With the Gospel for our Guide
PAX – WITH THE GOSPEL FOR OUR GUIDE
LENT, 2010
SECTION ONE
Reading and Reflection: Rule of St. Benedict
Chapter 49: The Observance of Lent.
Read the Chapter a number of times, as you would read a passage of Scripture, slowly and reflectively.
What is the message for you?
Before moving on, some historical notes about Lent will enable us to understand Lent more deeply: the first mention of a period of 40 days (probably Lent) occurs in the Canons of the Council of Nicea in AD 325 (Canon 5). The custom may have originated in the prescribed fast of candidates for Baptism and the number 40 evidently suggested the 40 days of fasts of Moses, Elijah, and especially Jesus Our Lord. (cf. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church).
The first thing to note in our Rule is that there is no mention of Lent at all until Chapter 48, more than half way through the Rule of St. Benedict. Is this because “the life of the monk ought to be a continuous Lent.”? (Vs. 1), or is it because Jesus Christ didn’t invent the Season of Lent? St. Benedict begins his Rule with a call to one’s commitment to the Gospel. I believe this is worth pondering.
St. Benedict then notes that few of us are strong enough to make our lives a continuous Lent, so he urges us to keep our manner of life most pure and wash away in “this holy season the negligences of former times.”
According to who we are, our faith background, our upbringing, our wounds, our scars of battle, our pilgrimage through night and day – ALL THIS will determine how we will hear the words of St. Benedict at the opening of Chapter 49.
And so, in order to avoid “not Lent again…” or worse than that, reverting to the many “Lents” we have lived through and entered into as children, teenagers, adults, we need to enter into Lent in 2010 and interpret Benedict’s words in the “now” of our lives.
The word “Lent” comes from one Latin word meaning “slowly”, “without haste”, “leisurely, calmly, dispassionately.” The word “Lent” is also related to another Latin word meaning “to make flexible or to bend.”
This is the foundation of how we live through the space of another Lent IN our lives. We take a slower pace so that we can live more in a spirit of awareness of God “We believe the Divine Presence is everywhere.” (Rule of St. Benedict). We go more leisurely in Lent, taking time for God, “leisure” for God. We fill the empty space in our lives with God, with the Sacred Scriptures, with the Divine Office (The Prayer of the Church). We pray daily, or take a daily walk amidst the beauty of God’s Creation; the sunrise and sunset, the ocean, the bush-lands, the rainforests, the mountains.
When we slow down and enter into the meaning of Lent, our way of living makes us less rigid and more flexible. The word “dispassionately” refers to our ability (born of slowing down) to approach people and situations without the ugly emotions of jealousy, revenge, un-forgiveness. We have slowed down…we can choose our response. Lent teaches us to respond rather than to react. And so Lent is about “being”, not “doing”. If we want to find out how we “be”, we need only to read the Gospels and follow the life of Jesus Christ. I don’t recall Jesus Christ being so stressed that He couldn’t reach out to someone with a word of love, a word of healing, with the message: “You matter.”
Jesus walked everywhere – yes, a different historical period – no bikes, no vehicles. Walking makes us live differently. Take a daily walk in Lent. Wave to those you pass. Direct your smile to others. Walk your dog and make new acquaintances. Take Jesus with you everywhere you go and witness the miracles that will inevitably happen. So, overall: SLOW DOWN THIS LENT.
In Section Three, we will look at the alternatives, that is, what it means to be other than “who we
SECTION TWO
Further Reading and Reflection:
One of St. Benedict’s tools for “washing away in this holy season, the negligences of other times” is PRAYER. Sincere prayer is the fruit of faith, of humility, of hope and of love – it leads to UNION WITH GOD in this life and eternal rest and peace hereafter.
Bl. Columba Marmion teaches us a lot about prayer. He writes:
- Go on quietly, living by pure faith…Jesus is your supplement in all things, so in your communications with God, if you find yourself dry and ‘rationalistic’, just close the eyes of your soul, and in humble adoration just say one long “Amen” to all that Jesus is doing and saying in your name, in union with the Father.
- During prayer, yield yourself without any fear, to the movements of the Holy Spirit; lay aside at that moment all care of other things…these moments of abandonment to the Divine action give God such great glory.
- When God invites you, and you perceive that it is fitting to implore the Divine mercy for your needs, then follow your heart. Jesus has taught us to ask for what we need.
