ST JOSEPH'S ABBEY, SPENCER MA

During his 40 days in the wilderness among wild animals and angels, Jesus shows his   solidarity   with us by being the one who, par excellence,   holds together these contrary realities .  “He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were serving him.” We notice that in Mark’s account, the two relationships   coexist. Perhaps we have here   an enigmatic summary of the human condition—we are simultaneously beastly and angelic, never just the one or the other, and so we experience (especially during Lent) a wavering inconstancy.   With renewed spiritual determination at the beginning of Lent, we nevertheless soon find ourselves in a wilderness of temptation and weakness. This can be perplexing, even discouraging. But the Good News is that   this is exactly where Christ meets us, in solidarity with our fallen humanity . Jesus himself was not immune from the inconstancy of human nature. He was with “wild beasts” and “angels.” He explored the dizzy...

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” In today's Gospel Jesus describes himself as bridegroom. As Church, as community, as individual souls we are Christ's bride, called to union with him. All of our Lenten observances are reminders that he whom we love, he who desires to give himself to us, has been pushed aside, far away from our world in many ways because of our violence, hatred and unkindness. Our Lenten fast is our resolve to fill our minds and hearts with desire that his kingdom come.

As we begin the season of Lent, we recall that God’s constant, loving yearning is to give us life. God is determined to forgive us and welcome us back, no matter what we have done or how we have failed. Pope Benedict XVI will refer to the ‘law of excess or superfluity’ that runs through the whole of salvation history, finding its clearest expression in Jesus. The Pope emeritus sees this law as “the righteousness of God, which goes far beyond what need be, which does not calculate, which really overflows.” God’s greater love infinitely surpasses the failing efforts of human beings. God refuses to let us go. This is the real source and ground for all our Lenten observances. God’s grace does not wait upon my change of heart. It is only the grace of God that turns my heart around. It is the mercy of God who loves me, that draws me to plead for his pardon and to trust his forgiveness. In a way our Lenten pleadings for God’s mercy, in whatever form they take (prayer, fasting, alms...

As today’s Gospel opens, Jesus is trying to hide out; he needs solitude for rest, for prayer. But a woman interrupts him. She’s a Syrophoenician, and she knows that she of all people has no right to make demands on him. She’s an outsider on two counts: a non-Jew and a woman now alone with a man. * Definitely an outsider . She knows it; so she does what she has to do- she falls at Jesus’ feet in utter humility and desperation. Truth be told, she’s got nothing to lose; as it is, her life’s in shambles, her daughter’s very sick, in fact she been sick for a very long time- with an “unclean spirit.” God only knows what that means. Is it seizures, is there shrieking, thrashing? We can only imagine what this woman goes through each day, what havoc it has wrought in her family. She is consumed with concern for her daughter’s welfare. She’s trapped; but she knows Jesus can help her; and so she begs. But Jesus seemingly disinterested insists that he is supposed to feed only the children ...

Rising very early before dawn, he left  and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”  Mk 1. 35-37 Because Jesus is at the heart of all our desiring, we believe that truly everyone is looking for him, whether they realize it or not. And we pray that we will not be distracted by anything less than him. Photograph by Brother Anthony Kahn.

Snow upon snow, falling day after day. We pray, we notice the beauty, and we dream of spring. And today we celebrate the virgin martyr Agatha. Because  she promised her whole self, body and spirit, to Christ, she lost her life and now reigns with her heavenly Bridegroom forever. With Agatha we await our heavenly inheritance. Photographs by Brother Casimir.

Mary and Joseph brought the child Jesus into the temple, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The Mother of God, the most pure Virgin, carried the true light in her arms and brought him to those who lay in darkness. We too should carry a light for all to see and reflect the radiance of the true light as we hasten to meet him. The light has come and has shone upon a world enveloped in shadows; the Dayspring from on high has visited us and given light to those who lived in darkness. This, then, is our feast, and we join in procession with lighted candles to reveal the light that has shone upon us and the glory that is yet to come to us through him. So let us hasten all together to meet our God. Let all of us, my brethren, be enlightened and made radiant by this light. Let all of us share in its splendor, and be so filled with it that no one remains in the darkness. Let us be shining ourselves as we go together to meet and to receive with the aged Simeon the light who...