ST JOSEPH'S ABBEY, SPENCER MA

Pope Benedict XVI in his second volume of Jesus of Nazareth , commented on how the resurrection utterly exceeded the disciples’ expectations. The fact was clear. He was alive. They had heard him, seen him, looked upon him and touched him with their hands; this they could not deny. But they still struggled to express and make sense of their experience. However, little by little they could pick up resonances with the Scriptures, most especially, the fact that he did not experience corruption in the grave and that the suffering servant of Isaiah seemed to correspond exactly with what happened to him. The more they returned to the Scriptures and re-read them, and the more they kept his memorial in the breaking of the bread, the more they understood the immensity of the mystery. Our vigil this morning is intended to help us move through this same progression. We, too, by listening to the Scriptures and by gathering for the memorial of what Jesus did in the breaking of the bread, will recogn...

Through Christ dying on the cross, the humanity which he bore whole and entire in his own person renounces itself and dies. But the mystery is deeper still. He who bore all men in himself was deserted by all. The universal man died alone…. This is the mystery of solitude and the mystery of severance, the only efficacious sign of gathering together and of unity: the sacred blade piercing indeed so deep as to separate soul from spirit [Heb. 4:12], but only that universal life might enter. HENRI DE LUBAC Catholicism

There is no common ground between what happens in the Gospels and what happens in myths, particularly the more developed myths. Later religions diminish, minimize, soften, and even totally eliminate sacred guilt as well as any trace of violence; but these are minor dissimulations and bear no relation to the system of representing persecution. This system collapses in the world of the Gospels. There is no longer any question of softening or sublimation. Rather, a return to truth is made possible by a process which, in our lack of understanding, we consider primitive simply because it reproduces the violent origin once more, this time in order to reveal it and thus make it inoperative. [Peters denial, the murder of John the Baptist, and the Passion itself] are all examples of this process. They correspond perfectly to the way in which Jesus himself, and after him Paul in the epistles, defines the effect of disintegration that the crucifixion had on the forces of this world. The Passion r...

On Palm Sunday I spoke about the scene from Mark’s gospel in which an unnamed woman poured out costly perfume on the head of Jesus. It was an extravagant gesture, described by Jesus as her anointing of his body for burial. Today we focus more closely on Jesus’ extravagant gesture—pouring himself out as food for the Church. He had already set aside his honors by washing the feet of his disciples. Then he patiently endured the presence Juda at table plotting to betray even as they ate. What more could Jesus do? Could he humble himself any further?   Well, of course, the answer is yes. His love always reaches deeper. He always takes a lower place so that whatever depths we find ourselves in, he has already gone lower to meet us there. This is what we celebrate today. Our Lord pours himself out further to draw us closer to himself: first, by pouring out his very self into a bit of bread and wine; and second, by manifesting how close God is to us by revealing his holy name.   T...

The miracle of [Jesus’] Eucharist: he is in you and you are in him —a wedding-feast without end between you and him, compared with which the union of man and wife is but a brief and poor effort. HANS URS VON BALTHASAR Heart of the World , 128 

What people don't realize is how much religion costs. They think faith is a big electric blanket, when of course it is the cross. FLANNERY O’CONNOR The Habit of Being

Christ wished to suffer for us. The Apostle Peter says, “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.” He taught you how to suffer, and he taught you by suffering. Words would not be enough, unless example were added. And how, precisely, did he teach us, brothers and sisters? He was hanging on the cross…. He was hanging by the harsh nails, but he never lost his gentleness. They were raging, they were barking and   snarling all round him, they were jeering at him as he hung there. He was hanging there, and healing them. “Father,” he said, “forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). He was praying, and yet he continued to hang there; he would not come down, because with his blood he was making a medicine for the frenzied mob. ST. AUGUSTINE Sermon  

This winter Br. Adam and Fr. Isaac have undertaken the renovation of the hermitage here at the abbey.   It was left vacant 10 years ago at the death of Fr. Edward Steriti of very happy memory.   Fr. Edward had been the resident hermit here at St. Joseph’s for many decades.   Happily, Fr. Isaac received permission to take up where Fr. Eddie left off to be our next resident hermit.   The hermitage, built in the 1970s, had a good amount of wear and tear but the “bones” were good and the structure solid.   So, we began the process of deconstruction both inside and out. The hermitage now has a new roof, new windows and an electrical upgrade, but a good amount of work is still to be done - plumbing upgrade, insulation, siding, dry wall and flooring – plus a heap of lesser things. Many people have stepped up to help with labor, materials or donations which have greatly speeded up our progress.   More is still to be done.

