Dominican Life on Lotus Lane

At the time of Christ, salt was a valuable commodity. The Greeks called it divine, and the Romans offered it to their gods. Romans soldiers were often paid with salt (sale), and even today in Italy the colloquial term for money is saldi. Jewish rabbis used the image of salt for the Torah, because both are necessary for life. On the peaceful, sloping hills of Galilee overlooking the Sea of Gennesareth, Jesus instructed the people on what it means to be his disciple. At one point he said, \”You are the salt of the earth.\” (Mt 5:13) 

Salt has three special qualities:

First, salt purifies. The Romans said salt was the purest of all things, and this is why they used it in religious sacrifices. Christians still use salt as a sacramental against evil influences. Just as salt purifies, Christians must also purify. Today the standards of morality and values are almost leveled. A Christian must be the one to live a life of integrity.

Second, salt preserves. Salt is the most common preservative, used from antiquity up to our own day. It keeps food and other things from going bad and becoming corrupt. In the same way, Christians must have a cleansing, antiseptic influence on life. People usually avoid dirty jokes or foul language when a Christian is around, because his or her presence defeats corruption and makes it easier for others to be good. 

Finally, salt enhances. Christianity is to life what salt is to food…it makes it more enjoyable, brings out its best flavor. Salt is ordinary and inconspicuous, disappearing when mixed with food, but you can taste the effects! With this salt we remain serene in a worried world; joyful in a depressed world; radiant and full of life. 

Jesus says, \”You are the salt of the earth.\” Not, \”You will be,\” or \”You should be,\” but \”You are.\” This salt is given to us in the Holy Spirit and fidelity to God\’s word. Christ\’s disciples are the salt of the earth, purifying the world of its greed, lust, indifference, overcoming the culture of death with the vitality, trust and joy of life in God. May we never lose our distinctiveness of salt!

Today, the feast of the Presentation, used to mark the official end of the Christmas season–that was before the liturgical changes after Vatican II, we believe. Some of our sisters here can remember leaving the Christmas decorations up until February 2–wow! February 2 is also known in the secular world as Groundhog Day, the day when groundhogs (or other rodent-like animals) are supposed to predict either the coming of spring, or six more weeks of winter. Believe it or not, this has a certain Christian angle to it–and we don\’t mean the use of the film \”Groundhog Day\” to help discern a vocation! As we celebrate today\’s feast, we begin to make a remote preparation for the season of Lent–which will begin in about a month (March 5, to be exact). Regardless of what the groundhog predicts, the seasons are gradually beginning to change from winter to spring, as we see the nights becoming shorter and the days longer. We put away the infancy narratives of Christ for another year; we focus anew on his public ministry and soon on his passion.

We don\’t have groundhogs in Lufkin–at least, not that we know of. We have lots of other native creatures, but if we do have groundhogs they\’ve never ventured onto the monastery grounds. So when we want to know whether spring is coming, or six more weeks of winter, we consult the squirrels!

Looks like this squirrel is expecting spring to come!!

The feast of the Presentation of the Lord is celebrated beautifully at the Monastery, with light, joyful songs, and a procession inside the cloister from the chapter hall to the main chapel. Each nun carries a candle that has just been blessed by the priest. It is as if we were going with the Holy Family to Jerusalem to fulfill the prescriptions of the Law of Moses–the purification of the Mother and the presentation of her first-born Son, Jesus, in the temple where God is present. 

Mary is holy and pure, but she chose to submit herself to the Law, although she did not need to do so. Her actions show her obedience to the will of the Lord. Mary offered to God her first-born Son, the true \”Lamb of God\”. When Jesus is brought to the temple by his parents, Simeon was inspired by the Holy Spirit to recognize him as the true Savior of the world. He proclaimed Jesus as \”a light for revelation to the nations\”. He added that Jesus would be a \”sign of contradiction\” and that a sword will pierce his Mother\’s heart. The parents were astounded and awed when they heard the divine mystery and plan that God had generously revealed to them. 

