Peace..."on top"

I don’t wear much jewelry – not that I couldn’t. Many sisters wear lovely, simple earrings or rings that belonged to a family member. I tend to stick to the holy “bling” – the medal of Saint Benedict and the ring that was given to me by my community on the day of my perpetual profession. When I put the medal on a chain, it’s easy to put on. But when I choose to wear the super-cool lapel medal, I have difficulty getting things right-side up. One Sunday morning as we were gathering for Morning Prayer, my prioress saw me struggling and said, “Put peace on top and you’ll have it right.” Peace on top? Oh…the Latin word pax can be found on the border of the cross. If the word, pax, is on top, then my medal is on straight! That woman is so brilliant! Now, in addition to having fewer “issues” getting myself dressed and in chapel, I now have this wonderful piece of advice to chew on. “Put peace on top.” Good advice and very in keeping with the message of the risen Christ. "Peace be with you."

The month of May is psycho. Our schools are getting ready for graduation. Vocation programming is at its height. Extra jobs and projects are demanding my time and attention. And the travel just won’t let up until June. My “To Do” list is obscene – even for me – and deciding what must be done first is not an easy exercise. “Put peace on top…” Can I do that? Can I grab hold of that peace that only Christ can give and let everything else take a back seat? Can I move through the days ahead doing what must be done all the while holding tight to the One who wants to keep my heart calm and gentle? I certainly can’t do it on my own. But, if I ask for help? For the gift of peace? I know I will not be disappointed. What gift would you ask of Christ today? Don’t be afraid.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7

Bessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki

"I have so much more to tell you..."

“...but you cannot bear it now.”

I love this sentence. As the days dwindle down to his return to the Father, the Lord Jesus tells his friends that there is "so much more" to share with them. Now, in his glorified body, the Lord Jesus can see beyond our flesh and bone. He can hear the songs of the angels and taste the sweetness of being wholly in God’s presence. Now, beyond death, he knows everything and longs to help us understand the Mystery. But, the Lord knows too well, that we “cannot bear it now.” Though there is so much we long to see and understand, from our human vantage point the veil can only be lifted so much. We are still flesh and bone – still straining to hear the morning birdsong and looking for God in the mess of being human. So, to satisfy his desire to give us “so much more,” he will send us his Spirit. The Spirit will reveal what is true and good and holy. The Spirit will give us strength to abide in these bodies – to mark the days in time and space – until the Lord comes to bring us home.

But something is fascinating me. What is it, do you suppose, that we “cannot bear” now? I suspect it has something to do with the unconditional love of God – the limitless compassion and mercy in which we dwell every minute of every day. I think the Spirit is working within us and among us to make this love known to us. Now, here, we cannot bear the weight of this love. We cannot believe it to be real. We find it hard to accept that no sin, no loss, no suffering in our journey will keep this love at bay. Nothing will keep this love from taking over our world – one soul at a time. The Spirit is preparing us for the day when days will end - working to draw every human heart into the light of God's love before Christ comes again in glory. Then, the eternal Word will speak to us one more time and all shall be revealed. Until then, only the Spirit can prepare us for this great movement into Mystery. Only the Spirit can teach us to trust that this Mystery will never let us go.

Blessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki

"Jesus Christ," by Pablo Renauld, 2007

Don't forget your change...

Most of us don’t like change so we respond to it in a myriad of creative ways. There’s the “If I don’t acknowledge it, it won’t really happen,” school of thought. Then, there are those among us who face it head-on and react from our feelings – sadness, fear, anger. Some of us, a small brave, cohort, embrace change. It is, after all, a mark of being alive. All that is by God’s good hand is in the process of living and dying. Nothing – no one – is the same one moment to the next. You’d think we’d get on board and celebrate change as a sign of God’s activity – accept change as if it were a gift wrapped in pretty tissue and ribbons. I think this proactive approach to change comes slowly in our journey toward God. I think we get better at it as life gives us practice – as circumstances beyond our control turn everything upside-down and then we survive. We learn – through many changes – that change itself is inseparable from growth. Over a lifetime of bending to the realities of life, we learn that it is God’s grace that keeps us from breaking. We learn that change – even the painful kind – makes us stronger, more resilient, more open to God’s Spirit at work in our lives.

This morning I told our girls at SGHS that I am being reassigned to the monastery effective July 1st. It is time for me to go home. The joy of going home is mixed with a sadness that comes from loving our students, faculty and staff. Being “on mission” here at our high school for the past three years has been such a gift. There are things I’ve learned about being a Benedictine Sister of Virginia that I could not have learned any other way. SGHS has a place in my heart now, as do the people of Richmond. That love is a done deal. Though I will return once a month for “Monastic Monday,” it won’t be the same. The girls know it, too. But they are accepting this change well and coming to trust that every sister who serves at SGHS will remain part of the community heart. When love is real, it never ends. It is that love – that grace – that will help us all to embrace this change and trust that the Spirit is hard at work.
Blessings and love to you all…

- Sister Vicki

Time to hit the breaks...