- You, who at this moment are very busy exteriorly, have need of very intense prayer. Unite yourself very closely to Our Lord in prayer, and thus during the day you will remain united to Him, and then all your actions will become a means of union with God.
- In prayer, make acts of love, compunction and humility. Speaking to God of your love will enable you to come away from prayer with your whole spirit warm and glowing. And then you will be able to occupy yourself with external things without losing your interior recollection.
- As long as we are on earth, prayer will always be a happiness because we love to unite ourselves to God.
- Give yourself up to Christ, but do not forget that to give oneself entirely to Christ is to be also given to His Mystical Body, the Body of Christ on earth – the church – one’s neighbour.
- Make your prayer in faith, staying at Christ’s feet in adoration. This prayer, even if one says nothing, gives one a great sense of faith and humility, the sense of the greatness of God and of our confidence in Him.
- Unite yourself to Jesus and, with Him, yield yourself entirely to the Word. Try to spend your half-hour of adoration in this way. You can also commune with Our Lord on some text of Scripture.
All these texts are from Letters written by Bl. Columba Marmion to Married People and to the many Nuns to whom he was spiritual director in his lifetime.
On the subject of spiritual direction – think about getting spiritual direction for your journey. This is a sign of faith and humility, and a desire to be united to God in every aspect of our living.
Lastly, take a Book for Lent –a Book on Prayer. I always re-read “Teach Us To Pray” by Andre Louf, ocso. This book never ages for me.
You are YOU. And we are all different.
Our online Bookshop may be of some help with titles.
Address: www.AbbeyCraftsandbooks.com.au
Phone/Fax: 02 42361192.
Postal: Sr. Janice Robertson, Abbey Crafts and Books, 695 Mountain Pass, Jamberoo, NSW 2533.
SECTION THREE
About The Rule of St. Benedict
Chapter 49: The Observance of Lent.
In St. Benedict’s chapter on Lent, the emphasis is on “solidarity”, - that is, we live Lent “as a community”. We live Lent “as a community”, aware that we are part of a larger community of brothers and sisters who follow the Benedictine way. We are not individuals doing our own thing. Of course, this applies to all committed Christians who form the Body of Christ on earth. We journey together. It is noted in RB 80 and elsewhere that this “solidarity” (as a community) had a strong influence on the Lenten Sermons of Pope St. Leo the Great – Sermons for the whole Church.
SECTION FOUR
COMMUNITY HISTORY
In times past, it is noted in our Chronicles and Books of Customs that Lent was marked by very stringent sacrifices. All were good for their time. Some of these were:
- No visits from families or friends.
- No reception of Letters
- No writing of Letters to family or friends
- Less sleep.
- More physical work. (Keep in mind that we are talking about an the age with no electrical applicances).
- No desserts, or confectionary or chocolates! Certainly no alcohol!
In a spirit of reverence and wisdom, one elderly Nun whom I once nursed in her last months said (about the past sacrifices of Lent): “Sister Hildegard, it was easier to enter into those Lenten ascetic practices, than to love and reverence every other Sister. It was easier for me to embrace ascetic practices, than to embrace Gospel living. All this gospel talk about loving one another. It’s so hard!”
And yet Jesus says, “What I want is mercy, not sacrifice.”
Finally, lest we forget : On the Day of Judgment, when we face God, God will not ask us if we have fasted, slept on the floor, worn a hair shirt. God will ask us if we have LOVED. GOD IS LOVE.
Read Matthew 25 – that’s surely what is meant by living a continuous “Lent”, whereby we slow down enough to notice others and their needs.
SECTION FIVE
LITURGY
ASH WEDNESDAY: February 17.
February 22: The chair of St. Peter, apostle. Feast.
March 17: St. Patrick (Solemnity in Australia)
March 19: St. Joseph (Solemnity)
March 22: THE PASSING OF ST. BENEDICT (transferred from Sunday, March 21).
March 25: THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD. Solemnity.
March 28: PALM SUNDAY
April 1: HOLY THURSDAY
April 2: GOOD FRIDAY
April 3: HOLY SATURDAY
April 4: EASTER SUNDAY
SECTION SIX
YOUR COMMUNITY
RETREATS FOR OBLATES THIS YEAR ARE THE LAST WEEKEND IN MAY AND THE LAST WEEKEND IN AUGUST. Arrival is usually Friday p.m., before Vespers at 5.00 p.m. (Preferably early afternoon).
