-centered worlds so that

with compassionate hearts we  can bring healing to our broken world."

 

Moving Toward Others

If we wish to follow Jesus we must move out of our private, isolated and self-enclosed worlds

into a compassionate engagement with our suffering neighbors.

 

Compassion

Compassion asks us to prepare for the next opportunity we are asked for help; if we cannot give        what is asked, give something.

 

Stretching Beyond our Agendas

Serving one another is not designed to impress God but rather to save us from our selfish selves

and to stretch us beyond our own agendas.

Putting on the Mind of Christ

To really feel compassion for the needs of others, we must put on the mind of Christ so that we

can see the world and the people in it as Christ sees them.

Reverencing Creation

Reverencing creation—holding it in loving hands—is another way we can serve one another.

Revealing the Glory of the Lord

When we serve one another graciously, the glory of the Lord is revealed to us and to all who witness the service.

Sharing Our Resources

When we are willing to share our resources with trust in God, there is always enough for everyone.

Prayer: The Best Service

Sometimes the best way to serve is to pray for the people who are on life’s journey with us;

prayer lifts others up to God’s good purposes.

 

Mary's YES

Mary responded to God’s call with a “Yes.”  Sometimes we fail to respond to God’s call because

we feel  inadequate to the task, but Jesus can take what we have and make it enough.

 

Having an Advent Heart

Jesus wants us to have an Advent heart like St Nicholas, a heart standing on tiptoe ready to

serve, to help anyone in need.

Washing Others Feet

Jesus gave us an example of the kind of service he expects from us when he washed his disciples        feet the night before he died and told them:  “You are to wash one another’s feet.”

Serving Christ in Others

When we begin to see the presence of Christ in one another, we can serve them because we               know in serving them, we serve Christ Himself.

Who Is the Greatest

Jesus tells us that the one who is greatest is not the one who sits at table, but the one who               serves those at the table.

Serving One Another

Monastic value for December is service. 

We commit ourselves to be compassionate for the needs of others in daily living.

“Serve one another in turn with all charity.”  Rule of Benedict 35

 The Gospel message is very clear:  “We are to serve one another in love.”

Learning and Listening

In community, we learn to love someone other than ourselves and when we listen to someone else besides ourselves, we have glimmers of hope to guide us.

Talents and Gifts

Our talents and our gifts are to be used for the benefit of the community.

God and Relationships

God uses relationships in community to form us, and relationships form us so that God can use us.

Relationships With Others

Relationships with others have extraordinary power in our lives because Christ is present in them; Jesus knew how important people are in conveying God's grace and presence; Jesus said, "Where two or three people are gathered in my name, I am there among them."

Doing Little Things

We have the privilege of focusing on and doing all the little ways we can put more love into the community; we can make our world a happier place.

Forming Faith

In community, as other people's lives touch ours, they help to form our faith and make us who we are.  As we touch others, we reflect God's love to them.

Meeting God

We meet God not just as we sit alone in quiet corners but also in and through the community of people we live with, work with and interact with as we go through our daily routine.

Building Community

Building community is not possible without listening to one another; listening to one another places demands on each person; no one possesses all truth, or knows everything worth knowing.

Update to Our Blog

In the past few months this blog was resting while we restructured the face this media.  Now we are back! 

Benedictine Presence  will be a place where we will share quotes about monastic values. Thanks to Sister Veronica, OSB for compiling and posting the quotes which we will be sharing on this site. 

Do not be afraid to give your time to building community. Time given to building community is never time lost, but is rather time gained, so that our relationships and indeed our whole life may become more profoundly human.  (Pope John II)

 

Pulling Away

We are in the midst of St. Benedict's disciplinary code.  Today, the Rule shows the process that is sometimes necessary in order to correct faults.  St. Benedict is not a strict disciplinarian or someone who is "power hungry" wanting to exert his authority over the slightest fault.  The Rule is actually quite moderate in it's correction of faults and it's concern for proper order.

There are times when I seem to be intent on testing limits; on seeing just how far I can push against the boundaries before I am seriously separated from the group and those who care about me and my well-being.  At these times when I seem to be intent on isolating myself, it is often because I am confused or hurt or have slowly slipped away from the norm inch by inch.  It's usually nothing terribly dramatic but more like a gradual shifting of focus until I am totally lost.  I look around and wonder how I ever got this far away. 

I remember an vivid experience of this from childhood.  My parents had given me permission to take my younger brother on a walk through our neighborhood but had set very specific boundaries about how far we could go.  When we got to the farthest limit of our authorized walk my brother saw something across the street that he wanted to explore.  It was beyond where we were supposed to walk but not terribly far from our path so we crossed the street and went to explore.  Once across, we kept venturing from our assigned route little by little but I could still see where we were supposed to be.  Some barking dogs came out and scared my brother who ran further away from the path.  By the time I caught up with him, we were in a totally different neighborhood and I had no idea how to get back on course to get home.  We did make it home eventually but it was a long time before I was willing to take any walks with my brother.

