Feast of Saint Isidore of Seville (4 Apr 2008)

Beginning this Friday, which is the first Friday of the month of April, and continuing for about a week, we will be reading at Mass from the 6th chapter of the gospel of Saint John—that tremendously important chapter in which Jesus foretells his institution of the Holy Eucharist in which he will give himself to the world under the forms of bread and wine. This chapter is read at Mass during the third week of the Easter season every year. It highlights the connection of the resurrection of Our Lord and his abiding presence to the world in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
I have the privilege of being chaplain to a monastery of contemplative Sisters whose main function within the Church is the adoration of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Saint Paul likens the Church to a human body with its many functions. We have eyes with which to see, ears to hear, a tongue to speak, hands to perform many tasks, feet with which to walk, etc. The Church is something like that. In the Church we have bishops to lead and govern us, priests to provide us with the Sacraments and preach the gospel to us; religious teachers to explain our faith to us; the married faithful to provide the vast majority of our Christian community by whom the entire world is to be sanctified. And then we have the contemplatives—usually cloistered men and women—who are the official pray-ers, adorers, thank-ers of the Church before the throne of God. Every morning after Mass, I put the consecrated Host in the monstrance and place it in a special place of honor above the tabernacle in the chapel where all the Sisters can see it clearly. Then, all day long, they come either to take part in the various parts of the Liturgy of the Hours, or to pray privately and individually before our Divine Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

I have heard people say, “What’s the use of that? Why don’t they get out and do something practical for people in need?” Questions like this betray a failure to understand the very nature of God and man and prayer. We have been created by God to spend a very small amount of time in this world and then to spend an eternity of praise and adoration and thanksgiving in heaven. There will be no needs to be filled in heaven: no hungry to be fed, no ignorant to be taught; no sick to be healed or cared for. So what’s the purpose of heaven? If we think that human activity has as its only justification the filling of needs, then what do we do when all the needs are filled? Does our life lose its meaning? Not at all! We work to accomplish goals, and then we rest. And what do we do when we rest? Many pleasant things: we communicate with one another; we read interesting books; we listen to music; we dance; we travel, we celebrate with parties, and we adore God, our creator.

The missionary, the teacher, the nurse, the parish priest, the bishop, the pope—these are the working people in the Church. But the contemplative nun or monk is concerned not about the labor of the Church, but the rest.

Have you ever wondered why the American government pays military personnel to do nothing but stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.? Is that a waste of money, and the time of the ceremonial guard? Those who see no reason for the contemplative life would say YES! Those who understand adoration, tribute, and prayer say NO! These latter know perfectly well that no one in the world does things more “practical” than our Sisters here, who sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to him. Like Saint Mary of Bethany, they have “chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from them.” Thank you for seeking God’s truth. God bless you. Father Victor Brown, O.P.