Author: Justin

Fr Lino Moreira OSB

Solomon had just been made king in place of his father David. He was very young and inexperienced, and felt that the burden of kingship was far too heavy for him. But he was also aware that God had showed great lovingkindness to his father on account of his uprightness of heart (cf. 1 K 3:6). So Solomon asked the Lord: “Give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, a heart able to discern
between good and evil” (1 K 3:6).

The heart is the seat of a person’s thoughts and intentions, and literally,
according the Hebrew Bible, Solomon asked to be given a listening heart. The young king was already wise enough to realise that, unless he had a heart that listened to the word of God with sufficient understanding, his thoughts would not be attuned to God’s thoughts and his decisions would not be in accordance with God’s designs; in
short, he would not be able to lead the people of God on the path of justice and peace.

We are told that the Lord was pleased with Solomon’s request and said to him: “I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be” (cf. 1 K 3:12). And as evidence that God did bestow such an extraordinary gift on his servant, the sacred author then tells the well-known story of Solomon’s judgement. Two women claimed to be the mother of the same baby, and the king said: Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other” (1 K 3:25). Horrified at this order, one of the women begged that the child be given to her rival, and Solomon declared that she was the real mother, because she did not want the baby to be killed. When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given – says the biblical author –, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice (1 K 3:28 N).

The exceptional character of these events, however, should not mislead us into thinking that Solomon became the wisest man on earth overnight, almost by a stroke of magic. The Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible, says that Solomon asked for a cor docile, a docile heart – or, even more literally, a heart that can be taught. That
means that divine wisdom is something that has to be learned all through life, a rule of our human existence which applied even to Jesus, our Lord and Master. Indeed, Saint Luke writes that, as a child, Jesus grew in wisdom (cf. Lk 2:52), and in the Letter to the Hebrews we read: Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered (Heb 5:8).

So to follow in Jesus’ footsteps is essentially to strive to grow in wisdom. And if we want to commit our entire lives to learning the ways of the Lord, the first step we need to take is to pray most earnestly to be given a listening heart. All the time God speaks to us not only through the words of Scripture, but through all that goes on around us, wherever we may be. But if we fail to listen to the voice of the Lord – to the voice of truth speaking in our conscience –, from what other source can we learn to distinguish between right and wrong? And if our thoughts happen to be false, and our intentions in any way warped, how can we still hope to succeed in responding positively to God’s calling to work for his kingdom?

Yes, Solomon was right in thinking that a wise and discerning heart is by far the most precious gift anyone can receive from God. And that same message is imparted to us in today’s gospel, where the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great value represent the fullness of divine wisdom, which lies in Jesus of Nazareth, as God’s servant and Son. We are all invited to sell everything we possess in order to buy this wisdom that comes from God, and was made accessible to us by the power of Jesus’ death on the Cross. So we shall do well to listen to our Master’s encouraging words: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (M 11:29).

The monastic community begins its annual retreat on Monday 31^st July.

The guesthouse is closed during this period and there will be changes to the opening hours of Monastery Reception and to the times of some liturgies. Please refer to the times listed below for any changes to the normal schedule.

We ask your prayers for us during this time of retreat, and we assure you of our continued prayers for all of the friends and benefactors of Glenstal Abbey.

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CHANGES TO MONASTERY RECEPTION OPENING HOURS

 Sunday 30^th July

Monastery Reception open immediately after Mass only (shop closed).

Monday 31^st July to Friday 4^th August

Monastery Reception open from 11.40am to 12 noon only (shop closed).

Saturday 5^th August

Monastery Reception open from 9.30am to 5pm (shop open).

Monday 7^th August

Monastery Reception and Shop closed for Bank Holiday.

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CHANGES TO LITURGY TIMETABLE

 Monday 31^st July

No public celebration of Compline.

Tuesday 1^st August

Matins and Lauds at 7am

No public celebration of Compline.

Wednesday 2^nd August

Matins and Lauds at 7am

No public celebration of Compline.

Thursday 3^rd August

Matins and Lauds at 7am.

Friday 4^th August

Matins and Lauds at 7am.

No public celebration of Compline.

Saturday 5^th August

Matins and Lauds at 7am.

Fr Columba McCann OSB

Jesus didn’t fit the mould. A normal rabbi would be surrounded by people who were clearly religious and of good moral standing. But the circle around Jesus included quite a few shady characters, including those whose finances were corrupt and others who weren’t exactly
paragons of purity. A very mixed bag indeed, and it got Jesus into a lot of hot water. A good rabbi doesn’t have people like that in his circle. A good Catholic Church is not supposed to have bigots, climbers, cheats and hypocrites; it should be full of people who are good, loving,
just and compassionate.

