Abbot Gregory's Renewal of Vows Homily 2022
I was very moved by Abbot Jeremy’s conferences during our Retreat. His emphasis on the
Resurrection and its enduring presence in our lives as monks and in the life of the Church,
through the proclamation of the Gospel and in the liturgy, helped me realize that it is important
to keep the fundamentals of our vocation in mind.
Each of us has been called into communion with Christ and the Trinity, and our life in this world
should be infused at every moment with an awareness of that reality. It is at the heart of the
faith of the Church and of our individual faith. It is at the heart of the monastic vocation and it
should animate every aspect of our life here.
But, sadly, because of sin and our human weakness this does not always occur, as my private
conversations with Abbot Jeremy made clear. He was able to pick up on the reality of a lot of
anger and ill-feeling among us – not that I wasn’t already aware of that, given a number of our
recent community meetings and renewal days. But his observations got me thinking a little
more deeply about anger, and its destructive effect on the life of a monk and on the
community.
I believe I am right in thinking that the monastic tradition sees anger as one of the principle
monastic vices, and many monastic authors in the tradition speak about it. One might also
garner some insights about it from modern psychology, and even sociology. Whatever the
source, I wanted to share with you some of my thoughts about it.
Anger is a natural emotional response, and so it is not, in and of itself, either right or wrong.
But how I deal with my anger can have a serious impact on my sense of wellbeing and my
relationships. If anger becomes deep-seated, it can fester and become very destructive for the
individual. I expect that most of us have seen this, either in ourselves or in someone we know
and care about. In the monastic context, that type of unresolved anger can poison a monk’s
spiritual life, and can negatively impact all his relationships in community. Furthermore, the
presence of such unresolved and deep-seated anger can spill over and become a source of a
‘toxic’ spirit, a “wicked zeal” (if you will) in the community as a whole.
It is clear to me (and I expect to many of you) that there are some among us who are deeply
angry. While the specific causes of the anger and the circumstances surrounding it are unique
to each monk, the presence of this anger in the community cannot but have a negative effect
on the monks concerned, and create the negative atmosphere which Abbot Jeremy was aware
of.
Whatever the source and circumstances surrounding the anger, I believe it is imperative that
each of us do what we can to eliminate it from our lives. Harboring the anger is not good for
the soul, and it poisons one’s relationships in community. Letting go of the anger can be the
crucial step in one’s journey to greater healing and liberation, to one’s participation in the
power of the Resurrection. It can also be the balm that we need to heal as a community and
grow in holiness.
How does one let go of such deep-seated anger? I’m afraid I don’t have any concrete
recommendations, except to say that I believe that deliverance from such deep-seated anger
and resentment can only be accomplished by the grace of God. But if we are willing to open
ourselves up to that grace of God and ask for His help, then, by His grace, we can be
empowered to let go of past hurts, to forgive those who have wronged us, and to grow in our
capacity to love one another, even those we may count as ‘enemies.’ I believe that this “letting
go” is especially important for us at this point in our community’s life, and I pray that each of us
will be able, by God’s grace, to embrace it.
I will end with the reading from Philippians we heard at Vigils yesterday:
Finally, brothers, let your minds be filled with everything that is true, everything that is
honorable, everything that is upright and pure, everything that we love and admire,
with whatever is good and praiseworthy. (3:8)
May Saint Mary, Lady of Grace, Saint Louis and Saint Benedict pray for us! AMEN.