There are ways to avoid getting separated along the way.  Here are some things that I can do to avoid separation:

• Talk with a trusted spiritual director or mentor when I first recognize that I may be straying;
• Journal regularly to keep track of where my thoughts might be leading me;
• Spend more time just being with others who are positive.  I often find that if I can be around positive people for a while when I might not be that positive my thinking might lighten.
• Pray.  Asking God for help is always a good plan.

What am I doing today to insure that I stay along the right path?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

First Week of Lent

A week ago was Ash Wednesday.  At that point, I was not really sure what shape my Lenten commitment would take...and I opted for resolutions that amounted to trying to do more of something but there was not much substance to the commitment.  I often find that when my commitment to anything is that vague it probably means that I really need to continue praying about my willingness to commit.

That being said...I spent the first two days of Lent feeling like vital was missing--like I was searching for something just beyond my reach.  By Friday evening, I was finally at a point where I had to rework my Lenten commitment to something that incorporated more willingness to change and clarity.  There were no other options for me at this point.  So I took my initial thought (that this Lent I am being called to increased conversion) and listed the things that were standing in the way of this continued growth.  Once I prioritized my list, I began to see that in some subtle ways my use to technology and media was starting to take over many parts of my life.  Between Facebook, my e-Reader, YouTube, ipods, and various apps, I was starting to lose a sense of what is really important for my life and for my well being.  As much as I hesitated on this, I have decided to restrict my use of technology or extra media to ministry related purposes during the week. 

This past week's experience has reminded me of the monastic adage that the task of the true monastic is to constantly get up and try again after every stumble or falter.  This saying gives me hope since it focuses on the effort to improve rather than the achievement of a goal.

Please pray for our community's School of Lectio which begins this evening.  May God bless of the participants and staff.

Sr. Catherine, OSB

On Lenten Observance

Today is Ash Wednesday.  We begin our annual pilgrimage toward Easter; which although only 40 days away might feel more like a life-time's distance.

I am not a person who is a fan of penance, suffering, discipline or self-denial.  I prefer a more relaxed, let things be type of life--I know this kind of thinking can lead to life being a bit superficial but it doesn't have to be. 

Late yesterday evening, after our Mardi Gras Party, I was considering various practices I might adopt this Lent.  As I re-read Chapter 49 in the Rule of St. Benedict, I was struck by the first verse referring to our life being shaped with a lenten quality all year long.  I began wondering if maybe there was a subtle message behind that verse; maybe an invitation to consider Lent in a new way this year.  I followed up on some of the references connected with this verse and found a connection to a catechetical sermon by St. Leo I.  In this teaching, St. Leo was encouraging all christians to adopt increase their self-discipline in the areas of food and drink so that they would be prepared for the adversity in more important matters. 

So what does this have to do with my Lent in 2013?

I reflected back on this past year.  It has been a year filled with tons of growth and new insights.  So maybe this year's invitation is to continue the growth that has begun and transfer some of the skills that I learned into other areas of my life.

May God's grace bless your Lenten observance this year.

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Not Always Getting My Way

One of the things I came to expect growing up was to get what I wanted most of the time, if not all of the time.  I was an only child for over 10 years--10 years between my brother and me and over 15 years between my younger sister and myself.  I got used to being either the only one or so much older than the rest that I usually got my way.

Today's reading on the 2nd step of humility (RB7) invites me to consider laying down my will and desires in favor of someone else's wishes.  I have had opportunities to learn how to do this throughout my adulthood, of course...and it has been a challenge at times.  I have had to work on learning to assess the importance of some things and letting the less important issues just drop.

1. Not getting to choose the game that my group plays on our "game night" is pretty minor.  As long as everyone is able to participate and have a good time it's okay to play one of my least favorite games once in a while.
2. Not always being first in line at meals is pretty minor also...there is usually plenty of food for everyone to get some.
3. I don't always have to get the final say in everything.  I do have a responsibility though to support fully whatever decision the whole group makes.  I usually have plenty of opportunities to voice my opinion on matters but once a course is taken I need to be willing to adjust to the decision of the group.

Over the years, I have learned to lay down my wishes for the good of the group.  I don't always have to get my way.  I need to remember to rely on God's will and the guidance of the Holy Spirit when I find myself wanting to demand that things be done according to my plan.

How am I growing in letting God's will rather than mine be evident in my life today?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Enclosure and Stability in Community

At the end of the listing of the Tools for Good Works (RB 4), St. Benedict tells us that the place where these tools which are enumerated are used is in the enclosure of the monastery and in stability in community.  These are the training grounds for the use of these tools....tools of charity, of compassion, of forgiveness, of patience, just to name a few of the tools listed.

I love St. Joseph Monastery (my Monastery) and my community. When I travel I am usually ready to come back home within a few days and get homesick quite easily.  I am always grateful to return and carry our community in my heart even when I am at a distance.  Yet, there are times when the enclosure and the stability spoken of here seems a little less than appealing.

So, why does Benedict seem to consider enclosure and stability so vital to these tools and practices?

