Monastic Profession

What a beautiful day Sunday was and what tremendous joy for our community. Barbara was simply radiant and it was wonderful to have guests from all over the United States. The morning started with Morning Prayer with the community and then we had a bit of time before the actual vow ceremony.

As the guests gathered in St. Scholastica Chapel, the sisters gathered in the choir Chapel in silent prayer. As the time to begin arrived, the sisters followed the processional cross, candle and incense in a formal statio procession of the community into St. Scholastica chapel. This means we processed into the chapel 2x2 and as we reached the front of the chapel, bowed in reverence to God and to each other. It is a powerful procession and is beautiful to watch and participate in.

The mass continued with a sprinkling rite, readings, psalm, Gospel and a wonderful reflection given by our prioress Sister Anne. (This reflection and the one given the night before can be read on our website www. mountosb.org under "whats happening".)

Then it was time for the monastic profession itself. This perpetual monastic profession consisted of Barbara requesting to make perpetual monastic profession, the community agreeing, lighting a candle from the Easter Candle while the Veni Creator is sung, reading her profession and signing the profession on the altar (the prioress also signs this), singing her suscipe 3 x's (Receive me O Lord as You have promised that I may live, disappoint me not in my hope) lying prostrate covered with the pall while the community prays for her monastic life and receiving her ring. Barbara is then congratulated by all in attendance. The mass then continues.

After Mass we had a nice dinner for all in attendance and it was a great chance to talk with many of our guests which included Barbara's family and friends, sisters from many other communities and many friends of the community. It was a great day!

If you would like to see more pictures they also can be found on the website. What a blessed community we truly are.

Barbara Smith

Well I have come to realize that I am not very good at consistently posting to this blog. It is something I will have to grow into as time goes by but I am trying.

Tonight is the night before Sr. Barbara Smith will make her final perpetual monastic profession (final vows). Guests have started arriving and there is a joy and excitement around the monastery. Tonight at Vespers, our community begins the celebration with special prayers, a reflection given by one of the sisters and most importantly a blessing of Barbara. The blessing is the most powerful experience of Vespers. After the prayers, Barbara goes out into the center aisle, kneels down on a prie-dieux, and one by one the sisters come forward and lay hands on her, giving her their blessing for her monastic life. It is incredibly powerful when you recieve the blessing, when you give the blessing and for those watching. It will be a night she won't soon forget.

Within a couple days, all the photos from tonight and tomorrow should be on the web page www.mountosb.org for you to see the profession. It is going to be amazing!

What a wonderful couple days this wil be.

Back Home!

Well it has been over a week since I have been able to write anything on this blog. Life has been uncharacteristically busy. After leaving Oklahoma Sunday afternoon, I returned to the Mount in time to get a good night sleep before I was off again in the morning to the Regional Vocation Directors meeting in Leavenworth, Kansas. This meeting is a yearly gathering that gives vocation directors a chance to gather, listen to a speaker on issues pertaining to vocations and to have some prayer and sharing together. It was a good couple of days but very full.

After the meeting was over, I returned to the monastery only to leave again bright and early the next morning for the Kansas City Catholic Schools 5th grade day. This day is a yearly gathering in the archdiocese to promote vocations amongst young people. There were over 900 young people and women religious, priests and brothers from all the communities in the Archdiocese present for this event. I gave talks to small groups of 5th grade girls and Sister Rosann helped with a vocation Jeapardy game. At the end of the day the Archbishop celebrated Liturgy with the students. His homily was wonderful and really concentrated on the extraordinary contributions of women religious in this area. It was a great ending to a nice day.

After the long day in KC, I returned to the Mount to catch up on mail, phone calls and to get some information out for some upcoming events here at the monastery. After being gone a week there was a lot to catch up on. On Friday, I left once again. This time to go to a meeting in Bristow Virginia. (Just outside of Washington DC)

Now this trip was tricky. As luck would have it, I had booked my flight on American Airlines. So I knew travel would be tricky. My flight was to leave at 11 that morning but Sr. Mary Margaret had to drop me off at the airport early (6:45am). So I went to check in, only to learn my flight had been rebooked for the last flight out on Sunday - which would have been pointless since my return flight was first thing Monday morning. The agent (who must have been tired after all the cancellations) was kind and helpful and told me there was a flight leaving for Dallas at 7:10. She said if I could make it to the gate, that would get me to Dallas and she had one seat left on the only flight from Dallas to Dulles that night. I said book it and took off for the gate just making the plane. (Luckily I thought ahead and only had a carry on) We landed in Dallas where I spent 10 hours waiting for the next plane. But I made it to Dulles late that night all thanks to an early arrival and a kind flight agent.

