On New Beginnings

Yesterday was the 1st Sunday of Advent...the beginning of a new year for our Church. Coming a few days after Thanksgiving and Black Friday and just before Cyber Monday the beginning of Advent can often seem like just a little bump on the road on the way to Christmas.

This year, the 1st Sunday of Advent was truly memorable since that was the day designated for the implementation of the 3rd edition of the Roman Missal. Although many faced this day with a mixture of excitement and concern, the first liturgical weekend is now behind us and all went fairly well. Yes, there were a few mistakes and some awkward moments as we all tried to remember the appropriate new responses--or juggle multiple sheets and books but overall it was good.

Our monastic community took an extra leap in also revising our Office books (common prayer books) this past weekend. So now even the psalms which we had been praying together for years have a few new words or phrasing that is a little different. We had been working towards revising our books for a few years so in one sense it was a welcome change and exciting--although still one more new thing.

We are learning patience with ourselves and others as we pray together. We are grateful for the wonderful gift of the liturgy. We are most grateful to God for providing the grace, strength and insight needed to remember what is most essential in our faith.

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Living in Truth

Rid your heart of all deceit. RB80.4.24

Never give a hollow greeting of peace RB80.4.25

Bind yourself to no oath lest it prove false, but speak the truth with heart and tongue. RB80.4.27-28

Wonder what our world would look like if corporate leaders or leaders of nations were asked to speak the truth from their heart when dealing with mergers, corporate buy outs or issues of world economy or peace? Would there be an increase in compassion and a decline in greed? Would there be less suspicion among people? Would there be an increased desire to work cooperatively since more honesty and openness would be present?

These are some of the questions that arose as I listened to our reading from the Rule of St. Benedict today (Chapter 4: The Tools of Good Works). Since most corporate officials or world leaders are unlikely to adopt this way of being, then what can I do to help my corner of the world? How can I act differently in everyday life to impact the world around me?

• I can act truthfully in my dealings--being sincere and direct in speech and action.


• Become aware of my motivations and my impulses so that I can be a person of integrity but not at the expense of others dignity and value.


• Remain grounded in prayer. Pray before I speak or act so that my speech and actions might proclaim God to others.

Sr. Catherine, OSB

In the Presence of God and His Angels

Let us consider, then, how we ought to behave in the presence of God and his angels, and let us stand to sing the psalms in such a way that our minds are in harmony with our voices. RB80.19.6-7

I have a very short attention span and often find my mind drifting in multiple directions if I don't consciously make myself focus and be fully present. After saying this, today's passage from the Rule is more than a little challenging for me at times.

I have been in our community around 25 years. That means that for 25 years I have been participating in our community prayers daily. I can even recite many of the psalms, practically in my sleep. That is where the challenge lies for me...It is possible for me to be physically present at our prayers, and even be mouthing the correct words and not be totally present! My mind could easily be on my last activity or my next activity if I am not watchful.

My basic underlying desire, though, invites me to be awake, alert and fully present at our times of prayer. So knowing my own tendencies, how can I ensure that I am as fully engaged as possible at all times?

• I can arrive a few minutes early for prayers and prepare myself in stillness and silence to be fully present.
• I can make sure that I reduce my distractions by refraining from stopping along the way to the oratory.
• I can bring myself gently back to the present moment when I find myself daydreaming.
• I can thank God for the grace to even have this desire for heightened awareness.

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Teaching by Example

Furthermore, anyone who receives the name of abbot is to lead his disciples by a twofold teaching: he must point out to them all that is good and holy more by example than by words, proposing the commandments of the Lord to receptive disciples with words, but demonstrating God's instructions to the stubborn and the dull by a living example. RB80.2.11-12

We have all heard it said that actions speak louder than words. Today, Benedict takes a similar approach when addressing the leader about teaching God's ways. To those who are docile and agreeable teach through words; for those who might be more resistant teach through the example of your life--be a role model for others for the good.

When I was younger, I remember someone telling me once that I could take any of my elders as a role model--they could either show me what to do to have a happy and successful life or I could learn what not to do by learning from the mistakes of others. The choice is totally mine whether to follow the good example of others or the misguided example. I can choose my destiny everyday.

That idea has stuck with me as I have matured in community. It has also occurred to me that I can be that same kind of role model for others also. Do I want to be a model for the good of community or a model of what not to do?

I pray for the grace to consistently be a model of good and virtue. What kind of model am I today?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Using Grace

What is not possible to us by nature, let us ask the Lord to supply by the help of his grace. RB80.Prologue.41

Realizing that human nature will often fall short, Benedict invites us today to ask for God's grace to help in the accomplishment of good deeds.