On March 21, Benedictines around the world celebrate the “transitus “  of St. Benedict, the day Benedict entered eternity.  “Transitus” in Latin means passing from one state to the next—death is not the end of life, but the transition into eternity with God.  It is one of two days that St. Benedict is recognized on the Benedictine calendar. Since this feast day is always during Lent, another commemoration date was set when Pope Paul VI declared St. Benedict the Patron of Europe at the rededication of the Church at Monte Cassino on July 11, 1964. July 11 is the Feast of St. Benedict for the Universal Church.   Only Mary, the mother of Jesus and John the Baptist are remembered with both their birthdays and their day of entry into heaven.

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Joseph and Mary are both people of extraordinary faith deeply rooted in the tradition of God’s covenant relationship with his people Israel. They are betrothed to one another as people who want to serve God and belong to one another. As pious Jews, this will-to-serve comes first. It is this divine service that forms the basis of their commitment. Their betrothal and their whole lives were consecrated to this service, and they entered into their betrothal with this awareness. The openness to one another in their gift to one another would have in no way displaced this primacy of the love of God in their hearts. It was only within this l...

Saint Joseph Holding the Infant Christ Anonymous After   Guido Reni Italian,  17th century From the Met Collection, used with permission Joseph is portrayed in works of art with grey hair and a beard, an older figure next to Mary and Jesus, and often in the background. In the pope’s Apostolic Letter entitled   Patris Corde , he wrote, “In his relationship to Jesus, Joseph was the earthly shadow of the heavenly Father. He watched over him and protected him, never leaving him to go his own way. We can think of Moses’ words to Israel: ‘In the wilderness … you saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as one carries a child, all the way that you traveled’ (Deuteronomy 1:31). In a similar way, Joseph acted as a father for his whole life.”

Just two days ago we heard these words in John’s Gospel, fromchapter 7: They were trying to arrest Jesus, but no one could lay hands on him, because his hour had not yet come (7.30). Here John gives us a historical fact with its theological explanation. But today it seems that everything has changed. From the lips of Jesus himself we hear, with somewhat trembling hearts, these solemn words from John’s chapter 12 that with great urgency immerse us into the full Paschal Mystery: The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.   These words, and the crucial shift they proclaim, are very important. They call our attention to a vital aspect of Jesus’ Passion and Death.   The statement, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified, announces to us three capital realities: 1. God’s freedom as the driving force behind the Passion of the Messiah; 2. God’s sovereignty as Lord of all history; and 3. God’s glorification through the Death of the Messiah.   Jesus do...

Not to know when the end is, or the day of the end, is good for people, lest knowing, they might become negligent of the time between, awaiting the days near the end. For then they would argue that they must only attend to themselves. Therefore, too, [Christ] has been silent about the time when each shall die, lest men, being elated because of this knowledge, should immediately neglect themselves for the greater part of their time. Both the end of all things and the end of each of us, then, has been concealed from us by the Word (for in the end of all is the end of each, and in the end of each the end of all is comprehended), so that since it is uncertain and always in the future, we may advance day by day as if summoned, reaching forward to the things in front of us and forgetting the things behind. SAINT ATHANASIUS Discourses Against the Arians

Lord and Master of my life, take far from me the spirit of laziness, discouragement, domination, and idle talk;   grant to me, thy servant, a spirit of chastity, humility, patience, love; yea, my Lord and King, grant me to see my sins, and not to judge my neighbor, for thou are blessed forever and ever. Amen. EPHRAIM OF SYRIA Prayer for the Season of Lent in the Byzantine Rite

You must not break away from holy prayer for any reason except obedience or charity. For often during the time scheduled for prayer the devil comes with all sorts of struggles and annoyances—even more than when you are not at prayer. He does this to make you weary of holy prayer. Often he will say: “This sort of prayer is worthless to you. You should not think about or pay attention to anything except vocal prayer.” He makes it seem this way so that you will become weary and confused and abandon the exercise of prayer. But prayer is a weapon with which you can defend yourself against every enemy. If you hold it with love’s hand and the arm of free choice, this weapon, with the light of most holy faith, will be your defense. SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA The Dialogue