Today’s parable of the wheat and the weeds would have helped Jesus’ contemporaries to see that things are not so simple. It’s not our job to be sorting out the good people from the bad; that’s God’s job, and he will do all of that in good time. Meanwhile he is working gently and
patiently with all of us. God doesn’t want us to panic about what seems like a mass of weeds in our society, our church, our neighbourhood, our family. God is confident that the wheat will survive.

The mixture of weeds and wheat seems to extend even into Jesus’ inner circle. Among the twelve apostles is a terrorist, a traitor and a man who promises the sun, moon and stars, only to disown Jesus when things get too hot. This crowd are so slow to get Jesus’ message that
even at the Last Supper they are bickering over who is the greatest; and in fact they all run away just when Jesus could do with some support. It seems more like a bunch of weeds with no wheat at all. Yet again, it’s not that simple…

The particular kind of weed mentioned in today’s gospel actually looks a lot like wheat. It’s hard to tell the weeds and wheat apart early on. In fact the apostles turned out to be the finest of wheat in the end, giving their lives for the gospel which they worked to spread across the
Mediterranean. God is the only one who knows what’s really going on in someone’s life and the direction in which they will final grow. God would prefer that people live good lives, but he can even use those who do wrong to achieve his purpose, even the weeds. We can think of the story of Joseph, sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers, only to become the one who, in the end, becomes powerful enough in Egypt to provide food for his family when they are near starvation. We can think of King David, who committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband; yet it is from the son of David and Bathsheba that the lineage of Jesus himself is traced. We can think of the early disciples who had to flee Jerusalem because of bitter persecution; but God used their journey of escape to spread the gospel throughout Judea, up to Samaria and beyond. We can think of St Paul who got so much hassle in his preaching that he ended up in Roman custody
facing charges; but God used that to get him safely to Rome itself where he could share the good news unhindered. God knows all about the weeds and can work with them and around them.

The devil, on the other hand, is really happy when we get worked up about the failings of others. When I’m thinking that someone else is weed rather than wheat, then I’m distracted from my proper objective. My focus is supposed to be towards God, not towards blaming others; towards God so that I grow into the kind of person who will bear fruit for others.

Monastic tradition speaks of a kind of religious zeal that is bitter: finding fault always with others, confusing and upsetting them by our judgements; whereas true zeal makes us humble and merciful towards the other, just like God. It says all over the monastic tradition that the
closer we get to God, the less we even notice the faults of others. That’s because the log in our own eye is getting smaller, and we realise that in the eye of the other is only a splinter. St Mother Teresa of Calcutta used to say that if you want to reform the world, reform
yourself. The best way to reform my family, my Church, my society, is to reform myself, by turning constantly to God for help.

As we gather around the table of the Lord, perhaps we are not so different from those who gathered around him long ago, scandalising the upright and the pious. We are a mixed bag. Each of us could say, ‘Thank God we are a mixed bag; that means there is a place for me.’
God is very gentle with those who are not reaching the target. You can’t get a gentler way of coming among us than under the simple signs of bread and wine. God knows only too well what needs fixing, and is constantly at work make things right.

Fr John O’Callaghan OSB

A prominent theme of today’s readings is the Word of God, its presence and power. Who could ever think that anything could be more present and powerful than God’s Word! From a biblical perspective God made the world and everything in it by the power of speech: ‘God said, let there be light and there was light’. Sovereign and majestic power at work in all of creation! And throughout the ages we believe that, as we say in the Creed, God ‘has spoken through the prophets’. The classical prophets typically introduce their teaching
with ‘Thus says the Lord….’ and we believe that the Lord does speak through them, inspires them, though the human element may at times tarnish the impression.

However today’s gospel considers the presence of the Word of God on a different level, on that of our individual experience, even here and now. After scripture readings congregations assent to this when they reply to the phrase ‘The word of the Lord’, with ‘Thanks be to God’. The ‘word’ they are referring to is like a seed. Today Christ teaches us about such seeds. We learn for example that: ‘when anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart.’ It is like a seed that is simply thrown on a path.

The truth is that seeds typically require a resting period after falling to the ground and before they are able to germinate into new plants. Chemical changes take place during this period, making the seed ready for germination. This does not take place unless the seed finds inself in a favourable environment. That means adequate water and oxygen, and a suitable temperature. When these conditions are not present, the seed is prepared to wait… and wait. Indeed seeds found in the excavations of Pompei, dating from 79 AD, grew when they were placed in the right conditions by modern scientists 1 . We understand that if
our hearts are not soft soil, but hard and stony, the word of God, the seed of faith can lie dormant forever.

