The Meditation (The Twenty-Fifth Sunday After Trinity) November 18 th A.D. 2018

Transcription

1 The Meditation (The Twenty-Fifth Sunday After Trinity) November 18 th A.D Christ with a Farm Family (1887-8)) Painting by Fritz von Uhde ( ) German painter of the late 19 th /early 20 th cent. 1

2 The Communion Verse for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Trinity Therefore I say unto you, what things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (St. Mark; Chap. 11, Vs. 24) The Christian View The prophet Isaiah proclaims; Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. I, even I, am he that comforteth you. (Isaiah; Chap. 51, Vss. 11 & 12.) The Psalmist writes: They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. (Psalm 36; Vss. 8 & 9) Have you ever asked yourself why Christians believe in an eternity of joy and happiness, while non-christians think that death is either the end of all things or that the life that follows it is sunless and joyless... or, at best, that what lies beyond this life is determined by a God who is capricious or indifferent? Mankind, by its nature, craves immortality, a hunger for that which is divine. The nonbeliever might say that this is a psychological response to the reality of biological death...a vain hope, if you will. A Christian would say, that this is a part of God s creation that lies within the reach of all. It is at Baptism that one receives, through Jesus Christ, with Whom we are incorporated, the virtues of faith, hope, and charity. It s from that action that the fullness of the Christian revelation and the certainty of eternal life begins to grow. Only then, does one begin to love Him to Whom they owe the hope of everlasting joy. Jesus, when He bade His disciples to go and baptize all the world, [1] added: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. (St. Mark; Chap. 16, Vs. 16) The Redeemer who died for all mankind desires the salvation of all, and not just a selected few. We are signed in baptism, as one of Christ s own... we become sheep of His flock. We proclaim our faith in the life everlasting in the Creed; [2] and in the Divine Offices there are texts upon texts of Scripture that reminds us of that life which is to come, and of the rest in God that awaits us. Our faith in the life which is to come adds a nobility to the life we lead here on earth, and we should make it one long hymn of thanksgiving to the Father Who promises us an eternity of happiness, where tears, pain, and sadness are no more. The Christian realizes that the Incarnation, Redemption, and the indwelling of the Holy Ghost are mysteries so profound that our hearts and minds can only become loose in the great abyss of God s love. These mysteries have been revealed to us through the Scriptures, whereas the life to come remains hidden. St. John tells us; Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doeth not 2

3 yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is (I St. John; Chap. 3, Vs. 2). We know through faith, that we will live forever, but we do not yet know how this will be. We will realize how far off all our surmises are when we are faced with the reality. It would be a great understatement to say that we will be pleasantly surprised! We have our Lord s own words in the Gospels, which should be of sufficient comfort to us, while we continue on our earthly sojourn. We who believe, can t help but speak about this great hope which fills our hearts, the hope that is Christ s glory given to us, which will give us the courage to welcome any suffering that may come along, knowing that with suffering we are shown the full value of Christ s Redemption. It s a hope that makes our time on earth just a passing show, and it s that race for the crown of immortality that is a race really worth running. Any other race is simply an exercise in vanity. Thank God for the Saints! They never cease trying to unveil God s great secret. St. Augustine of Hippo writes: When at the hour of death, the soul, created by God, yields itself to Him, it hears: You have given me that which was mine; I give thee myself ; and Such O Lord, is the life of the Blessed. Full of joy they come to you; full of joy they live in you, who are the only true joy, and out of whom no joy exists. He who seeks joy elsewhere seeks that which is not. We shall be full of God; seek no further; He alone suffices. A hand full of toil purchases a rest no words can express. [3] The Christian believes that they shall rest in the great joy of that never-ending face to face, in the knowledge of God s love for us, in the sight of the glory that we with all the faithful on earth, have been given through Christ s Crucifixion and Resurrection. All previous pain and suffering will be drowned in the ocean of love and happiness. Temptations and struggles will be no more, and that peace which passeth all understanding will reign in us for ever and ever. St. Augustine closes our meditation: O God, who didst rest on the seventh day when, thy work of creation finished, thou didst find it good, grant that, the task thou hast set us accomplished, we too may rest in thee, in the sabbath day of eternal life. As thou hast worked in us, so wilt thou rest in us. This is our hope: to rest one day in the arms of thy divine holiness. [4] The Christian life is a life lived in hope. The Christian Faith is love that fulfills that hope. Meditation Notes: [1] Ref; St. Matthew; Chap 28, Vs. 19 : Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. [2] Creed: Apostle s Creed: I believe in... The Resurrection of the body: And the life everlasting. Nicene Creed: And I look for the Resurrection of the dead: And the life of the world to come. [3] St. Augustine: from Confessions, misc. [4] St. Augustine; from The City of God; Bk. 11, Ch. 8 3

