Homily by Abbot Michael Brunner

at the Simple Profession of Brother Basil Piette

Abbot Michael Brunner presided at Mass of the Thurd Sunday of Easter, which also witnessed the Simple Profession of Br. Basil Piette. Abbot Michael’s homily integrated the core of the day's gospel, the threefold inquiry of Peter by the Risen Lord, into a reflection on Br. Basil's commitment, and on the commitment all are asked to make in the Christian life.

Homily of the Third Sunday of Easter (May 1, 2022)

Simon, son of John, do you love me? Just a few weeks ago, we heard about this Simon, son of John, whom we know as Peter, sitting in front of a fire in the early hours of the morning, and after being questioned by servants and guards, he denied three times that he even knew Jesus. Here, in today’s Gospel, Simon is again sitting in front of a fire, this time one made by Jesus, in the early hours of the morning, and now it is Jesus who questions him “Do you love me?” So Jesus is giving Peter an opportunity to redeem himself, to reverse his 3 denials. But we miss something in the English translation, because we use the same word “love” for many different things that other languages distinguish by different words. The first two times Jesus asks Peter, Jesus uses the word for love that expresses the selfless love of God. But Peter answers both times using the word for friendship love. Although Peter admits to an intellectual and spiritual love, he lives and operates with… he answers with a real, gutsy, fully human love. The third time Jesus asks He uses the word Peter has been using, for the intimate love of friends. He meets Peter where he is and where Peter lives. And the third time Peter answers: “Yes, you know EVERYTHING, nothing is hidden from you, you know I love you.”

This Gospel has a deep message for us, and especially for you, Br Basil. It asks each one of us, as an individual – you and me, the person sitting next to you, the person in front of you, the person across, and the one behind you…Do YOU love me? We recite the Nicene Creed every Sunday. We say: I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God. Christians believe, or we wouldn’t be here as Christians. But the question posed by this Gospel goes much deeper. Do you LOVE Jesus Christ? This is asking us something much more personal than “do you believe?” As God the Son, we should love Jesus with the love of worship, the love of a child for his parents, and perhaps with a great intellectual love. But most of all, because Jesus Christ was and is a human being like us, we should love him with the human love of a brother, a friend.

There is a great American spiritual hymn written in 1855. “What a friend we have in Jesus”: 

What a friend we have in Jesus, 
All our sins and griefs to bear! 
What a privilege to carry 
Everything to God in prayer! 

Oh, what peace we often forfeit, 
Oh, what needless pain we bear, 
All because we do not carry 
Everything to God in prayer! 

Have we trials and temptations? 
Is there trouble anywhere? 
We should never be discouraged
Take it to the Lord in prayer. 

Can we find a friend so faithful, 
Who will all our sorrows share? 
Jesus knows our every weakness; 
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

But friendship with Jesus, loving Jesus, is much more than this. What can we, what should we, do for Him? Jesus’ last words in today’s Gospel are not meant for just Peter and the apostles. They are meant for us, and today especially for you, Br. Basil. Jesus says: “Follow me.” “Follow me.” Jesus said these words to the rich young man, whom the Gospel said Jesus looked upon with love. He says the same thing to us too, because he loves us. In our time it is a great challenge to follow Christ, perhaps more than ever to truly love Jesus. It cannot be a passive love, just Jesus loves me this I know. Today it must be an active love. The world needs an active love of and witness to Jesus Christ, and that kind of love will cost us.

We do have a choice. Jesus asks us: Do you love me? We don’t have to answer “yes”. Br Basil, you have answered ‘Yes.” Brother Basil is here today, front and center, because of his answer, because he has chosen to follow Jesus with us and chosen to be here at Portsmouth Abbey. For Br. Basil it all began with one visit here, that led to another, that has led him to believe that God is calling him to give his life to us and to you. This is not a call to give up his life in a single moment of sacrifice, but to live his life, giving every moment, every day for, we hope, the rest of his life. He has been tested for the last year, and he has passed his year of testing, and there was testing for sure, with honors. Today he will promise to give his life to us and to you unreservedly, for the next three years.

Brother Basil, you are a saint in the making. All of us who know you and who have worked with you have recognized this. You have a quiet strength and holiness. The way of our Holy Father Benedict which you are committing to follow is not only the way to holiness but also the way to true and deep happiness, the way to seek and find God. In joining us you are like Jesus and the apostles, who did the same thing. They left what was dear to them of this world to work for the ultimate happiness and good of others. And you know what happened to them. 

Because your vows are so similar to the commitment of marriage vows, I’ll tell you the story I have always told at weddings. My mother and father, who met in their teens and married in their 20’s, were married for 67 years, a beautiful example of commitment. But when I went home to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary, my mother took me aside and said: “I’m so glad you are waiting to get married. Marriage isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.” My mother’s love and commitment was obviously being tested then, and undoubtedly was other times as well. But she persevered for another 27 years. Your commitment too will be tested. It already has, of course, but that will continue and may even increase. The farther you progress in something, the more difficult the tests become, but also the greater the rewards. Our good intentions are tempted by our self-will. Great goodness is always opposed by evil. And the greatest good and the greatest evil is found in the hearts of men.

Brother Basil, God has opened a door to His heart for you. Rush in. Develop most of all your prayer life and your close friendship with God. That is what will sustain you when you are tried and tempted, and when some evil tries to close that door. More than all else, guard your heart, for from it flow the springs of life. So says the Book of Proverbs 4:23. For as it says in another place: Just as water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the person (27:19); Guard your heart so that, as St Paul wrote to the Romans (5:5), in you hardship produces endurance, and endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint. Cast your net over on the right side and you too will find something great.