In the kitchen again...

"...a burning and shining lamp"

The beheading of John the Baptist

by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (1869)

In today’s gospel Jesus says of John, “He was a burning and shining lamp (John 5:35).” Oh, to have the Lord say that of me! Wouldn’t that be something? The love and respect Jesus had for John was immense. It had nothing to do with his worth or possessions. He had none but the skins on his back. It wasn’t because he was brilliant or articulate. He was a one-message man, an unrelenting voice “crying out in the wilderness.” No, it was the love of GOD indwelling that shone from John’s heart - that gave him courage, strength and the certainty that he was, in fact, preparing the way of the messiah. It was the love of GOD Jesus recognized in his cousin – a passion they both shared in earthly life.

Lent is a good time to consider what kind of “lamp” I am these days – what kind of light emanates from my soul. Not every “lamp” burns as bright. Am I smaller than others, more decorative that functional? Am I a sturdy, standard floor lamp – giving light that helps others to see? Am I a groovy, little retro lamp that looks good on the outside but offers little in the way of illumination? I want to burn and shine like John – like a real flame dancing above wick and oil. I want to trade in those wasteful bulbs for something that costs a good deal more, but offers a light that lasts a good, long time. May we all shine and burn with love for GOD - today and "unto everlasting life (Rule of Benedict, 72:12)."

Blessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki

Feasting with our Oblates...

On Saturday every Benedictine monastery celebrated the Feast of Saint Benedict. March 21st is the day our Holy Father entered eternal glory. It almost always falls in Lent, so the Church, in her compassion, gives monastics everywhere leave to really celebrate. (You might also know of the summer feast - July 11th - in which the universal church honors Benedict as "Patriarch of Western Monasticism.")

This year Sister did something different. Our Oblates in Richmond invited me to spend the day with them and offer a few thoughts about the season of Lent. With permission from my prioress, I readily agreed. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to pray the feast day office with nearly 20 people in the Chapel of our high school. Sisters Andrea and Charlotte Lange joined us for Morning Prayer. How lovely, for we who are on mission, to have such a festive prayer on a day when I'd normally be missing Bristow.

We decided to pray the real thing - all the special antiphons and a mode for the canticle. Our oblates were marvelous. They picked it up so quickly. The acoustics in our Chapel are just unbelievable so 20 sounded more like 30.

The retreat day went well, I think. I loved every minute of it. Sometimes, I can't believe my ministry includes such moments of grace. These good people, who are already oblates or who are in formation, gave me the gift of their faith. There is a place where people can meet in the heart - a place of wonder and oneness. I think we were there. They remain in my grateful prayers...

Blessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki

Old-fashioned fun at SGHS...

President Susan Walker embraces Mrs. Judy Dyson, Song Contest Moderator. Mrs. Dyson works long and hard to prepare our girls for this exciting week. Tonight, each class with dress in their blazers and heels, and sing their hearts out. Whether they win or lose, they have our love and admiration. These are OUR girls - Saint Gertrude's own!

The Strong, Silent Type...

Today is the Feast of Saint Joseph - husband of the BVM, step-father to the LORD, patron of workers, carpenters, fathers and all-around friend of GOD. I imagine my sisters at the monastery got to talk at breakfast this morning because of the feast. (LENT means silence at breakfast while the prioress reads to us.) I imagine, too, that Sister Pat is preparing a special meal for this evening. It might even be a "wine feast" - an occasion where wine is served as a symbol of the joyous feast. There are just a couple of these feasts in the dry desert of LENT.)

Joseph is a rather mysterious figure. He is the focal point of Matthew's infancy narrative, though he never utters a word. We are told he is a "righteous" man, unwilling to expose Mary to public shame. Right there, he has my heart forever. Visited by an angel in his dreams, Joseph receives the grace to believe that the promise to Israel is about to be fulfilled. Into his care go Mary and the long-awaited saviour. Could any man have a more important destiny?

