AbbotFrancis1

Nine Lay Cistercians Make Lifetime Promises

Lay Cistercian apply the teachings and example of Cistercian saints like Saint Bernard to their own particular state of life, “striving for continual conversion” (Lay Cistercian Statutes).
Photo Br. Chaminade at Lourdes, France, 2005.

       At a mass on “Good Shepherd Sunday,” May 7, 2006 in the monastery church, nine Lay Cistercians of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery made lifetime promises as Lay Cistercians. Making promises were Brad Lena, Julia Maloney, Margaret Mann, George and Sandra Maule, Linda and Rob Mitchell, Patti Foltz, and Dee Russell.
       Each of the eight read and signed the lifetime promises of Lay Cistercians of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery in the presence of family, friends, their Lay Cistercian family, Fr. Anthony (their spiritual director), and Abbot Francis Michael.
       Their document of lifetime promises reads as follows:

       I, [name], make this lifetime promise in the presence of all Saints, especially those of the Cistercian family and my patron [name of patron saint] and in the presence of Dom Francis Michael Stiteler, Abbot of this Cistercian Monastery of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit.
       As a Lay Cistercian of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit, a community of Catholics living in the world, I promise to strive for daily conversion of life as my free response to the love of God.
       I am committed to live in a spirit of contemplative prayer and sacrifice in obedience to God’s universal call to holiness.
       Guided by the Cistercian charism I accept the Rule of Saint Benedict as my guide for living the Gospel within my chosen vocation.
       I ask the prayer of my witness, [name of witness], the monastic community and my brothers and sisters to assist me with their prayers to live the rest of my life in fidelity to this promise.

The Lay-Cistercians of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery strive for personal sanctification by living in the world according to the ideals of the Cistercian charism. For more on Lay Cistercians, visit the following websites:

“Children of God”
Homily by Abbot Francis Michael, OCSO
Sunday, May 7, 2006 — Fourth Sunday of Easter “Good Shepherd Sunday”
on the occasion of the Lifetime Promises of
the Lay Cistercians of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery

MASS READINGS
Reading I: Acts 4: 8-12 — In the name of Jesus the Nazarene.
Reading II: 1 Jn 3: 1-2 — That we may be called children of God.
Gospel: Jn 10: 11-18 — Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd.”

Audio (20.5 MB / 8:57 minutes / mp3 format)

Lay Cistercians make lifetime promises in the presence of Abbot Francis Michael and Fr. Anthony. From left: Brad Lena, Julia Maloney, Margaret Mann, George and Sandra Maule, Linda and Rob Mitchell, and Dee Russell (Patti Foltz, not seen)

       Fortunately, as Cistercians, we are—well, maybe dedicated is too strong of a word—at least familiar with and know that part of our spirituality is repetition. And so, I will speak some of what I spoke in Chapter this morning, when our newest brother, Jozef, received his [novice] habit.
       We’re celebrating Good Shepherd Sunday, a great day to make promises as a Lay Cistercian. All of you come here this morning drawn by God, by the Spirit, to Cistercian spirituality. One glimmer—one reflection—of the many reflections of the love of God; but that facet somehow has touched you—each of you—drawn you here to this Monastery, to this group, and led you through a fairly long process of formation to bring you to this day.
       I would remind us out of the second reading, that St. John tells us that we are children of God, or so we’re called—called children of God. And I think that we all need to hold onto that. All the secondary things that we attach to that—priest, monk, Lay Cistercian, whatever it might be—are just a more distinct expression of that and must be a distinct expression of that.
       I told the brothers this morning, that Good Shepherd Sunday is not just about the Pope, or about our beloved Archbishop Wilton, or about the abbot here at the Monastery Our Lady of the Holy Spirit. All of those people are called to be good shepherds, but God makes it pretty clear that we are responsible for one another. And, I think if you go into the Rule of St. Benedict—which all of you have done for a number of years and will continue to do—and look at all of the qualities of the abbot—those are the qualities of all of us. It’s the way Benedict—and God through Benedict—would have us love one another.
       So, I would remind all of you today that you are further promising, as you have promised through your baptismal vows and now through lifetime promises, to be lovers—to be willing, like the Good Shepherd, to lay down your lives. Very few of us will have to do it as dramatically as Jesus did it. And sometimes that’s the danger, because most of us think that we’re ready to do that, and maybe some of us would be; but very few of us will have that opportunity—if any. And meanwhile, all the opportunities that we do have—the very small, little, tiny opportunities—we sometimes let pass by because we’re so concerned about the big opportunity that never comes.

“So, I would remind all of you today that you are further promising, as you have promised through your baptismal vows and now through lifetime promises, to be lovers—to be willing, like the Good Shepherd, to lay down your lives.”

       We have the opportunity to love as Jesus loves, to forgive as Jesus forgives, to be patient and kind. We know all of the words from St. Paul. All that is ours; that’s the gift that God gives us, the gift that God asks us to give back. And not just to Him, but to one another.
       So, I think I’ve counseled you before, and I don’t always want to counsel from the other side—not being celebrative, which this is a great day to celebrate—but just to remind you that children of God—brother and sister to all creation—comes first. It comes before Lay Cistercian meetings and Lay-Cistercian this and Lay-Cistercian that. We don’t want any Lay Cistercian widows, for instance; you know, we hear about “golf widows,” because their husbands are out shooting golf. I would hate to think that there would be “Lay Cistercian widows” because the husband or wife is home while their spouse is off doing wonderful Lay Cistercian things.
       Being Cistercian is about love in action—daily action—action with your family, with your spouse, with your children, your grandchildren, etcetera, etcetera, and nieces and nephews, neighbors, enemies. So that when people say, “Boy, that person is awful nice, a really good person. Where’d they learn how to do that?” Then, maybe the surprise will be, “Oh, well, they’re Christians first of all, children of God. And they are Lay Cistercians, too, by the way, out at the Monastery.”
       So, hopefully, these promises today will be yet another “yes”—another “yes” to God, another “yes” to Jesus to be servants, to be ever-striving in our desire for conversion; in obedience—listening, listening and converting stability, here and now, always in the present. Listening and loving.
       My Mass is for you who make your vows this morning, and I ask the brothers to pray in a special way for you today and for all the Lay Cistercians—this beautiful charism that God has raised up right here in Conyers, Georgia—scattered all around the world. It’s a wonderful thing, from little seeds. And so, today, we have some fruit. And let us, as we continue on with this service and ceremony, and especially as we come to the altar, make this a day of praise and thanksgiving for all the gifts of God.

Abbot Francis Michael was 24 years old when he entered Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery on July 1, 1974. He made solemn monastic vows on February 2, 1980 and was ordained on April 9, 1983. On May 20, 2004 (the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord) Francis Michael was elected abbot by the community. He received the solemn abbatial blessing from Archbishop Donoghue on July 11 (solemnity of Saint Benedict). Abbot Francis Michael, a native of Philadelphia, is the seventh abbot in our monastery’s 61 years.