No matter how sincere my intentions, the fact still remains that I often fall short. Six days into the New Year and I have already restarted my resolution to "listen" at least once daily. It is only through asking for God's grace and relying on it that my intentions and resolutions will ever bear fruit.

What am I doing today to remind myself to rely on God's providence and grace?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Being An Offering

RB80 entitles Chapter 59 of the Rule: The offering of sons by nobles or by the poor.

This title has always seemed a little awkward to me since in our culture we do not deal regularly with nobility or even, in any real sense, offering the work of our hands or something personal to God at the Presentation of the Gifts. The concept of 'tithing' tries to address this issue except that in most cases, I can be so far removed from the weekly offering that is presented in a Sunday envelope or a monthly check that it is just one more monthly bill to pay.

I am reminded of the Gospel story of the widow's offering. She offered to God from what she needed for livelihood. Manytimes, I find myself offering God a portion of what is left over after everything else is done...the last few minutes of the day before I fall asleep, the last ounces of energy after I have done a day's work, the last bit of charity after I have spent it throughout the day.

I desire to give God my best rather than my leftovers. How am I offering the best that I have today to God?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

A Place of Prayer

Chapter 52 of the Rule sets parameters around the monastic oratory--the designated place for prayer. Benedict states that the oratory is a prayer place and nothing else should be done or stored there.

The oratory is not a place for conversations (unless it is conversation with God). It is not an extra storage space--where I can leave those things that do not fit in my closet, desk or bedroom. The oratory is to be just what its name states--a place of prayer.

In our monastery, the oratory is a place in the center of our building. It is at the intersection between our living/dining space and our public space (our front reception area and our business office). Our oratory is the "heart" of our home.

To this "heart" I bring the concerns of the day, prayer intentions gathered throughout my day of ministry and my hopes/aspirations. I join my prayers with those of others to ask God's blessing and insight. From this "heart" I am strengthened and energized to go forth and take God's life and love to all whom I meet. The oratory is both the "heart" of our home and the living "heart" of our lives.

How am I living the spirit of our prayer today?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Being Who I Am Everywhere

Chapter 50 of the Rule of Benedict offers directives for prayer while away from the monastery. It basically boils down to being the same person, no matter where I may find myself.

Ideally, after years of praying the psalms day after day, multiple times a day, scripture should be like the air I breath; the blood flowing through my life. I am called to allow God's Word to permeate my life, my heart, my soul.

I long to be a person of integrity, radical integrity. I desire to always remember that God is with me, accompanying me through my daily life. I need to remember who I am and whose I am.

How am I open to God's Word today?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Prayer for the Erring--A Greater Remedy

We are still in Benedict's disciplinary chapters. Today, Benedict suggests that once the leader has coaxed, encouraged, and sanctioned the erring member and all have failed; the last remedy to try is prayer. Since the Rule was written for a religious community, it seems odd that prayer is left as the last resort.

Maybe Benedict, in his wisdom, realized that the superior was probably going to try everything humanly possible first before resorting to calling in God on the matter. In my life, I often find myself turning to prayer after I have tried dealing with an issue myself first. I tend to hesitate admitting defeat--and in a sense, asking for God's assistance can be seen as a defeat (actually a defeat of my arrogance of thinking that I can handle things on my own).

For myself, when I invite others to pray with me over an issue or concern that I may have I am actually taking the issue more seriously. It's not just a minor annoyance anymore. Many times there is a shift in my perspective or my attitude about the situation. I recognize that this is a major concern not just a minor irritation.

Sr. Catherine, OSB

The Character of Private Prayer

We must know that God regards our purity of heart and tears of compunction, not our many words. Prayer should therefore be short and pure, unless perhaps it is prolonged under the inspiration of divine grace. RB80.20.3-4

The Baltimore Catechism taught that prayer was the raising of the mind and the heart to God. Since I was raised in the Post-Vatican II church, my familiarity with the Catechism and the rituals of faith are still a little foreign to me.

I grew up with the concept that prayer was a relational, conversation with God. Since God is always with me and God is everywhere, God could be in constant communication with me. That was a concept that I could easily relate to--since I tend to enjoy talking and always have some internal or external dialogue going. The one part that I tend to forget is that there needs to be at least as much listening (preferably more) as there is speaking in this relationship.

Just as in daily relationships it is not a good idea to monopolize the entire conversation so too in prayer. I need to remember to leave space (silence) for God to respond to me. I also need to listen carefully because sometimes God's message can be very subtle or come in a different form than I expect.