4 Priory Kalendar For the week of: November 18 th to November 25 th - A.D In Trinity Season Sunday, November 18 th Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Trinity Comm. St. Hilda of Witby; Abs. O.S.B. -7 th cent. Northumbria, England Monday, November 19 th.. St. Elisabeth of Hungary; Q. & Wid. &Tert. O.F.M. 13 th cent. Comm. St. Mechtild; N. O.S.B th cent. Germany Tuesday, November 20 th... St. Edmund; K. & Myr. -9 th cent. England. Wednesday, November 21 st... Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Thursday, November 22 nd.... Thanksgiving Day -Votive Missa pro patria Comm. St. Cecilia; V. & Myr. - 2 nd /3 rd. cent. Friday, November 23 rd..... St. Clement; 3 rd Po. & Myr. c. 100 Rome. Comm. St. Felicity; V. & Myr. 2 nd cent. Rome. Saturday, November 24 th... St. John of the Cross; Conf. & Doct. O. Carm th cent. Sunday, November 25 th... The Sunday Next Before Advent ( Last Sunday in Trinity) Comm. St. Katherine of Alexandria; V. & Myr. - 4 th cent. Egypt. November 19 th November 21 st November 24 th St. Elisabeth of Hungary Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary St. John of the Cross 4

5 Guardian Angel Card of the Week Angel of Heavenly Union Listening to the voice of the Angel, I hear the call of my God. (French) KALENDAR KEY: Abt. = Abbot, Abs. = Abbess, Abp = Archbishop, Anc. = Anchorite, Ancs. = Anchoress, Ap. = Apostle, Bl. = Blessed, Br. = Brother, Bp. = Bishop, Card. = Cardinal, C. or Conf. = Confessor, Comm. = Commemoration/Commemorate, Dcn. = Deacon, Doct. = Doctor of the Church, Ev. = Evangelist, H. = Hermit, LBr. = Lay Brother, LSr. = Lay Sister, K. = King, Mat. = Matron, M. = Monk, M.M. = Month s Mind ( Requiem for the recently departed on the 30 th day after death or burial). Myr. = Martyr, N. = Nun, Obl. = Oblate, P. = Priest, Po. = Pope, Pr. = Prior, Prs. = Prioress, R. = Recluse, RM = Requien Mortuorum, ( Mass and Offices for the departed once a month as designated on Kalendar). SDcn. = Sub Deacon, Q. = Queen, Ven. = Venerable, Vir.=Virgin, W. = Widow. FASTING KEY: A = Abstinence, F = Fast, F & A = Fast and Abstinence 5

6 RELIGIOUS ORDER ABBREVIATIONS: C.O = Congregation of the Oratory (Oratorians), C.P. = Congregation of the Passion (Passionists), C.S.J. = Congregation of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Er. Cam. = Camaldolese Hermits, F.P. O. = Franciscans of the Primitive Observance, O. Car. = Carmelite Order, O. Cart. Carthusian Order, O.C.D. = Order of Discalced Friars (Carmelites), O.F.A. = Augustinian Order, O.F.M = Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans), O.F.M. Cap = Capuchin Order, O.P. = Order of Preachers (Dominicans also called Blackfriars ), O. Praem. = Order of Cannons Regular (Norbertines), O.S.B. = Order of St. Benedict (Benedictines), O.Ss. S. = Bridgettines, O.S.U = Ursulines, O.C.O. = Order of the Cistercian Observance (Trappists/Trappistines), O.C.S.O. = Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (Trappists/ Trappistines). Tert. = Tertiary (Third Order religious) About the Meditation and About Us The Meditation is an online apostolate of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Priory in Raymond, Maine, USA. We are an Anglican-Catholic Benedictine contemplative community that follows the Holy Rule of St. Benedict, the 5 th century Father of Western Monasticism. We are resident within the Diocese of the Northeast (DNE), of the Anglican Church in America (ACA), a member of the worldwide Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC). The Meditation is a weekly online offering that is sent out free of charge to anyone who desires to receive it. Subscribers may copy and pass along The Meditation to their families and friends, or send us their e-address (with their permission) to add to our subscription list so they may receive it directly from us. Each issue is sent out as a BCC (Blank Copy) in respect to subscriber privacy and online security. To subscribe, contact us at: klamarre@maine.rr.com To read past issues of the Meditation, please go to our website at: and you can find them in the section marked Meditations on the homepage. PLEASE NOTE: In respect to our contemplative vocation and the animals in our rescue and rehab center, we do not have guest or bathroom facilities and do not regularly receive visitors. Fr. Kevin is available to hear confessions and give spiritual direction by appointment only. Please contact via to make an appointment or to make us aware of your needs, concerns and intentions for our prayerful attention. It is our privilege to pray for you. PLEASE CONSIDER REMEMBERING US IN YOUR ESTATE PLANNING Contact Sr. Mary Francis, O.S.B. for more information via our address Feasts, Fasts, and Other Things 6

