Abbey News

Sunday, February 21, 2010

First Sunday of Lent
In keeping with St. Benedict's instructions in chapter 48 of his Rule: During this time of Lent each one is to receive a book from the library, and is to read the whole of it straight through. These books are to be distributed at the beginning of Lent we had the annual distribution of Lenten books in chapter this morning. In his day the book probably referred to the Bible itself but now days any quality spiritual book is acceptable.

During the days of Lent we have a set time, usually before Compline, for our Lenten reading. Up until about 40 years ago the reading was done by the whole community gathered in the common scriptorium but since the advent of personal cells most brothers prefer to do their reading in private. Either way, as with all Lenten practices, it is a time of grace for everyone, helping us look forward to holy Easter with joy and spiritual longing as Benedict express it in chapter 49 of his Rule, on Lent.

Those regularly joining us for Sunday Mass will notice that during Lent we use the regular penitential rite at the beginning rather than the office of Terce. The idea is to underline the penitential aspect off the Lenten season. The office of Terce is prayed after morning chapter.

To Gethsemani
Early Friday morning Fr. John drove off to our motherhouse, Our Lady of Gethsemani in Kentucky to give the brothers their annual retreat. We expect him to return Monday, March 1st. And then he'll be off again on the 3rd for the Regional Meeting of the O.C.S.O. superiors to be held at our sister house, Holy Spirit Abbey in Conyers, Georgia.

By means of Scripture, the Church instructs her children in the true meaning of Lenten penance for, as St. Leo the Great comments: it is useless to deny food to the body if the soul does not reject sin (4th Sermon of Lent). If mortification does not lead to an interior effort to eliminate sin and practice virtue, it cannot be pleasing to God, who wants us to serve him with a heart that is humble, pure and sincere.

Selfishness and the tendency to assert our ego too often lead us to put ourselves at the center of the universe; we trample on the rights of others and in doing so evade the fundamental law of brotherly love. That is why those Jews who fasted, wore sackcloth and slept on ashes, but did not cease oppressing their neighbors, were severely rebuked by God and their acts of penance were rejected. It is of little or no use to impose physical privations on ourselves if we are unable to renounce our own interests in order to respect and promote those of our neighbor;if we will not give up our views in favor of some one else's; if we do not try to get along with everyone and bear wrongs patiently.

Sacred Scripture makes it very definite that what makes penitential practices acceptable to God lies in the area of charity.

Divine Intimacy
Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, OCD