Inspired by Scholastica

Pope Francis declared 2017 the Year of Grace. As I reflected on this, I wondered how I could put this into practice. In light of the political climate currently in our country, we need God's grace, that's for sure. But how can I be a source of grace for others? For one thing, I can be a blessing for others, as Ronald Rohlheiser writes in his book Sacred Fire. He speaks of three aspects of a blessing; seeing and admiring a person, speaking well of him or her, and giving away some of one's life that the other might have more life. First of all,when we really see another, we need to look into his or her eyes and behold the goodness dwelling there. We don't just rush by, thinking of all the things we have to do. Second, we can speak of the person's good qualities and show we really care about her or him. We rejoice in their gifts and presence. Third and hardest of all, we aren't stingy. We are willing to sacrifice for the other person so he or she might li...

When my imperfections flood my thoughts drowning out any tinge of virtue, blocking all my attempts to acquire holiness, I deride and pummel myself, feeling dysfunctional and unworthy. It does no good to say I am not as bad as some, that others also have faults perhaps more glaring. Mine become amplified by their closeness, enlarged by the  magnifying lens of my scrutiny. I find some consolation in the psalms that remind me of God’s everlasting love, that his kindness endures forever, his mercy has no limits, his fidelity remains even when mine fails. Oh, God, take my feeble efforts to let your light shine through me, and transform me into your likeness, millimeter by millimeter, until all the dross is washed away.

Benedictines honor St. Scholastica on Feb. 10. According to legend, she is the twin sister of St. Benedict, the founder of the Benedictine Order. She founded a community of women in Italy in the 6th century. Little is known about her except the story found in the Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great. He relates that the brother and sister would meet each year at St. Scholastica's monastery for holy conversation. One year when Benedict was ready to return home, his sister begged him to stay the night to continue their spiritual dialogue. He refused, saying he had to return to his monastery. Then Scholastica prayed to God and a violent storm broke out and Benedict could not leave. He said, "My sister what have you done?" She answered, "I asked you for a favor and you refused. So I asked God and he heard my prayer." St. Gregory said that Scholastica's prayer was heard because she loved more. A few days later Benedict saw a dove flying to heaven and he real...

We hear a lot about fake news these days. You can't believe what's on wikileaks or other internet sources because many people just send what they've heard or think they have heard. One way to check content on the internet is to check with Snopes.com. Then comes along "alternate facts" which is another term for lies among some Trump personnel. These falsehoods are the source of much consternation to citizens who are searching for the truth. If politicians want to gloss over or misconstrue the truth, they provide misinformation or alter the facts. It is unfortunate that we can no longer trust our government leaders.They ought to be people of integrity and transparency. Apparently it no longer matters that a president refuses to reveal his tax records, carry on conflict of interests, or appoint staff members who are billionaires and unqualified people. I cannot see that the new administration is concerned about the common good or uniting a divided coun...

I'm reading a book by Diarmuid O'Murchu, a Catholic priest and social psychologist from Ireland,  called Religious Life in the 21st Century . He describes the rise and fall of religious life throughout history. After flourishing for a period of time, there is a decline which seems to be repeated every 300 years or so. He attributes the decline to both internal and external factors.This cyclic view offers hope that religious life will prevail,                                                                                                                                                       ...

On Jan. 10, the liturgy returns to Ordinary Time in many churches.  The Christmas season is officially over with the feast of the Baptism of Jesus on Jan. 9 for Roman Catholics. I like Ordinary Time. It gives us a period to breathe and slow down before Lent begins. I wonder, however, if this year things won’t be so ordinary. We have the presidency of Donald Trump beginning which seems a little unpredictable to many people. Every day his tweets offer a new round of questionable comments so it’s hard to know what to expect. The elimination of the Affordable Care Act  with nothing definite to replace it will bring hardship to many who will be left without insurance. Relationships with other countries seem to be changing. Swings in the weather loom more extraordinary too with warmer temperatures in certain parts of the world, and earthquakes and tornadoes occurring more often in other areas. Whatever happens this year, we have to stay alert to protect everyone's ba...

In our monastery we have a lot of meetings. Many people have to attend regular meetings at their place of business. Sometimes families hold meetings to try to solve problems. Most of us don't like to go to meetings because we think they're a waste of time. Recently I read this quote from Peter Maurin that made me stop and rethink my attitude toward meetings:"When you don't know what else to do, keep going to meetings, because Pentecost happened at a meeting." The apostles were confused and fearful after Jesus died, not knowing what to do. They locked themselves in an upper room and had a meeting. They probably proposed a few ideas, but none of them seemed feasible. Some may have argued that the future was hopeless. In the midst of their confusion the Holy Spirit came down upon them and gave them courage and hope. They suddenly began to see more clearly the road ahead. I often feel that meetings don't accomplish anything. A lot of words are spoken an...