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| Dawn at St Meinrad Archabbey July 13, 2001 |
who answered, “All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do.”
Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying,
“This is the blood of the covenant
that the LORD has made with you
in accordance with all these words of his.”
The Hebrews knew blood as the fluid of life. When Moses sprinkles the blood of a heifer on the people and on the altar of God he binds them to God in a covenant of life. When they declare “All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do.” they bind themselves and their children forever to the Lord and his covenant.
A few weeks ago I traveled with all the friars at Mount Saint Francis to Cincinnati for a "Chapter of Mats." The first Chapter of Mats was held in Assisi in 1221. Some five hundred friars came from Italy, France, Spain, England, Germany and elsewhere. Since there was no room for all these men to sleep in Assisi they slept out in the fields on mats. Hence the name, Chapter of Mats. That first gathering helped Francis and his men to "revision" his dream to the new reality of so many disciples.
Our gathering of 260 Conventual Franciscan friars from all over North America helped us to revision our dream for the twenty-first century.
Perhaps the most important question we discussed was, "What does it mean to be a Franciscan friar in North America in this 21st century?"
Can we actually invite men to join us and profess our vows to live in poverty, chastity and obedience for the rest of their lives? Will today's young people make such a sacrifice? Or should we adjust our vision to something more marketable?
We also wondered, "What does it mean to be a community now? When young people hear about us do they suppose we are a virtual community? If they join us will they believe they are joining something as insubstantial as virtual reality?
The overwhelming answer from the assembled friars was, "We're here. We're not going away." As we celebrated the Eucharist, we celebrated the REAL PRESENCE of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and the real presence of Conventual Franciscan Friars in North America. All that the Lord has said, we will heed and do.
This is the same answer that every parish and every diocese says whenever we celebrate the Eucharist, We are here; we're not going away.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.