Behold

Humans are fascinated about the possibility of life on other planets. Countless science fiction stories, movies, and TV shows have imagined what life forms from other worlds might look like, from “little green men” to creatures with two heads to jellyfish-like beings.

Why do you suppose we are so intrigued by the possibility of fantastic life forms from outer space when our own planet is teeming with an incredible array of life to spark our imagination? For example, what would it be like to drink water over our entire body, as a lichen does? What if we could evade threats by pretending to be a rock, as Lithops plants do? How would it feel to be a Wolffia, the world’s smallest flowering plant, which is so tiny that two adults can fit inside the letter “o”?

Given the marvels of life on earth, you would think we would be living in a perpetual state of awe. Somehow, however, in the transition to adulthood, we lose the wonder and curiosity of children, for whom everything is new and exciting. Yet, doesn’t God say in scripture, “Behold, I am making all things new”?

In some families, everyone who comes to the dinner table must relay something new that they learned that day. Perhaps we could adopt this practice to ensure that we take time each day to behold the wonders of God’s creation. As Shug Avery says in the book The Color Purple, “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it. People think pleasing God is all God cares about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back.”

The Way of Truth and Love

I am especially looking forward to morning prayer these days because we are reading from the book of Judith, which relates how King Nebuchadnezzar dispatched the general-in-chief of his forces, Holofernes, to conquer the world, a job he relished and accomplished with great cruelty, until he came across the Israelites. It’s like listening to a serial on the radio or a drama on TV—you can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next. Because “all of Israel cried to God with great fervor and did penance…[and] the Lord heard their cry and had regard for their distress,” I have a pretty good idea about how the story will end, with the overthrow of Holofernes and the delivery of the Israelites from his hands. As we hear over and over again in scripture, God hears the cry of the oppressed and responds with mercy and lovingkindness.

In this story from Judith, it so happened that a single woman was the instrument God used to defeat the oppressors of the Israelites. Last Friday night, I had the opportunity to watch a documentary, Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai, about a woman from our own times who was instrumental in delivering her people from a Kenyan ruler who oppressed the people and exploited the environment. The stories of these two women remind me of a statement by Mohandas Gandhi: “When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it—always.” Often it takes just one person of tremendous faith, courage, and ingenuity to help people overthrow their oppressors. We should rouse ourselves to support them so we, too, can be instruments of God’s compassion.

Abundance Mentality

Throughout my life, I have not always had what I wanted, but I have always had what I needed, and even more (as attested by my ongoing struggle to maintain a healthy weight). In spite of a lifetime of evidence that God will provide, however, I still find myself operating out of a scarcity mentality (I’d better keep that, because you never know when I might need it!). The often unconscious belief “There’s not enough to go around; I’d better be sure there’s enough for me,” which is so prevalent in our world, leads to tragic consequences as some people hoard wealth and resources while others suffer from hunger, war, lack of clean water and sanitation, and lack of health care.

Our worship aid on Sunday, September 24, included a thought-provoking quote from John Shea: “Remember, you are now in a consciousness called the kingdom of heaven and not in a consciousness that could be called “Comparative Status” or “Fear of Not Getting What You Deserve.” You do not need to worry and look out for yourself, for the One for whom you work knows what you need and is only too willing to supply it. You no longer live in the envious world of comparison but in the abundant world of God’s goodness.”

People with an abundance mentality are grateful and generous and live simply. By reminding ourselves of God’s everlasting history of goodness through praying the psalms, reading scripture, and recalling our blessings, we can live with trust and become an oasis of abundance for others in the midst of a perceived desert of scarcity. The psalmist invited us to taste and see the goodness of the Lord; today it is more important than ever to extend that invitation to others and radiate the joy of the good life.

The Whisper of the Autumn Wind

I have always welcomed the coming of autumn—when I was a child, it meant going back to school, which I loved, and the end of the summer’s heat, which I hated. Increasing darkness didn’t bother me (more time to read in the evenings!), and something in me responded to the lovely melancholy of leaves changing color and insects quieting.

I remember being astonished when I first learned that some people don’t like autumn because they find the increasing darkness and the death cycle of the earth depressing. As I have gotten older, I have gained a greater appreciation for this perspective. Still, the darkness and reminder of death provide an opportunity to practice trust that new life will follow on the heels of the autumn and winter of our lives. As Fr. Edward Hays said in Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim, “Though the whisper of winter and of death is upon the autumn wind, we greet this autumn season in the joy of the resurrection.”

Recently I came across an amazing quote from a desert elder, who was asked, “How come you are never discouraged?” He answered, “Because every day I expect to die.” Let us not be discouraged by the earth’s yearly death cycle and our own daily call to die to self. The quiet breath of God’s Spirit dwells below the surface of the sleeping earth and our own fallow periods, and at the appointed time new life will emerge.

