“Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Psychologists say that a common symptom of depression is grandiosity. When we feel downcast, undervalued or diminished, we often develop an inflated persona, one which is proud, magnificent, garbed in flashy colors. And that is how the disciples approach Jesus today. Their question is so blatantly proud – “Lord, who among us is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” – that what lies underneath can only be the disciples huge lack of confidence, self-value and meaning in their lives. Because they felt so poor and empty, they built this self-image where they are worthy of the kingdom of heaven.

Ps 128 begins: “O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in His ways.” This ‘fear of the Lord’ is proclaimed requently in the Scriptures, especially in the Old Testament, and it has nothing to do with terror or fright. Fear of the Lord is a profound reverence, and encompassing grace of regard for our God, in a word, a love for God which marks the life of one who ‘walks in His ways’ a believer - us - fearers and walkers.

According to Jewish law, a woman had not many rights in society. She could not testify in a civil process; she could not divorce her husband and her participation in the liturgy was certainly secondary when compared to Jewish men. But Jesus was not happy with such a poor treatment of women, and he chose them to take a privileged part in his Incarnation, in his ministry and during his Passion. All these women had a characteristic in common: they were all marginal Jews, set aside because of their sins – especially against chastity. In fact, in Jesus’ genealogy, we find 5 women: Tamar, involved in an incestuous relationship with her father-in-law; Raab, a prostitute; Ruth, a pagan; Bathsheba, an adulteress; and the Virgin Mary, whose immaculate conception would seem a scandal for anyone who did not know that Joseph was not the biological father of her son.

In all four Gospels the account of Jesus’ passion and death is rather brief; there are few details because it was not written for the sake of curiosity. Rather it is the proclamation of the Good News to bring people to faith in Jesus Christ; theGospel accounts tell us all we need to know.

In the opening verse of today’s Gospel, St Luke says that “Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God”. That shows us that even Jesus needed time to get away for a while, to gain separation from the noise and distractions of the world. That’s good to know, because it means that those who follow Jesus will also need time away to pray to God. And not only monks.

Some people gripe about all the rules in the Catholic Church. They want to be able to pick and choose. They feel all the rules inhibit their freedom and keep them from becoming mature adults. They see rules and guidelines as something negative. Similarly, monastic life has many further rules and guidelines. For someone who is a free spirit it may feel somewhat smothering, but the rules are a helpful tool for what to leave in and what to leave out.

Today’s Gospel of the wise and foolish virgins is read every day in Coptic monasteries at the Office of Midnight Prayer. It’s a reminder that wearing the habit won’t do us any good unless we prepare for the coming of the Bridegroom by devoting ourselves humbly to a life of prayer and penance. And so the monks continue by singing this Troparion: “Remember, my soul, that awesome day, awake and light your lamp with the oil of joy for you do not know when the voice will call: ‘Behold, here comes the Bridegroom’. Watch, my soul, that you do not fall asleep lest you should stay outside knocking like the five foolish virgins. But watch with prayers in order to meet the Lord, Christ, with rich oil. He will bestow upon you the joys of His true divine glory”.

“For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the Church”. According to St Paul – and all the Church ever since – when someone leaves his parents and joins his/ her spouse, he/she becomes another person – a collective person, a joint person, a unity with the one he/ she loves. Love binds, generates and renovates all things. And this is a great mystery, and Paul – and all the Church – applies it to Christ and the Church as well.

In the Gospel we are not told where Jesus was teaching, even if it was not on a mountain, what he said was very lofty and six times He referred to Himself not just as “bread” but “bread come down from heaven - living bread - bread which gives life forever.”His words were puzzling, disturbing and his audience had difficulties in understanding and accepting His word. So Jesus, the patient teacher, taught them how this would be: “ No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draw him.”

The story of humanity begins in a garden; and all through that story, the beauty of God’s creation has given joy to the human heart. We learn something about the love of God from the loveliness of material things, like the bread which earth has given and human hands have made. The most beautiful creatures in the original garden were two human beings, partly body and partly spirit.

The main purpose for doing lectio is not to find out what exegetes have to say about scripture. It is to find out what God has to say, and what he has to say can change our life. St Athanasius in his Life of St Anthony tells us that in the time before Anthony became a monk, he went to church thinking about the first Christians who had everything in common, and he heard the Gospel read: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell everything, and follow me". Athanasius goes on to say: "It was as if by God’s design he had been thinking about these saints, and as if the passage were read on his account. Immediately Anthony went out from the Lord’s house and gave to the townspeople the possessions he inherited from his ancestors".

Monday, July 29, our Br. Alberic Gardner turns 100 becoming the longest-lived Genesee monk.

This morning our Br. Mark Soroko entered the novitiate. Originally from New Hampshire, Br. Mark, 47, earned a bachelor of science degree and later an M. Div. He's also studied auto-mechanics, a combination of skills well-suited to a life of reading and manual labor. His quiet, friendly presence continues to be a welcome blessing to our community.

All the citizens of heaven want to promote unity among us; all the citizens of hell want to promote division. Satan wants to divide and conquer. But the closer we get to God, the closer we get to our fellow human beings. The more we love God, the more we love others.

St Gregory in his Dialogues shows us how St Benedict had a gift for prophecy. He could read people’s hearts and even see the present in the light of the future. In writing his Rule, St Benedict repeatedly urged his monks to learn to see, and to be seen. Two particular visions must have marked St Benedict’s consciousness especially.

St. Charles de Foucauld: From the moment in which we begin to judge anyone, to limit our confidence in him, from the moment at which we identify the person with what we know of him and so reduce him to that, we cease to love the person and he ceases to be able to become better. We should expect everything of everyone. We must dare to be love in a world that does not know how to love.

“God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living”. God did not make death nor evil, but they are all too present in our daily lives. To the point that many people state that they do not believe in God because death and evil are so present in our world.

“Enter through the narrow gate.” To the proud man, everything that contradicts him seems narrow: love, humility, truth, holiness. God is too narrow, too restrictive, too different from me. The further away I perceive myself from God, the narrower this gate seems – so narrow that it seems almost closed.

If you look at the recessional hymn for today’s Mass, it’s a kind of commentary on the readings. It’s addressed to God the Father, and the second verse reads: “By your Son the wide creation / Rose where chaos held its sway; / By the Spirit, God Almighty / Swept eternal night away. / Son, the Father’s love revealing”. The Creator of the sea is the only one who can say to it, as he does in the book of Job: “I set limits for [the sea]...and said: Thus far shall you come but no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stilled!”

Recently in my reading I came across something that stayed with me: “Renunciation is not giving up the good things of this life but accepting that they go away.” In this view, renunciation is not about willpower but acceptance and surrender. The monk, who is characterized by renunciation, comes to be seen not as a spiritual athlete, but under the aspect of mourning.