Anniversaries of Oblation:
WE PRAY FOR OUR SISTERS AND BROTHERS WHO CELEBRATE ANNIVERSARIES OF OBLATION DURING THIS LENT.
FEBRUARY:
Giovanna Tesoriera and Matthew Edward Dowsey – 17
M. del Carmen Teresa Boharull- Vila – 18
Fr. Henry (Bernard) Byrne – 21
Patricia (Hildegard) Benedict, and Christine ( Frances) Angus- February 20
Rev. Fr. Ronald (Bede) Harden – Feb 23
Robert Anselm and Colleen Augustine Cashman – 27
MARCH
Julie ( Frances) Redican – 8
Donn (Gregory) Corcoran – 5
Ian (Godric) Thomas – March 15
June (Benedicta) Jenkins – March 16
Bernard Quinn – March 19
Cecilia (Teresa Thomas) Larkin – 21 (the Solemnity is transferred to April 1this year)
Solemn Profession Anniversaries:
February 10: Sr. Clare and Sr. Joanna
March 2: Sr. Mechtild
March 25: Sr. Ancilla Leech
FEAST DAYS DURING LENT
Happy feast day to:
Rhonda Scholastica Kinsella, Jacqueline Scholastica Collins, Mary Scholastica Drury, Elke Scholastica O’Donnell, Lynne Scholastica Middleton, Cathy Scholastica Ransom, for FEBRUARY 10, St. Scholastica.
John Gregory Wynen, FOR FEBRUARY 13, St. Gregory
Peter Damian McElhone, and Ira Peter Wilson, for FEBRUARY 22, St. Peter Damian.
Donn Gregory Corcoran, FOR MARCH 5, St. Gregory
Maureen Frances Williamson, Catherine Frances Turek, Susan Frances Carter, Isabel Frances Vicary, Kevin Francis Vicary, Helena Frances O’Neill, Elizabeth Frances Fahey, Denise Frances Hill, Julie Frances Redican, for MARCH 9, St. Frances of Rome.
Maria Matilda Curtis, and Kay Matilda Myers for MARCH 14, St. Matilda
Rev. Ian Patrick Crooks, Irene Patricia McAllister, for MARCH 17, St. Patrick.
Mary (of the Annunciation) Wyatt, Bernadette (Mary) Maher, Jenny (Ancilla) Shirvington, Sr. Ancilla Leech, for March 25, The Annunciation of the Lord.
Necrology:
Sr. Mary Mildred Smythe, February 26, 1931
Oblate Bernie Daniel Fitzgerald, March 7, 2004
Sr. M. Cecily Bourke, 9 March, 1984
Sr. Mary Jones, 11 March, 1995
Most Rev. John Bede Polding, 16 March, 1877
Sr. M. Margaret Gallagher, 18 March, 1913
Sr. M. Mechtilde O’Grady, 20 March, 1888
Oblate Peter (Bernard) Smith, 17 March, 2009
Oblate Sydney (Stephen) Long, 21 March, 2008
SECTION SEVEN
SAINTS
Be before prayer, what you want to be at prayer. ( St. John Cassian). Or expressed more simply: You can’t be one person at prayer and another person apart from prayer. It just doesn’t work like that!
What is prayer? It is the mind detached from earthly things and the whole heart pointed to that in which it hopes. We need to have both these qualities evenly matched. Otherwise, we are imitating a farmer who yokes together to pull the plough not two oxen or two asses, but an ox and an ass. (St. Isaac of Nineveh).
Concentrate your spirit on the presence of God and speak to God. True prayer is recognized by the fact that an individual is free from all kinds of distraction and is full of joy under the influence of the illumination of the Lord. (Philokalia).
SECTION EIGHT
For Reflection
“Jesus Christ appears in the desert as the representative of the human race. He bears within Himself the experience of the human predicament in its raw intensity. Hence, he is vulnerable to the temptations of Satan. Satan in the New Testament means the Enemy or the Adversary, a mysterious and malicious spirit that seems to be more than a mere personification of our unconscious evil tendencies. The temptations of Satan are allowed by God to help us confront our own evil tendencies. If relatives and friends fail to bring out the worst in us, Satin is always around to finish the job. Self-knowledge is experiential: it tastes the full depths of human weakness.” (Fr. Thomas Keating).
PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I HAVE OMITTED YOUR FEAST DAY OR YOUR ANNIVERSARY.
THANK YOU, SR. HILDEGARD RYAN.