Anniversary Reflections

Yesterday, 18 November, we celebrated the Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. It was also the sixty-fourth anniversary of the founding of Holy Cross Abbey. The Gospel of the Memorial is from St. Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 14, 22-33. In that pericope, the Apostles see Jesus walking on the turbulent waters of the Sea of Galilee and Peter asks Jesus to bid him walk across the waves to him. He does; Peter walks until, frightened by the wind–and perhaps the realization that is actually walking on water–becomes frightened and begins to sink. Jesus reaches out, takes his hand and prevents him from drowning. O man of little faith, why did you falter?

Fr. Vincent was the celebrant that day and mentioned after the Gospel how struck he was by the significance of the Gospel right now. Abbot Robert is suffering from cancer, Br. Edward is feeling the limitations of his age and Fr. Edmund has died; we can almost feel the shrinking. The important thing is to keep our eye on–and our faith in–Jesus. We must go to him so that we will go where he is leading us. We may not be able to predict where he is bringing us, but if we remain focused on him, where we end up will be precisely where he is leading us. That will be the Father’s will and that will be precisely where we need to be.