Thursday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time

Blessed Beatrice (Beatrijs) of Nazareth (1200-1268), Cistercian nun, first prioress of the Abbey of our Lady of Nazareth, Brecht, Belgium, the motherhouse of Our Lady of the Redwoods Abbey! 

The Passion of Saint John the Baptist

Readings of the Day
RB: Ch 71 Mutual Obedience
Mass: 1 Th 3:7-13; Resp Ps 90; Mk 6:17-29
For Beatrice of Nazareth: Songs 8:6-7; Resp Ps 45; Jn 17:20-26

Listen to me, daughter, see and bend your ear.

A prayer for today comes from Jesus' Prayer at the end of Ch 17 of the Gospel of John: May the love with which the Father loved His Son be in us and Jesus in us. Amen.

SET ME AS A SEAL ON YOUR HEART,

AS A SEAL ON YOUR ARM;

FOR STERN AS DEATH IS LOVE,

RELENTLESS AS THE NETHER WORLD IS DEVOTION;

ITS FLAMES ARE A BLAZING FIRE.

DEEP WATERS CANNOT QUENCH LOVE,

NOR FLOODS SWEEP IT AWAY.

WERE ONE TO OFFER ALL HE OWNS TO PURCHASE LOVE,

HE WOULD BE ROUNDLY MOCKED.

(Songs 8:6-7)

The first manner [of loving] is an active longing which proceeds from love. It must rule a long time in the heart before it can thoroughly expel all opposition and it should act strongly and skillfully, and progress eagerly in this.

(Beatrice of Nazareth, Seven Experiences of Loving)

To honor Beatrice of Nazareth, what follows is the text of a poem written by Roger DeGanck, OCSO, monk of Westmalle Abbey, Belgium, and later the first and longtime chaplain at Our Lady of the Redwoods Abbey, CA. The text was set to music by Susan Twomey, arranged by Redwoods. We sang the hymn at Mass this morning. Fr Roger authored The Life of Beatrice of Nazareth (Cistercian Publications, 1991).

With Everlasting Love, I Love You.

With everlasting love, I love you.

With whispers in my ear 

I hear you call me, my Beloved.

How it was, is, and will always be 

In your unending glory.

In the fullness of your boundless Presence

You make it understood

How your love flows to me

and back to you in return.

You never hold back your love

Even without waiting

The only gift you ask of me

Is my desire, faithful and embracing.

How you await for me to love as you love

Awakening me night and day

So help me, now and here,

To fulfill this desire.

I thank you, my Beloved

So total in your love

May I receive your love completely,

And offer it in return.

BLESSED BEATRICE OF NAZARETH, PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Stained glass of Beatrice of Nazareth, Our Lady of Nazareth Abbey.