I was wondering today how I got so busy. I know I’m getting out of balance when I can’t remember the last day off. (Monasteries are interesting places. We make our own time to rest and play. It’s a life, not a Monday through Friday enterprise!) So…that last day off? OK, I’ve got to peak at the calendar. I found it! April 6th. Dear God, no wonder I’m getting a bit goofy!

It’s not easy being me. I love work. I love teaching, writing, talking to people about our life. I love supporting the programs of our Benedictine Pastoral Center – that means giving a “First Friday” talk. I love our Oblates – that means time spent in Bedford and Richmond this past month. I love planning our community’s future as part of the Strategy Team and organizing our efforts in preparation for our Visitation in October. [It’s a voluntary Benedictine visitation – as opposed to the current Apostolic Visitation and happens every six years. It’s like when a school gets reaccredited by VAIS. We receive commendations and suggestions about how we live the monastic life.] In fact, I love everything that I am asked to do by and for community. That’s the problem. I want to do everything all the time. Well, last time I looked, that divine attribute belonged to the Creator!

It's settled then. On Friday morning I am going to sleep in and let the birds be my alarms clock. I’m going to eat breakfast on the back porch of the convent in Richmond in my pajamas. Then, I will sip coffee and do my spiritual reading. After prayer, I will have no plan, no “to do” list. I will have a day-off from the Internet. Yes, that’s right. No e-mail. No Facebook. No blogging. [Now, if Hell freezes over, don’t call me. Just trust I am partially responsible and pray me a good rest.] It’s only Tuesday, but I can feel it coming. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have my eyes on the prize! Now, all I have to do is make sure that I keep my Sabbath holy. Hmmm… Did I ask for prayers?

Blessings and love to you all…
- Sister Vicki

Sister Charlotte celebrates her 50th....

Sister Charlotte renewed her Monastic Profession before our prioress.

Sister Charlotte receives the blessings of the entire assembly.

The reception line went on and on...smiles, hugs and great joy!

Old friends, new friends, colleagues past and present...

...the Church of Richmond richly represented in the person of Rev. Michael Renninger...

...schools and hospitals enriched by the presence of one who lives the Gospel with unrelenting commitment.

Never have so many from different "worlds" come together in our house because of one person. Fr. Michael wondered, "Is there anyone left in Richmond today?"

The beautiful Eucharist was followed by a festive meal. So many hands and hearts go into a celebration like this one. Jubilee is about one of us, but really about all of us. In one we see the fruits of fidelity and perseverance. In sharing this day with the community, our guests come to understand why strangers choose to live together in love.

We thank you, GOD, for the witness of our sister, Charlotte Lange, and for the gift of monastic life through which we seek and find you each and every day.

A Prayer...

In the beginning, O God,
your Spirit brooded above the waters,
and all that is
came to be by your life-giving Word.

May we who are sustained, by the wonders of creation,
live gently upon this earth.

May we who draw breath,
protect the trees that purify our skies.

May we who eat,
plant seeds where we have reaped a harvest.



May we who drink the earth’s clear water,
become its constant guardians
so that, generation to generation,
no people shall die of thirst.

We ask this in your name, O God,
who fashioned us from clay to bear your image,
and through your Son, the Word made flesh,
who walked upon this tender earth,
and in the power of your Holy Spirit,
Breath and Sanctifier,
one God – forever and ever.
AMEN.

Always on the front lines...

[This is the second in a series of blogs on “Women & Spirit,” a current exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum.]

It’s interesting what surfaces after the fact. When the Leadership Conference of Women Religious set about the task of creating this exhibit, no one could have known the power of the story to be told or the timeliness of its unveiling. Seeing “Women & Spirit” as a woman religious, brought some unexpected feelings to the surface. Could my little life, given in love to God and my monastic community, be part of this great story? Are my failures and gifts some thread in this massive quilt of faith and service? Whoa… All those women…all those faces in holy habit and 70’s polyester…they are my sisters – every one! I am still unpacking the blessing of this truth.

I was struck, too, by the variety of ministries in which sisters have served over the past 200 years - by the prominent place of American sisters on the front lines of every human need. We did not open schools because sisters belong in schools. We were there because the children needed to be taught the faith. We were not in hospitals because nuns belong in hospitals. We were there because the poor were sick and dying and they needed bodily care and the love of Christ. We didn’t open orphanages because nuns belong in orphanages. We just took in babies who had no one – who had nothing – but a blanket and an empty stomach. It was that simple.

Today, my Benedictine sisters are still living at the edge of the world where human need begs for justice and compassion. My sisters give shelter to homeless mothers and their children. My sisters offer treatment to those who suffer mental illness, or who are overwhelmed by grief, depression or disaster. My sisters access available funds to keep families in their homes and reverse the tide of foreclosure. My sisters teach small children and not-so-small teenagers how to love God and respect one another. My sisters offer spiritual direction to those who seek a closer walk with Christ. My sisters offer compassionate presence to the sick, the dying and the home bound. My sisters train and support tutors who teach English to adults from all over the world who want to make their way in our great country. My sisters do all these things – not because they are what sisters should be doing. My sisters do them because the need is real and Christ asks us to be His hands and feet. Fifty years from now I don’t know what the Benedictine Sisters of Virginia will be doing. But God does…and God is counting on us to say, “Yes.”

Blessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki