Category: Benedictine Spirituality

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The scent of love

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Today’s gospel, the anointing at Bethany is a powerful story of hope in desperate times. It’s one of the Gospels that touches me most deeply. Every year I moved by its passion, its radical yet simple act of love, and its kindness. In fear and uncertainty, the disciples gather at Martha’s house which offers them an oasis of hospitality and safety in the increasingly dangerous times.

In such circumstances it is easy to understand Judas’ distrust and questioning. In times of great danger questions and doubts that we thought we’d put to rest often resurface. It’s easy to imagine that Judas was not the only disciple facing such doubts.

In the midst of the tension Mary’s action provides a fresh focus. She doesn’t deny or banish the fear or the danger, instead her action points out that those are not the whole story:

“Mary brought in a pound of very costly ointment, pure nard, and with it and anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair; the house was full of the scent of the ointment.”

Jesus tells his disciples that she has anointed him for his burial, acknowledging that he is facing death, and preparing his disciples for that. As the scent of her ointment fills the house her simple action is a sign that love is stronger even than death. As she anoints Jesus she reminds us that our Holy Week journey ultimately leads us through death to the new life of resurrection.

As we move through Holy Week where are you aware of the strength of love sustaining you?

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Welcoming the uncontainable God.

After I wrote my post for Palm Sunday I went to the Vigil and heard again the beautiful second reading from St Andrew of Crete. It’s too good not to share again. Here’s a reflection on the reading from our archives.

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Every year at on the Eve of Palm Sunday we listen to a beautiful reading from the writings of St Andrew of Crete. It sums up Palm Sunday for me, opening the way to Holy Week and setting the tone for it. I return again and again to these words:

“Let us imitate those who have gone out to meet him, not scattering olive branches or garments or palms in his path, but spreading ourselves before him as best we can, with humility of soul and upright purpose. So may we welcome the Word as he comes, so may God, who cannot be contained within any bounds, be contained within us.”

We are living in uncertain and challenging times. In the midst of much hardship we’re discovering much about the God cannot be contained and about the myriad of ways that God can transform our lives. We’ve also learned much about the boundaries and limitations we are tempted to try to erect around God.

We’re moving into Holy Week aware of the sufferings and uncertainties in our fragile and broken lives and world, knowing that it’s beyond our power to fix it. With all that in our hearts we can move into Holy Week aware of our need for the transforming presence of “God who cannot be contained within any bounds” nurturing us in the depths of our hearts.

As we move into Holy Week where are you discovering the God “who cannot be contained within any bounds”?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Gospel Lectio Divina Lent Rule of St Benedict Saints Uncategorized

Learning humility

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Celebrating the feast of the passing of St Benedict has given me an opportunity to revisit the Rule. There’s so much I could reflect on, especially during Lent. I wasn’t sure which direction I should take until I listened to the story of Jacob’s dream of the angels ascending and descending the ladder at last night’s vigil, and decided on humility.

Humility is an important part of Benedictine spirituality. St Benedict dedicates a whole chapter of his rule to it. The story of Jacob’s dream must have touched him because it forms the basis of the chapter. He uses the image of the ladder to incorporate all of human experience, mind, body and spirit:

“Now the ladder erected is our life on earth, and if we humble our hearts the Lord will raise it to heaven. We may call our body and soul the sides of this ladder, into which our divine call has fitted the various steps of humility and discipline as we ascend.”

Humility calls us to acknowledge both the gifts and limitations of our lives whether of mind body or spirit. That can feel very counter cultural especially in a world that requites us to be capable and in control of every aspect of life. Learning humility is the work of a lifetime. It takes courage, commitment and practice. It calls us to be realistic and honest, admitting both strengths and weaknesses. It seems to me that Lent is an especially good time to reflect on our practice of humility.

How is Christ inviting you take steps in humility this Lent?

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The Joy of Lent

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Halfway through Lent the practices we began so full of hope on Ash Wednesday may have lost some of their appeal. They might be feeling burdensome, or have been swept away altogether by the rush of daily life. At this point the church invites us to celebrate Laetare Sunday, offering an opportunity to remind ourselves that the purpose of all our Lent practices is to prepare us to celebrate the Resurrection.