Today’s parable is particularly interested in these seeds; it is concerned with those who were deaf to Jesus’ teaching. On questioning Jesus explained that such deafness fulfilled a prophecy of Isaiah; it was foreseen by God, and incorporated into the plan of salvation. This sounds ominous. Our first impression may be that Christ is being deeply unfair to some of his listeners – he won’t speak to them except in parables and, on purpose, lets them remain in their dullness of heart and unwillingness to be healed by him! We might wonder: Are the parables meant to be inaccessible to most and their meaning reserved
only for only an elite few for whom he interprets? But this is God’s hidden plan: on Palm Sunday Jesus summarized the many seed parables and unveiled their full meaning: ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains one; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.(Jn 12:24).

Jesus himself is the grain of wheat. It was precisely because of the blindness of the people that he was put to death and it would be by his death and resurrection that, as he said himself, he would then draw all people to himself.’ This has been God’s way to open the eyes and ears of all people to Him, to this day. It is on the cross that the meaning of the parable of the seeds is brought to full extension.

In conclusion, Jesus is not only the sower who scatters the seed of God’s word in his preaching; he is also the seed that falls into the earth in order to die and thus make salvation available for all. The mystery of the cross is inscribed right at the heart of the parables. It is true, as St Augustine says, ‘God writes straight with the crooked lines of our lives!’

Fr Abbot Brendan OSB

A Spanish Athlete, Beatriz Flamini, recently emerged from a cave in southern Spain after spending 500 days alone exploring the effects of isolation on the human mind and body. This rather unusual feat was part of a scientific experiment. As she appeared from her cave, Flamini embraced supporters, met with her doctors and spent nearly an hour talking to the media. She spent her days reading, drawing, exercising, knitting woolly hats and recording herself on video. Dokumalia, a Spanish production company, plans to turn her experiences into a movie.

St Benedict, whom we celebrate today, spent three years, 1,095 days, in his cave. He was not conducting a scientific experiment and only left the cave because he was discovered by the outside world and people started visiting him. Benedict went into his cave for one reason only, to search for God, to be alone with God.

There is something special about human beings and caves. Plato, in the Republic, compared the human condition to being imprisoned in a cave where we never see the light, but only shadows. Philosophers are those who make their way out of the cave and see the real world – but they have to be careful how they talk about their experience, because people in the dark don’t like the light. That analogy has rung true with many a seeker of truth down the centuries.

Let’s not forget the two most important caves in history, the cave at Bethlehem and the cave outside Jerusalem. Here, God himself did something very strange: He entered our caves to save us. In the manger and in the empty tomb, the Light of the World shone out from the cave. He reversed Plato’s image and brought the light into the cave. There is definitely something very special about people, caves and God.

It was Pope John Paul II who remarked, “The small, obscure grotto of Subiaco, became the cradle of the Benedictine Order. From it a bright beacon of faith and civilization shone out which, through the example and work of the holy Patriarch’s spiritual sons and daughters flooded the West and East of Europe and the other continents.”

We all need to be rescued from our caves. Like St Benedict, each of us needs to let God enter the darkest corners of our heart and mind. We need to allow God to rescue us from the stagnant airless deeps and lead us out by the hand into the light of the world. From his time alone with God in the cave Benedict demonstrates a profound understanding of human nature, and his Rule looks on human weakness with a compassionate eye while making it clear that life in the school of the Lord’s service is not always easy. Rather than being self-absorbed, putting myself in the centre of everything, I need to seek God at the centre. This is the path leading out of my cave.

Each one of us who have chosen a monastic vocation have been called personally by God to enter this school of the Lord’s service. I need to persevere in this school until my death. And so my final word on today’s feast of St Benedict is to those of us in monastic vows. Keep always within your heart and mind those words we recited on the day of our profession: Receive me, O Lord, according to your word and I shall live; and do not disappoint me in my hope.

Fr Luke Macnamara OSB

Today we get a rare chance in the Gospel of Matthew to overhear Jesus’ intimate prayer to his Father, whom he addresses as Lord of heaven and earth. The Father’s majesty extends over the whole universe and appears far beyond human reach. In his prayer, Jesus doesn’t thank his Father for his majesty. Instead he thanks him for revealing these things not to the learned and clever but to mere children. The Father has come down to our human level and even
further to the level of children. What are these things that he reveals to us? If we look to the preceding context, we observe that it refers to the deeds of power in Chorazin and Bethsaida to which the cities do not respond, unlike the other Galilean towns. These deeds of power are Jesus’ healings, exorcisms, and proclamations, which manifest God’s saving presence. God makes known in Jesus his saving presence to all humanity whose calling is to become his children and enjoy the fullness of life.

God goes further to reach humanity, for his Son, Jesus, gentle and humble in heart, assumes a yoke of burden. The Son of the Most High lowers himself not only to our human level, but to the level of the lowest grade of slave, whose status is equated with a pack animal. The Son will ultimately go further and carry the yoke of his crossbeam to Golgotha, where he will then be crucified and die for us. He carries our yoke imposed because of sin that through his death and resurrection we might have life.