7 Our History Continued: Part VI: By Br. Chip Throughout the second half of the 1990 s, the community, having established its identity and stability, was developing on two fronts, so to speak. The brethren being grounded in their monastic vocations, were serving respective parishes in various functions; Fr. Adrian continued to serve his Naval Chaplaincy in California, Fr. John served as a diocesan supply priest, Fr. Dean, in establishing mission parishes in New Hampshire, and Brothers Ignatius, Dismas(1), and Kevin serving Old St. Paul s in Portland, Me. Br. Robert and Sr. Mary-Francis handled the administration duties as well as the many outreach works that were mentioned in the last installment of this history. All the while, Br. Kevin was working as time and resources allowed on completing the chapel. Even in an uncompleted state, it was being put to daily use. A small apostolate of Oblates and Associates was also established. Comings and Goings Br. Robert Herrick, our first prior, had given much of himself and his own vocation from 1991 to 1995, going from a hermit monk to a monk-teacher and superior of a community. It was evident to all, in early 1996, that Br. Robert had over-extended himself and was experiencing health problems. He was always available to assist or direct his brothers, but as the prior (and a hermit), allowed little for himself. Br. Robert appointed then-br. Kevin as Dean of the community; an intermediary post (2) that served between the men and their prior. This allowed Br. Robert a bit of a breather from some of the mundane tasks of managing the community. Any major decisions and renderings in accordance with the Holy Rule were still brought to Br. Robert s attention for his council and action. Br. Robert announced his intention to resign as prior in the spring of 1996, and in June, tended his resignation to both the community and Bishop Chamberlain. It was understandably but reluctantly accepted, and made official on July 1 st, Br. Kevin would continue as Dean, with all major decisions regarding the community discussed and voted upon in Chapter, and then sent to Bp. Chamberlain, who as our Bishop-Visitor would advise, or, if asked, render a decision. Things by that time were working very well on their own, so our good Bishop wasn t bothered by us...too much! He said he always looked forward to meeting with us when he could, so we took that as a good sign that we were all behaving ourselves. The Bishop, during the interim period, advised the brethren that the next prior ought to be in Holy Orders, preferably a priest. He felt that, a monastic priest ought to be available at the Priory chapel to celebrate (daily) Masses, pray the Offices and to hear the confessions of, and give spiritual direction to the Brothers. This matter went for serious study amongst the community and after much prayer and discussion, Br. Kevin LaMarre was nominated for, and unanimously elected Prior sub-conditione (conditional Prior) at a Chapter meeting on the last day of July that year. Br. Kevin had been studying for Holy Orders to the Sacred Diaconate for service to both the Community and St. Paul s. It was proposed that he continue his studies on to the Sacred Priesthood after ordination to the Diaconate and serve as a monastic priest and Prior and assist as an associate at St. Paul s. Bishop Chamberlain gave his approval, and after completing studies and exams, on March 1 st, 1997, Br. Kevin was ordained to the Sacred Diaconate, and at the 7