We must be firmly convinced from the start that, if we fight courageously and do not allow ourselves to be beaten, we shall get what we want, and there is no doubt that, however small our gains may be, they will make us very rich. Do not be afraid that the Lord Who has called us to drink of this spring will allow you to die of thirst. This I have already said and I should like to repeat it; for people are often timid when they have not learned by experience of the Lord’s goodness, even though they know of it by faith. It is a great thing to have experienced what friendship and joy He gives to those who walk on this road and how He takes almost the whole cost of it upon Himself. I am not surprised that those who have never made this test should want to be sure that they will receive some interest on their outlay. But you already know that even in this life we shall receive a hundredfold, and that the Lord says: “Ask and it shall be given you.” If you do not believe His Majesty in those ...

We only deceive ourselves by seeking or loving God for any favors which He has or may grant us. Such favors, no matter how great, can never bring us as near to God as can one simple act of faith. Let us seek Him often by faith. He is within us. Seek Him not elsewhere. BROTHER LAWRENCE OF THE RESURRECTION The Practice of the Presence of God, Letter 15

I want you to understand that, if you are to recite the Paternoster well, one thing is needful: you must not leave the side of the Master Who has taught it to you. You will say at once that this is meditation, and that you are not capable of it, and do not even wish to practice it, but are content with vocal prayer. For there are impatient people who dislike giving themselves trouble, and it is troublesome at first to practice recollection of the mind when one has not made it a habit. So, in order not to make themselves the least bit tired, they say they are incapable of anything but vocal prayer and do not know how to do anything further. You are right to say that what we have described is mental prayer; but I assure you that I cannot distinguish it from vocal prayer faithfully recited with a realization of Who it is that we are addressing. Further, we are under the obligation of trying to pray attentively: may God grant that, by using these means, we may learn to say the Paternoster ...

During the days of His mortal life Jesus was present in one place only; He dwelt in one house only. Few persons were privileged enough to enjoy His presence and listen to His words. But today in the Most Blessed Sacrament, He is, so to speak, present everywhere at one and the same time. In a way His humanity shares the prerogative of His Divine immensity which fills all things. Jesus is present in His entirety in an infinite number of temples and in each one of them; Since all the Catholics scattered throughout the world are members of His Mystical Body, it does seem necessary that He, as the soul of it, should be everywhere, present throughout the whole body, giving it life, and sustaining it in each one of His members. ST. PETER JULIAN EYMARD The Real Presence

In regard to the making of the universe and the creation of all things there have been various opinions, and each person has propounded the theory that suited his own taste. For instance, some say that all things are self-originated and, so to speak, haphazard. The Epicureans are among these; they deny that there is any Mind behind the universe at all. This view is contrary to all the facts of experience, their own existence included. For if all things had come into being in this automatic fashion, instead of being the outcome of Mind, though they existed, they would all be uniform and without distinction. In the universe everything would be sun or moon or whatever it was, and in the human body the whole would be hand or eye or foot. But in point of fact the sun and the moon and the earth are all different things, and even within the human body there are different members, such as foot and hand and head. This distinctness of things argues not a spontaneous generation but a prevenient C...

We only deceive ourselves by seeking or loving God for any favors which He has or may grant us. Such favors, no matter how great, can never bring us as near to God as can one simple act of faith. Let us seek Him often by faith. He is within us. Seek Him not elsewhere. BROTHER LAWRENCE OF THE RESURRECTION The Practice of the Presence of God, Letter 15

None of us has the right to condemn anyone. Even when we see people doing bad and we don't know why they do it. Jesus invites us not to pass judgment. Maybe we are the ones who have helped make them what they are. We need to realize that they are our brothers and sisters. That leper, that drunkard, and that sick person are our brothers because they too have been created for a greater love. This is something that we should never forget. Jesus Christ identifies himself with them and says, “Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matt.25:40). Perhaps it is because we haven't given them our understanding and love that they find themselves on the streets without love and care. SAINT TERESA OF KOLKATA No Greater Love

Draw near to the Lord by following his footsteps through humility, and he will draw near to you by freeing you from your difficulties through his mercy. For not everyone is far from God by distances but by dispositions. For both he who is inclined to virtues and he who falls away in the filth of vices dwell in one place on the earth, the one is far from God, the other has God near. SAINT BEDE Commentary on James