Today’s liturgy reminds us that love is the heart of our faith, and underpins all our Lent practices. In his letter to the Ephesians St Paul writes:

“God loved us with so much love that God was generous with God’s mercy: when we were dead through our sins he brought us to life with Christ…”

That’s not to deny the suffering we experience and inflict on each other, to pretend that everything is fine in our lives or in our world. It offers a deeper and more honest hope than that. It acknowledges our sin and failure. It accepts it and promises that the healing power of God’s love is stronger and deeper than anything our sin can throw up.

However shakily we’re keeping Lent, however messy life might Laetare Sunday calls us to pause and rejoice in being held and supported by God’s love. Held in this love we can face life with hope, even when it might feel hopeless. Supported by this love we can trust that Christ will lead us into the light of new life.

As we celebrate Laetare Sunday where are you aware of the generous love of God being poured into your life?

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Gospel living

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Some thoughts from our archives to celebrate St Frances of Rome.

As we come to the end of International women’s Day we’ve begun our celebration of one of our congregation’s saints, St Frances of Rome. She is one of a very small number of married women who are saints. She brought up a large family and did a great deal to help the poor and the sick of Rome. This week I’ve been reflecting on the blessing of gospel living and it seems to me that she epitomises that in her life. That’s especially true in the great care she took of the poor, wrapping their clothes in lavender after she’d washed and mended them. In her role as peacemaker and reconciler shows another aspect of a gospel focussed life. It’s written of her that:

“God gave her such an abundance of loving-kindness that those who had dealings with her immediately felt themselves captivated by love and admiration for her and were ready to do whatever she wished.”

Frances dealt with many difficult and, sometimes, violent situations. Even in those situations she was able to persuade people to change their behaviour by showing them love and kindness. This is the blessing at the heart of the gospel centred life. It may have brought blessings to Frances, it certainly made her a blessing to those she encountered.

It makes her a good role model international women’s day. She reminds me of the important role women play in building communities and changing the world. Her life carries the message that even in the most challenging situations, love and kindness have the power to change hearts, minds and lives.

Where is God calling you to share an abundance of loving-kindness in the challenging situations you face?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Gospel Lectio Divina Lent Scripture Uncategorized

Making space

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This week’s gospel upturns our ideas about Jesus upside down. This is not the gentle, loving Jesus we feel drawn to. Instead John shows us Jesus upturning market stalls and driving traders out of the Temple. It is a challenging and disturbing image that we can struggle to accept. Reflecting on this passage Sr Verna Holyhead writes that Jesus’ action represents:

“The reclamation of the holy place from the marketplace to his Father’s house; from empty, atrophied ritual to living worship.”

It’s tempting, and maybe comforting, for us to say that we don’t need that reclamation today, either personally or as church. Yet, especially in Lent, we’re called to allow ourselves to be challenged by Jesus.

In his anger, Jesus cleared the money changers and traders out of the Temple, creating a clear space where people could once again encounter God. Challenging as his actions are they call us to look into our own hearts. He calls us to ask ourselves what clutters up that sacred inner space where we encounter God, stopping us from seeking and discovering God’s presence. He calls us to ask ourselves what practices and habits we need to let go of to rediscover that space. It’s not only a challenge for individuals, but for the community of the Church. John write:

“Destroy this sanctuary and in three days I will raise it up.”

If we are to be part of that sanctuary of living stones that the risen Christ has promised to build, we need to ask ourselves how our rituals and practices enable people to encounter the living God.

How is Christ challenging make space in your heart to encounter God this Lent?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Cross Discernment Gospel Lectio Divina Lent Resurrection Scripture Uncategorized

A costly risk.

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Today’s gospel is full of challenge. Jesus taking the Apostles to one side, telling them what to expect in Jerusalem. He is completely honest:

“The Son of Man is about to be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the pagans to be mocked and scourged and crucified; and on the third day he will rise again.”

In response to the sons of Zebedee jockeying for power Jesus goes on to explain what it means to follow him with another shocking statement:

“Anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

We are so familiar with these words that they have lost both their freshness and their ability to shock. Having heard them repeated again and again over the years we have become accustomed to them.

