God Is Always Watching

...let him recall that he is always seen by God in heaven, that his actions everywhere are in God's sight and are reported by angels at every hour. RB80.7.13

Growing up it seemed that everytime I had a new idea that would help me lead an exciting life an adult would be nearby to prevent me from acting on my impulses. It seemed that the adults in my life always were aware of what I was planning before I actually got a chance to have any fun.

One such event happened when I was in 1st grade. I was walking home from school with a group of friends and we decided to take a special shortcut to get home faster. We walked along the dry creek bed until we were directly across from our street then decided to jump over a neighbor's fence and cut across the yard. That sounded good and it could have been fun except...I was not a good fence climber (so I chose another fence that seemed more manageable but there were dogs loose in that yard). So when I jumped over the fence 3 dogs came toward me, barking loudly. My friends were already on the other side of the neighbor's yard. The owners rescued me but not before they had called my home to tell my grandmother what had happened. That was the last time I climbed a neighbor's fence in a long time.

Today, we hear that God is always watching us. He is aware of everything we do, not to punish us but to protect us and help us grow towards holiness. God is always like a loving parent watching over us. When I remember that I feel secure in God's love and protection of me.

Sr. Catherine, OSB

The Love of Christ

...the love of Christ must come before all else. (RB80.4.21)

Love is the essential element in all of our relationships.

• It is love that helps us forgive the wrongs done to us.
• I find myself going well beyond myself for the sake of love.
• The largest burdens are soon forgotten.
• Love impels us to try again and again when hope can seem dim.

Love is a gift. The love of God first touched us at creation when God created everything freely out of the abundance of his love. God sent his Son, Jesus, out of love for us. Jesus freely laid down his life for us out of love for God the Father and love for us.

It is this love which pushes us forward daily to proclaim God's saving love to the world.

How am I reflecting God's love today?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Mutual Hospitality

Hospitality takes many forms. It can be welcoming the guest to our home, welcoming the other into our lives, being open to God's presence in our experience, accepting our humanity when it confronts us.

Benedict reminds us that guests are always present--in their many forms. Those of us, who like me, like to service and host others, need to learn to also receive graciously when hospitality is offered to us. I need to remember to be open to God's love and God's indwelling presence and communicate that to others.

During this holy and blessed season, may I continue to find ways to reflect God to others.

Sr. Catherine

The Ever-Present Divine Presence

At the beginning of Chapter 19 of the Rule, I am reminded that God is everywhere. That can be a daunting thought, especially on the days that I am not at my best and want to hide from everyone especially God. It can also be a real comforting yet challenging thought.

When I was young (about 1st or 2nd grade), I somehow took the idea of God's presence to be something like an invisible companion--yet very real. It was that image that helped me deal with teasing at school over my language (I was still learning English) or my family (my family was very different from everyone else's). It helped me deal with being picked last for the basketball or softball team. It helped me get through life. For me, God's presence was very real and it was what got me through some tough times.

In middle age, I am now trying to recover some of that sense of God's loving presence in my life. I no longer need it for the same reasons; but I do desire to be true to my best self and live in an awareness of God's care and love in my life and in the lives of others. I am slowly learning how to regain some of the wisdom of my past (the wisdom I had as a child).

May God help us all abide in his love.

How has God been present in life today?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Holding On To Patience

The 4th Step of Humility is to hold on patiently when difficulties come. This is definitely one of the steps of humility that I still have a long way to go and grow before I reach maturity.

I have never been one to suffer well or to suffer quietly. I tend to like an audience around when I things are going wrong so that I have someone to listen to my whining. It does not even have to be a big issue that is causing the distress, actually with me it generally can take something pretty small. At the first sign of difficulty I tend to start planning my best defense, just in case things continue heading south.

The 4th Step encourages me to bear hardship and wrongs graciously. Rather than ranting that the alarm clock not going off, the bad traffic or the burdens of the day all set the world against me, I can look for where God and God's love can be found even in the hardest of daily situations. Once I can do that I quickly realize that no matter what is happening with me or to me, God does have a hand in my life and my life is not really all that miserable.

How have you been able to find God in your life lately?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

A Special Day

Today, we are celebrating the birthday of one of our older Sisters, Sr. Mary Cabrini Boland, OSB. She is turning 90 today. She originally had a huge party planned with relatives and friends coming to visit her for the day--but God had other plans. Thanks to a huge snow storm last Thursday and Friday her family was not able to come but the plans for the party are still happening.

Today, Sr. Cabrini is my example of humility. When she found out that her family could not be here for the birthday, she began planning with the health care staff and some Sisters to video tape her celebration so that her family could enjoy it also--just as if they were here. She did not want her younger brother to miss anything. So...at noon if all goes as planned we will tape the celebration and email it to her family.

