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Archived Monastery
Happenings
March 2009
Reflection – Sister Nancy Miller, Prioress
Benedictine Awareness- University of Mary
March
18, 2009
When reflecting on the readings for today’s Liturgy, I was
struck with their message to teach. In the book of
Deuteronomy we hear, “Take care … not to forget the things
which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your
memory as long as you live, but teach them to your children
and your children’s children.” Jesus also talks about
teaching in today’s Gospel from St. Matthew, “Whoever obeys
and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in
the kingdom of heaven.”
To teach is one of the themes of the scripture readings
today and to teach is exactly why we have Benedictine
Awareness Days every year in March, close to the feast of
St. Benedict – March 21st. As founders and
sponsors of the University of Mary, we Sisters of
Annunciation Monastery want to teach and remind the
university community about St. Benedict and the values by
which he lived.
We believe Benedictine values which many of you can name –
hospitality, prayer, respect for persons, moderation,
service and community – are vital in our violent, complex
world. They can help foster inner peace and happiness as
well as promote peace among people. We need you to help us
to live these values and pass them on. We teach you and you
teach us how these values can be lived out in each of our
unique circumstances.
Let me briefly explain who St. Benedict was and why he is so
important to us. He lived around the year 500 in complex,
violent times like our own. There was constant warfare and
the city of Rome was being destroyed by barbarians. He fled
to the mountains outside of Rome to get away from it all.
His intent was to be a hermit – but because he was such a
holy man, he was pursued and asked to teach about how to
seek God, how to live in community in peace, service and
love – very different from what was going on in Italy at
that time.
Benedict still teaches through the rule he wrote, a way of
life, a school of the Lord’s service as he said, where
people learn together to find God in everyday life and to
live together in love. The values in this little rule apply
not only to monastic women and men but to everyone – to all
of you in this university community who are a part of our
Benedictine family.
Benedict talked about the importance of being there for one
another and helping one another. I believe that when people
care about God and each other, when we are there for one
another, good things happen and we help to make our world a
better place.
When we meet one another, we need to be attentive because we
never know what hurts are inside other people. As Philo of
Alexandria said, “Always be kind, for everyone you meet is
fighting a great battle.” And Sue Monk Kidd in the
Secret Life of Bees notes that “the only purpose grand
enough for a human life” is “not just to love – but to
persist in love.”
If we truly care about one another and offer a helping hand
and heart - in the classroom, in the residence hall, on the
athletic field, in music or drama practice, in our
professional careers or wherever we are, then we are
carrying on the spirit of St. Benedict and the Gospel of
Jesus. We are truly making a difference in the lives of
others and our world is better for it. Let us help one
another make a difference.
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