Some depictions of the great saint offer an old man, many years older than his bride. Was Joseph a widower, perhaps? Did he have children already? We'll never know. In the film, "The Nativity", Joseph is portrayed as a single man, not so much Mary's senior. His character is faithful, gentle and strong in all the right ways. I've never seen such a tender rendering of the blossoming of a relationship.

We can learn a lot from Saint Joseph. Trust GOD and all things are possible. Love is a choice that requires perseverance. Fatherhood is more than a biological status. Work imparts dignity and yields holiness. Perhaps, today, I'll make a list of all the "Joseph's" in my life - men of few words whose lives embody faith, love and hope. My Dad, my brother and my brothers-in-law are in my grateful prayers today. Is there a "Joseph" in your life? Pray for him...and give thanks.

Blessings and love to you all...

- Sister Vicki

A Good Time to Stop...

"The kindness of strangers..."

I think he was homeless. I stopped in a STARBUCKS® for caffeine and Wi-Fi on my way to a meeting in Baltimore. The traffic north of Richmond was normal until I got to the “mixing bowl” – a strange intersection of highways just below the Wilson Bridge. I lost some serious time there so when I got to the coffee shop, I needed to log on fast to answer the inquiries of the day. I bought a tall, normal coffee. (Their new blend, “Pike Place”, is Fair Trade and “green” in it’s production. AND, it’s smooth and easy – it won’t fight you every sip of the way. It’s the first of their coffees I really enjoy and it cost’s under $2.)

I had just sat down and opened the laptop when a man behind me interjected. “Are you trying to get wireless?” “Yes,” I answered. “Won’t work. They don’t have it here. They had all kinds of problems with it and now this store is scheduled to close.” Crestfallen, and trying not to act like the techno-nun I have become, I thanked him for saving me the frustration of searching for a non-existent signal. Then, came an act of random kindness. “If you move to the counter in the back of the store, you can get the signal from the coffee place across the parking lot. It’s free. Lots’a people do it.”

I smiled – BIG, thanked him for his goodness and began to collect my stuff. I looked over at this giant of a man. He was BIG – like “Bluto” in the Popeye cartoon. He wore a simple pair of trousers and a t-shirt. His hair was buzzed close to his head. My helpful new friend seemed about 50 – give or take 5 years. He had a newspaper, a BIG white coffee cup of his own, a small DVD player and ear buds. He seemed ready to spend some serious time there. I looked at the floor beside his table and I saw a small satchel…and a sleeping roll.

Was he homeless? I don’t know for sure. He seemed to know the staff – acted like a STARBUCKS® regular. I had the thought that he might wake up somewhere out in the world and then come in for coffee, a clean restroom and the feeling of being like everyone else, sipping, reading the paper, and easing into consciousness.

I moved to the back of the store and happily logged in. I took care of several e-mails and answered the cell once. I noticed “Bluto” getting a second cup. Then, he was at my side asking, “Did it work? Great. Thought so.” I thanked him again. As he walked back to the place he had staked out, I wanted to do something for him. I wanted to buy him breakfast or talk with him for a while. That felt wrong somehow. He was the one doing for me that day - the kind stranger taking the time to make someone else’s day brighter. I thought if I brought him food, it would somehow turn the tables and he’d be the “homeless man” again, and I would be the saint. No. I decided to do what people everywhere seem to be doing in these hard times – a small gesture of care. I left the man at the counter $3 for my friend’s next cup of coffee. The young man said it would cost $2.07. I told him to keep the change if “Bluto” didn’t order something more – for helping me to thank him with dignity. I left through the back door and said a prayer for all who find themselves in desperate circumstance. May GOD bless this gentle-hearted man and keep him safe and warm. "Open my eyes, Lord. Help me to see your face. Open my eyes, LORD. Help me to see." (Jesse Manibusen, OCP)

Blessings and love to you all…
- Sister Vicki