Being and Obedience

In my class Reading the Bible with Benedict, Sr. Irene Nowell asked us to reflect on the statement by Abraham Joshua Heschel that “just to be” is already obedience, because it is obedience to God’s call in creation: “Let there be.” Whoa! So does that mean that when we obscure our being with noise and ceaseless activity, we are actually being disobedient to God’s call to us?

It is difficult for us to grasp that just to be is the basis of obedience, because most of us believe we need to earn God’s favor by what we do. Nonetheless, Heschel insists, “Just to be is a blessing; just to live is holy.”

“Just to be” does entail choices, however. I need to decide how I am going to be in the situations I encounter each day. For example, on Monday, when I was picking grapes in a vineyard in Weston with Srs. Barbara Smith and Marcia Ziska, I was savoring the meditative silence until two women arrived and began talking loudly and incessantly as they filled their own buckets. I could have chosen to use prayer or a chant to help myself stay focused, reminding myself that talking was their way of decompressing, but instead I fumed and allowed my annoyance to build, destroying my own sense of peace. In the future, when such situations arise, I need to remember to ask myself: “Is this who I choose to be?” 

Spirituality of Emotions

When I told my brother, Jeff, that one of the classes I am taking as a novice is “Spirituality of Emotions,” he said, “It doesn’t seem like you’d need that, since you already have a counseling degree.” Actually, I’m finding the class very helpful, because emotions are our teachers throughout our life, and it’s good to recommit to working with them.

As I’m adjusting to community life, I’m grateful for the reminder that it is not others who make me angry or happy; rather, I generate my own feelings, based on how I choose to respond to interactions with others. When feelings of disgruntlement, agitation, or sadness demand my attention, further examination typically reveals that the world isn’t conforming to my view of how things should work. Thus feelings can be a tool for the dying to self that needs to occur for us to find greater freedom and peace.

Being a follower of Christ doesn’t shield us from feelings of anger, shame, guilt, and depression. Jesus himself showed us in the temple how anger can lead us to fight for what we believe; he showed us at Bethany how grief can lead us to life on the other side of a painful loss. Our humanity as revealed in our emotions is not something to be suppressed. Rather, in God’s design, and as shown in the life of Jesus, our human emotions can lead us to healing, transformation, and unity within the Body of Christ.

Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows

We know that we don’t have to experience exactly what others experience to offer them comfort in times of distress. However, a special kinship exists among persons who are alcoholic or who have breast cancer, for example; shared experience allows them to go deeper into each other’s sorrow.

Today, the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, offers us the opportunity to pray for all parents who have lost children to violence or illness. Most of us cannot fathom the depth of their grief, but Mary can. When we feel helpless in the face of their loss, we can place them in her hands and trust that she will console them and help them learn how to live with their grief.

Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows

Holy Mother, you who endured the pain of childbirth

   and the pain of your son’s death,

   be with all parents who are mourning

   the death of their own beloved children today.

May you hold these women and men close to your heart

   and comfort them with the knowledge

   that their children are held forever

   in the embrace of God’s love.

Just as a part of your own life died with Jesus on the cross,

   the hope and joy of these parents have been extinguished.

   Bring them healing and lead them to trust in your

   son’s promise that he will be with them always.

Our Lady of Sorrows, wrap all those who grieve

     in your gentle love and grace.

With trust in your tenderness and care, we pray.

                                                          AMEN +

The Gift of Limitation

We all bemoan the effects of aging, such as aching joints, sleep interrupted by trips to the bathroom, memory lapses, and diminished energy. Why, then, do studies show that older people in general are happier than younger people, with more positive emotions and fewer experiences of depression, anxiety, and anger? Psychologist Laura Cartensen believes it is because our perspective changes as we age and realize how finite our time in the world is. St. Benedict understood this centuries ago and thus included the following advice in his Rule: “Keep death ever before you.”

Something about being human requires limitation to bring out the best in our art, our problem-solving, our creativity, and our approach to life. Death is our greatest limitation, so it makes sense that awareness of our mortality is a powerful tool for living a full and satisfying life.

Perhaps, then, instead of viewing our aging bodies with regret, we should actually thank our gray hairs and age spots and creaky knees for being a daily alarm clock that awakens us to our limited time on earth. Then we can focus on what is most important—being present to our sisters and brothers in the Body of Christ and listening to what God is calling us to today—because tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Life in Unexpected Places

The other day, when Sister Alberta and I were harvesting grapes in the Mount vineyard, she came upon a small bird’s nest nestled among the grape vines.

It was a tender reminder that life often appears in unexpected places. The cricket chirping in the stairwell, the invitation to consider a new ministry, the kindness and generosity shown by strangers to persons recovering from illness or catastrophe—they break into our consciousness with piercing clarity. They remind us that we are shaped by our choices of what to attend to. As José Ortega y Gasset said, “Tell me what you pay attention to and I will tell you who you are.”

