Paul Zalonski – Page 327

Saint Clare of Assisi: a year to receive an indulgence

Today we observe the feast day of one the brilliant gems in the crown of Christ the King, Saint Clare of Assisi.

Clare, as you know, is the close companion to the great saint Francis of Assisi, who some have called the “other Francis” because of singular vision of living with Christ poor. In time, Clare founded a group of “poor ladies” living together following the Rule written by Clare for God’s greater glory in enclosed life. First known as the Order of San Damiano, The Poor Clares as they have been known, live a life of joyous poverty in imitation of Christ. Clare’s Rule was an extraordinary act of confidence since the establishment only accepted the Rule of St Benedict for monastic living.

Saint Clare was born on July 16, 1194 and died at the age of 59 on August 11, 1253. She was canonized by Pope Alexander IV on September 26, 1255. Our Saint is the patron of those with diseases of the eye, communication systems, goldsmiths and good weather. Perhaps brides and builders should pay more attention to Saint Clare!

For the 800th anniversary of Saint Clare’s birth holy Mother Church is offering the faithful –with the usual conditions– an indulgence.

The four minister generals of the large Franciscans groups wrote the Poor Sisters of Saint Clare a letter for the anniversary where they say they rely on the continued witness of the daughters of Clare today in the monastic life. The friars propose a consolidation that maintains a “healthy and necessary complementarity” among the friars and sisters.
Here’s the letter: Letter to the Poor Clares.pdf

You may want to read an excellent t book on Saint Clare edited and translated by Capuchin Father Regis J. Armstrong, The Lady: Clare of Assisi: Early Documents (NY: New City Press, 2006).

Monasteries are true and proper oases for humanity, Benedict XVI reminds us

In Wednesday’s edition of L’Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict told the listeners of the Wednesday General Audience that the monastic life is an essential value for humanity and for the Church, today. The Pope’s emphasis on beauty and silence helps us to appreciate and to listen God’s promptings of the desires of the heart is important. Let’s pay attention to what the Pope has to say. You may also want to watch the Rome Reports news video.

The editor writes, “Monasteries are true and proper oases of the spirit in which God speaks to humanity. The Pope said this to faithful at the General Audience of Wednesday, 10 August, that was held in the courtyard of the Papal Residence at Castel Gandolfo.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters! In every age, men and women who have consecrated their lives to God in prayer – like monks and nuns – have established their communities in particularly beautiful places: in the countryside, on hilltops, in valleys, on the shores of lakes or the sea, or even on little islands. These places unite two elements which are very important for contemplative life: the beauty of creation, which recalls that of the Creator, and silence, which is guaranteed by living far from cities and the great means of communication. Silence is the environmental condition that most favors contemplation, listening to God and meditation. The very fact of experiencing silence and allowing ourselves to be “filled,” so to speak, with silence, disposes us to prayer. The great prophet, Elijah, on Mount Horeb – that is, Sinai – experienced strong winds, then an earthquake, and finally flashes of fire, but he did not recognize the voice of God in them; instead, he recognized it in a light breeze (cfr. 1 Rev 19:11-13). God speaks in silence, but we need to know how to listen. This is why monasteries are oases in which God speaks to humanity; and there we find the courtyard, a symbolic place because it is a closed space, but open toward the sky.

Tomorrow, dear friends, we will celebrate the memory of St. Clare of Assisi. So I would like to recall one of these “oases” of the spirit which is particularly dear to the Franciscan family and to all Christians: the little convent of San Damiano, situated just beneath the city of Assisi, among the olive groves that slope towards Santa Maria degli Angeli. In that little church, which Francis restored after his conversion, Chiara and her first companions established their community, living off prayer and little works. They were called the “Poor Sisters,” and their “form of life” was the same as the Frati Minori: “To observe the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rule of St. Clare, I, 2), conserving the union of reciprocal charity (cfr ivi, X, 7) and observing in particular the poverty and humility of Jesus and his Most Holy Mother (cfr, ivi, XII, 13).

Benedict XVI at the General Audience stresses the value of monastic spirituality God speaks in silence Benedict XVI at the General Audience stresses the value of monastic spirituality God speaks in silence and beauty of the place in which the monastic community lives – simple and austere beauty – are like a reflection of the spiritual harmony which the community itself attempts to create. The world is filled with these oases of the spirit, some very ancient, particularly in Europe; others are more recent, while still others have been restored by new communities. Looking at things from a spiritual perspective, these places of the spirit are a load-bearing structure of the world! It is no accident that many people, especially in times of rest, visit these places and stop there for some days: even the soul, thanks be to God, has its needs! The Pope continues:

Let us remember, therefore, St. Clare. But let you also remember other Saints who remind us of the importance of turning our gaze to the “things of heaven,” like St. Edith Stein, Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Carmelite, co-patron of Europe, whom we celebrated yesterday. And today, August 10, we cannot forget St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr, with a special wish for Romans who have always venerated him as one of their patrons. Finally, let us turn our gaze to the Virgin Mary, that she may teach us to love silence and prayer.

Saint Lawrence

Let us pray for the deacons, the poor and the Church of Rome on today’s feast of Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr.

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)

God of our Fathers, who brought the Martyr Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross to know Your crucified Son and to imitate him even until death, grant, through her intercession, that the whole human race may acknowledge Christ as its Savior and through him come to behold You for eternity.

“God Himself teaches us to go forward with our hand in His by means of the Church’s liturgy.”

The 2010 blog post is here.