We also come to them with hindsight. Unlike those first Apostles we read them through the filter of Easter, of knowing that Christ is already risen. That can make it hard for us to understand just how baffling and shocking they must have been to the Apostles. They had left everything to follow Jesus believing he was the promised Messiah. They would not have expected that to lead to death and crucifixion… Or to resurrection. They are fearful and disturbed Jesus’ talk of suffering and death.

Familiarity makes it easier for us to put them aside. We can bind them up comfortingly in liturgy and tradition, treat them as inspiring thoughts that don’t really affect our day-to-day life. Yet, as followers of Christ, we are called, like the Apostles, to let these words challenge and disturb us, and to take the costly risk of allowing them to shape our daily lives.

What costly risk is Christ calling you to take this Lent?

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Transfiguration and transformation.

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The transfiguration is one of those moments when the glory of God breaks through into life. Seeing Jesus transfigured and in the presence of Elijah and Moses the disciples can’t help but be aware that they are in the life changing presence of God. This is both a wonderful a frightening experience. This shouldn’t surprise us because throughout scripture encounters with God are disturbing for the people who experience them.

Mark tells us that it is fear that prompts Peter to suggest they build tents for Jesus, Elijah and Moses. In his panic he tries bring this startling experience under control. We should sympathise with this tendency because we’re likely to do the same ourselves when God breaks through into our lives.

But the instruction God gives them is not to try to control the situation or make it manageable:

“This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to him.”

Instead voice that comes from the cloud calls them to take the risk of opening themselves to this new experience. God calls them to listen to Jesus, God’s Beloved, and to allow what they hear to change them. Telling them not to talk about the experience, Jesus gives them time and space to reflect on the encounter and what it might mean for them before they have to share or explain it to others.

Lent gives us the opportunity to take space to reflect on our own encounters with God and how we respond when God breaks into our ordinariness.

How are you being invited to respond to God’s startling presence in your life this Lent?

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A habit of listening.

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Today I’m reflecting on the first reading from the prophet Jonah. I’m struck by Jonah’s response to God’s call:

“Up!…Go to Ninevah, the great city and preach to them as I told you to”

Perhaps having learned from his earlier disagreement with God Jonah obeys swiftly and without argument or prevarication:

“Jonah set out and went to Ninevah in obedience to the word of the Lord.”

His response can make obedience seem easy, straightforward and simple, but it’s more complex than that. It takes me back to the Rule of St Benedict which calls us to “unhesitating obedience”. This is not a call to simply do what we are told, though it sometimes requires that.

Rather the call to obedience is a call to listen and respond to the call of God. It requires discernment, both to hear the call and discover the response we need to make. In the first instance the call to obedience is a call to listen. Then it is a call to respond to what we hear.

We’re called to develop a habit of listening, to attune ourselves to God’s presence in every situation so that we learn to recognise God’s voice in our lives. From this listening we will be able to discern the response we’re called to make. It’s a process that requires practice. We will make mistakes, getting it wrong, trusting in God’s mercy, and being willing to try again and change direction if necessary.

Where are you being called to develop a habit of listening this Lent?

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A time of promise.

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Since we started Lent the word that’s been going through my mind is promise. I look this year Lent seems to be offering a promise, reminding me that God is calling us back into a covenantal relationship that is based on love in today’s first reading God makes a covenant with Noah, promising never again to sweep everything away in a flood:

“Here is the sign of the Covenant I make between myself and you and every living creature with you for all generations: I set my bow in the clouds and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”

St Peter talks about the waters of baptism that lead us to the promise of resurrection. In the gospel we see Jesus driven into the wilderness by the Spirit. His time in the wilderness is a time of testing:

“The Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness and he remained there for 40 days, and was tempted by Satan.”

As I look back at Jesus’ wilderness experience I find there is hope and promise as well as struggle. As he is driven into the wilderness he carries with him the promise of his baptism, when the clouds were torn open and God reminds him that he is God’s beloved son. Even in his experience of temptation there is hope and a reminder of the promise carried in those words of God. Jesus doesn’t only face temptation in his wilderness time, as Mark tells us:

“And the angels looked after him.”

Lent is a time for us to face our own wilderness and the temptations it brings. It can be easy to lose sight of the promise that is also there. Yet, as we face the temptations and challenges of Lent we are also offered the promise of God’s everlasting love.

As you begin your Lent journey where are you aware of the promise of God’s love sustaining you?