The Octave of Easter: Saturday
Chapter 72
The Rule of Benedict April 30
I read a book a while back that I've talked about often called Wisdom of the Benedictine Elders. One of the questions put to each elder was "What is your favorite chapter in the Rule of Benedict?" More than any other chapter, this one was said to be the favorite. This makes perfect sense to me as a person who has spent most of my life in church. It also makes sense in the context of our journey as an order so far. The difference between good zeal and evil zeal is as tangible as the difference between the touch of a blessing and a slap in the face. Let us offer thanks today to God who has blessed our order with a good zeal that leads to life.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
April 29
The Octave of Easter
Chapter 71
The Rule of Benedict April 29
Benedictine obedience comes down the point at which we, in the thick of our emotions, desires, and will, submit to another. It is a painfully difficult practice. It requires the laying down of whatever story I tell myself that places me in the possession of what is right. And at no time are the feelings of being right stronger than when I am in conflict. Yet it is precisely at this point that Benedict instructs us to quickly and decisively put aside excuses and blame.
Next time you find yourself being offended, imagine what it would take to extend a blessing rather than a rebuttal or a curse. And next time you find yourself having given offense, imagine setting aside explanations and asking for unqualified forgiveness. This is the inner freedom that Benedict seeks to cultivate in us.
Chapter 71
The Rule of Benedict April 29
Benedictine obedience comes down the point at which we, in the thick of our emotions, desires, and will, submit to another. It is a painfully difficult practice. It requires the laying down of whatever story I tell myself that places me in the possession of what is right. And at no time are the feelings of being right stronger than when I am in conflict. Yet it is precisely at this point that Benedict instructs us to quickly and decisively put aside excuses and blame.
Next time you find yourself being offended, imagine what it would take to extend a blessing rather than a rebuttal or a curse. And next time you find yourself having given offense, imagine setting aside explanations and asking for unqualified forgiveness. This is the inner freedom that Benedict seeks to cultivate in us.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
April 28
The Octave of Easter: Thursday
Chapter 70
The Rule of Benedict April 28
Since this chapter gives clear instruction that the care of children is the responsibility of all, I would like to share with you all that Isaac has recently begun to express a desire to take up his identity as a Christian. I cannot give an exhaustive account of why, but it has become clear that he has been very struck by Jana's and my practices of prayer and the wearing of our crosses as well as by his cousins' writing in the Lenten devotional and the experience of Holy Week and Easter. I invite you all to talk with him about the cross he is wearing, which was a gift at his baptism, and share with him about your own practices and identity as a Christian and as a Benedictine. He is earnest and impressionable, as are all of our children, and I am filled with hope as he encounters the Christ that you each will be for him.
Chapter 70
The Rule of Benedict April 28
Since this chapter gives clear instruction that the care of children is the responsibility of all, I would like to share with you all that Isaac has recently begun to express a desire to take up his identity as a Christian. I cannot give an exhaustive account of why, but it has become clear that he has been very struck by Jana's and my practices of prayer and the wearing of our crosses as well as by his cousins' writing in the Lenten devotional and the experience of Holy Week and Easter. I invite you all to talk with him about the cross he is wearing, which was a gift at his baptism, and share with him about your own practices and identity as a Christian and as a Benedictine. He is earnest and impressionable, as are all of our children, and I am filled with hope as he encounters the Christ that you each will be for him.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
April 27
The Octave of Easter: Wednesday
Chapter 69
The Rule of Benedict April 27
An unspoken assumption in this chapter provides a key to understanding its deepest meaning. The assumption is that God is the one against whom any act of defense is undertaken in a monastery. Each monk has handed himself over totally to being formed by God, a sacred relationship that must not be compromised by even the best of intentions.
It takes true discipline both to submit to being formed and to keep from stepping in when we perceive the struggles of another in her formation.
Chapter 69
The Rule of Benedict April 27
An unspoken assumption in this chapter provides a key to understanding its deepest meaning. The assumption is that God is the one against whom any act of defense is undertaken in a monastery. Each monk has handed himself over totally to being formed by God, a sacred relationship that must not be compromised by even the best of intentions.
It takes true discipline both to submit to being formed and to keep from stepping in when we perceive the struggles of another in her formation.
Monday, April 25, 2011
April 26
The Octave of Easter: Tuesday
Chapter 68
The Rule of Benedict April 26
This first year has given us a glimpse of what is possible when one faces one's own resistance and overcomes one's own sense of inability. I think that the breakthroughs in personal practice give testimony to our "trusting in the help of God" to do what seemed difficult or impossible. Let us thank God for coming to our assistance just like we ask.
Chapter 68
The Rule of Benedict April 26
This first year has given us a glimpse of what is possible when one faces one's own resistance and overcomes one's own sense of inability. I think that the breakthroughs in personal practice give testimony to our "trusting in the help of God" to do what seemed difficult or impossible. Let us thank God for coming to our assistance just like we ask.
