Inspired by Scholastica

  Inspired by Scholastica   God Remembers Us   It is good to know God remembers us even when we don’t think of him. When are busy and our minds are preoccupied with many things, He thinks of us.   When we are engaged in conversation and full of things to say, God remembers us. When we are lonely, sad, depressed or grieving, he is beside us to comfort us.   When we are ill and in pain and cannot focus to pray, he is there. When we are sleeping, he is watching and often reveals himself to us.   God remembers each of us individually, not as a clump. He knows our past and our future He never forgets any of the trillions of people he created and loves.   Thank you, God, for keeping us in your loving care throughout all our days. Amen.   Barbara Mayer, OSB        

  Resilience and Trust “Resilience is the secular word for faith, the ability to trust and let go.”   Richard Rohr I think of resilience as the courage to keep going no matter what happens. So as aging creeps into my body, I am determined to still do all the things that are important to me, like writing, praying with the community, reading good books, conversing with friends, doing physical therapy, enjoying movies, and keeping up on the news. Some are challenging as my energy wanes and my body aches, but I keep pushing myself to continue being as active as possible as long as I can. When I am afraid of becoming seriously ill or getting dementia, I have to dig deep for that trust that God will provide whatever I need. That’s not easy because I think we always want to be in control, to take care of ourselves. But when we can’t, we have to believe that God will send others to care for us.   I have wonderful role models of resilience in my care home. These women are strong and fai

  Dead Battery   I can do without technology I tell myself, plenty of things to do without computers, Internet, Facebook, electronic games, like read, pray, walk, converse with friends, enjoy nature. No need to be glued to a screen.   Yet when my battery died on my I-Pad I felt lost, disconnected from my source of entertainment, my FB friends, Siri,   music, on-line books, news, weather.   How did I live before this phenomenon when life was simple, communication slow, and visiting live people important?   I need to touch base with reality again -- not depend on gadgets, but see and talk to flesh and blood instead of picture images, observe a smile, giggle, enjoy a joke, wipe a tear, hold a hand, feel skin.   I guess that’s an older person’s point of view that youths would not understand.     Barbara Mayer, OSB

  Lighting up the Darkness As I was watching the recent solar eclipse, I had a mental image of Jesus’ resurrection glory. I thought of Jesus spreading his light over a dark world and being like a corona of fire overcoming the darkness. We often talk about Jesus being the light of the world, and an eclipse is not an adequate comparison, but it helped me visualize in some small way how Jesus overcame the pervading evil in the world with his resurrection. When we all lit our small candles from the Easter candle on Holy Saturday, it was as if we were participating in bringing Christ’s light to our sinful world. We are called to be Easter people, carrying the light of the risen Christ to our entire planet. Christ is commissioning us to be his light in all the places where there is war, violence, racism, abuse, crime, and bloodshed. We are also called to be beacons of kindness, caring, mercy, justice, hope and peace. There is still so much need to continue Christ’s mission in the world

  Unsung Alleluias They will sing no Alleluias in Gaza where 7 humanitarian workers were recently killed while aiding famine-stricken Palestinians and the Israeli attacks continue. They will sing no alleluias in Ukraine where Russia is dropping bombs on Ukrainian hospitals and civilians and encroaching on more and more Ukrainian territory. They will sing no alleluias where immigrants are called vermin and are not welcome even though they are fleeing oppression and violence. They will sing no alleluias in Afghanistan and Iran where girls are deprived of education and women are oppressed by the Taliban. They will sing no alleluias in Mexico where drug wars and competing drug cartels are devastating the country. They will sing no alleluias in Haiti where violent gangs have taken over the country and people live in fear. They will sing no alleluias in Yemen where Saudi Arabian air strikes are causing monumental devastation.   They will sing no alleluias in South African sch

  Easter Hope With all the hate, devastation, and violence in our world, it is hard to really comprehend the joy of Easter fully. We want to experience the glory and hope of the resurrection, but it sometimes seems hard to really see around us. Certainly we can identify with the apostles’ fear and despair after the devastating crucifixion on Good Friday. Not only were their hopes and dreams crushed, but they feared for their lives. Locked in the upper room, they wondered what the future would hold. When the women came back from Jesus’ tomb and found it empty, they were not sure what that meant at first. We at least have the assurance of the resurrection. We believe that Christ rose on the third day and that he continues to be with us. Jesus has overcome his excruciating death on the cross and lives again. We feel his presence in the Eucharist, in the wonders of the natural world, in the faces of each person we meet, especially the poor and persecuted. Jesus assured his followers:

