| That God is Love, | | | | Christ is a result of God’s love for woman and |
| Commentary on John 15 1-8 | | | | mankind |
| “Me in thee, and thee in me…” | | | | A relationship has many dimensions, as has any love |
| Homily | | | | affair. |
| Peter Menkin, Obl Cam OSB | | | | Being angry with God is not failing to love God. |
| Church of Our Saviour (Episcopal) | | | | Asking why did this happen; having doubts, is a way |
| Mill Valley, CA USA | | | | of reaching and moving towards love. These are |
| (North of San Francisco) | | | | points of starting that enables us to enter into love. |
| Fifth week of Easter | | | | Otherwise the stumbling block becomes our own |
| Wednesday Eucharist, May 13, 2009 | | | | emotional failure. One must be true to our own |
| Acts 15: 1-6 | | | | feelings and thoughts. Emotional honesty is required. |
| John 15: 1-8 | | | | It is not one who is angry who is a failure, but when |
| Psalm 122 | | | | one is denying self-awareness, dishonest in the |
| In the name of God: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. | | | | relationship with God. This honesty, and knowing |
| It is in Love, through the Church, Worship, and | | | | oneself in Christ is a job itself, and all of us as |
| prayer; it is in Love, through acts of mercy, charity, | | | | Christians work at this task. It is part of the vineyard |
| and deeds for others; it is in Love, through following | | | | work. |
| the poor and chaste Christ through the Church | | | | Abiding as resting in Christ, in the spirit of the |
| year—where we come to know and live in the | | | | Church—is balm. It is comfort. As Archbishop |
| way of Christ. This is called the Christian life. What | | | | Rowan Williams says, “Church is something that |
| this life entails is narrated through the Bible, in specific | | | | happens, a verb before it is a noun.” Church is a |
| The New Testament. On this day we are reminded | | | | vineyard of Christ, and the Church asks, even tells |
| again that God seeks us in Love. | | | | us, that the world is Christ’s vineyard, as our |
| Our reading from John 15: 1-8 says directly: | | | | lives are engaged and lived in the vineyard. We labor |
| “I am the true vine, and my father is the | | | | in God, who is Love. |
| vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that | | | | Love is a verb before it is a noun. Love acts upon us, |
| bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he | | | | as we live in the history of God in our lives, and |
| prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already | | | | within our nation and community. It is common for us |
| been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to | | | | to offer guidance and moral community in Christ, and |
| you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch | | | | we do this personally and corporately. Each member |
| cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, | | | | helps the other along the way. We express this help |
| neither can you unless you abide in me…” | | | | and caring each Sunday. One example is: Each Sunday |
| My life as an Oblate, received by the Camaldolese | | | | we offer each other “…the peace of the |
| monastic order of St. Benedict 15 years ago, has | | | | Lord…” This offer is our desire that each of us |
| opened to me a life lived as offering to God. | | | | experience Christ’s peace. |
| Sometimes I think of it as Samson in the Bible who | | | | As an Oblate, I enjoyed meeting acceptance and |
| lived under a vow, and think that called by God | | | | understanding of the requests made of an Oblate in |
| I’ve responded and may hold a special fervor for | | | | one’s life. This is called Postulancy. Postulancy |
| Christ and Church, to abide in God and continue the | | | | lasts at the least a year. The Oblate Introduction |
| Divine Call that brought me to live in the world as the | | | | says: |
| Oblate does, rather than in a monastery, as does the | | | | Long before the coming of Christ, humanity's quest |
| Monk. This is a life of abiding in Christ, abiding in God, | | | | for the Absolute gave rise (and bears) throughout |
| and a radical giving over to a more religious life. | | | | the centuries … witness to the divine destiny of the |
| One preached retreat at Immaculate Heart | | | | human person and to the presence of the Spirit in |
| Hermitage in Big Sur, California where Brother Bead | | | | the hearts of all who seek to know what is true and |
| spoke of The Rule of Saint Benedict, I realized that | | | | ultimately real. …[E]very Christian call witnesses to |
