November Reflection

This is November—gray, drizzling, chilly, depressing.

I wish it were May—sunny, dazzling, warm, uplifting.

Uh oh, whatever happened to my favorite poem by e.e. cummings?

             i thank You God for most this amazing

             day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,

and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth

day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay

great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing

breathing any—lifted from the no

of all nothing—human merely being

doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of ears awake and

now the eyes of eyes are opened)

           

How could I doubt that God is here in the gray drizzle of November, any less than in the dazzling warmth of May? 

May the dark dormancy of winter bring the vibrant life of spring.

May each of us enjoy the darkness, the quiet, the down time now, and the light and chatter of spring to come.

God is here. We are God’s beloved in every time, in every temperature and every color.

AMEN.

                          Sr. Nancy Kordenbrock, OSB

BENEDICTINE ALL SAINTS DAY!

     On this day, in my distant past, we celebrated this day, November 13^th, as the “Feast of Benedictine All Saints.”  That was a special day for us Benedictines. After all, there are over 1500 years of women and men Benedictines who have passed on to eternal life over that time. hat would have been countless Saints, canonized or not. St. Paul says, we are all saints of God. Now, of course they are not celebrated separately, but included with the whole Communion of Saints on All Saints Day, and individually through-out the year. 

     St. Benedict & St. Scholastica provided a Gospel way of life for us that has endured through-out the ages for, not only the women and men monastics, but also for the oblates who live out the same charism in their everyday lives. “Preferring nothing to Christ, and allowing Christ to lead us all to life everlasting.” (H.R. Ch. 72:11-12) Christ is our Guide and Leader on this Way.

     How does Christ form and transform us into his disciples?  Just as Jesus did the disciples in Galilee some 2000 years ago.  In his book, Jesus the Gift of Love, Jean Vanier sums up his method: 

Jesus formed these men and women not in a formal way by teaching ideas, skills, or giving them classes in Scripture, but he formed and transformed them by living with them, walking with them, being a model for them.

He loved them and they loved him so naturally they learned from him, to do things as he did them.  He taught them how to live the good news, how to trust the Father and to read the signs of God in all the little events of each day. 

He showed them that faith is trust in God, not ideas about God, and that this faith and trust grow day by day through all that is beautiful as well as through all that is painful, all that reveals our weakness and poverty.He showed them that trust is like a dialogue, a communion between hearts that is continually deepening.

Jesus gave them an example of how to live, how to love, how to welcome the poor, how to become a friend of the powerless, how to be with women and men and with strangers, even the Roman troops, how to be with sinners, tax collectors, and victims of prostitution.

They saw how Jesus lived, simply and poorly, open to each moment and to each situation, open to the will of the Father, and how he was moved and motivated not by a codified, written law, but by the law of love, the love of each person in need. 

  

    Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus formed and transformed the disciples. Filled with that same Spirit we continue that way of life today in our communities and in our homes. Jesus gave us the Spirit as a guarantee of his accompanying us on our journey to the kingdom. In Christ we are formed and transformed into the Communion of Saints with all God’s people and all creation.   ALLELUIA! 

         Sr. Mary Tewes, OSB

Visiting Kentucky's Death Row

          On the day of posting this blog, November 6, 2019, I am visiting the men on Kentucky’s Death Row at the State Penitentiary in Eddyville along with seven other religious women and one man, representing 6 religious communities. A group of us (Religious Communities Against the Death Penalty) have participated in this annual event almost every year since 1997. Our commitment to this practice began with awareness and the need to witness to the value of all life in opposition to the culture of death pervasive in our society.

           At the present time there are twenty-eight men and one woman under the sentence of death in Kentucky. I rejoiced when I just now checked the list online to see that one man whom we have visited for years has been resentenced. Usually “resentenced” means he is now serving “life without possibility of parole” which certainly satisfies the requirements of justice for him and safety for society. According to the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy, since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, ninety-seven persons have been sentenced to death in Kentucky. They report that fifty of those sentences have been reversed on appeal or post-conviction.

          Only three men have been executed since the state reinstated capital punishment in 1976 after a hiatus of several years in which the state tried (but failed) to ensure that it was administered fairly. The last execution was eleven years ago of a man who rejected the appeals to which he was entitled and chose to be executed as soon as possible. Many of us see this as a form of state assisted suicide.

