I ask everybody, every member of the community to observe the silence in the same good way in which it was done at the first Sunday of recollection, because it has proved such great blessing to the whole community. In some way, the theme of this day has been indicated to us by the slides and the uh introduction into the life of the little brothers of jesus that we have the privilege and the joy to be here yesterday night jesus this is enormity starting here in the name of the lord and the name is jesus that means the god of love where is salvation jesus is Caritas.

[01:02]

Saint Macarius expresses that at one place so beautifully in one of his homilies where he says, when we deny ourselves and we seek him, then Jesus immediately turns to us and he gives us true charity. That means he gives himself to us. Those two are really equal, Jesus Caritas. And in the beginning of the year, that word always comes to our mind, we renew our days in the beginning. Innova dies nostos sicurin principio. Renew our days as in the beginning. And there is the beginning. That is our Lord and that is this name that has been given to him today on this day of his circumcision when he entered as it were publicly and officially into that covenant with mankind that he then sealed with his own blood first and then fulfilled in giving us the spirit of charity to his church.

[02:21]

In I think the new year that we start in this name of Jesus Caritas will be in a special way also under the influence of the new chapel. I think that we feel that the building that we have there and the way we celebrate the mystery of holy mass just in a very beautiful way expresses that. Jesus carried us. It's the octagon, it's that world that is Christ himself, the all ruler. He is the canopy over us. And the canopy over us is love, as Isaiah says. That's so beautiful. It's the strong accent of the

[03:23]

Now, dark stained pillars give that a special emphasis, and it is a privilege for us to stand in a circle around the center, which is the altar. The altar that is through him, through the song, he reaches the Father, where he gives himself to us, and through him, we give ourselves to the Father. And we stand around in a circle, and that means really as one, as the center in this chapel is one, and there's no getting around it. It's really and truly one. That is Jesus' character. And so there is no other way but to form a circle around. And this circle, again, is fulfillment, is the fullness. That is from the center, it radiates.

[04:26]

And everyone standing in the circle takes really great part in that fullness. There is then a double kind of movement which takes place there in the celebration of Holy Mass, and that I wanted to call your attention to so that we remember it. Brother Rayfield's inheritance that he paid great attention to, that for the offertory we go around against the clock, as it were, and then at communion we go with the clock. What do I say? The clock is really the sun. At the offertory we get up And we go into the night towards the east to meet the sun that comes.

[05:28]

In communion, we go with the sun. And that is really the two movements which repeat ourselves and which really make the year of the Lord for us here on earth. That this circle around the altar is not simply a static one, but it moves, and it moves at these two places, at the offertory and at the communion, but in these two ways. That we turn, we get up, and we go into the direction to where the sun comes. if one today with our modern transportations and with the jet, you know, shoots towards the east, towards Europe, then it's such a fascinating thing how then there one goes into the darkness, you know, and this darkness seems to be so insuperable, but one goes into the right direction, towards the east, and lo and behold,

[06:43]

The hours disappear, as it were. The barriers of time disappear. The two factors, you know, our movement and that of Christ towards us meet, and in that way, become short, and they become short in the proportion to the speed with which we turn and which we fly and shoot towards the east. And therefore, morning is there before we even know it, and that is the movement of the author. Every Christian, as we say today in the epistle, that we speranente secularia desideria, that we despise the desires of this world, that we, of course, in the spirit of faith and of self-abnegation, go towards the East, return really into the night. But in hope, we know that if we go in this direction towards Christ, who is coming on his way to us, we shall meet him.

[07:55]

And the faster we go, the sooner we meet him. But what makes the speed in that? Not that we try to imitate the jet, that wouldn't be possible, but that interiorly Our speed is determined by our faith. The depth of our faith, the firmness of our faith, the inner totality of our faith, that determines our speed. And that is so beautifully expressed in this beginning that we just read of the Holy Rule, where our old ways in that way is described. The word of the Father, you are my We love a child, it's addressed to us, turns to us, we listen to it, and we are convinced that we suddenly become aware of our disobedience, we become aware of our pride, become aware of all our worldly attachments and all these mountains and all these distances that that involves.