Today we are invited to join the procession to welcome Jesus into our hearts. He is our true light and freedom, sent by God to save the world. With confidence in God\’s mercy and Christ\’s love, \”let us go to God\’s house\”, offering ourselves and those who are dear to us to the most gentle and loving Father.

This feast has had many names over the past two thousand years. The Mosaic law required a ritual cleansing of a mother forty days after she bore a son. This rite consisted in offering one sacrifice as a sin offering and a second in thanksgiving for a safe delivery. Because Joseph and Mary were poor and could not afford an animal, they offered two turtledoves or pigeons.The dedication of the first born son was joined to this ritual of purification. 

The liturgical celebration of this feast began in Jerusalem in the 4th century with the title, \”the 40th day after Epiphany\”. From there it spread to Byzantium, where by the 6th century it was known as \”the meeting of Jesus and Mary with Simeon\”. In the 7th century the feast was celebrated in Rome as the \”Purification of Mary\”. Today, it is called the \”Presentation of the Lord\”.

The ceremonial ritual of presentation in the temple is also a form of consecration to God. On this feast in 2002, Blessed Pope John Paul II said in his homily at Mass, \”In today\’s feast…we celebrate the mystery of consecration: consecration of Christ, consecration of Mary, consecration of all who follow Jesus for love of the kingdom.\” All the baptized are in a sense \”consecrated\”–set apart by God to do some mission for him, although some are called to follow in a more radical way through profession of the evangelical counsels. But no matter how we live the consecration we have received, we have the consolation of supernatural help from Our Lord and his Mother, as Blessed John Paul II concluded in his homily, \”How comforting it is to know that Mary is beside us, as Mother and teacher, on our path of consecration!\”

It\’s that time of year again–the Lunar New Year, or Tet as our Vietnamese sisters call it! We have come full circle this year–we began our community celebrations of Tet in 2002 (which was also the Year of the Horse) and now we are starting (so to speak) another 12-year cycle! Over the years our celebrations have varied but some things remain constant, like our traditional dance choreographed by Sr. Mary Christine. We\’ll let the pictures of the dance speak for themselves!

In our first reading from Isaiah we have the actual text from the prophet, which is not exactly as Matthew gives it to us in the Gospel. The prophecy ends on a very positive note: 

you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. (Isaiah 9:1-3)

What is this \”day of Midian\”? Midian was a great and powerful nation southeast of Israel. For many years it had periodically plundered and raided the Israelites. This was the moment when Gideon was made a judge to protect and defend God\’s people. Gideon raised an army of 10,000 warriors, but God thought that was too many and sent all but 300 home. Besides that, he did not allow those left to use any weapons. The Israelites would defeat their enemy with horns, empty clay jars and torches. 

God did not need 10,000 soldiers to destroy Midian. He didn\’t even need 300. They were only an example of how much their faith enabled God to act through them to overcome danger. The same holds true for each of us. In the many battles and struggles of life, often all we can really do is pray to God for his help. Pray for guidance–to know God\’s will–and strength, to do it and carry it to the end.

Nothing in this world is secure and lasting–no nation, no continent, not even the mighty stars. Only God and what he wills is lasting. One of the things God wills to last forever is us–and our immortal souls. What are we doing to make ourselves ready for eternity? Each of our daily choices goes into the \”mix\” of our eternity. May our sins and tendencies toward evil \”be smashed as on the day of Midian\”.

As we finished Compline last night, it started snowing…and this morning we awoke to a rare (for Lufkin) winter wonderland! We haven\’t had a snow like this since…2010?? And this was heavier snow than we had back then!

Snow on the magnolia tree–and on Our Lady!

 In the woods

Another shot of the woods. You can see the novitiate building at the left.

The snow-covered angel at our flagpole.

By noon, the snow was beginning to melt, although it was still pretty cold outside–for Lufkin. We realize for many parts of the United States and some parts of the world snow is no big deal because it happens every winter, or at least more often than not. But for us it was an opportunity to wonder anew at God\’s marvelous works. And maybe to throw a snowball or two! \”Bless the Lord, ice and snow, praise and glorify him forever!\” (Daniel 3:70)