  The Triduum Days   The Triduum of Holy Week is always such a solemn time in our monastery.   Our Holy Thursday ritual begins with a special supper in the dining room with the 11 oldest sisters and the youngest seated in places of honor while the prioress and monastic council members serve them. After dinner, we have the Mass of the Last Supper with the washing of the feet. Just as Jesus washed the feet of the apostles, we have sisters washing the feet of anyone in the congregation who wish to have their feet washed. On Good Friday, we have a solemn procession with sisters dressed in black who will enact the Passion narrative according to the gospel of St. John. Several sisters also carry in a large wooden cross for the adoration of the cross to remember Jesus’ death. This is followed by prayers for the various peoples of the world, such as our Jewish brothers and sisters, the Muslim community, people of other faiths and even non-believers. The service ends with a simple communion

  Pope Francis’ Vision Pope Francis has a radical vision of the Catholic Church and how it needs to change, not in its core values but in its practices. So in 2021, he called for a Synod on Synodality to include the world-wide Church. The first year, dioceses were called to gather their pastors and congregations to discuss what issues they thought were important in the Church at this time in history. In October 2023, representatives from all over the world met in Rome to further illuminate these issues and concerns. Bishops, priests, religious sisters, lay men and women gathered in small groups at round tables to listen and share their ideas on how to clarify and implement the changes that they discerned as necessary. This was the first time people of different cultures, states in life, and languages were treated as equals and were asked to share their insights and hopes for the Church. What an undertaking! Many thought it was an impossible task. Never before had lay people, espe

  Andrei Navalny: Courage of a martyr The courage of Andrei Navalny is the courage of a martyr. His death in a prison cell in Siberia is considered very suspicious. His followers blame Putin for his death and call him a “murderer.” Navalny could have escaped death by not returning to Russia after his recovery from a poisonous drink he was given while in Russia several years ago, but he was unswerving in his resolve to help the people of Russia. Navalny in recent days had called for mass protests against Russia's war in Ukraine. The Russian government has gone to extraordinary lengths to stifle opposition to the war and censor accurate reports about the real situation on the ground. "Words have power; Putin is afraid of the truth," Navalny said following his last sentencing. "Fighting against censorship and bringing the truth to the people of Russia has remained our priority. “ Navalny’s crusade for freedom in Russia will live on. He once told his followers: “

      When will we see the light? This has been a hard couple weeks. First there was the tragic shooting after the Super Bowl parade in Kansas City. Then there was the news that Alexei Navalny, the brave leader of the opposition in Russia, had died in prison. Later I read that the military aid to Ukraine did not pass the Senate. And recently I heard that the food and medical supplies being sent to the starving Palestinians in Gaza were not allowed to go through by Israeli forces. It was almost impossible to find one piece of good news. I know I need to stop watching the news and reading the newspapers. I should focus more on Lent and the Scriptures. The gospel for the Second Sunday of Lent was the account of the Transfiguration. This was the time Jesus’ body became dazzlingly white and the apostles who were with him heard the words from above: “This is my beloved son. Listen to him.” Peter, James, and John were overcome with joy at this tremendous revelation. Yet not too long after

  “God Bathing” We hear often that we should live always in the presence of God. Yet with all the social media, noise, and distractions around us, how is this possible? Actually, we don’t have to think of God every minute of the day to live in his presence. We don’t have to pray constantly to have God with us. God is always there loving us where we are, just as we are. That is not easy to believe if we grew up thinking we had to do something special or to pray constantly to live in God’s presence. We do not have to earn God’s attention. He is constantly here with us. Martin Laird compares it to “sinking into God’s being.” David Steindl-Rast refers to “God bathing.” I love the idea of God tenderly washing us clean.   Even when we are not aware, he is there pouring refreshing waters over us.   All we have to do is be there with open hands. Yet if we are in the throes of pain and suffering or sitting in a prison cell, it is hard to feel God bathing us with his tender love. The ide