          In 2010 a judge ordered a stay of executions in Kentucky while attorneys argued over, among issues, protocols involving drugs used during lethal injection. This has not yet been resolved and, thankfully, there does not seem to be any motivation for resolution at this time. It is our hope and prayer that Kentucky will soon pass legislation to abolish the death penalty and rely upon the other sentencing options to administer appropriate justice to victims and offenders.

          So today we will pray and visit with some men whom we have known for over twenty years even though we see them only once a year. Some are newcomers; our latest friend came in 2014. Usually twelve to sixteen come over to the chapel/visiting room to be with us. We often celebrate Mass with their regular chaplain; today we are glad to have our own Glenmary Father John Rausch preside. It is an awesome experience to pray with men who so sincerely lay their souls bare to God’s mercy and beg for grace upon all persons they have touched in their lives, especially their victims and all who suffer violence.

         After Mass we sit in twos and threes to share what’s new in our lives, our hopes and concerns for about 30-40 minutes. We have come to know about their families and their backgrounds and to appreciate their personalities and their gifts. They always express their profound gratitude to us for coming the distance and for our letting them know that we love and respect them as our brothers in God’s family. They always remind us, more by their example than their words that, “No one deserves to be judged by the worst thing s/he ever did.”

          Sr. Dorothy Schuette, OSB

The Faithful Departed and Purification

          As a postulant in 1964 I recall making multiple visits to chapel to pray for the dead. In order to have each one “count” as a separate visit one had to leave the chapel and come back in. It was probably November 2, and I do not know if it was a monastery custom or a church practice. Certainly there was a “more is better” point of view behind the practice. I could not find its source.

          The Commemoration of the Faithful Departed was instituted by Odilo, Abbot of Cluny in France, in 998. It was accepted in Rome as part of the liturgical year in the 14^th century after the monks spread the custom of this remembrance. The departed who were not quite ready for heaven spent time in purgatory, less an actual place than an opportunity to be purified. Western theology in the Middle Ages focused on the penal and expiatory character of purgatory. Eastern theology explored its mystical nature, as a process of maturation and spiritual growth.

 

          The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but who are still imperfectly purified…undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.” How often do we hear ourselves and others say that he or she went straight to God. We are not entitled to judgment, so we testify to the maturation and spiritual growth that has been a witness to us.

          Following the tradition of centuries, we pray for the dead at each Eucharist:

Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection and all who have died in your mercy: welcome them into the light of your face. (Eucharistic Prayer II)

          Two lines from our Liturgy of the Hours readings affirm the belief that God’s love pursues us until we are face to face:

St. Augustine: “…Faith…assures us that when believers die they go but a little distance from us that they may pass to a better state.” (4^th-5^th c.)

St. Catherine of Genoa: “God so transforms the soul that it knows nothing other than God…God will not cease until the soul is brought to its perfection.” (15^th c.)

          I am long past 18 when I made multiple visits to chapel on Nov. 2. My parents have joined the “faithful departed.” These readings and those from the lectionary for this day confirm that:

We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.        (Romans 6:4)

           Sr. Christa Kreinbrink, OSB

Return on Investment

                A year or so ago I started exchanging gratitude text with a friend each day. The text became a source of connection and mutual accountability for taking time each day to acknowledge the positive in our lives. Recently, I’ve taken the practice as routine without much thought on its larger impact. That changed last week.

                In a moment of mindless hurriedness, I locked my keys in the car. What I hoped would result in a quick resolution became a two and half hour wait for assistance.  After my initial frustration with myself my focus shifted. I noticed the beautiful fall afternoon as I waited by the car.  I was aware of a sense of relief that this occurred in a safe area in the daylight. Kind souls let me back into the school I had just left which allowed me to get some work done. 

                After receiving a text that assistance would soon arrive I went back to the car. The next 30 minutes involved several phone calls from the driver trying to figure out exactly where I was after GPS led him astray. During the third phone call he expressed his frustration with being led astray and how he often is called all kinds of names by angry people waiting for assistance.Without pause I responded with a promise not to call him any names or to express anything but gratitude for his assistance. Once he arrived he quickly opened my car and sent me on my way with a warm goodbye and a wish for a safe evening.