My meeting in Bristow was wonderful! The committee I am on consists of sisters from 5 different communities. Veronica from Bristow, VA, Therese from Cullman, AL, Kathy from Erie, PA, Mariette from Elizabeth, NJ and myself. Most of us did not know each other very well, so it was a great opportunity to get to know more about each other and to work together for a common goal. After the meeting ended, 3 of us took some time to stroll around the mall in DC. While I had been to DC before, I had not seen the Vietnam, WWII, or Korean memorials so I was able to stop at each of these, say a prayer for all those killed in all wars and to say a prayer for peace.

I returned home late Monday night, only to leave again Tuesday morning for a meeting in Clyde, MO. So as you can see my life has been very busy these last couple weeks. It has all been good things but busy none the less. I am now looking forward to some time home with the community. I sure do miss them when I am away. I will try to write again soon. Peace

Jesus Wept

In the song People Are People, the group Depeche Mode sings

So we're different colours and we're different creeds

And different people have different needs

It's obvious you hate me though I've done nothing wrong

I've never even met you so what could I have done

I can't understand what makes a man hate another man

Help me understand People are people So why should it be

You and I should get along so awfully

Now you're punching and you're kicking and you're shouting at me

And I'm relying on your common decency So far it hasn't surfaced but I'm sure it exists It just takes a while to travel from your head to your fist I can't understand what makes a man hate another man

Help me understand

People are people So why should it be

You and I should get along so awfully

Today I spent a lot of time reflecting on the actions taken by people filled with hate. After prayer this morning, I began my day by reading and listening to speeches and reflections given by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I continued by looking at things written and spoken about Dr. King and his influence on the world before and after his assasination 40 years ago today. I saw the anger and the hatred of those who opposed him and I heard the sadness and disbelief of those who loved and respected him and saw his life cut short. I thought a lot about the Civil Rights Tour I took with my students, the people we met, the things we learned and the expereinces we had during that week. It was a morning filled with thoughts on those who saw another way, challenged the world to change, and responded nonviolently to the hatred that they encountered.

My reflection on the effects of hatred did not end in the morning but continued throughout the day. After lunch, Sr. Joann and I drove downtown to the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. I walked past the one surviving tree, around the reflection pool, stopped near the memorial chairs and said silent prayers for all those killed. We then crossed the street to the statue you see above. It has Jesus turning from the violence of the destruction and weeping for those lost. He is facing a wall that contains markers for each of the victims. It was very moving in many ways. We then continued on into the memorial museum. So much sadness from the hatred of so few continuing in our world. It was important to go to the museum but it was not easy to be there and several times tears came to my eyes and my heart ached reading and listening to the accounts from the survivors and from those who lost loved ones. So much destruction and sadness caused by the hatred of a few.

As the thoughts of today still weigh heavy on my heart and in my prayers I thought it best I end with words of hope. Below are the words spoken by Robert Kennedy on this night 40 years ago.

You can be filled with bitterness, with hatred, and a desire for revenge. We can move in that direction as a country in great polarization or we can make an effort as Martin Luther King did, to understand and to comprehend and to replace that violence, that stain of blood shed that has spread across our land, with an effort to understand with compassion and love. My favorite poet was Aeschylus. He wrote: "In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the grace of God." What we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness; but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another. Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world. Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people."

And let us also pray for all the people of this world touched by the violence of hatred.

Oklahoma

The past couple days I have been traveling throughout Oklahoma with Sisters Barbara and Lucille. We started by visiting the Benedictine community in Tulsa. They are finishing up some major renovations and it was nice to see their place. We arrived, toured the monastery, spent the night and then shared prayer and breakfast before we got back on the road. This is a picture of their chapel. It has a really nice curved ceiling with wonderful lighting and is a nice community prayer space.