[09:07]

Pride involves barriers and mountains and walls, distances. And the desires of the world, the same thing. They are apt to whirl us around in circles and we get dizzy from the temple and from the distances. Hence that we turn away from this way of disobedience and we go in obedience. and means in giving up our self-will, in confidence and trust and in faith, we turn towards the sun of justice, Orian's exalto, that rises from the east, the anatole, the dawn, the part of futuri sacrile, the father of a new world, of the world to come, and towards that we turn, but we cannot approach the father of the new world, Christ, we cannot approach him if we want to remain a member of the old world.

[10:16]

A new world means a change. A new world means a new beginning. A new world means a conversion. Without a conversion we cannot reach the new world. The new world means death. Without dying we cannot reach it. So, in that way, we go towards the East, again, against the sun, as it were, in this spirit of our vows, in the obedience and in faith, as the totality of our surrender. That determines the speed, and that determines our closeness to Christ. So, let us remember that. That is the essence of our offertory. But then there we receive them, receive at the altar and we go in and through the offertory into the death and the resurrection of this father of a new age, our Lord Jesus Christ.

[11:21]

Going through it, we reach him and he comes to us. He gives himself as our food. And there we go then with the son. with the son because he gives himself to us he gives his charity to us and charity is the bond of perfection in that bond we go and we take up just exactly the way that he comes and that he goes we go with him in the same direction that means in the direction of the eternal life you have worlds of eternal life In that eternal life, in that union and unity, we go and we are, in that way, witnesses to the world. We have a mission. We are sent. We are sent to help in the work of redemption and of sanctification.

[12:23]

And therefore, that also, as it was yesterday, so clear in this whole life, the formula of the Little Fathers, there are these two things. There's the one thing is the solitude, and that is the abandonment, that is the detachment, that solitude, that means our going to meet Christ against the clock, against the sun. Hence then, there we meet him, there he speaks to us, there he fills us. with true charity, and that means with himself, and then with himself we go, and the spark then is kindled here and there, as we have seen it yesterday, here in the slum, and there in the slum, and here for poor people, and this all over various places all over the world. We feel then that we become brothers, and this our brotherhood,

[13:28]

is not limited, it's not limited to those whom we have chosen, but it is really, in this analysis, embraces the whole of mankind, because the sun of justice shines over the just one and the unjust one, over the good ones and over the sinner. And that is also our mission in our own monastic life. We must always keep that in mind. our way of life really contains these two elements. They are essential for it. They must make the calls of the year. They are really and truly our life. Confidence in the charity and in the Lord who comes to us. We go out. We leave the Father's house and our kindred and the whole realm of the world in order to seek him.

[14:29]

And then he comes and he gives to us through charity, and that means give sin. And then we go with the sun and we enter into that beautiful dance of those souls that are united and that follow the Lamb as the new canticle wherever it goes. That is really our goal. That's also in our... monastic life. So let us take also the little inconveniences and the little adversities that these last days have brought upon us and so many the icy gale that we have to lean against in order to to keep up our direction and so many pipes frozen and so many things that require extra sacrifices from the part of so many of our brethren.

[15:39]

Let us rejoice in that. That is part of our going in order to meet the son of justice. And in this winter time, we should Think of that. We go towards the East, and the East will come, Easter will come after this winter is over. But let us really not in any kind of a complain, you know, meet the situation, but let us meet it in through generosity, grateful for those who do so many things so that life for the others can go on as usual. And also thanks to all those who heal in a situation like that. The winter and the frost and the cold, that is our desert. That's the part of the labor that we have to take upon ourselves.