1. For Practice: Some of these tools do not come naturally to me, for me some of these skills are going to require prolonged practice and very conscious effort.  I need the assurance that even when I am learning these life lessons and might not always get things perfectly there will be a group there still waiting for me as I progress along this life.
2. For Encouragement:  There are going to be tough hours, days or weeks along the path when I would much rather give up than keep working with these tools.  I need a supportive network of friends and peers that will help me keep going when quitting seems like a good idea.
3. For Role Models:  I learn best by example.  I need folks in my life who have gone through some of the challenges I encounter before me. I need their insight, wisdom and presence along the way.

We all need a supportive communitythrough which to learn essential life lessons.  I am grateful for those who are models of life for me and strive to be a good model for others.

How am I being called to be a model for others today?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Persevering Until Death

The Christian journey is meant to be one of growth, conversion, and transformation until we reach the final goal, union with God in heaven.  All three of which require focusing on the goal and perseverance for the duration (neither of which is a characteristic which comes to me naturally).

Growth, in this context, is the openness to see life from a new or different perspective.  It is considering the possibility that there may be other ways of doing things, other modes of being, other views on life.  Maybe, I really don't have all the answers, as much as I would like to believe that I do.

Conversion involves being open to change, any kind of change.  I would consider myself to be a risk taker in most areas of life.  I like the excitement of trying something new.  What I have realized recently though is that the more important or valued something is the harder it is for me to be willing to consider change in that area.  I am not one to reframe a core value lightly.

Transformation invites me to be formed anew, to become like plyable clay that can be reshaped easily yet still remain essentially clay.  Transformation can be exciting and scary at the same time.  It is exciting because there is a newness and boundless new opportunities available.  It is scary because it is venturing into the unknown--What if I don't like the new shape that I will take on?  What if it is uncomfortable or unfamiliar?

The conclusion of the Prologue of the Rule of St. Benedict invites me into a life that daily involves growth, conversion and transformation.  How willing am I to embrace these three aspects of life today?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Dashing Temptations Against Christ

At the beginning of this new year (2013), I can say that 2012 was an amazing year for me in growth, health and blessings.  Early into 2012, I realized that although I was successful, confident and content there were definite areas that I wanted to work on during that year and some changes that I wanted to make...I just wasn't sure how this would happen or if I was willing to put forth the effort that it would take to enable these changes to take effect in my life.

I started preparing for change in February and by March was pretty convinced that I was on the right path.  The rest of the year was about transformation, work and health.  Changing some old patterns and forming new habits was just the beginning. The harder work has been the process of embracing these new ways of being and allowing them to more fully be incorporated into my daily life.  It has been great AND it has been tough at times.

In the Prologue, St. Benedict invites the disciple to root out old, unhealthy (or sinful) patterns and thoughts and to cast them against Christ.  I have found myself going back to this verse often this year as I have worked on creating this new life plan.  As old habits or familiar thought patterns have tried to creep back into my life or when I am tempted to just totally give up since things seem to hard, I remind myself to call on Jesus or quietly say a short prayer (like the Jesus Prayer).  Just the reminder that I am not alone in this process is often enough to keep me going a little while longer.

May God bring all of our good works and intentions to a beneficial completion.

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Desiring Life and Good Days

Today's image from the Prologue of the Rule has God standing before a multitude calling out the question: Who is the one who will have life, and desires to see good days? (Psalm 33[34].13 paraphrase)  This invitation to live the fullness of life is one that has attracted me for years.  I would be the first to state that I love life and long to embrace it fully.  (I have never been known to be a fan of half-measures...I am usually fully committed to totally disengaged.)

I would be the first to jump up and accept God's invitation to life.  God also provides advice on how to live the life which is being offered.  The requirements are pretty basic:

• be a person of integrity--speak the truth from my heart, be consistent about who I am, be honest with myself and others;
• stay away from evil and follow the good when I encounter it;
• seek peace (in all aspects of my life) and pursue it.

These are all things which I have known most of my life.  All of these are connected to all of those socialization skills and life lessons learned growing up.  If this is so basic and such an intrinsic part of life, then why do I often find myself needing to remind myself about my commitment to life? 

What am I doing today to reenforce this commitment in my daily experience?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Listening: A Total Person Experience

The opening verses to the Prologue of the Rule, invite the person to listen with the ear of the heart.  When I first heard this phrase as a junior in high school, I was intrigued by the concept of my heart having ears.  I remember trying to get a visual image of what this phrase might mean--and not being very successful.  It was however one of the things that stuck with me from my first encounter with The Rule and monasticism.

I was passing through our library recently and a book cover caught my attention.  It was a caricature of a monk whose right ear was about the size of an elephant's ear.  He looked like he would be a good rival to Dumbo.  This character had his right hand cupped around his ear to allow him to hear better.  That image stayed with me and brought me back to reflecting about this intense listening to which Benedict invites me.

This listening involves being fully engaged with God, with others, with experiences, basically with LIFE.  Everything and everybody can be a teacher and a messanger of God's grace if I am open to the gift offered.  There is a lesson to be learned everywhere if my eyes and my heart is open to the new learning. 

For me, listening with the ear of the heart means being alert and ready to follow God's call wherever that may lead.

My New Year's Resolution for 2013:  being alert to God's grace and blessings in my life no matter where they may lead.

How are you listening to God today?

Sr. Catherine, OSB