Benedict gives me the key for remembering that today. God is not so much concerned with how well I can express myself in prayer as in how sincere and heartfelt the prayer is. God cares about getting to see the true "me" in prayer--not a well polished replica.

How am I listening in prayer today?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Harmony of Mind and Voice

Let us consider, then, how we ought to behave in the presence of God and his angels, and let us stand to sing the psalms in such a way that our minds are in harmony with our voices. RB80.19.6-7

I love to sing--I am definitely not the best singer or the most accomplished musician but I do enjoy singing and music. Today's passage from the Rule of St. Benedict speaks to the singer in me.

I know from experience how important it is to be in harmony and how gut-wrenching it can be to hear dissonance. I also know how difficult it can be to have my mind and my mouth both being fully present at the same time, on the same task. There is a temptation to think that since I have prayed the same psalms and responses for years I can conceivable "pray" our Office on autopilot. All that would be necessary is the presence of my body. In order to fully engage in prayer, though, I need to be fully there--mind, heart, voice, and body.

There are skills that are necessary so that we may all have a better prayer experience.

• I need to listen to those around me. I need to be in sync with others neither too fast or too slow.
• I need to pay attention. If my mind is on other things the words that come out of my mouth might not be the correct ones and I might end up being a distraction.
• I need to be still. Although there are no specific poses for prayer, I do need to watch that my body and posture is not distracting to those around me.
• I need to be present and not day dreaming. This is the most important time of my day...every day.

What other skills do I need to bring to my daily prayer?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

The Influence of Prayer

Today we begin the section on prayer in common. The Rule contains 13 chapters that speak of what is involved in monastic prayer. Some of these chapters (8-18) deal with the minutiae of what the order of the Psalms should be, a listing of other specific prayers and scripture readings for the year. Chapters 19 and 20 deal with the attitude necessary in the individual during prayer. Together these chapters constitute a vital part of the Rule of Benedict.

When I was finishing my Masters Degree one of the topics that I wrote on was common prayer and the impact of this prayer on individuals after long periods of daily praying the Psalms. One of my assertions was that the repetition of these prayers over a period of years should leave an imprint on my life (hopefully for the good). Much like water works on rocks in streams to smooth off rough edges, daily exposure and prayer with the psalms and scripture ideally should have the same effect on me as a person.

It is my duty to show up daily as awake and aware as possible to God's presence. All I really have to do is show up and be open to God's action in my life.

How open am I today to God's word in my life?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Gospel Living

The opening verses of Chapter 4 of the Rule of Benedict (The Tools of Good Works) provides me with a pretty clear blue-print of what is necessary to be a Christian. This enterprise is about taking the Scripture teachings into my life and making them part of me.

When I was completing my Masters in Theology, I mentioned in one of my Comps questions that part of living monastic life for a number of years is that eventually the psalms and scripture passages that we pray seep into our bones. Someone asked me to elaborate on this idea at the time but I could not adequately put into words the mystery of how this happens in our daily prayer. I truly do believe that over the years we do eventually become a living scripture of sorts.

I do realize though that this is a process...it does not happen overnight or in a few years. It is a lifelong process. It is my personal goal.

May I remain open to God's word speaking within me.

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Obedience & Prayer

Listen carefully…to the master’s instructions…(Prologue to Holy Rule. 1.8)

In the opening words of the Holy Rule, St. Benedict invites us to enter into a dynamic way of relating to God and to one another. The hallmarks of this dynamic method are obedience (listening) and prayer. This is the cost of growing in spiritual freedom—giving up our personal freedom. What an incongruity in a society that makes a god of personal freedom!

But Benedict’s invitation is an invitation to more personal freedom. If we allow ourselves to be formed by the wisdom of Scripture, by the wisdom of tradition and by the wisdom of our monastic ancestors, we can learn our own will, we can express our own will and we can learn to give up our own will.

Let us arm ourselves with these strong and noble weapons—obedience (listening) and prayer—and enter into this dynamic way of relating to God and to one another.

Sr. Veronica, OSB

Blessing at Departing

Brothers sent on a journey will ask the abbot and community to pray for them. All absent brothers should always be remembered at the closing prayer of the Work of God. RB80.67.1-2

On leaving on any kind of trip, our Sisters have the custom of asking the Prioress to pray for them before departing. On leaving our property, even for a short errand, it is also our tradition to pray a traveler's prayer asking for a safe journey.

These practices might seem strange especially since in today's world it is not uncommon to be going a variety of places just in one day. I have always found it comforting to know that I am asking God's protection everytime I leave home--this is a practice that I grew up with at home also.

