Sunday, March 20, 2011

Reflection for the 2nd Sunday of Lent by Sr. Kathleen Yeadon, OSB


Matthew 17:1-9  Transfiguration

Rise and do not be afraid  Matthew 17
It is the second week of Lent and we have Resurrection language in the Gospel passage!  Yeah!  I think when you start off on any journey, you have to keep the goal in mind.  We have begun Lent not for the sake of Lent but for the sake of the Resurrection.  Rise and do not be afraid!  This line calls us to leave behind the fear of the struggle and walk bravely toward God’s call.
Mountain climbing is hard work.  We want the beautiful view but to get there requires rigorous effort.  It costs us to reach our goal.

Where do we want to be as a monastic group of women? As Christian people?
·      It will take hard work—giving up our own desires
·      showing up when we prefer something else
·      reaching out to someone who is not our favorite person
You can add your own one that is hard for you.
We know the mountain top view we want.  Let us keep our eyes on who is leading us up the mountain—Jesus
Let us listen for the voice of the Lord calling to us.  Do not be daunted immediately by fear and run away from the road that leads to salvation.   Rule of Benedict Prologue 19,48
The effort and view will be worth it.

Reflection for the 2nd Sunday of Lent by Sr. Kathleen Yeadon, OSB

Matthew 17:1-9  Transfiguration

Rise and do not be afraid  Matthew 17
It is the second week of Lent and we have Resurrection language in the Gospel passage!  Yeah!  I think when you start off on any journey, you have to keep the goal in mind.  We have begun Lent not for the sake of Lent but for the sake of the Resurrection.  Rise and do not be afraid!  This line calls us to leave behind the fear of the struggle and walk bravely toward God’s call.
Mountain climbing is hard work.  We want the beautiful view but to get there requires rigorous effort.  It costs us to reach our goal.

Where do we want to be as a monastic group of women? As Christian people?
·      It will take hard work—giving up our own desires
·      showing up when we prefer something else
·      reaching out to someone who is not our favorite person
You can add your own one that is hard for you.
We know the mountain top view we want.  Let us keep our eyes on who is leading us up the mountain—Jesus
Let us listen for the voice of the Lord calling to us.  Do not be daunted immediately by fear and run away from the road that leads to salvation.   Rule of Benedict Prologue 19,48
The effort and view will be worth it.

Reflection for the 2nd Sunday of Lent by Sr. Kathleen Yeadon, OSB


Matthew 17:1-9  Transfiguration

Rise and do not be afraid  Matthew 17
It is the second week of Lent and we have Resurrection language in the Gospel passage!  Yeah!  I think when you start off on any journey, you have to keep the goal in mind.  We have begun Lent not for the sake of Lent but for the sake of the Resurrection.  Rise and do not be afraid!  This line calls us to leave behind the fear of the struggle and walk bravely toward God’s call.
Mountain climbing is hard work.  We want the beautiful view but to get there requires rigorous effort.  It costs us to reach our goal.

Where do we want to be as a monastic group of women? As Christian people?
·      It will take hard work—giving up our own desires
·      showing up when we prefer something else
·      reaching out to someone who is not our favorite person
You can add your own one that is hard for you.
We know the mountain top view we want.  Let us keep our eyes on who is leading us up the mountain—Jesus
Let us listen for the voice of the Lord calling to us.  Do not be daunted immediately by fear and run away from the road that leads to salvation.   Rule of Benedict Prologue 19,48
The effort and view will be worth it.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Time For Spring Cleaning


            The Gospel for this Sunday connects deeply as we prepare to begin another season of Lent.  The word Lent comes from old English word meaning “Spring.”  Sometimes we hear Lent compared to a type of spring cleaning, a time to take an assessment of where we are so that we can clean out our lives.  Such a cleaning is needed so that we can grow closer to God.  Whenever I think of this comparison, I am immediately taken back to my childhood.  My sister, Kerry, and I shared a room for many years.  We loved to play and it wouldn’t take long before our room became quite a mess.  We were fine with a messy room.  The problem was that my mom wasn’t.  She didn’t only believe in a spring-cleaning but a monthly deep cleaning.  I can still remember her saying, “Girls, no playing today until that room is cleaned.”  This usually got us moving and we’d head into our rooms and rearrange the mess.  We’d shove things under the bed and into the closet until we had a clean looking room to show her.   My mom was not to be fooled, however.  She would walk in and go right to the core of our cover up.  She’d open the closet door or look under the bed and our scheme would be over.  She would always end by saying, “You’d think you would have learned the last time.”  Back to work we’d go except this time we’d get to the bottom of the mess and truly show here a clean room at the end.

            I share this story because I think it is way too easy to move around the mess in our lives and not get to the bottom of it.  And, yet, through the season of, we are called to go to the core of the things we need to change.  It is not enough to move around the furniture of our lives and call it good.  No, we have to get under things, look at the why of what we are about and begin to make serious changes, changes that are life-changing and life-giving. 

            In the Gospel  for this Sunday we read “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of heaven but only the one who does the will of God.” In his Rule, Saint Benedict reminds us,  “Do not be daunted immediately by fear and run away from the road that leads to salvation.  It is bound to be narrow at the outset.  But as we progress in this way of life and in faith, we shall run on the path of God’s commandments, our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love.”  (Prol. 48-49).  Both of these readings remind us that it is not always easy to do the will of God and, yet, if we persevere our hearts will be changed and we will know the saving love of God.

            During this season of Lent we are being called to look not only at the surface of our life but at its very foundation.  Is our life built on rock that will stand or sand that will wash away when storms come?  Isn’t it a gift to have this time of Lent, to have the opportunity to look at our foundation from the inside out and the outside in.  In a sense, it is like receiving a spiritual check-up so that we can continue to build on solid rock.  May it indeed be a time of deep cleaning so that we when we arrive at Easter we will be filled with the joy that Benedict speaks of so powerfully when he speaks of the season of Lent.  

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Welcome to Indianapolis Bishop Christopher Coyne

On Wednesday, March 2, Father Christopher Coyne was ordained a bishop at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in downtown Indianapolis. He will serve as Auxiliary Bishop to Archbishop Daniel Buechlein. Bishop Christopher Coyne is from the Boston Archdiocese.  When he spoke to the people at the end of the Mass, his personality shined through.  He showed himself to be a man of deep reflection as well as one with a great sense of humor.  We welcome him and look forward to working with him as we all continue to share the good news of the Gospel. (The picture of Bishop Christopher Coyne was taken as he spoke to the people at the end of Mass.)


We had a wonderful surprise this week when Bishop Paul Etienne, the Bishop of Cheyenne, WY, celebrated Mass with us on Monday evening.  How did Bishop Paul end up being at our monastery on a Monday evening, you might ask?  Well, he happens to be Sr. Nicolette's brother and a long time friend of our community.  He has been in town all week for Bishop Christopher's ordination.  It was wonderful to have him with us.  He is a great person and a humble and holy servant of God.  (The picture is of Bishop Paul and his sister, Sister Nicolette, at Bishop Paul's ordination.)