[16:41]

And then, as I say, the moment comes where the Easter sun rises again, where we then go with the sun, where we rejoice in our own family, in that mutual charity that the Lord is, really, that we love one another. And that consolation and that warmth and that light which all these things really throw and with which we are blessed so abundantly in the monastic community life. So let us think about this, and looking forward to the new year, you know, just take a good look at the chapel in which we worship, and the whole mystery of the year of the Lord is there before us. Under the Pantocrator, the all ruler, the all in the center united, in the circle, we do these two things.

[17:47]

We go to meet him. seek him and we receive him and we carry him then wherever he wants us to carry him. This morning, about the first day of those years, I reply again with words You know that he is lost to a secret in Principium. Renew our days as in the beginning. The Principium is Christ to whom we return and to whom we are renewed at the celebration of the sacred mysteries in our chapel. The chapel itself such a perfect picture of this. The canopy over us is love, the altar of sacrifice, the center, and we the circle around it, the perfection, the fullness of Christ's sacrifice.

[19:02]

And there are twofold movement that takes place, that one against the sun, that leads to the operatory, obvian crystal, towards Christ, in faith and in hope and dedication. and the one with the son, the communion, the receiving him, with him, in the oneness of character. Our offertory terminates in the act of profession. The profession is the principium of our lasting life, not only in the sense of a The first day of the year is, I think, a day to renew interiorly this act of profession, the act of our vows.

[20:13]

The custom of votive offerings is known, as you know, in many religions, with the idea to give support to prayers and our petitions. But through the coming of Christ, the kingdom of God has been established through Christ's total and perfect surrender to God and His exaltation at the right hand of the Father and the sending of His Spirit, the Spirit who comes to us to fill the whole earth, therefore not to come and to go again, but to stay, to rest in the church where self is called the dawn. faithful spouse that is forever adorned for the delight of her bridegroom.

[21:22]

That is the new situation that Christ has created, becoming the presence of the kingdom in the fullness of the Spirit. And that is also and gives a completely new character, really, to our thoughts. The vows and the monastic vows, the vows of perfection, are not in the same line as the vows to which one promises this or that ethnic object to God, and in that way gives it to him. But this here is a new thing. It is really and truly a mysterious thing. is the fulfillment of, and we have to see it in the background, of what already the prophet Jeremiah said.

[22:24]

I shall make a new covenant after those days. Not like the covenant I made in Egypt and you did not keep it, and I had to force you. But I shall write my law into your hearts, says the Lord. This new law, as you know, has been promulgated in the Sermon on the Mount. If we consider, study it a little, then we realize that this Sermon on the Mount is not a law as given on Mount Sinai, mainly condemning but it starts with the declaration blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven and then it goes on and if you look at the structure of the Sermon on the Mount you see that it really centers in a prayer a prayer of a special kind I mean a prayer

[23:46]

of which Jesus himself is a part. He enters into it as the song, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. And then if one takes the Sermon on the Mount under the aspect of, and as far as it demands, culminates in a rather we may say, impossible demand, if one looks at it with the eyes of the Old Testament or, let us say, with the eyes of man in the state of fallen nature. I mean the demand, be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. So it is in, just briefly, this The declaration, the Sermon on the Mount, really the declaration, promulgation of the presence of the kingdom of God in power.

[24:55]

The whole Sermon on the Mount ends with that verse that he spoke not as one of the rabbis, but he spoke as one who had power. That means his words were not words, speculations, but they were words of eternal life. That means this was the commulgation and the establishment of the kingdom of heaven in the... Now, out of this presence of the kingdom, and we see there right away the, let us say, note, the new note of the, let us say, of the morality of the kingdom of heaven. It's not, in that way, a demand which is directed from the outside. But it is something which grows out of the innermost heart.