These prayers help to remind me that God is with me everywhere I go (I am not alone at any point of my journey.) It also reminds me that my community and the prayers of my community follow me throughout the day--again I am not alone. I am part of something much larger than myself. This practice can also prepare me to look for Christ in the many encounters of my day, since all who cross my path are to be greeted as Christ.

I am grateful for the various ways in which I can recall my relationship to God through these prayers.

Sr. Catherine, OSB

On Oblation--Offering Oneself

The dictionary defines oblation as:

• the offering to God of the elements of bread and wine in the Eucharist;
• the whole office of the Eucharist;
• the act of making an offering, esp. to a deity;
• any offering for religious or charitable uses.
  

Using these definitions, it seems that all of life need be an oblation (an offering to God of love with my whole self).

It's a good thought but how is it lived out in real life? How do I propose to live in God's presence day after day?

Here are a few thoughts:

• training myself to make God my first thought and my last thought daily. Thanking God for the day--when I feel like reaching for the snooze button on the alarm clock and thanking God for blessings when I turn off my light at night.
• remembering to place myself on the altar as an offering with the Bread and Wine at Eucharist--and bringing all of my concerns to place on the altar also.
• going out of my way (out of my comfort zones) to be present to those around me when they need someone just to be present. Being truly present to others rather than just being physically present.
• remembering God's presence at various times throughout the day (raising my awareness of God's divine presence daily).

These are just a few practical ways in which I can remember to unite myself and my life to God daily.

What are some ways that you can do the same?

Sr. Catherine, OSB

A Place of Prayer

The oratory ought to be what it is called, and nothing else is to be done or stored there. After the Work of God, all should leave in complete silence and with reverence for God, so that a brother who may wish to pray alone will not be disturbed by the insensitivity of another. (RB80.52.1-3)

Reading this section from Chapter 52 of the Rule seems like a "no brainer" to me. Of course, the place of prayer needs to be just that (a place of prayer).

When I think though of how "familiar" and relaxed I might become with my prayer this selection carries a different message. How often to I show up to community prayers in body only? How often am I preplanning my next event rather than really present to prayer, God and to community? How many times lately have I foregone or shortened my lectio time to get I more task done?

Prayer is an activity that requires my full attention and participation. May I always desire to grow in my prayer relationship.

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Pray Everywhere

Chapter 50 of the Rule of Benedict reminds me that I am the same person with the same life committments no matter where I may find myself. Whether I be at the Monastery, at work, traveling, or on vacation, I am still a Christian trying to live out my core beliefs and values.

One of those values is the awareness that prayer and praise are central in my life--for my life to be in balance. Although it is a harder to maintain my normal prayer schedule when I am away from the monastery, I find that I can definitely feel the difference in my life when I don't. I find myself more driven and anxious. I start losing the focus that I can maintain when I follow my regular schedule. I find that I need to rely more on others for that balance. I don't feel like myself anymore.

This might be a sign that my lifestyle has started to seep into my very soul. I would like to be a person who has prayer connected with their very being. Many of our older sisters are like that...I aspire to be like them. :)

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Idleness

Idleness is the enemy of the soul. RB 48.1

I personally don't do well with a lot of unstructured time on my hands. I have never been a person with a long attention span...so even as a child whenever I got bored, I would usually find a new diversion--usually one that cause problems for me and was not very productive.

Things have not changed much in my life as I have matured. I can still easily get bored and my diversions are not any more beneficial to me than before. This constant boredom or ennui with the common life is not anything new to me or to our generation. Evidently, Benedict's community suffered from something similar in the 6th century.

Benedict proposes a way of living that balances prayer, rest and manual labor. He provides a system where there is a change every hour or so. I would benefit greatly by taking time to reflect on Chapter 48 more closely as it pertains to my life today.

May I always seek that balance in life to which Benedict calls us.

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Leadership in Prayer

No one should presume to read or sing unless he is able to benefit the hearers; let this be done with humility, seriousness and reverence, and at the abbot’s bidding. RB80.47.3-4

Humility, seriousness, reverence--these are the qualities that the person who takes on the role of reader/chanter/prayer leader must possess. It seems important to Benedict that the monk assigned these roles realize that their function is not to draw attention to themselves. It is often said that the best minister/servant is the one who can convey the message without making it into a performance.

In a performance, the actors are the main focus and the rest are spectators. In common prayer, there really is no space for stars and spectators--we all share a participatory role in worship.

May I always remember who I am during prayer and who God is.

Sr. Catherine, OSB