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Homily for 40th Anniversary Mass
40th Anniversary celebration—this is the day! God has blessed us for these 40 years and brought us to this day. Little did we realize 40 years ago that an idea brought to our community by Sister Mary Raphael Triggs back in 1968 would blossom into the ministry of Mount Saint Mary House of Prayer. We are rejoicing today in that ministry of how God has blessed us in multitudinous ways.
In the reading from Isaiah, Isaiah had a dream of Israel being a house of prayer—a dwelling place for God—where all nations would find peace and welcome—a place of hospitality. His vision was that all would come to God’s holy mountain and find a place to contemplate the holy presence of God, where God would dwell and walk with people of diverse cultures and races.
From the very beginning of Mount Saint Mary House of Prayer, the community and the directors of the house of prayer had that dream and vision of a place of peace, contemplation and hospitality for all peoples. That dream and vision became a reality in 1976. We are blessed and grateful indeed to have with us today two of the original founders of that vision: Sisters Theresina Flannery and Mary Jo Kearns. Through their stewardship, and the other two deceased founding sisters, Edwarda Barry and Margaret Mary Kelly, their vision for the house of prayer was birthed into reality.
The second reading of St. Paul to Timothy speaks of offering prayers and petitions for everyone, so that “we may lead quiet and tranquil lives in all devotion and dignity.” The mission of Mount Saint Mary House of Prayer is all about nurturing spiritual growth so that people can live lives of peace and tranquility. It is all about providing a place where all people are welcomed and supported in their active lives. From the beginning, people coined us an “Oasis off route 22” where everything is hustle and bustle. When they enter our grounds and feel the peace and quiet, they remark how they experience “a holy presence, a sense of deep peace.”
It is that same holy presence that was experienced by Peter, James and John on the mountain with Jesus during his transfiguration that people are invited to meet when they walk through our doors. Like the disciples, people come “up the mountain” and here they meet the loving God who calls them by name and touches their heart. We, too, are invited to listen in the silence of our hearts to hear what God desires to say to us. Perhaps like the disciples, we are invited by someone to come to the mountain of the House of Prayer. Or perhaps we follow a nudge by God to come away for a while. Whatever brings us here, we know that in some way we leave changed.
While the inside of the House of Prayer has changed dramatically, the same felt presence and decades of prayer remain. Like Peter, we can exclaim at this mass and also when we go to the House of Prayer that, yes, “it is good that we are here.” Yes, it IS good that we are here. Here to celebrate and give thanks to God—and all the times when we gather and pray in the house. Any time that we make the physical and spiritual space to encounter our God, we are transformed. The question is—do we allow that transformation to take root? Just as Jesus makes time to pray, alone and with others, so must we follow that example. It is based upon that example of Jesus, to go away to a quiet place to spend time with God, that the House of Prayer was begun. Recognizing the need and importance of nurturing spiritual growth, the vision of Mount Saint Mary House of Prayer took root. Our place of peace, contemplation and hospitality is open to all—like Isaiah’s vision—and a sacred mountain for all to both speak and listen with God. We offer a sanctuary that is filled with 4 decades of prayer that is still felt, even though we have new walls. Mount Saint Mary House of Prayer is a sacred place where people can come away to be with their God, to speak to and listen to their God, and to leave being transformed by that encounter.
This anniversary celebrates a ministry, not a building. For 40 years, people have journeyed individually and with others and become more who God is creating them to be. We have the sacred privilege of accompanying people, and we, too, are changed by the encounter with others and with God. All the various programs, retreats, and individual spiritual direction enrich every one of us. We cannot help but be changed by the holiness we encounter.
As we move into our 41st year and the start of a new decade, we embrace the gift and responsibility of this sacred ministry. We exist not for ourselves or the community, but for the good of all. As the stewards of this spiritual center, we listen to the needs and desires of the people we meet—those friends on our committees and those who walk across our threshold—to ensure that we are responding to the needs of the times. We gratefully consider suggestions for new programs, speakers and other opportunities that will help people encounter God, deepen that personal relationship, and empower them to go back to their family and community strengthened and transformed by the experience. Like Jesus and the disciples, we go away to a sacred place for the encounter and then go back to our regular surroundings where we can live out and share that good news. People often say after retreat that it is time to “go back to the real world.” Time spent with God IS real. Retreats are not fantasy. We may go back to circumstances and situations that have not changed, but hopefully WE have changed. Any time we step apart to listen to the voice of Jesus we are changed. The House of Prayer is fortunate to be part of that dialogue activity by offering the setting and people to assist in that journey.
So yes, it is good that we are here. It is good to celebrate 40 years—a true milestone. It is good to give thanks to God at this sacred banquet and reflect on the boundless love God showers upon us every moment. It is good to acknowledge the vision of the Mercy community and the sisters who minister here so we have a place of peace, contemplation, and hospitality where we can find respite. It is good to pause and spend time with friends, family and community—all who in some way have been touched by the ministry of the House of Prayer—so we can mark together this new moment in history. This is a time to not just look back on these decades but to look forward with confidence and hope in all that is yet to come. Confident in divine providence, we are assured of a future full of hope. We are assured of Mount Saint Mary House of Prayer remaining a “house of prayer for all peoples.” We are assured of God’s delight every moment that we turn to God in prayer, trusting in our own transformation resulting from that encounter. We are assured that we journey together and not alone—and that is so evident by all of you who have joined with us this morning. Yes, it is good that we are here. It is good to celebrate. It is good to renew ourselves together as we prepare for the journey ahead. How very blessed we are!