[26:01]

It is written in the heart. The selling of the mouth is written in the heart. a law written on stone. It is therefore a vivifying power in itself. And it calls as one character, and that is not only the interiority that it comes from within, that it goes into the heart, not only to the external actions, because it is sent in the center of the person, has also the character of totality. something absolutely universal in the sense of taking in everything, the whole of mankind, not directed to a specific people as the constitution of the social life of that people, but it is directed to the ecclesia universalis, the universal

[27:09]

that new Israel, that third generation, earned totality also in the way of intensity, taking in the whole man. Therefore, it is only natural that where this kingdom is then realized, as in the apostolic community in Jerusalem, this community gives the witness of perfection in the form of a spontaneous renouncement of even of basic human rights, which are being absorbed, as it were swanowed on, in the perfection of the new law of the new rule through the spirit which makes and constitutes the kingdom of god therefore this apostolic community is and therefore they have all things in common and still each one receives as he needs they are persevering

[28:33]

only established in the obedience towards the teaching of the apostles and in prayer, devotion. Those are the characteristic notes of that original apostolic community, that nucleus of the kingdom of God, created by the fullness of the Holy Spirit. It is then and should not surprise us that the entering into that kingdom of God is done through the sacrament of baptism and then preceded by the baptismal vows. Baptismal vows. That is a new thing. Let us say the continuity of the Old Testament was given by bodily birth.

[29:41]

The stability of the new Israel is given by the votum, baptismal vow. The baptismal vow is, of course, here in the context of the whole action, After baptism, it is certainly pledging oneself freely, not by carnivore, but freely, ex propria voluntate, out of the sovereignty of the will, pledging oneself to Christ, to Christ as a person, renouncing naturally the death. Those two things belong together. A total commitment to Christ, a dedication, a dedication which is sealed with the chrism, therefore clearly marked as a priestly consecration, as a priestly service.

[30:54]

For them I sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified. This sanctification in baptism, of course, takes place through the power of Christ's death and resurrection, of Christ's sacrifice. He sanctifies himself for us so that in and through his sacrifice in baptism we also may be sanctified, dying with him, rising with him, and being filled with a spirit. And this spirit then enables the Christian to fulfill that old and ever new commandment, to love God with one's whole heart, one's whole soul, and with all one's power. That is, the totality, which already is foreshadowed in the Old Testament, because it's one and the same God in the Old and in the New Testament, but really put and appears in all its reality and presence in the New Testament.

[32:15]

Therefore, the totality of love takes on in Christianity the form of a vow, and of a vow of perfection, which is beyond the baptismal vows, or one can say a specific and large and perfect realization of the baptismal vow. But what is in the Old Testament a commandment, in the New Testament becomes a vow. And what is a vow but the highest act of dedication to the exclusive service of God of the entire person and its personal freedoms or rights. The freedom, as it were, of the heart is given up, promised to God in the vow of obedience to love God with one's whole soul

[33:25]

that means one's soul, that means one's life, is dedicated to God in the vow of chastity. The power, one's power, the possession, is dedicated to God in the vow of poverty. Now, let us just consider very briefly the nature of the vow not only psychologically but also theologically psychologically naturally the vow is and that must always again be emphasized an act of absolute highest personal freedom therefore it can only grow out of a long continuous deliberation which constitutes this freedom in them.

[34:29]

That is the reason why the church does not allow anybody to take this vow of perfection without the nobishe, without a long preparation, deep, lasting deliberation. and out of that deliberation, of that deliberation, may grow and may ripen, mature into the resolve, the resolution, what we call the propositum. But that propositum is not yet, and is only then followed by the promissio, the promise, the vow in the proper sin. Because the resolution is, yes, that is putting the hand on, not yet, say, the going into action. The promise is really the obligation to action, while the resolve leaves that still free.

