 |
Vol. LV11, No.
4 Spring
2000 |
|
The Inside Message Abbot's Message Jubilee Year Ecumenism What's Going On Gather Us In The Abbey Report Side Altars |
by Br.
Tobias DeSalvo, OSB In
Belizean author Zoila Ellis' short story "The
Teacher" a scene is described where the village
teacher sat silently for hours holding the hand of
a grieving Miss Bella who had just lost her son to
the raging waters of the flooded Belize River. As
the teacher was departing to get to school, Miss
Bella broke her hours of silence and in her own
creole manner said, "Tenk yu Teecha. I alright now.
Da so life go." Her response, simple, down to earth
and accepting of the sufferings which life often
has to offer, could be a commentary on many
Belizeans' response to life around them.
This
is a people who live close to the heart of the land
and, for the most part, are sensitive to nature.
Belize is a society where advanced technology takes
a back seat to the practical necessities of day to
day existence. It is the total acceptance of their
undeniable dependence on the land and upon nature
that compels them to become the humble people that
they are. This is not to say that the haughty and
the proud person is not to be found in Belizean
society but it is meant to say that, in general, an
aura of humility is much more often experienced in
their presence than the aura of superiority.
In
a society where poverty is far more prevalent than
gadgetry and materialism, the soul seems to have
more opportunity to focus on the essential rather
than the trivial and the peripheral. By poverty I
do not mean a poverty of absolute misery but a
poverty which helps one maintain a balance between
the necessities and the superfluities of life. It
seems much like the poverty of which St. Benedict
speaks in his rule for monks. While most Belizeans
do seem to be able to avail themselves of the basic
necessities of life: food, clothing, shelter,
education, many are unable to attain even the
limited levels of education available to them. This
contributes strongly to poor economic development
and joblessness. And it cycles back into poverty
and much temporary employment in seasonal and
menial tasks. Even
though poverty often involves suffering and pain,
seeing it lived here first hand also helps me to
realize that there are also redemptive qualities
that can accompany it. Jesus spoke eloquently in
His Sermon on the Mount about the blessings of the
poor. During my stay in Belize I have had the
opportunity to observe several Belizean families
who, proclaim loudly their own "sermon on the
mount". Some of the admonitions of their family
sermon could be phrased in this manner: Blessed
are the poor, our poverty encourages us to be an
industrious family, creative in the ways that we
use the few goods that we are blessed
with. Blessed
are the poor, our poverty helps us to remain humble
people in our personal relationships. Blessed
are the poor, our poverty coaxes us to set limits
on our desires for possessions. Blessed
are the poor, our poverty helps us to keep a
balance in our moral life. Blessed
are the poor, our poverty helps to keep our hard
working family focused on virtues and
holiness. Blessed
are the poor, our poverty helps to keep the flame
of hope burning brightly in our lives. Blessed
are the poor, our poverty reminds us daily to be
thankful to our God for the gifts we have
received. Most
Belizeans do not live their poverty grudgingly. In
spite poverty's pain, the people exude a spirit of
joy about living that is akin to Miss Bella's
resigning words: "Da so life go." Belizeans are a
happy people who enjoy life the way they live it. I
often see this attitude personified in my little
friend Julio, age 12, who comes to the monastery
Maria
Magdalena Carrias and little friend on the
banks of the Belize River. every
week or two to visit. He arrives, smiling and
energized, on his family's only mechanical mode of
transportation - a worn out bicycle. His brightly
lit eyes dance across our library shelves to see if
they can locate another children's book which he
has not read. He returns to his family's home which
is an 8' X 14' clapboard residence equipped with a
rusty corrugated metal roof and a dirt floor. But
he, as well as his other four family members, is
happy. Undoubtedly
the country of Belize could profit a lot by more
economic training and help in economic management
and development from the United States. Many
citizens in the United States could likewise profit
from from a sharing of the Belizeans ability to be
content (and even happy) with the few gifts that
God has showered upon their families. A recently
released statistic showed that the average cost of
a family home in the United States in the year 1999
was $200,000. I find it very doubtful that that
such opulence is also bringing a concomitant amount
of real joy and happiness to the average U.S.
family. Walking down the streets of some towns in
Belize helps one realize that true happiness and
close knit families are certainly not synonymous
with wealth and many material
possessions.
