30 MAY 2024
The end of May has come, and with summer arriving soon, life slows down. Summer is often a needed gift, bringing relaxation and rest to our lives. It is a season of doing less, while being more present to God, each other, and ourselves. I have noticed that many of you are busier than ever before, and some have discerned that amidst this busyness, you are accomplishing less and less. This is often the cruel reality of our modern values of productivity and efficiency. The more you work, the less you accomplish!
As we move into summer, we have some wonderful opportunities to rest in God's presence - doing less, but being more present. Our parish Guild of St. Benedict resurrected itself recently. The St. Benedict's Guild is dedicated to praying the Daily Office, gathering every Sunday for Vespers and Benediction, and supporting one another through the Daily Office. The Guild has also begun to meet online for various offices on feast days. If you are interested in deepening your prayer life through the Daily Office, and if you are willing to commit to the Guild's communal prayer at Sunday Vespers, please speak with me.
On Saturday, June 8, join us for the Marian Sabbath Morning. We will begin with Matins and Lauds of the Blessed Virgin Mary at 9:00 am, followed by a reflection, discussion, and refreshments. We will also pray the Holy Rosary, ending the morning with a Votive Mass of the BVM. Throughout the summer on one Wednesday evening a month, we will continue to pray Vespers of the Dead and the Holy Rosary, followed by the monthly Requiem Mass.
The weekday masses also continue, Monday through Saturday at 12:00 noon. Many Christians, when they need a break or a moment to relax, go to a Yoga class or some other wellness offering. But why not do something that is a Christian practice? The daily masses are a short half hour, and they fit perfectly within the lunch hour. Spending time with God and the Sacrament in a peaceful church is a wonderful way to focus the day.
This Sunday we will celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi - the Body of Christ. After the Solemn Mass, there will be a Procession of the Host using the Monstrance through the streets of our neighborhood. We will process up Kapahulu Avenue, turning right at Campbell Avenue, turning right again at Castle Street, and turning right again at Kapahulu Avenue, returning to the church. We, the Body of Christ, will go with the Body of Christ, into our neighborhood, singing songs along the way.
Remember, if we are serious about being the Body of Christ for the world, we cannot neglect our prayer life. We must be serious about gathering with others for prayer. If we want to become the Body of Christ, we need to spend time with the Body of Christ in prayer, whether in the people or in the Sacraments.
On Sunday at the offertory we will sing, "We hail thy glorious presence, O Christ, our great High Priest." If we are serious about being Christians - the presence of Christ in the world - we need to be serious about being, rather than doing. We need to be in the presence of Christ, whether in prayer, procession, or praise.
Father Paul Lillie +
