Brought to new mysteries

Hear in your compassion,
our prayers, O Lord,
that, as we have been brought
from things of the past
to new mysteries,
so, with former ways
left behind,
we may be made new
in holiness of mind.

Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Closing prayer for today's Mass
Roman Missal, 3rd Ed.

Building blocks

"You are fellow citizens
of the saints and members
of the household of God.
You form a building
which rises on the
foundation of the
apostles and prophets,
with Chris Jesus himself
as the capstone.
Through him,
the whole structure
is fitted together
and takes shape
as a holy temple
in the Lord.
In him you are
being built
into this temple,
to become a
dwelling place
for God
in the Spirit."

Ephesians 2:19-20

Requiescat in pace

Br. Terence



Fr. Scott

Saint Meinrad Archabbey gave up two gentle souls to their eternal rewards this week. Late Sunday evening, the monastery’s Br. Terence Griffin, passed away at age 84. Early this morning, seminarian Scott Carroll passed away at age 46 after struggling with cancer. Both will be missed by monks, seminarians, co-workers, family members, and friends. All of us long—at the proper time—to be brought together by Christ to everlasting life.

If I had to choose one word to describe both of these persons, it would be gentle. And if I could choose two more applicable to each, those would be generous and gracious.

Br. Terence, whose funeral Mass was held Wednesday, served in many capacities during his monastic life. More recent guests and employees of the Hill likely encountered him as assistant guest master in the Archabbey Church and as custodian of the Monte Cassino Shrine’s rosary pilgrimages. He was also quite a singer (a tenor to the max). Although quite astute, Br. Terence approached life simply, and with a healthy sense of humor. Like anyone, he had his faults, but to me, he personified the word “monk.” In my own way, I hope to follow his good example.

Scott was a seminarian, not a monk. Still, we were nearly the same age (I’ll be 48 in September), were from the same diocese (Toledo), and both lived in the city of Maumee, Ohio, before coming to Saint Meinrad—Scott to the seminary, and myself to the monastery. He had been in formation here since I was a novice, and we were in several classes together. A genuinely good person, he told me a month or so ago that whatever the future held, he only hoped to be ordained and to receive his first pastoral assignment. Those hopes were realized on Wednesday, when he was ordained by Toledo Bishop Leonard Blair at his parents’ home, and was officially named associate pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Maumee (originally, he was to be ordained along with his classmates on June 22 after graduating from Saint Meinrad). Fr. Scott is now a priest forever.

May Br. Terence and Fr. Scott, along with all the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace—and may God comfort and strengthen those who mourn their passing.

Spring on the Hill

New life in Christ

My little nephew Evan was baptized this past weekend in West Virginia. I was privileged (and very happy) to be present for his initiation into the Catholic faith. Chattering away loudly during the homily, Evan seemed pretty pleased with himself, too--until it came time for his head to get a little wet! Then again, he cried the first time he was born, too! Afterward, he celebrated with a five-hour nap.

Pictured above bringing Evan to new life in Christ is Msgr. Joseph Peterson, pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Parkersburg, my brother-in-law Ty and my sister Shannon. The photograph, as well as the one directly below, was taken by Shannon and Ty's friend and neighbor, Don Miller. (The other two--taken at the party afterward--were shot by yours truly).

A side note: While visiting the parish, I was struck by how many connections there are with Saint Meinrad. A handful of parishioners introduced themselves to me as Benedictine oblates of Saint Meinrad. Another is a deacon candidate in Saint Meinrad's formation program, and yet another is the brother of the benefactor responsible for Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology's Mader Learning Center.

There are other connections, of course. Many of the monks here--and a couple in particular--prayed for and with Ty and Shannon to be blessed with a child, especially on the occasion of my solemn profession in January 2011 (when the two had been married for four months). Evan was born in June 2012. His name, a variation of John, means "The Lord is gracious." His middle name, Richard, is in tribute to Shannon's (and my) father, Richard, who died 10 years ago this coming May 18 (Evan and I share the same middle name!). Those events 10 years ago started the dominoes falling in terms of my own spiritual awakening and eventual religious vocation.

While I continue with my own journey as a Benedictine monk, it has been wonderful to participate in the mystery of God's salvation at work in Evan and his parents Ty and Shannon, as well as in Evan's half-brother Ian. May God guide all his faithful as we strive to persevere in our commitment to journey with and toward Christ in faith, hope, and love.

God, indeed, is good and gracious!




We know not how

"The kingdom of God

is as if someone would
scatter seed on the ground,
and would sleep and rise
night and day,
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he does not know how.
The earth produces of itself,
first the stalk, then the head,
then the full grain in the head.
But when the grain is ripe,
at once he goes in with his sickle,
because the harvest has come."

Mark 4:26-29

Sticks and stones...

"A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger."

Proverbs 15:1

NOTE: Following is the biblical commentary read at Vigils this morning in the Archabbey Church (commenting on Acts 14:8-15:4). It is a sermon delivered by St. John Chrysostom (c. 347-407) more than 1,500 years ago, but one that bears striking relevance for us today as well. -- Br. Francis

X

"They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, leaving him there for dead."

Believe me, brothers and sisters, we may now be required to suffer more than Paul did. Those ruffians injured Paul with stones. At times, however, an attack with words can be even worse than an attack with stones. What should we do when this happens? The same as Paul did: he did not respond with hatred toward those who stoned him. On the contrary, after they had dragged him out, he re-entered the city and showed himself a benefactor to those who had treated him so shamefully.

If you put up with someone who insults you and does you wrong, then you too have undergone a stoning. After all, what offense had Paul committed that he should have been pelted with stones? He was announcing a kingdom, he was leading people away from error and bringing them to God, benefits worthy of crowns, not of stones!

Paul, however, did not resent their hatred. Quite the contrary. So when such things happen to you, don't be put out. Preach the word with gentleness. Has someone insulted you? Hold your peace and bless your enemy, and you will be preaching the word, giving a lesson in gentleness and meekness.

Many people do not suffer nearly so much from physical injuries as they do from verbal attacks. Physical violence hurts the body, words wound the soul. Has anyone spoken ill of you? Pray for him. Has he insulted you? Speak well of him. Has he plotted against you? Do him a kindness. If you care for his salvation, pay him back in the opposite way. Don't seek to avenge your suffering.

Look at the wrongs God himself suffered. He sent prophets and they killed them. So he sent them his Son. The more they insulted him, the more benefits he lavished upon them.

Anger is a fire, it is a quick flame that needs fuel. If you don't feed the fire it will soon go out. Anger has no power of itself; somebody else has to feed it. There is no excuse for you. Your antagonist is possessed with madness and doesn't know what he's doing. But when you act in the same way, what excuse can you make? You, at least, ought to know better!

That's why St. Paul says, "Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." We ought to train our tongues to speak nothing but good so as to make ourselves always pleasant and amiable. But indeed, things have become so bad that people boast of the very things that ought to make them blush for shame.

Speaking ill of someone doesn't do him any harm at all. Let's return to our senses, let's sweeten our speech and get rid of all evil talk. That's the way to avoid sin and draw down on us the divine pleasure from above. We should follow St. Paul's example; that's how we may win God's mercy.

-- St. John Chrysostom, Sermon 31 on Acts