Monday, April 24, 2006

Where is the Love?: OR Benedictine Hospitality Only Goes So Far

So Mark Mossa SJ turned me on to The BC and I fell in love with the I (Heart) Jesuits shirt, because, well, I do. Karen Hall helped me by finding Iloveanything.com and I ordered one of my very own to wear.

The problem was I chose to wear it at St Meinrad last weekend when I went down there for class. St. Meinrad happens to be a Seminary that is connected to a Benedictine monastery. The Benedictines didn't think my I (heart) Jesuit shirt was all that appropriate for their hallways.

Now I ask you, is not one of the tenets of Benedict's Rule supposed to be hospitality? Where was that Benedictine hospitality last weekend when I kept getting stares from the monks, and even a few (joking) remarks about how inappropriate my shirt was?

I guess when you have been around as long as they have you just feel you have the right to be bossy. Considering my professor this session is a Monk, I don't think I will be wearing my shirt anymore. He already calls me Jesuit anyway, as if that bothers me. I keep reminding them that even though I go to school at a place that is connected to a Benedictine house I will never be a Benedictine, it just doesn't work that way.

Lucky for me I have my home on the blogosphere: A Little Battalion. I bet they wouldn't mind if I wear my shirt.

Pax

5 comments:

Mark Mossa, SJ said...

Yeah, kinda like wearing your Red Sox cap in Yankee Stadium. But I do it anyway (even if my friends then claim they don't know me)!

You should take a picture with your shirt on so we can post it at a Little Battalion.

Maybe you could even pose with one of the Benedicitines!

Mark

Unknown said...

I am sure Fr. Denis (my professor) would pose with me so long as he could be strangling me in the picture.


Since I want to pass his class I think I will refrain from wearing it while I am down there. I might be persuaded to wear it standing next to the mural of St Benedict for a picture though? Would that do?

Karen said...

I got my shirt too. I haven't worn it yet because I can't think of anywhere inappropriate. Hmmm... I don't think I'll wear it to Mass on Sunday. Beyond that, I'm in the Bible Belt. Everyone will just assume it's some new breed of dog.

Unknown said...

Karen,

I kid you not, someone here thought I had misspelled Jesus on my shirt, which just goes to show that the bible belt must be pretty wide since I am in central Indiana.


There are enough Cathoholics here to get a chuckle or two. And I plan to continually wear it whenever I get the chance at school, just not in class.

Joyful Catholic said...

Oh those Benedictines. I love 'em but I had a similar thing happen. I was at a monastery with a friend, I'd been discerning becoming an Oblate, there. I like to read in bed, and since there wasn't a lamp near this bed in the "dorm" room, I went in search of one. Long story short, the lamp base ended up in pieces, as my friend tripped on the cord. I did everything in my power to make reparation. I went to the Salvation Army store, got a replacement, then took the damaged lamp home, had my husband make a NEW base, (much better and unbreakable, too, I might add) than the other one, taking a chunk out of his thumb doing so! I took it back the following month, only to have it "considered" and never heard back from them again. I guess hospitality only does go so far. I realized I'd been a bad girl and was so disobedient to mess up the 'balance' of lamps, but they've since renovated the entire place, and I'll bet they don't even use those old lamps anymore. It was a sore spot with me, and I guess with them, too. I was treated so "cooly" that there's no way I'd become an oblate there, now. I love 'em but sometimes it's like something I just heard recently,paraphrased: "religious are like fertilizer, when spread around they help things grow, and add to the beauty, but piled all together, they just stink." Now I'm not saying that about these dear sisters. But I was really amazed at how all of my reparation efforts got only a turned up nose and nary a thank you!