As I grow older, I’ve become more of a grump and I know why. For the sake of simplicity, I can take all of my life experiences and put into two categories; Good and Bad. These experiences include those where I’m an active participant and others where I’m a passive observer. Now these moments invariably imprinted themselves somewhere in my brain case where they remain to this day. If my mission is to locate these memories, put them into buckets and weigh them, the Bad, obese bucket will need a truck scale. The Good bucket, cherished as it is, is practically anorexic – a jeweler’s scale will suffice. Maybe in some imperfect way, I’ve described our shared humanity. Bad seems to be winning. But as Christians, we ultimately know that’s an illusion.Our civilization is at a critical stage, as if Bad has been on growth hormones. I would hope that rational people would agree to some extent. But for this post, I prefer to celebrate the Good – more specifically, four wonders of my world – and to suggest one great action item for this Christmas season.
First Wonder: God
So many years ago, when I was a non-believing Marine fighter pilot, like a kid in a sandbox, I played in the clouds. And then, it was as though God threw white fluffy lamb’s wool into the sky just for me; misty cumulus forms that reached for my body. I was alone in my jet, alone over the Pacific and except for ocean and sky, not anyone or anything could be seen. I could have been the only person on earth. It wasn’t frightening or intimidating. It was intoxicating. I felt important, unique, as if I were given an honor.
God had presented himself to me and inspired awe. I floated above on His wings of Love.
Second Wonder: My Catholic Faith
Meeting God required me to follow, but who or what? From my perspective, other religions, philosophies, cultural traditions and Christian splinter groups that have attracted legions of followers, men and women – not God – founded them. Some of these people have been characterized as prophets, revolutionaries or visionaries and their ambitions may have been laudable. But God and his incarnate son Jesus was not the originator. That in itself was hugely problematic. I was not interested in man-created creeds regardless of the charisma of the founder or well-articulated teachings. I did not want to stake my soul on human invention.
If there’s a wellspring of Truth, I wanted to be as close to this source as possible. God is Truth itself and the Roman Catholic Church is the pillar and bulwark of that Truth.
Third Wonder: Mary, Mother of God
Dr. Carrie Gress has written a thought-provoking book which I highly recommend, The Marian Option; God’s Solution to a Civilization in Crisis. Dr. Gress was able to synthesize this perfect mother whose will is immaculately aligned with God’s perfect will.
“Despite only speaking six times in Scripture, the centuries have proven that Mary is one of the greatest forces in history. While many consider her to be only slightly elevated over the rest of the communion of saints, in reality, she goes far beyond every other saint in terms of who she is and her intercession for us. Being ‘full of grace,’ she is much more than we can be while providing the model for who we should be. What started out as small as a mustard seed has grown into one of the most powerful forces on earth. Further, whether it’s evangelization, stomping out heresies, or vanquishing the Church’s enemies, Mary is at the heart of it all.”
Fourth Wonder: Norbertine Canonesses
Many religious communities are dying out. It is not a coincidence that the Norbertine Canonesses of Tehachapi are thriving. Women, even and especially the younger ones, are drawn to this pure, authentic and true representation and living of the Catholic faith.
Mother Mary Augustine commented to me that prayer is the heart of their life. Their mission, although quiet, hidden and undeniably Marian, is to intercede for the needs of the world. This helped me to understand why God loves all of us. The Sisters exemplify humanity at its best – loving, selfless, communal, serving, tireless, industrious. Combine that with a life dedicated to God’s honor and glory and the saving of souls and you have the Norbertine Canonesses of the Bethlehem Priory of St. Joseph.
Saints-in-training would not be an exaggerated declaration.
The monastic life that began back in the late 3rd century continues to this day. It was the faith of the people that built and sustained monasteries, especially cloistered women. The rich and nobles gave castles, land, etc., so that the monks and nuns could pray for them in perpetuity. Endowments and donations over the centuries followed, people knew that nuns would be praying for them and their souls after they died, again and forever.
Today, there is little faith, and unfortunately, little desire to help those who pray. What do those nuns DO all day? There doesn’t seem to be an understanding of the nature of grace, of the roles of the various members of the Mystical Body, the reality of prayer and that God has chosen souls to be His co-redeemers. Cloistered nuns, in a special way, are called away from the chaos of the world, from distractions, to be for God alone, to be transformed by Him so that they may be instruments of His grace, mercy, etc. It is a part of His will and plan.
We all have a part to play, to help each other in His plan of salvation – the true brotherhood of union in Christ, not the false brotherhood of the world. Clearly, it is more and more difficult today. The Sisters will always declare that God provides for their real needs. And yet, they must cooperate with His grace, and self-sustenance is a part of that. It is an integral part of their life.
Every time I have the great pleasure of visiting them, I’m acutely aware of their mission and remarkable self-sufficiency. Their Order has a tradition of being self-supporting which is quite a challenge given that their primary duty is prayer and they only have limited time to work; labor that must be compatible with their cloistered way of life. They are also a young, developing monastic community (founded in 1997), although continuing a tradition that is almost 900 years old – but they are not of the mendicant tradition, i.e. they do not depend on begging or charity for their survival.
They are a cloistered community of love whose legacy is intertwined with other souls like them throughout the ages. Like a spiritual wreath, these communities past and present are an interconnected circle of service and sacrifice for God’s honor and glory, and the salvation of souls.
It’s disconcerting that headlines of immorality, pettiness, and selfishness bombard our senses. We almost don’t know which way is up. That is the nature of so much of the world. But knowing the Sisters are out there in the hills of Tehachapi doing what they do fills me with peace, gratitude and hope. I’m rebalanced.
And I need to support them. For more background, you can read about these extraordinary women here and here.
Action Item: Annual Christmas Wreath and Gift Box Fundraiser
The Norbertine Canonesses have been making fresh balsam Christmas wreaths for over 15 years. Reliable sources tell me that they are the freshest pine-scented and longest lasting wreaths ever. They also added Christmas gift boxes to their selection a few years back as well. I know it would be their honor and privilege to be both your prayer companions and Christmas gift wreath and gift box supplier this year. Perhaps you will decide to give and participate with the graces of the Spirit so that the work of these remarkable nuns can flourish.
Norbertine Canonesses Contact Information:
Address: 17831 Water Canyon Road, Tehachapi, CA 93561
Call: (661) 823-1066
Email: norbertinecanonesses@gmail.com
Please order here.
My sincere thanks and may God bless you this Christmas season.