| this Holy Book was an excellence direction and | | | | that dimension present interiorly in every other |
| resource for living life in a full. It is a directed way | | | | Christian. |
| that is common to the monastic community of which | | | | For as our reading says, and as we live and learn as |
| I am a part. Having chosen to center my life around | | | | Christians we recognize in each other Christ, and our |
| the daily office and worship and prayer, my interest | | | | faith in heart, deed, and word. We believe in the |
| is in living with the Parish as a centerpiece for life. | | | | seen and unseen: |
| With its many Biblical references and references to | | | | “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, |
| the Psalm in The Rule, I am helped in my direction for | | | | ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for |
| abiding in a manner consistent with John’s, | | | | you. My father is glorified by this, that you bear much |
| “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch | | | | fruit and become my disciples.” So we learn to |
| cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, | | | | “…feed the poor, and homeless,” as we do |
| neither can you unless you abide in me…” | | | | through our work in providing a meal to them, so we |
| | | | | learn to “…worship regularly in Church, as we |
| Living with others in community, as I live the Parish | | | | do on Sundays and other days, so we learn to |
| life, and the monastic life in the world, I, like you, | | | | “…introduce others to Christ, as we do by |
| follow the poor, chaste Christ through the year. | | | | being a light to the world. |
| “Me in thee, thee in me.” | | | | We seek God together as we abide in God in Christ |
| Love binds us. | | | | together. |
| We are friends in Christ. | | | | More from the Rule for Camaldoli Oblates: |
| That Christ invites us: it is an enormous hospitality of | | | | As sincere seekers of God (RB 58, 7) we approach |
| God that is extended anew through Christ. We are | | | | God as sons and daughters. We center our lives on |
| invited, and this is Grace--for we are accepted. | | | | the encounter with God, which finds expression in |
| Like Dame Julian of Norwich, we learn the Lord’s | | | | forms of prayer handed down in early Christian, |
| meaning that is brought to us through divine longing. | | | | patristic and monastic traditions. Ultimately, our prayer |
| Love is his meaning. | | | | seeks to become the very prayer of the Holy Spirit |
| Who shows it to us: Love. | | | | within our hearts. |
| What is shown: Love. | | | | This statement of the Rule for Oblates is genuine for |
| Why was it shown: Love. | | | | me. I believe it will resonatewith you, for we |
| We learn that Love is our Lord’s meaning. | | | | experience prayer in Church together this day. I find |
| Christ in the Bible, Christ in the Church Fathers, Christ | | | | that my own yearnings are fulfilled in my divine |
| in the Church guides us. Though we may have | | | | search, as I rest in the prayers. This form of abiding |
| different approaches and needs, we are united in | | | | in Christ is one of many we may practice or know. It |
| Christ. For example, as a contemplative, I seek Union | | | | is within the Church, that means of offering from |
| with God. This is an unknowing knowing. One lives | | | | generation to generation life in Christ, that we find |
| with the contradictions, lives with the questions of | | | | meaning and direction. |
| Christ and those of the Church. This includes those | | | | Through the centuries mankind and womankind have |
| mysteries that we find in the Bible. | | | | experience the divine search, and the words of John |
| The invitation to God is the result of God’s love, | | | | have been revelation, comfort and instruction: “I |
| not our love of God. Humans cannot be so perfect | | | | am the true vine, and my father is the vine |
| as to regard God in a manner as He regards humans. | | | | grower…Abide in me as I abide in you.”Let me |
| Though we bless God “for our creation, | | | | end with this blessing: The Lord bless us and keep us. |
| preservation, / and all the blessing of this life; but | | | | Amen. The Lord Make his face to shine upon us and |
| above all for your immeasurable love/ in the | | | | be gracious to us. Amen. The Lord lift up his |
| redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus | | | | countenance upon us and give us peace. Amen. |
| Christ…” and may do this daily, it is God’s | | | | Photo by Henry Worthy, Camaldoli Oblate, London. |
| grace that gives us these freedoms. This gift of | | | | Icon of Christ by Zalewski. |