Christ has become our neighbor

Christ has become our neighbor; or rather, our neighbor is Christ who presents himself to us in this or that form. He presents himself to us, suffering in those who are sick, destitute in those in want, a prisoner in those who are captives, sad in those who mourn. But it is faith that shows him to us thus in his members. And if we do not see him in them, it is because our faith is weak, our love imperfect. That is why St. John says that if we do not love our neighbor whom we see, how can we love God whom we do not see? If we do not love God under the visible form in which he presents himself to us, that is to say in our neighbor, how can we say that we love him in himself, in his divinity?

Blessed Columba Marmion, OSB
Christ the Life of the Soul

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart

De La CaridadOn this Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a meditation from Blessed Columba Marmion is good for us to reflect upon today:

“At the supreme farewell hour, when Christ Jesus spoke for the last time with his Apostles before entering into his sorrowful Passion and sacrificing himself for the world’s salvation, what is the exclusive theme of his discourse and the first object of his prayer? Spiritual charity. ‘A new commandment I give unto you… by this shall all men know that you are my disciples… Father… that they may be one, as we also are one, I in them, and you in me, that they may become perfectly one.’ That is the testament of Christ’s Heart.”

Kurt Stasiak elected 10th abbot of St Meinrad Archabbey

Abbot KurtFather Kurt Stasiak, 63, was elected the 10th abbot and seventh archabbot of Saint Meinrad Archabbey today by the capitulars. Until now, Father Kurt has been the Prior of the Community.

Abbot Kurt professed monastic vows in 1975, ordained priest in 1980. He was trained as a sacramental-liturgical theologian –he earned a licentiate (1986) and a doctorate (1993) in sacramental theology from Pontifical Anthenaeum of Sant′Anselmo, Rome. Over the years he has served the community as secretary to the archabbot, provost-vice rector of the School of Theology, vocation director for Saint Meinrad Archabbey, assistant novice-junior master at Saint Meinrad Archabbey and professor (1986-2016).

Father Abbot is the author of several books,  A Confessor’s Handbook (a revised and expanded edition was published in 2010); Sacramental Theology: Means of Grace, Ways of Life; Return to Grace: A Theology for Infant Baptism and recently, From Sinners to Saints: A Guide to Understanding the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The Saint Meinrad Archabbey press release is here.

The monastic community under the patronage of Saint Meinrad was founded by Einsiedeln Abbey, Switzerland, on March 21, 1854; it was raised to an abbey on September 30, 1870. The Church bestowed the title of “archabbey” on March 21, 1954.

Archabbot Justin Duvall was elected the elected 9th abbot on December 31, 2004. His resignation was accepted by the community and it elected a new abbot.

St Meinrad ArchabbeyMonks of this community prepare men for service in the Catholic Church as priests, deacons and lay ministers; several priests have also been called to serve as bishops. The monks have a thriving retreat house and many monks serve the Church away from the abbey, for example in parishes, at Sant’Anselmo (Rome) or at Conception Seminary.

Conference on Benedictine Lay Movements and Communities in the UK

Sts Benedict, Maurus and PlacidEaling Abbey AND the Tyburn Monastery to host conference on Benedictine Lay Movements and Communities

The monastic spirituality forum – Community of Nazareth – will be hosting a conference on contemporary Benedictine lay movements and communities at Ealing Abbey on the 11th of June 2016. The conference will explore the values, mission and outreach of Benedictine movements. A number of groups will be participating in the event: Manquehue Movement, Lay Community of St Benedict, Community of St Aelred, Subiaco Walsingham, Monos and NazarethW5. 

The day will commence by joining the monastic community at their conventual mass at 9.15. The conference will begin at 10.15 with each group explaining its particular mission and how its transmits monastic values to others. There will be discussion about the nature of those groups and movements: residential communities, dispersed communities, e-communities and social media. There will also be talks examining Benedictine witness, in particular looking at the lives of Bl Gabriella of Unity and the Tibhirine martyrs. The day will conclude by joining the monastic community for vespers at 5.30.

Talks and papers will be available via the website (www.communityofnazareth.com) SoundCloud (Community of Nazareth) and twitter (@NazarethW5).

Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

VisitationThe Gospel of Saint Luke

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

Corpus Christi

Corpus ChristiOn this Solemnity of Corpus Christi (the Body and Blood of Chris) a reflection from St. John Chrysostom is good to consider:

“Since we are talking about the Body, know that we, as many of us as partake of the Body, as many as partake of that Blood, we partake of something which is in no way different or separate from that which is enthroned on high, which is adored by the angels, which is next to Uncorrupt Power.”

Looking more deeply into St Philip Neri

The other day (May 25) we had the liturgical memorial of the great Italian saint, Philip Neri. He is indeed an under appreciated saint of the Church. Neri can’t be white-washed nor can be merely imitated in a blind way. We need to encounter Neri on his own terms. Some want to make him a patron saint of the new evangelization, others like Elizabeth Scalia see St Philip in the pastoral work of Pope Francis. Like other saints of great import, Neri needs to be taken up and explored more deeply for his pastoral approach to ecclesial life, his preaching, his life of sanctity, and his ideas as founder of the Oratory, not for any such novelty that may or may not exist. This last point on the Oratory needs to be teased out since we are now seeing the founding of more Oratories in the USA (England has a rise in Oratorian life).

While I disagree with Elizabeth Scalia’s idea that His Holiness imitates Neri or that we can see Neri in the work of Francis, I do think her essay warrants a more serious look on Neri for ecclesial life in the USA.

Monks beat Taylor Swift

Norcia monks chantingIf you can imagine the headline that “Monks beat Taylor Swift” in record sales, then you know Church tradition is right. Music sales of chant always seem to do well. The chant has a transcendent quality which makes the music quite attractive. I know non-Christian people listen to chant because it puts them in a peaceful “zone”.
Here is a very brief, but yet another article on the Benedictine monks in Norica (the article is old) and their CD: “Benedicta: Marian Chant.”
The monks also make a beer which I find to be better than the beer made by the Trappist monks in Spencer, MA.
The Benedictine monks of the St. Benedict Monastery in Norcia, Italy are the real deal and living their vocation!

Saint Dunstan

St Dunstan, Westminister LLewAlso on this date, the Benedictines recall the holy life of Saint Dunstan. Today’s Benedictine saint is very much revered by the Catholics of England –read up on him here.

“St Dunstan, as the story goes,
Once pull’d the devil by the nose
With red-hot tongs, which made him roar,
That he was heard three miles or more.”

(The Every-Day Book)

image by Fr Lawrence Lew, OP