Homily by Abbot Theodore Wolff OSB for
the Profession of Bro. Gregory
Novice Jairo, today we have two reasons to celebrate. We
celebrate the feast of All The Saints known and unknown, what
a cloud of witnesses we have the apostle tells us. Today we celebrate
the day of your first profession as a member of Mount Michael
Benedictine Abbey.
Novice Jairo, today is a good day to ask the question: What
is holiness, saintliness? Holiness is simply allowing God’s
presence to shine through our life. Illuminating God’s
presence so thoroughly that our life becomes rich and fruitful.
As we celebrate we ask another question: what meaning can
we find in today’s celebration? The apostle John answers
this question for us when he writes: “See what love
the Father has bestowed on us letting us be called children
of God! Yet that in fact is what we are. The reason the world
does not recognize us is that the world never recognized
the Son.”
Novice Jairo your brothers and friends have come to celebrate
with you this evening. We do so as children of God, who recognize
Christ the sacrament of God’s presence among us. We
gather to celebrate this evening as children of God who recognize
Christ the first saint of all children.
This prompt another question: Who are saints? Saints are
flesh and blood disciples, who grow into holiness as the
Spirit of Christ crucified and risen leads us and shapes
us.
What does holiness demand of us? Holiness demands a God-consciousness
in our lives that comes from dedication in our lives, that
comes from dedication to Christ and his gospel and for Benedictines
we add the Holy Rule of Benedict. Our dedication must spill
over into the lives of our brothers and sisters. We must
remember that children of God are Christ bearing individuals
in a community.
Holiness is available for all. Our holiness is rooted in
the gift of Baptism and the gospel faith. We have to learn
in the school of the Lord’s service how to incarnate,
how to make flesh the beatitudes in our life.
Novice Jairo, in the school of the Lord’s service
to make flesh the beatitudes entails a spirit of openness
to let God shape your attitudes and your actions. Holiness
requires openness to conversion, putting off the old ways
of Adam to assume the new ways of Christ, the ways of truth,
beauty, justice, peace and charity.
Each day Jairo, your goodness along with your brothers and
sisters is brought to the alter, where together we offer
praise and glory, wisdom, thanksgiving and honor, power and
might to our God, until together we all reach that fullness
of holiness around God’s throne in the heavens.
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