Year of Saint Joseph
Other saints: Saint John of God, Founder (1495-1550)
International Women's Day
Readings of the Day
RB: Ch 31:1-12 Qualifications of the Monastery Cellarer
Mass: 2 Kings 5:1-15ab; Resp Ps 42-43; Lk 4:24-30
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
HEART OF JESUS, SACRED TEMPLE OF GOD,
HAVE MERCY ON US.
Looking through some notes last night I found something that Cardinal Basil Hume of happy memory said at a 1999 conference. He was quoting Cardinal, now Saint John Henry Newman: "A child has this one great gift. That she seemed to have lately come from God's presence." Then I saw today's Responsorial Psalm: "Athirst is my soul for the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God?" (Resp 42:3). Ah, the face of a child. And Naaman whose "flesh became again like the flesh of a little child" (2 Kgs 5:14). Jesus is present wherever you find yourself. Now. Why not sing with the psalmist: "Come," says my heart, "seek God's face"; your face, Lord, do I seek! (Ps 27:8).
We consider too today's reading from the Holy Rule of Saint Benedict and Chapter 31, "Qualifications of the Monastery Cellarer." It is another one of my favorites and contains a most challenging job description and one not for the faint-hearted. As I have said before, the cellarer could be called a contemporary COO or Chief Operating Officer, at least as a friend of mine used to describe her position at a large law firm. She was responsible for all the people and the goods and was sure the lights were turned out at night. Read Chapter 31 for yourself and see how you might apply some of the qualifications of the cellarer to your vocation. Here are a but a few. The person chosen from the community should be someone who is "wise, mature in conduct, temperate, not an excessive eater, not proud, excitable, offensive, dilatory or wasteful, but God-fearing ... (RB 31:1-2). And surely for all of us is to extend kindness for "a kind word is better than the best gift (Sir 18:17/RB 31:14).
And the Holy Father Pope Francis is back in Rome after his four day Apostolic Visit to Iraq. Benvenuto Papa Francesco! Maria Salus Populi Romani, prega per noi.
SAINT JOHN OF GOD,
SAINT JOSEPH,
PRAY FOR US.
© Gertrude Feick 2021
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