[35:38]

So this promise then, and then we have to look a little now into the theological nature of that votum, this promise, is, again, let us say, first gives and is a realization, a unique realization, of the totality, which, through the Spirit of Christ, has been made present in the church. And, of course, the Spirit is at home in the heart. therefore has been made present in the hearts of the Christians. The totality, because what is the nature of a promise, of a votum, it in some way anticipates. It takes in the entire life of man. See, in our natural course, in our natural life, naturally, our natural life is

[36:47]

composed or is spread through the currents of time. And therefore it happens one thing after the other, one hour after the other, one day after the other, one year after the other. And every hour is different. And every act and every all the doings of man are different, spread out through time. following one after the other. The promise, however, anticipates the entire life of man, takes it and all concentrates it in this one act of the vote. And therefore, what is necessarily divided by the course of time, as far as we live in this iron, in this age, in this age of time, that is in the rotum the limits or the, what can say, the extension of that form of life, of our temporary life, is overcome and is overtaken together, gathered into one moment.

[38:15]

And that is, of course, important that we see that. That is deeply, I would say this, that that is possible, really, in the full sense, only in the age of Christ. Only in that new age that he has brought. Only in the wholeness, fullness of his spirit, this totality of the votum is possible. but in him and through him, it is possible. You can see that clearly. The more men lose contact with Christ, the more they are lost in themselves, and that means in their temporary life, in these one moment following the other, the more things become naturally, become a dubious, doubtful, insecure with all kinds of possibilities that nobody can foresee.

[39:22]

And therefore we see this common kind of critical attitude of the world, worldly man, towards taking a vow. It seems if one looks at the unstable extremely unstable nature of man it seems a very risky if not impossible thing and therefore one must keep that in mind now this totality of the promise of the votum is really seems to me possible in full sense only there where the spirit of christ fills the church and the soul where this new law is written in the hearts of man. Then he can really anticipate and gather his entire life into one moment.

[40:27]

And in this moment then, of course, that is the other, one can say, fruit of the vow, that through this moment, of a supreme, free, total dedication to God, the will is then immovably established in God. Firmata in Romano, as we say. Established, confirmed in the service of God. That is the essence of the vow. And one can see right away that this vow cannot be simply, let's just say, an empty human resolve. It must be, at the same time, also a divine consecration. Those two things, and that is, of course, also in the ideas of St. Thomas, we consider the question of the solemnity of the vow.

[41:29]

What makes a vow solemn? To St. Thomas, the vow is solemn. through the divine consecration, the divine, as you said, benediction, which is connected, which confirms and seals the vow. And that, of course, makes these two things, as we have spoken about that before, the totality of the promise and the divine consecration, makes the fullness of the vow. And therefore, through this vow, then establish the one who makes it in the status of perfection. Now we consider still more this act, this voto, that one thing is clear, and that we must keep that in mind, that to St. Thomas in the idea of sin, evidently this act is an act of worship.

[42:34]

The vow, therefore, is essentially and is, in that matter even, the highest total act of latria, of worship. And that is very well here, man dedicates himself totally to the service of God with all his liberties, with all his various domains that he has before. They belong and they are put under the direct rule of the will of God. And that, of course, there are two in the divine service. Therefore, the vow gives then to every act of the one who has taken the vow, or better, who is consecrated by the vow, gives to every act the character of worship. Therefore, it is on the basis of this let's say, this power of the vow.

[43:35]

For example, St. Benedict can speak about the vessels in the kitchen as vows are altaris. Everything, every service is really altar service through the vow. And that's, of course, one of the great privileges, one of the power, one can say, of the vow, which is unique. and which cannot be compared and is not given to a life which in that way is not put under this vow. Not only this, but the vow also is, of course, a dedication of the entire man. That means that the vow does not only give the actions to God, but also gives, one can say, the fruits to God, but also gives, as St.