After leaving Tulsa, we continued on to Sand Springs. Here we visited a Benedictine of Perpetual Adoration Community. This community is an ashram and has several hermitages in the woods. It has a common dining area and a wonderful chapel. The chapel has beautiful windows overlooking the woods and is in the round. The two pictures below are of the chapel and their unique tabernacle. I think both were wonderful.

Finally, we ended our travels at the Benedictine monastery in Oklahoma City/Piedmont. Here Sr. Barbara is making her retreat before final vows and Sr. Lucille and I are taking a few days of R and R. The flowers are in full bloom, the grass is green and today it got up to 73! While there was some rain I am just so happy to be in the midst of spring. This is a wonderful community as well and it has been great sharing in their meals, prayers and community life.

The chapel here also has tremendous windows that overlook the pond. Often during prayer herons or geese land on the water. It is such an amazing site while praying. This chapel is newer and also has some interesting designs within it. Below are a picture of the chapel and the tabernacle as well. I just love the differences and similiarities in Liturgical space. I find it facinating to see the space in which people pray.

I feel truly blessed to have the opportunity to visit other communities, see their monasteries, pray with them, share in meals and community life. It is almost like visiting my cousins house when I was a kid - a bit like home and yet different but very enjoyable. Well I am off to read a bit more before bed. My room overlooks the lake and it is warm enough to leave the window open and hear the sounds of the pond. What a great way to end the day. God is truly good!

Feast of the Passing of Our Holy Father Benedict

Death of St. Benedict Mural from Conception Abbey

Today we honor the passing of St. Benedict. The feast, like yesterday, was moved due to Easter.

The story of Saint Benedict's death is as follows.

Taken from The Dialogues of Saint Gregory the Great

In the year that was to be his last, the man of God foretold the day of his holy death to a number of his disciples. In mentioning it to some who were with him in the monastery, he bound them to strict secrecy. Some others, however, who were stationed elsewhere he only informed of the special sign they would receive at the time of his death.

Six days before he died, he gave orders for his tomb to be opened. Almost immediately he was seized with a violent fever that rapidly wasted his remaining energy. Each day his condition grew worse until finally, on the sixth day, he had his disciples carry him into the chapel where he received the Body and Blood of our Lord to gain strength for his approaching end. Then, supporting his weakened body on the arms of his brethren, he stood with his hands raised to heaven and, as he prayed, breathed his last.

That day, two monks, one of them at the monastery, the other some distance away, received the very same revelation. They both saw a magnificent road covered with rich carpeting and glittering with thousands of lights. From his monastery it stretched eastward in a straight line until it reached up into heaven. And there in the brightness stood a man of majestic appearance, who asked them, "Do you know who passed this way?" "No," they replied. "This, he told them, is the road taken by blessed Benedict, the Lord's beloved, when he went to heaven."

Thus, while the brethren who were with Benedict witnessed his death, those who were absent knew about it through the sign he had promised them. His body was laid to rest in the Chapel of St. John the Baptist, which he had built to replace the altar of Apollo.

In honor of this day, I thought I would share with you a reflection written by Abbot John Klasssen,OSB

A Story is told in the "Life and Miracles of Saint Benedict," that Saint Benedict, close to the time of his death, went to the tower cell late at night to pray. As he gazed out into the darkness, he saw an amazing light break through the black of night. "It was as if the whole world, contracted as if it were together, was represented by a single ray of light."

For me this vision also speaks of the wonderful synthesis that the Rule is for us and has been through the centuries. After centuries of work, from the vision of the Acts of the Apostles, Benedict has made his way back to community life as a fundamental sacrament of transformation. For Benedict community life is not a preparation for something else, it is not a means to another end. It is the dough, the enriched broth where the yeast of the Holy Spirit and the Gospel make us into something new.

It is in community life where we learn how to love each other into a new life, where we come to a more true and accurate self-understanding, knowing ourselves as flawed sinners, and yet sons and daughters of God.

It is in community where the gifts of the Spirit given to us are nurtured and developed. It is in community where we learn to recieve and give back, where we learn to trust in the durability of relationships, that misunderstandings and harm to each other do nt have to be the last word.

Ultimately, we live the life together because we want to go somewhere together, to heaven, to be with Christ who has been with us for the whole journey. We do it together because we like and love each other, as we grow in our love for Christ. We know that the transformation in this doughy ferment will not be complete in this life, that Christ, with the Holy Spirit, will bring it to completion.

Have a Happy Feast Day!