1Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
2The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
3whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
4who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
5who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.
This morning I attended Mass livestreamed from the Carmel of Reno. It is a place I have come to treasure through the pandemic and otherwise. In today's Gospel we celebrated Mary the central truth of whose existence is that in all of the marvelous ways she shared in the Mystery of God and God's love, "She pondered all these things in her heart." When I think of the Carmel of Reno or what they foster in the church and world, it is that they enable those of us who share in their own life in even the smallest way to also become women and men in touch with the Mystery that grounds and pervades us and our entire world, pondering it always in our own hearts.
That, it seems to me, is the very essence of what it means to be a contemplative and a hermit. It is also the essence of what Benedictinism regards as our cardinal task to seek God in all things, or to "listen attentively with the ear of our hearts" (Rule of Benedict, Prologue); Franciscanism might identify Mary's attitude toward all things with the motto, Deus meus et omnia! (my God and my all!), as well as with the source, means, and way to living simply and joyfully. To be able to perceive the God of eternity present in all of the people, great events, small moments, and varying moods of our life is both the gift and the task that we Christians celebrate as our vocation. Jesuits capture this in the motto, ad majorem Dei gloriam. Camaldolese do it with our motto, ego vobis, vos mihi (I am yours, you are mine), and our recognition that we have been called to "the privilege of love," in seeking to live the covenant relationship we each are. In each of these major expressions of Christian spirituality, there is a profound honoring of creation and the Mystery that resides at its heart calling out both to and within our own hearts --- and receiving the response we become.
Our responsorial psalm reminds us that it is not always easy to live this vocation; it is not always easy to listen with the ears of our hearts or to speak rightly with both heart and tongue truly given over to singing the praise of that Mystery we are called to ponder unceasingly (for isn't that really what Jesus calls us to in asking us to pray always)? And yet, with the power of the Holy Spirit, and like Mary, Our Lady of Mt Carmel, we can accomplish this. We can be this kind of human being, "language events" where the Word of God is truly incarnate and we resonate with and become transparent to the presence of Emmanuel. For those with eyes to see, our "ordinary" world is truly extraordinary with the presence of God. As G.M. Hopkins reminds us, it is charged with the grandeur of God "like shining from shook foil." With Mary and our Carmelite Sisters and Brothers, let us learn to ponder that grandeur in our hearts and sing its praises in the same way! Whoever does these things will never be shaken!!
That, it seems to me, is the very essence of what it means to be a contemplative and a hermit. It is also the essence of what Benedictinism regards as our cardinal task to seek God in all things, or to "listen attentively with the ear of our hearts" (Rule of Benedict, Prologue); Franciscanism might identify Mary's attitude toward all things with the motto, Deus meus et omnia! (my God and my all!), as well as with the source, means, and way to living simply and joyfully. To be able to perceive the God of eternity present in all of the people, great events, small moments, and varying moods of our life is both the gift and the task that we Christians celebrate as our vocation. Jesuits capture this in the motto, ad majorem Dei gloriam. Camaldolese do it with our motto, ego vobis, vos mihi (I am yours, you are mine), and our recognition that we have been called to "the privilege of love," in seeking to live the covenant relationship we each are. In each of these major expressions of Christian spirituality, there is a profound honoring of creation and the Mystery that resides at its heart calling out both to and within our own hearts --- and receiving the response we become.
Our responsorial psalm reminds us that it is not always easy to live this vocation; it is not always easy to listen with the ears of our hearts or to speak rightly with both heart and tongue truly given over to singing the praise of that Mystery we are called to ponder unceasingly (for isn't that really what Jesus calls us to in asking us to pray always)? And yet, with the power of the Holy Spirit, and like Mary, Our Lady of Mt Carmel, we can accomplish this. We can be this kind of human being, "language events" where the Word of God is truly incarnate and we resonate with and become transparent to the presence of Emmanuel. For those with eyes to see, our "ordinary" world is truly extraordinary with the presence of God. As G.M. Hopkins reminds us, it is charged with the grandeur of God "like shining from shook foil." With Mary and our Carmelite Sisters and Brothers, let us learn to ponder that grandeur in our hearts and sing its praises in the same way! Whoever does these things will never be shaken!!
Prayers today for my Carmelite Brothers and Sisters, for those in the Reno Carmel, and for those special friends who share their Carmelite roots and/or influences with me so freely, Laura Rodrian (Archdiocese of Milwaukee), Sister Anunziata Grace (Diocesan Hermitess, Diocese of Knoxville), Sister Nerina Jaeger, Er Dio (Archdiocese of Wellington, NZ), and Sister Rachel Denton, Er Dio (Diocese of Hallam, UK)
In this virtual choir, Sister Claire Sokol, OCD prioress of the Reno Carmel is the composer of the music and a driving force behind the creation of this choir and concert. For a video on the composition of the piece and the choir please see below, or go to the Reno Carmel website Carmel of Reno and under the tab Our Life, find Meet the Community. At the bottom of that page, you will also find the video. Enjoy!
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