She is my example of humility because even when things don't quite go as planned she is always ready to praise God for what has happened and to find the beauty in whatever comes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SISTER CABRINI!

Sr. Catherine, OSB

God The Loving Parent

I have always had some hesitancy in relating to God in terms of father or parent. Part of this difficulty, I am sure, is due to the fact that in my own life I have had various issues relating to my own father, father figures and parents in general.

There is one experience I have though that has helped me to make real the image of God as parent and the love and concern that God has for me. About I year ago, I was traveling through the town where my paternal grandparents lived. I took a chance and called my grandparents before my trip and asked if I could come by for a short visit. My grandparents and I were not really close but we did speak on the phone on occasion. My visit with them was arranged. My grandfather (96) had just been released from the hospital the day before. As I visited with my grandparents that day, I felt the love and care that they had had for me throughout my life though at a distance. I was surprised to find out that they had scrapbooks with clippings of my accomplishments through school and into adulthood. My grandfather who was visibly very weak seemed to light up when I was there and hang on to every word during our visit. When it was time to leave I had two things with me: a photo of my grandfather responding to a story I was telling him and, more importantly, the knowledge that I was really loved and accepted in a different way than ever before. My grandfather died a few weeks later.

That visit with my grandfather, though, gave me new insight into the love which God has for each one of us. No matter how many turns or how distant we may be from God at times--God is very deeply in love with us. God is watching over us and waiting for us to return to that love and to respond in love.

Sr. Catherine

The Enclosure and Stability

Now the workshop in which we shall diligently execute all these tasks is the enclosure of the monastery and stability in the community. RB 4

After listing all 72 "tools" of good works that are to be desired, Benedict tells us that the place where we get practice in using these tools skillfully is in the enclosure of the monastery and in stability in community. In other words, the place where we become skillful in using these tools is the whatever community setting life has give us--whether it be the family, a friendship, a work team, an office, a classroom, or a monastery.

It is in the sticking through things together, working through our difficulties, being God's presence for one another that we truly learn to be patient, generous, loving and kind. Definitely not what I want to hear on some days, when the last thing I want to be is patient and forgiving (when will others be patient with me), or understanding of someone else's life issues.

It is in that going just one step further that true growth happens for me and sometimes God's grace for me even surprises me.

Which tool do I need to practice using today?

Sr. Catherine

God is Everywhere

One of my favorite psalms is Psalm 139. This is a psalm which talks about God being present everywhere and in every circumstance. The psalmist asks God at one point "where can I run from your presence,..if I fly to heaven you are there if I travel to the netherworld you are also there..."

I have loved this image of the all-knowing, all-present God from my childhood. It just always made me feel secure to know that no matter where I was or what I was doing God was still very alive and present with me through my good times and protecting during the bad. I also meant that even if my parents or grandparents were not always physically there to protect me God was. That was comforting to me.

Even today, I can look around me and see evidence of God's providential love and care for me. How has God been present in life today?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

No Pain, All Gain

Through this love, all that he once performed with dread, he will now begin to observe without effort… (RB 7.68)

When I took piano lessons growing up, I loved to play but hated the practice. I like the exhilaration I feel when exercising but hate getting sweaty and dirty. In school I was bright and got good grades but never really mastered the discipline of studying well. I hate practice and discipline but love the rewards of it.

The second half of this passage appeals to me—I want to have all the benefits of the twelve steps of humility but I don’t like the pain that is involved in mastering the skills and attitudes necessary. No pain, all gain.

By focusing on my love for God (and my desire to continue growing in that love), all that had seemed difficult or burdensome or impossible initially will become joy and pleasure. The key to this transformation is love and the knowledge that I am not alone in this task.

Sr. Catherine, OSB

God's Gaze

…let him recall that he is always seen by God in heaven…(RB 7.13)

My mother and dad and my teachers always seemed to have eyes in the back of their heads. How was it they could always see when I licked some frosting from the cake, left the trash on the back step, or sent a note to my boy friend during class? There were days when I wished they couldn’t see everything, just as there are days I wish God didn’t have that all-seeing eye.

But then, in retrospect, those days make me feel so loved, so precious and so safe under that all-seeing eye of God.

Sr. Veronica, OSB

Love of God/Love of Neighbor

First of all, love the Lord God with your whole heart, your whole soul and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22.37-39; Mark 12: 30-31; Luke 10.27). (RB 4.1-2)

Love of God and love of neighbor…the two essential elements to begin our study of the tools of good works. Without love, I cannot move towards the other tools. It is love that moves me forward and love that provides the energy boost I need when everything seems overwhelming, impossible or too much effort.

This love requires all of me—my heart, my soul, my will, my strength. No room for half-hearted efforts here. I am motivated to love God and others by the love that first brought me into being. It is God’s generous and gracious love that draws me forth to love others.

Sr. Catherine, OSB