Recently I received a card from friends that featured a quote by Rumi: “Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.” I came to the Mount because I sensed that the community here would help fan my flames, and they are doing that by teaching me how to listen and be aware of the presence of Christ in all of creation, be it in bird’s nests, the wine at our Eucharistic table, or the suffering of people battered by storms and poverty. I am grateful for the daily lessons.

An Ecosystem of Prayer

Often I walk to the Mount cemetery and sit on a bench to practice centering prayer and lectio divina. Something about being outside makes it easier to feel grounded and breathe deeply. The towering fir trees, expanse of sky, and oak leaves shimmying in the breeze make me grateful for God’s creative spirit. Bird calls, the tickling of ants as they traverse my toes, and nearby colonies of flat mushrooms remind me that earth is teeming with life and creating ecosystems I’m not even aware of. The row upon row of tombstones connect me with sisters who lived with fidelity on this patch of land and quietly remind me that death awaits me, too.

Earth is a divine teacher. We need to protect her and safeguard her wisdom so we and future generations can continue to learn about who God is and what God calls us to be through the world God created and entrusted to us.

The Way of St. Benedict

This week Sr. Marcia Ziska and I spoke to a class of Benedictine College freshmen about what St. Benedict has to teach us about being a follower of Christ. In preparation, I made a list of ten things that St. Benedict believed, based on his Rule and insights from the book Seeking God: The Way of St. Benedict by Esther de Waal. Coincidentally, I also begin my formal study of the Rule this week with Sr. Cecilia Olson and several members of the Mount community. It will be interesting to pull out this list next May and see if I would make any changes!

Ten Things That St. Benedict Believed

      1. God’s presence is everywhere, and it is our job to seek it out.

      2. We must seek God with urgency, because we don’t know how much time we have to do so before we die.

      3. Christ should be the center of our life, and because we belong to the Body of Christ, our search for God must take place in community with others.

      4. Seeking God means listening to the voice of God and following it, so we are led along the path of God’s will rather than our own.

      5. When we live in obedience to God’s word, we will act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with our God, as summarized by the prophet Micah.

      6. Loving tenderly means offering hospitality to others as if we were encountering Christ himself.

      7. Walking humbly with our God means that we practice humility. Humility means knowing who we are: a beloved child of God with special gifts. It also means knowing that everyone else is also a beloved child of God with special gifts. Therefore, pride has no place in the life of a Christian; gratitude does.

8.      Flexibility and moderation are important; everyone should receive according to his or her need, the strong should have something to yearn for, and the weak should have nothing to run from.

9.      In the life of a Christian, a balance between prayer, work, and study is important.

10.   We should always work toward conversion of life, recognizing that God is always calling us to growth and new life.

Show Us What We Yet May Do

At morning prayer on this Labor Day at the Mount, our opening hymn included these lyrics:

We, your children, in your likeness, share inventive powers with you;

Great Creator, still creating, show us what we yet may do.

This song reminded me of two exciting stories I read recently. One was about how humans now have the capability to convert totally to renewable energy by the year 2050 (see article at https://cleantechnica.com/2016/01/23/solutions-project-139-countries-can-hit-100-renewable-energy/). The other story was about how The Netherlands is using greenhouse complexes and technology to become the globe’s number two exporter of food as measured by value while reducing their dependence on water, nearly eliminating use of chemical pesticides, and reducing use of antibiotics in livestock (see article at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/09/holland-agriculture-sustainable-farming/).

This Labor Day, I hope we can resolve to allow our God-instilled creativity to prevail over greed and apathy so we can feed the world’s population and provide people with meaningful work while protecting our common home for future generations.

A Lesson in Humility

When I was a student at Benedictine College, I worked for the Academic Dean, Dr. George Baumgartner, whose office was next to that of Sr. Katherine Delaney. One day a sister stopped by to see Dr. B., but he wasn’t in at the time, so she chatted with Sr. Katherine for a bit and then asked to leave a message. I dutifully wrote down the message, and then said in my best office professional voice, “And who shall I say this message is from?” Sr. Katherine looked at me incredulously. “Don’t you know that this is the prioress, Sr. Noreen Hurter?”

Sr. Noreen hastened to say, “That’s okay. How would she know who I am if we’ve never met? It’s very nice to meet you.” She knew how I must be feeling and was very gracious in responding to my embarrassment.

I learned more about humility that day than any book can ever relay. In her thoughtfulness and lack of pride, Sr. Noreen showed me what it looks like to integrate the Benedictine value of humility into one’s day-to-day life. As we anticipate her funeral and burial, I am grateful for her example of what it means to be Benedictine and for her many years of service to her sisters, students, and friends.