8 same time, was given the Bishop s blessing and full charge as Prior of the community. Br. Kevin would continue on reading for orders and was ordained a monastic priest on September 8 th, 2001 at Old St. Paul s Church. He d serve both the Community and St. Paul s until 2005, when he would retire from service to the parish (3) and serve as Diocesan Supply Priest for Maine and NH until Old St. Paul s Church 2002; Fr. Prior Kevin and Retired Prior Robert Herrick, Anc/O.S.B. The installation of a new prior changed nothing in the dynamics of the community, and things proceeded along as they had been before Br. Robert s departure. Word was received in the fall of 1997, from our extern monk in California, Fr. Adrian, that he wouldn t be returning to the Northeast any time soon and that there were changes going on in his life. He was both a monk of the community and canonically resident within the Diocese of the Northeast, so he was under the governance of both a Bishop and a prior, so both men worked together to see if they could assist. As often happens in life, one comes to a crossroad and has to make a choice regarding the direction they must travel, and so it was with our well-loved and respected brother. Fr. Adrian, departed on the best of terms from both our community and the Diocese and Church in January of He has been kept in our prayers ever since. Br. Robert after resigning as our prior returned to life as a hermit in Waterboro, ME. It s traditional when a superior leaves that office to leave the monastery he had been governing and live in another house of the order as a simple monk. He didn t have that option, but he did live near the Brothers of Christian Instruction in Alfred, Maine, a Roman Catholic community whose retreat house our diocese had been using for many years for Clericus meetings. Br. Robert became close friends with the brothers there. They adopted our retired prior and he was welcomed for meals, masses, visits, and events during the period of his convalescence and after resignation. He did keep in touch with us and made an occasional retreat to Spencer (St.Joseph s Abbey) with Br. Kevin from time to time, and attend Mass at St. Paul s in Portland. Br. Dismas visited with Br. Robert often as well, and would take him to Portland. 8

9 The Animal Rescue and Rehab work at the Priory became more established during this time, and in addition to domestic and farm animals being accepted, occasional wildlife was brought to Sr. Mary Francis, who held both state and federal licenses permitting her to do this. Deer, owls, squirrels, chipmunks, turtles, and others became familiar sights both in the little barn or the farm house. Passings The men who comprised the membership in the Servants of the Holy Family Community, were for the most part late-vocations. Bp. Chamberlain, in his wisdom, knew this when he brought us all together. While their ages may have limited the duties they might perform, their maturity and wisdom allowed each man to be a teacher and mentor to many up and coming clergy, especially in the formation of a prayer-life. Their wisdom of age also told them that each man had a shelf-life, although known only to God, and each man made the best of that...in living his vocation, and in caring for his brothers to the very fullest. Br. Dismas took it upon himself in 1998, to look after Br. Robert who had suffered a heartattack and was recovering. They began attending the Latin Mass at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, the next-door neighbor to St. Paul s. The transition was a natural one for them, and in 1999 they were received into the Roman Catholic Church as fully-professed Benedictine monks. This process of reception had to receive papal approbation, and was given by Pope John Paul II under the sponsorship of then Bp. Gerry, a Benedictine monk himself who was Bishop of the Diocese of Portland. Br. Robert was allowed to continue living as a diocesan hermit, and Br. Dismas allowed to remain in our community. This was a rare privilege indeed, not often granted. We considered ourselves very blessed. Br. Dismas began to experience major health problems throughout 1999, and was moved to elder-housing in Westbrook. Br. Robert would often visit Dismas and took him to Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days. Br. Dismas officially retired from his post in the community as Cellerer, and his street missionary work in Jan Our Beloved Brother Dismas passed away on April 2, 2001 after a long battle with many respiratory illnesses and at least two major strokes. Brothers William and Dismas. Br. William left the community in 1997 to study for the Permanent Diaconate to serve in a parochial vocation. 9

10 The community experienced yet another major loss when Fr. John Heslin, OSB passed away on November 20, 2001 after a long illness. He was cared for by our former Br. William in his last months of life. A new century, these transitions, and others, would bring a re-focusing of mission. NOTES: (1) Br. Dismas also conducted a Street-Corner Mission of his own. He helped indigent people find shelter, visited shut-ins and hospitals, and assisted abused persons in finding safe-houses. (2) RB; Rule of St. Benedict: Ch. 21: The deans of the Monastery. (3) Fr. Kevin was affiliated with St. Paul s from and served the parish in many posts; Chorister, Accolyte, Vestryman, Parish Clerk, Jr. Warden, Sr. Warden, Deacon, Curate, and Associate Priest. He d be eclipsed in service by one of the Brothers, Br. Ignatius, who served the parish for almost 30 years as vestryman, Parish Clerk, and Deacon until he retired at Age 86! Next Week: Part VI: We conclude our History to the Present. Feasts, Fasts, and Other Things are from The Chipmunks Nutshell Library, a frequent offering presented by our very learned brother, Br. A. Chip Munk, O.S.B. a munk of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Priory in Raymond, Maine, U.S.A. 10

11 Animal News By Sr. Mary Francis, O.S.B. Rainy Tuesdays are the turkey s favorite day. They spent the entire day fluffing up the horse s hay and looking for treats while the horses spent the day inside 11

12 the warm barn. Everyone is well fed here...even the turkeys and they seem to know that they can t be hunted inside the pasture, so there they stay. PAX 12

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