                It was only as I was driving home that I paused to think about my awareness and reactions through the afternoon.I realized that a situation that once would have only brought frustration, anger and impatience took on a whole different experience. My gratitude practice with my friend, 20 years of praying the psalms in the monastery, and many other practices over the years have shaped my reactions that afternoon. The return on investment of my time and focus was evident last week. The unwelcomed and unexpected event became an opportunity for gratitude, awareness of grace, and even joy at the kindness of others.

This experience gives me hope to persevere even when I wonder about the impact of my investment.   It also reminds me of my own humanness as I now work on being more mindful (especially when getting out of the car). May each of us persevere in those practices which mold us into more kind, compassionate and grateful human beings!

Sr. Kimberly Porter, OSB

Sauntering toward the light

          Cincinnati is not known as a city that comes alive at night like downtown Chicago or New York City. This past week, however, the region was abuzz, “alight” if you will (pun intended), with the BLINK festival. “BLINK is one of the largest light, art and projection mapping events in the nation. This year it spanned more than 30 city blocks and crossed the historic John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge over the Ohio River. BLINK turned "the region into an outdoor art museum with large-scale projection mapping installations, murals, and immersive art.” While most of this year’s event will remain a mystery to me, I did manage to see the displays on the Covington side of the river. And they did not disappoint.

          While the world’s largest disco ball was a sight to see, there were other stops along the walking tour that prompted a bit more pause. One was the Suspension Bridge. It was stunning. But the more impressive sight was the people crossing the bridge. From my vantage point, I could not hear them or see any features, just silhouettes were visible. Just people. But they just coming, and coming, and coming, slow and steady. It was an endless procession sauntering toward the light. Perhaps there was more to see on the other side—something brighter, more colorful, something new. At the very least, there were many opportunities to see our world differently, if only for a few brief nights.

          Did I walk the bridge? Not a chance. I didn’t want to be caught in that crowd after hearing reports of the bridge swaying! But will I saunter towards the light? I certainly hope so.

          Eileen O'Connell

Feast of the Holy Rosary

In just five more days we will celebrate the feast of the Holy Rosary. It also reminds me of the way I came upon my name as a religious (Sr. Victoria.) In 1946 I was a nun in our high school senior class play about a Catholic Boarding School. How could the director find enough habits to outfit the nuns in the play? The elementary school principal had the answer for me. Her deceased sister, Sr. Victoria, had my perfect fit. I returned the habit, but the name stuck.

Next, I wanted to know from which title of Mary the name was derived. I found the titles in alphabetical order and far to the bottom was “Our Lady of Victory.“ As you might guess, the origin of that title would be another blog! After I graduated high school in 1946 and entered St. Walburg Monastery, the postulant phase ended, and It was time for the novitiate year and for a new name. We were given the opportunity to write three names in order of our preference. Was I ever excited as my first choice, Sr. Victoria’ was announced.

In preparation for the feast on October 7^th, I enjoyed doing a little research on the Holy Rosary. I discovered that the word rosary came from the Latin word, Rosarium, crown of roses or garland of roses. That brought additional thought for me when I say the rosary. I had known that people in very early times counted prayers on a string of beads. I did not know that the Our Father was the prayer repeated 150 times.

In 1214 Our Lady is said to have appeared to St. Dominic, gave him a rosary, and told him to promulgate the rosary for the protection Mary gives the Church in answer to the faithful who pray the rosary. She also told him to substitute the Hail Mary for the Our Fathers and that adding the meditation on the mysteries would help eradicate a current heresy. While this apparition may be legend, there is adequate historical proof that Dominic and the Dominicans who followed him did as Mary requested.

I had no idea that the 150 beads were related to the 150 psalms. Then someone had the idea of separating each set of 10 Hail Mary with an Our Father. In monasteries it became the custom for the uneducated who could not read to substitute the rosary for selections from 150 psalms that the educated prayed several times a day.

. From the 16^th to the early 20^th century the structure of the rosary remained essentially the same. In the early 20^th century the Fatima prayer was added to the end of each decade and became very popular. There were no other changes until 2002 when Pope John Paul II instituted the Luminous Mysteries. For me these were a beautiful addition and brought the mysteries of the rosary full circle.

         Sr. Victoria Eisenman, OSB