[44:40]

Thomas says beautifully, the tree to God. It is the tree and the fruits which are given. And of course, as he says, that makes the excellence of the vow, another aspect of the excellence of the vow, that while man Without a vow, nevertheless, does the actions, his daily actions, may very well do them, under the command of God. Still, the entire tree is, in that way, not given and not dedicated to God. So, and finally, this vow establishes man the one who is consecrated in the voluntas firma in the immobilitas he pledges just because the vow is an act of the highest personal freedom therefore is also the obligation so strong and so so deep with the

[45:58]

The will is through this vow in a much deeper way obliged, obligated to the fulfillment of the vow than it could ever be through any external law. The vow engages the entire personal freedom and puts it into the immobilitas of the divine service. And that is important, too. One can say the purity of the will, the voluntas, as we say that, we have that so beautifully in the dedication of the church. Now, the vow is that completeness, holiness, sanctity of the will. the one who consecrates himself in the act of solid profession to the service of God, is by that, you know, in this highest act of freedom, in the gladness of his heart, consecrated, dedicated to God forever.

[47:16]

And that means that the, one can say, the splendor of this act throws its light into all following actions of the book. In the real life, let us say, in the concrete development of the book, there might be periods where, let us say, a routine takes over, where the constant obligation day by day causes a certain sadness, a certain tristitia, even a certain acedia, even a certain aversion at times. One should not be mistaken. Any life that is dedicated to God by the vow is seen by God and is accepted by God in the light of that original

[48:19]

of that original consecration. Therefore, the goodness of the will which is put, declared, before God and before the Church at the moment of the profession collars the entire life and all the actions of the monks and has an influence on it. It is in the light of his profession that the actions of the monk are considered and accepted by God. And therefore, moments of tiredness, moments of discouragement, are in that way not, as I say, acts or moves, you know, which would interfere with the power of the profession. But on the contrary, they are transformed in the power of the profession. What is before God is that radiant goodwill, zeal, that total dedication of the monk at the moment of his profession.

[49:32]

That stays. In that, as we said before, in that act, the monk anticipates in the power of Christ's spirit his entire future. And therefore, the entire future is under that sign is characterized by him. And when he later on, therefore, he might psychologically, he might, you know, grow sour for one reason or the other, or he might, you know, in his later years say, or that in that moment, I was one of our fathers, you know, I was put on the dead-end road. There was on the dead-end track. the little things, you know, resentment and so on, may be there and may call up very much psychologically, you know, the life of the monk.

[50:33]

Disappointing experiences may cool off the zeal, but one should not be mistaken. This is called a walk of course, it's necessary, and therefore a day of recollection like this here too, is good for us, it is necessary to go back to renew, renew, O Lord, in my heart the joy of my salvation. And therefore, the professed monk also should go back to his profession. And he should in himself renew the spirit and the zeal of that profession. But if, let us say also for a simple all kinds of reasons over which the monk doesn't have any control. Let us say that zeal or that splendor would be kind of tarnished by all kinds of experiences. This moment there is the valid one.

[51:36]

And that will shed light on the later life of the monk, so that just in the power of his vow, It is for the monk relatively easy to renew in himself the joy of his salvation. So let us therefore do that and think and start to hear in this inner going back and renewing in us the splendor of our original total dedication to God. Let us see it. in that way as the moment which anticipates our entire life, gathers it up in Christ and in the Kurios, in the Lord, in the all ruler, and therefore gives to every single act that we do during the day, and it may be of what nature ever it is. If it's done in obedience, if it's done in the fulfillment of our vows,

[52:41]

It gives it a completely unique character of direct worship of God. This glory of the Latria, of that profession, of this original act of surrender to God is and spreads over entire, over the whole life, may it be important or unimportant in the eyes of the world, or maybe interesting or non-interesting, maybe fascinating studies, or maybe daily drudgery. In that way, every act participates in and is transfigured and transformed by this original act of a solemn provision of the monastic vow. Therefore, it also is in that way we are established in the immobility of that goodwill that the fullness of the Spirit has brought about in our heart and that also the Lord wants to rest in our soul, who wants to remain with us, also will preserve in us.

[54:00]

Some people have just been asking me about the Orgo or the Office for Tomorrow. The scheme of tomorrow's office is given the page facing the indications for the

[54:20]

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