Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Blessed Beatrice of Nazareth (1200-1268)

Readings of the Day
RB: Ch 71 Mutual Obedience
Mass: For Beatrice of Nazareth, Sg 8:6-7 or 1 Co 13:4-13; Resp Ps 44; Jn 17:20-26
For The Passion of John the Baptist, Jr 1:17-19; Resp Ps 71; Mk 6:17-29 
For the feria, 2 Th 3:6-10, 16-18; Resp Ps 128; Mk 6:17-29



Beatrice of Nazareth, Stained Glass, Our Lady of Nazareth Abbey, Brecht, Belgium


Today we celebrate Blessed Beatrice of Nazareth on the 750th anniversary of her death. Beatrice was a member of the community at Our Lady of Nazareth Abbey. Our Lady of Nazareth is the motherhouse of Our Lady of Redwoods Abbey. Congratulations to the Sisters at Nazareth and at Redwoods. May Blessed Beatrice intercede for us!

Beatrice, a mystic, was inspired by other great Cistercians, namely Bernard of Clairvaux (d. 1153) and William of St Thierry (d. 1148). Of her extant writings, The Seven Manners of Love is the most well-known. I was inspired by the second manner of love, described by Beatrice: The soul becomes so ardent in desire, so ready to serve, so nimble in work, so meek in annoyance, so joyful in trouble! With its whole being it desires to please the Lord, and it is pleasant for it to find something to do or to suffer for the service and honor of love. This doesn't come easy though, as our Abbess Kathy commented during a retreat she gave on Blessed Beatrice: "I admit to you that I am not 'meek in annoyance' nor am I 'joyful in trouble'! I have never been and I suspect I may never be! But, after I initially react with an annoyance or get upset with a problem before me, I do eventually quiet down. I recall the 'larger picture' of monastic life, of why I am here, of why we are here, and then I experience my heart soften and begin to melt." 

May we, too, recall the larger picture of monastic life, of Christian life!

SO FAITH, HOPE, LOVE REMAIN, THESE THREE; 
BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE.

BLESSED BEATRICE, PRAY FOR US. 



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