Our lives are marked by sin which weighs us down and its effects stick to us like muck. The burdens of sin become heavy and make us weary. The yoke of maintaining the illusions of power, position, and prestige over others comes at a great cost. This is not Jesus’ yoke. Jesus points the way to free ourselves. By becoming gentle and humble in heart, towards ourselves, others, and God, we can fit under Jesus’ yoke. Since Jesus carries this yoke, it becomes easy for us and our burdens light. Let us learn to walk humbly with our Lord.

Fr Patrick Hederman OSB

I am sure some of you have had the experience of returned emigrants coming back to their old homes, explaining to you just how much they have made good since they left the old sod so long ago. ‘The corn is as high as a elephant’s eye, and it looks like its climbing clear up to
the sky!’ Tell me now, says the visitor: ‘How many acres have you here on this little farm of yours?’ ‘About 35 acres I’d say, not counting the garden at the front, the paddock on the left or the haggard at the back.’
‘Oh, my goodness me,’ says your man, ‘I only wish you could see the
magnificent prairies, the tracts of land that I own back where I come from . . .

I could get up on my tractor in the morning, drive around the headlands for a day and a half and I wouldn’t see a quarter of the property I own.’ ‘Oh, I know well what you’re sayin’ ‘ says my friend, ‘we had a tractor like that one time . . . the divil and all to start it up, and then spluttering and stuttering along the ways . . . an age to get you anywhere . . . a fright to the world.’

To understand the Gospel we have just been reading, we have to know the meaning of hyperbole: hyperbole means telling it as it is, but multiplying by a thousand to get your point across; in other words, exaggerating to tell the truth. And to know how that works, you have to come and live in Ireland for a while. The postman said to me the day before yesterday: ‘I have a mountain of post for you this morning [ now that meant two letters, one small parcel and a bill] After a few weeks of beautiful sunshine that we’ve all been enjoying you could
hear: ‘I’m roasting, I’m biling, . . . my head is like a pat of butter; I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, I’m walking around stark naked.

Then we had a day and a night of much welcome rain: so you’d hear: it was ‘raining cats and dogs, I tell you, It’s been raining now for 40 days and 40 nights. Then with everyone home from school you’ll hear throughout the land: He never cut the grass, it’s a jungle out there!
I’ve told you a million times, pick up your dirty socks. A teacher who’s correcting exams will have ‘a ton’ of papers to grade. So, when we hear our Lord Jesus Christ saying: “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; [or] anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” At least here in Ireland, we know where he’s coming from, what he’s getting at. I mean we’re not all fools down our part of the country!

St Paul uses similar language, making the very same point: Here’s what he says to the people of Philippi: ‘ I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain
Christ.’ [Epistle to the Philippians 3: 7-8] The message is clear: the only thing that really matters in this life and in the next, is knowing Christ Jesus and putting our trust in him.

Fr Jaroslaw Kurek OSB

Lessons from the monastery garden, our renewable energy plans and news from the brethren can all be found in the latest Glenstal Abbey Chronicle here: http://bitly.ws/IKnJ

Fr Christopher Dillon OSB

Those words of St John in the second reading sum it all up, “God is love”. Unpacking that simple statement is not so briefly done; and I don’t pretend to be able to do it satisfactorily. Again, it is in the Gospel of John that we read the words ascribed to Jesus, when he is speaking to Philip, “to have seen me is to have seen the Father”, which gives us a hint of how the God mystery is binatarian, until with love dynamic of the Holy Spirit, it becomes trinitarian…and increasingly complicated.

So much of what we have picked up in our religious instruction, over the years, is as wrong-headed as it was well intentioned. Most of us, Christians, have the notion that God loves us and will continue to love us, on condition that we keep the rules, as laid down by the Covenant. But love is gratuitous, that is to say, freely given and unconditional; and that is what we have to take on board, in God’s regard. God loves us because he loves us; there are no ifs or buts; and it is only in response to that unconditional love that we can truly love God.

Christian revelation allows us to speculate that God the Father being God, being love, gives himself in and to the Son. The Son being God and therefore love, gives himself reciprocally to the Father. This giving back to the Father involves the whole drama of the Incarnation and the passion with all that follows from it, all of it the expression of divine love. This is what we celebrate, when we speak about the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the self-giving love of the Father to the Son and the self-giving love of the Son to the Father, which, by virtue of our individual baptism into the body of Christ, includes our efforts at self-giving love. So it is that everything which we address to the Father we do through the Son, by the strength and light of the Holy Spirit.

Let me conclude these most inadequate observations by remarking that, to the extent that we manage to exercise self giving love in our relationship with others, we are being God- like, we are being Christ to others, we are being the kindness of God in the world. In a word, we are fulfilling our calling as children of God.