Archives for June 2018

If there’s anyone who knows what it’s like to be called by God, it’s Peter. And Paul! Their lives were turned upside down when Jesus first summoned them to follow him; they left everything and never looked back. On this upcoming feast of Saints Peter and Paul, we give thanks for the larger-than-life vocations of these two pillars of the universal church.

It can safely be said that without Peter or Paul, there would be no church, no Pauline or Petrine epistles, no apostolic tradition. How much was built on the frailty of mere men! And yet, these men knew full well that it is “not I, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20), and “by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor 15:10).

“My power is made perfect in weakness,” said Christ to St. Paul (2 Cor 12:9), and he says it to each of us as well! These first apostles accepted the call of God in spite of their shortcomings and sins, and the church has reaped the benefit for nearly two thousand years. Perhaps that will give us courage to accept our vocations as well, whatever they may be!

It’s not quite “officially” summer according to our calendars, but nobody experiencing the heat wave here in Massachusetts would object to calling it that. Even with all the beauties and joys of the season, sometimes it’s just plain hot. Sticky. Summer.

So what do you do when your brain’s a little muddled and your body feels like it’s in slow motion? Here at the monastery we keep a daily Benedictine routine, a rhythm of “ora et labora”, prayer and work. It’s the good habitual practices and support of our schedule that keep us moving, even when we may just feel like putting up our feet and eating a popsicle!

But more accurately, it’s God himself who helps us to persevere, whether it be in the heat of the day or the “noonday” of life. His fidelity to us is the source of our fidelity to him, as we try to respond to his incessant calls to keep going! For in the end, love and suffering are intertwined. And it always helps to remember that “this brief momentary affliction is preparing an eternal weight of glory beyond comparison” (2 Cor 4:17)!

It was a quiet evening at the monastery, and the sisters were drifting up to bed. Our “door-locking” sister was doing her nightly rounds when she caught a glimpse of something thrashing about in our backyard pond. Calling everyone over, she grabbed the binoculars only to find… not the Loch Ness monster, but a moose!

Four hours and an emergency rescue crew later, the moose was still there. They had tried everything: calling it, coaxing it with ropes and sticks, draining the water from the pond and placing a carpet on the edge to encourage its departure. Even with all their diligence and dedication, that burly creature just couldn’t, or wouldn’t, find its way out.

Finally, we all decided to thank the committed men for their service and head to bed. Perhaps the moose would, in the still of the night, make its own escape.

Then, in the early hours of the morning, we peered out with our sleepy eyes into the pond—now definitively moose-less! The only remains were a carpet, a half-drained reservoir, a few empty bags of popcorn and pictures, of course, to help tell the story for years to come.

 

How much do you know about the Sacred Heart of Jesus? Well, many of us are probably aware of the basics. It is a heart belonging to Christ, who is fully God and fully man. It is a heart which was pierced on the cross, and is the source of the Church and its sacraments, the source of salvation. So, what else is there?

St. Gertrude the Great, a German nun of Helfta in the 13th century, was blessed with revelations from our Lord about his Sacred Heart. A few of her writings remain today which continue to stir up much-needed devotion, including the more famous Herald of Divine Love. In it, she records the very words of Christ describing the qualities and desires of his heart, one of which follows below:

If thou hast a beautiful and melodious voice, and takest much pleasure in chanting, wilt thou not feel displeased if another person whose voice is harsh, wishes to sing in thy stead, and insists on doing so? Thus My Divine Heart, understanding human inconstancy, desires with incredible ardor to be continually invited, either by words or signs, to operate and accomplish in thee what thou art unable to accomplish thyself. Its omnipotence enables My Heart to act without trouble. Its impenetrable wisdom enables It to act in the most perfect manner. And Its joyous and loving charity makes It ardently desire to accomplish this end.

Most perfect Heart of Jesus, transform us!