  Lent – A Time to Grow Lent is upon us. We can think of it as a time of sacrifice and penance or a time of growth and new life. For me, it is a time to look back to where I’ve been lacking and forward to where I want to grow. I look at some of my weeds and rough parts and ask for God to be there with me as I try to be reinvigorated. I think we’re all a little like plants that need some pruning to grow into beautiful buds or branches. Maybe we can get rid of some of the dead leaves. Our lives can become wilted or weedy too. I like to think of God as opening me up to receive all the good things he wants to give me if only I have eyes to see and a heart to receive. Sometimes I put obstacles like indifference and laziness in the way of new growth. Each Lent we get a chance to respond to God’s gentle prodding and encouragement. Prayer nourishes our spirits, faithfulness softens the hardness of our hearts, sacrifice strengthens our

  Mary’s Thoughts “Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) I gasp, amazed when Gabriel appeared, telling me God had chosen me to give birth to the Messiah. I want to do God’s will, but this was perplexing, disturbing. Was this angel really God’s messenger? How could I explain it to my family? What would my beloved Joseph say? “Do not fear,” the angel said, but it was hard not to tremble at such news. And then the long trip to Bethlehem on a donkey, and giving birth in a stable, surrounded by scruffy shepherds and smelly animals. Shivering, Joseph piled straw around the Babe for warmth, and covered me with his meager cloak. Was this place befitting for the Son of God? The flight into Egypt to escape Herod’s threat was harrowing; we were foreigners in a strange land. People looked at us with suspicion. Joseph again had to find shelter, provisions and work. When we brought Jesus to the temple as was the custom a

  Prayer in Time of Need   We pray you, O God, be our help and protection. Save the afflicted among us, have mercy on the lowly Raise up the fallen, show yourself to those in need. St. Clement of Rome (ca AD 95-96) It is interesting to note that a prayer written in the first century can be so relevant today with wars and conflicts around the world. There are so many violent deaths and desperate people who live in fear and danger -- so much pain and suffering. Countries try to bring aid to the destitute and devastated in so many places, but the help is never sufficient. Sometimes prayer does not seem to change situations. People are still suffering, and children still go hungry. With so many afflicted and needy around us, I t is easy to become disheartened and hopeless. We can give up in despair, or we can keep praying and reaching out in any way we can. God does not always answer our prayers in the way we would like. When we pray for someone to get well and he or she

                                                  New Bible Series When I went to grade school, we had a Bible History class, and often dramatized the stories. It made it more interesting than just reading from the Bible. Now a new television series called The Chosen has become very popular among Christians. It tells the stories from the Bible in a modern way with professional actors and modern script. It is a series about the life and ministry of Jesus and his apostles.   It is set in first century Judea and Galilee and was created and directed by filmmaker Dallas Jenkins. The Chosen makes the biblical characters very real and believable. It embellishes the stories in the Bible, yet remains true to the original translation. My favorite character is Matthew who is depicted as a dedicated young man who is disowned by his father for becoming a Christian and following Jesus. He has a hard time fitting in with the other apostles, probably because he was formerly a tax collector.

  Learning to Listen I recently read an article about listening and love. It emphasized that you cannot love another person unless you listen to them. It is a listening without judging, without evaluating, without telling the other person what he or she should do. Real listening is giving the other person attention, care, and understanding. It is not having our own agenda, but really listening to their needs. This takes time and energy. Most of us are so quick to say I know what you mean. I have felt that way myself.   Worse still is telling the other he or she shouldn’t feel that way. Each of us is unique and has protective coverings.   We only open ourselves to people who show honest concern. Really listening to someone is a rarity in this age of instant messages and immediate answers. We are used to switching from one idea to another without much attention. That makes intent listening all the more difficult. People pay over $100 an hour to have someone like a counselor or the

  The Gap-Filler Our love is always inadequate, never full or complete enough, but God fills in the gaps. We want to love God totally without any reservations, but we always fall short. As we start another year, I want to think this year I’ll do better, pray more, give of myself more, come closer to what I want to be. Then laziness creeps in, and excuses, and failures. I have to remind myself that God does not expect perfection. He can take our small efforts and magnify them, fill in the gaps. Just as a child learning to walk, with a few mishaps and falls, we are all toddlers in the spiritual life. Sometimes it’s two steps forward and one step back.   God is always there to assist us, to guide us, to pick us up when we fall. We, of course, have to show a willingness to grow, to reach out. We need to really place ourselves in God’s hands and ask for his guidance and forgiveness. God always listens to our longings and reassures us when we are afraid. He often does this through oth