Father Anselm Atkinson, OSB New Abbot of Pluscarden

The Rt. Rev. Anselm Atkinson, OSB until now the
Superior of St. Mary’s Monastery, Petersham, MA (for the last 21 years) and Abbot-Visitor for the
English speaking province of the Subiaco Congregation of the Order of St.
Benedict has been elected as the third Abbot of Petersham’s motherhouse and the
monastery of his profession (1976) and priest in 1982, Pluscarden Abbey in Scotland. Pluscarden was refounded in 1948.

Abbot Anselm succeeds Abbot
Hugh Gilbert, OSB who will be ordained and installed on August 15 as the Bishop
of Aberdeen.

Congratulations to Abbot Anselm!

Ad Multos Annos!

h/t: Fr Guy Selvester

Vincent Bataille elected new abbot president of the Swiss American Congregation of Monks

Abbot Vincent de Paul Bataille, emeritus abbot of
Marmion Abbey, was elected for six-year term by the capitulars of the 44th General Congregation Swiss American Congregationon Monday, August 8, 2011. As the new Abbot President he’ll over see certain parts of the monastic life of little more than a dozen monasteries (see a previous blog post).

Abbot Vincent saw to the
renovation of Marmion Abbey, the building of the abbey church, and attracting
new vocations to the abbey, plus several additions to the academy. He earned the MA (Music) University of Notre Dame,
MEd from DePaul University,
Chicago. He taught Math and Language at Marmion Academy, and held the position
of Dean of Students at the Academy.

For a period of time he was appointed the Prior
of Priory of San José, Guatemala before being elected the 4th Abbot of Marmion Abbey
and President of Marmion Academy, Aurora, Illinois, in 1991. Until now he’s been the Vocation
Director for Marmion Abbey, and a member of the Abbot President’s Council,
Swiss-American Congregation.

May God grant Abbot Vincent the graces needed for certain and clear leadership.

Saint Benedict and Saint Scholastica, pray for us.

Blessed Columba Marmion, pray for us.

Monks in the Newark hood

The Newark, New Jersey colony of Benedictine monks have been involved with the teaching of youth and parish work since their founding in 1857. The monks, priests and brothers, live a life of prayer, work within the context of the fraternal life that engages one’s freedom to serve the Lord in unique ways.

A recent film, The Rule, documents the life and work of the Benedictine monks of Newark Abbey.

Neither the lives of the monks nor the lives of the students would be classified as easy; certainly complacency is not a virtue with the monks and their students.

Read Marcia Worth’s article “Monks in the Hood.”

The Liturgical Commentaries of St Symeon of Thessalonika

I am happy to recommend my friend’s recently published book, The Liturgical Commentaries of St Symeon of Thessalonika.

From the book:

This volume contains an edition and facing
English translation of Explanation of the Divine Temple and “On the Sacred
Liturgy,” the two commentaries on the pontifical (hierarchal) Byzantine Divine
Liturgy by St. Symeon of Thessalonika (†1429). This edition is based on MS
Zagora 23, which contains extensive corrections and additions apparently added
to the text by the author himself. The book opens with a historical and
theological foreword on liturgical commentaries and mystagogy by Archimandrite
Robert Taft. The introduction surveys the life and career of St. Symeon,
analyzes the structure and theology of the commentaries, and concludes with an
account of technical and editorial questions. The index includes references to
names, places, and topics in Symeon’s text and in the introduction and traces
key terms in the commentaries in both Greek and English.

A review:

With this book Fr.
Steven Hawkes-Teeples, SJ, Professor of Byzantine Liturgy at the Pontifical
Oriental Institute in Rome, fills a gaping hole in the scholarly literature
associated with the overlapping academic fields of Byzantine Studies, Medieval
Studies, Orthodox Theology, and Oriental Liturgiology. The present volume
represents the first translation into any modern western academic language of
both commentaries of St. Symeon of Thessalonika (d. 1429) on the Byzantine
Divine Liturgy or Eucharist. Such neglect is surprising, for St. Symeon is an
author of the first importance. As the last and most prolific Orthodox
liturgical theologian of the Byzantine era, who lived at the point when the
Byzantine Empire was moving toward its demise before the Ottoman onslaught, he
crowns and closes his era. — Robert F. Taft

Saint Dominic de Guzman

Speaking always with you or about you, O God, beginning all his actions in contemplation, he advanced in wisdom. He brought many to Christ by his life and teaching, he devoted himself without reserve to the building up the Church, the body of Christ.

(Preface for the Mass of Saint Dominic)

If you have time, you’ll want to read The Life of Saint Dominic from the Vitae Fratrum.

Also, there is last year’s post here.

Saint Dominic, model of the New Evangelization, pray for us!

A Still Small Voice: meeting God

The first reading from today’s Scripture readings at Mass call us to reflect on how Revelation is made known to us; in what ways do we meet God? How are we to understand the teachings of the many saints and others who have claimed to have encountered God? Knowing who are true visionaries is rather difficult, I have to say, and some are even frauds. The credibility of the witness is so crucial here since we only have indirect knowledge of God because only Jesus’ Mother (and family) and apostles had direct experience of Him, how can we talk about an encounter with the Lord. One way to wrap our minds around meeting the Divine Majesty is to listen, in part, to Father Benedict Groeshel:

The best lesson one may learn from these authenticated and canonized visionaries is to do what you are supposed to do and leave the rest to God. The fulfillment of duty is the guiding principle of any decent moral life, in any religion of the world, because it expresses the natural law and is completely consistent with the revealed law of God. The fulfillment of duty placed before us by the providential circumstances of life, as we are guided by the commandments and the teaching of the gospel, is the straight road to God. Along that road any valid religious experience which occurs may be useful.

Father Benedict Groeshel, CFR

A Still Small Voice, p. 138