Daily Reflection: March 11, 2010
The Lord says to us in the first reading, “This rather is what I commanded them: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people” (Jeremiah 7:23). A subtle trap for the Christian is to forget this injunction and find another impetus for his/her experience of religion. Instead of finding his/her meaning in an encounter with the Living God, the Christian can feel a sense of ultimate purpose through participation in movements of social reform (e.g. social justice initiatives, pro-life organizations, civil rights leagues, etc.). In this way religion becomes a matter of reaction not to the astonishing presence of God with man but to the startling presence of sin in humanity. Our faith is summoned, as it were, by indignation at the weakness of our brothers and sisters. We must pray about this possibility and reflect on the origin of our conviction. Our faith must never be reaction to human weakness, only to the voice of the Lord.
Ash Wednesday
Friday, 19 February 2010 14:41 | Written by Abbot Barnabas Senecal |
We who watched this fire were marked by what we saw. We could not erase that memory. It changed us to some degree. We had new feelings toward the family that had suffered loss. We were of several faith backgrounds, going to different churches in our community. The family that had lost their home was not Catholic. Last Updated (Friday, 19 February 2010 14:45) How much proof do you need?
Tuesday, 16 February 2010 20:55 | Written by Fr. Matthew Habiger |
Some Pharisees gathered around Jesus and demanded signs from him that would support his claims. They wanted spectacular signs from heaven. Jesus was exasperated with them. He refused to provide them with more signs and walked away. What is going on here? It is human nature to want to find that person, or that wisdom, or that vision which gives meaning and purpose to our lives. We are reasonable; we want to make sense out of this life and the world we live in. What is it all about? How do you explain its complexities and contradictions? We look to wise persons for these answers. Some people look to the personalities that the secular media highlights for an interpretation of reality: to famous entertainers, to highly placed politicians, billionaires, popular writers and commentators. Religious people look to a teaching authority what goes beyond this passing world and its ever changing alignments. Religion helps us connect with God, who is the creator of the universe, the author of all life, and the source of all goodness and love. That is why our Faith is so important. |
Lent begins
Thursday, 18 February 2010 18:23 | Written by Brother John Peto |
Last Updated (Thursday, 18 February 2010 18:25) Beatitudes
Monday, 15 February 2010 15:32 | Written by Abbot Owen Purcell |
As you know, there are two sets of what we call Beatitudes in the Gospels. There are the famous Eight Beatitudes in Matthew, 5. We memorized them in primary school. These are often found laminated on wall plaques or on holy cards. The other, Beatitudes, are in Luke 6, the Gospel passage for today. There are only four of those. But there are eight statements. The latter four begin with the word: woe! Not material for a wall plaques, perhaps.
Last Updated (Friday, 19 February 2010 15:05) |
"Return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and
The following homily was delivered by Father Matthew at St. Benedict's Abbey on February 15, 2010
Lent has begun, and often this is with a sight as one debates what to do for Lent. I did this or that last year but I don’t believe that it helped my spiritual life that much. The spiritual life is the key to Lent. We might ask ourselves how much are we going out of self and emptying ourselves to let in God in a more positive way. Just to give up something might be healthy or might be a monetary saving but has my relationship with Jesus and all that He has done for all of us grown. The spiritual life is truly lived is a continuing challenge no matter where we find ourselves on the journey.
The following homily was delivered by Abbot Owen on the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time at Mount Saint Scholastica, Monastery, February 14, 2010.