The
first few weeks after my arrival in Belize the
country seemed to have more than its share of
unorganized people. This showed up in many
different ways, not the least of which was keeping
appointments and being punctual. It seemed bizarre
that week after week the 8:00 a. m. Sunday Mass
would begin with only a few people in attendance
and then by 8:20 or 8:30 the pews would be packed
(primarily with women and children). It soon
occurred to me hat the whole approach to and the
whole concept of time in Belize is different from
our idea of time in the States. In the States our
craving for preciseness and punctuality cannot be
content with months, weeks, days and hours but
these must be further dissected into minutes,
seconds and even nanoseconds. Belizeans see time
more as a relative point of reference than as a
precise point of measurement. To the Belizean,
seasons are important. Months, weeks, days, are
useful. Hours are relative. Minutes are a waste of
time. Seconds? Who needs them? Nanoseconds? What is
that? The
Catholic Church is the most dominate and well
established religious institution in the country of
Belize. In previous decades 70 to 80% of all
Belizeans were listed as Catholic. The 1990's saw
this percentage drop closer to the 50 to 60% mark.
Recently arriving Pentecostal and evangelical
religions, missioned mostly from the U.S., have
lured many Catholics into these evangelical and
Pentecostal churches. As
in most dioceses in the States, the shortage of
vocations to the religious life and to the
priesthood is very acute in Belize. The catholic
church operates an impressive number of schools
across this country. To have a nun or a brother on
the faculty of a catholic school here has become a
rarity. Most parishes are staffed by one priest who
is also responsible for several smaller villages in
the surrounding area. Hence many villages do not
have the luxury of a weekly Mass; some, at best,
will have a monthly Mass. In
some of the larger parishes in our area where
weekly Sunday Mass is a given, it was a surprise to
me to see how lightly the weekly obligation to
worship is taken by some members-especially the
men. On the other hand, it is an inspiration to see
the distances a lot of women and children walk on
Sunday to be present at the Eucharist. In spite of
its struggles, its strengths and its weaknesses,
the Catholic Church is very much alive in Belize.
|
|
|
|
JUBILEE YEAR ECUMENISM
|
A CHRONICLE OF EVENTS|
by Br.
Joshua Fry, OSB Proper
stewardship of the body requires careful oversight
of all inputs and activities, always with the
goal-the main altar-in sight. Anything which
interferes with the integrity of the whole needs to
be modified, or eliminated. For
example, the consumption and enjoyment of food is
good, but is not the goal. For the sake of the
body, many of us need to curb our caloric input.
Secondly, most people simply have to exercise. Few
people have jobs physically challenging enough that
they will not also have to exercise. Third,
stewardship of health will not allow us to become
fixated at the side altar of our work. Proper rest
and recreation are essential for maintaining good
health. Last ( and this is the most difficult
part), any clutter cleared away for the sake of
good health, has to be kept cleared FOREVER! No
change of bad habits will do any good unless it's a
permanent change. When we
realize that the alternative to good stewardship is
illness and premature death, the choice is clear.
We must make the proper changes, and maintain those
changes. To do this, we will need God's help.
Therefore, the side altars have to go!
The goal of a pilgrim is not Mecca, nor Jerusalem, nor the Abbey Church. A pilgrim climbs to a new vantage point or perspective. From there, he or she seeks a clearer sense of self, of place, and of purpose, for their life at home. The Jubilee Year calls for homecoming. Pilgrimage struggle yields to thanksgiving and celebration, when one finally arrives home - to that 'perfect love of God which casts out fear" (RB 7:67). Brother Tobias DeSalvo, from the vantage point of Belize, sees much of the joy and peace associated with "Being at home" in the humble acceptance of life of the Belizean people. Abbot Jerome describes a small first step toward the unity we expect in our Father's house. Brother Joshua Fry speaks about being centered, "at home" in oneself, on one's own body. From these "pilgrimage sites" of Belize, small ecumenical gatherings, and stewardship of the body, perhaps we can envision the homeland, like Moses on Mount Nebo. Every time we pass through the Jubilee Year doors, or see and an example of joy incarnated, or rejoice in good health, perhaps we can keep the vision vibrant as we return from pilgrimage. In this issue, a long time feature of the Abbey Message returns. "What's Going On" is a chronicle of Abbey news, large and small. As in any household, what goes on from day to day seems mostly "the same old stuff" to those who live it. I hope it is of interest to you, our extended family. Let us know if it is -or isn't.
|
The
Abbey Church doors, opened in a ceremony before the Midnight
Mass last December 24, remain marked with Jubilee Year
ceramic medallions. St. Benedict Church is one of the
designated "pilgrimage sites" for the diocese. Pope John
Paul II insists that his current trip to the Holy Land is a
"personal pilgrimage". He was greeted in Amman, Jordan by
hadji, Muslim pilgrims who had just returned from
Mecca.
[Subiaco
Abbey] [Vocations]
[Alumni]
[Subiaco
Academy] [Abbey
Message]
[Coury
House] [Development]
[Virtual
Tours] [Directions]
[Guest
Book]