April 25
The Octave of Easter: Monday
Chapter 67
The Rule of Benedict April 25
This chapter is the reason why we remember all our absent members before the closing prayer on Thursday evenings.
Our Father Benedict acknowledges and seeks to deal with a spiritual reality here that I have experienced often during that last year or so. Gil has talked for a long time about the fact each person brings with her to church an invisible crowd of other people that affect the spiritual climate of the gathering. Benedict is wise to make this explicit and establish a protocol for returning monks whereby the spiritual climate of the monastery can be cleansed from any unintended negative effects. Let us pay attention to who we bring with us to our gatherings, and let us pray for each other that we may ourselves be free and present to our community.
Chapter 67
The Rule of Benedict April 25
This chapter is the reason why we remember all our absent members before the closing prayer on Thursday evenings.
Our Father Benedict acknowledges and seeks to deal with a spiritual reality here that I have experienced often during that last year or so. Gil has talked for a long time about the fact each person brings with her to church an invisible crowd of other people that affect the spiritual climate of the gathering. Benedict is wise to make this explicit and establish a protocol for returning monks whereby the spiritual climate of the monastery can be cleansed from any unintended negative effects. Let us pay attention to who we bring with us to our gatherings, and let us pray for each other that we may ourselves be free and present to our community.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
April 24
Easter Day
Chapter 66
The Rule of Benedict April 24
Julie may be the oldest and wisest woman in our order, but, somehow, calling her a wise old woman seems inappropriate. Nevertheless, she is our porter, and it is no mere coincidence that she will be hosting many of us during this Easter afternoon at her house.
It is a joy, on this Easter, to begin a new year with you all as the Benedictine Sisters and Brothers of St. Brigid. I am filled with feelings of gratitude for the year that has past and with feelings of anticipation and hope for the year that is to come. My love and blessing are with you on this festival day!
Chapter 66
The Rule of Benedict April 24
Julie may be the oldest and wisest woman in our order, but, somehow, calling her a wise old woman seems inappropriate. Nevertheless, she is our porter, and it is no mere coincidence that she will be hosting many of us during this Easter afternoon at her house.
It is a joy, on this Easter, to begin a new year with you all as the Benedictine Sisters and Brothers of St. Brigid. I am filled with feelings of gratitude for the year that has past and with feelings of anticipation and hope for the year that is to come. My love and blessing are with you on this festival day!
Friday, April 22, 2011
April 23
Chapter 65 pt. 2
The Rule of Benedict April 23
The Church spends Holy Saturday with its Great Abbot in a tomb. She languishes without her Leader like the disciples cowering in confusion behind closed doors--helpless and aimless. We sit today in the great vacuum of Power. Jesus is dead.
Let us use our experience of this day to reflect upon Benedict's instructions in this passage. He is tapping into and drawing from universal truths about leadership that our journey through Holy Week brings into sharp relief.
The Rule of Benedict April 23
The Church spends Holy Saturday with its Great Abbot in a tomb. She languishes without her Leader like the disciples cowering in confusion behind closed doors--helpless and aimless. We sit today in the great vacuum of Power. Jesus is dead.
Let us use our experience of this day to reflect upon Benedict's instructions in this passage. He is tapping into and drawing from universal truths about leadership that our journey through Holy Week brings into sharp relief.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
April 22
Chapter 65 pt. 1
The Rule of Benedict April 22
It's appropriate on this Good Friday to have a reading about leadership dynamics. As long as the self--the ego--has a vested interest in being a leader, that self cannot lead in the spirit of Christ. Jesus leads as the servant, as the slave. Humble, poor, marginal. Selflessly. Benedict is concerned here with conditions that would give rise to the inflammation of self-interest and, as a result, conflict. Yes, such conditions should be avoided, but let us recognize that the true source of any such conflict rises from within the depths of our selves.
The Rule of Benedict April 22
It's appropriate on this Good Friday to have a reading about leadership dynamics. As long as the self--the ego--has a vested interest in being a leader, that self cannot lead in the spirit of Christ. Jesus leads as the servant, as the slave. Humble, poor, marginal. Selflessly. Benedict is concerned here with conditions that would give rise to the inflammation of self-interest and, as a result, conflict. Yes, such conditions should be avoided, but let us recognize that the true source of any such conflict rises from within the depths of our selves.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
April 21
Chapter 64 pt. 2
The Rule of Benedict April 21
What a beautiful picture of leadership Benedict paints in this passage. I have no commentary other than to say that any leader in our order should humbly seek to follow in this way.
My favorite paragraph is the second to the last:
They should take to heart these and other examples of discretion, the mother of virtues, and manage everything in the monastery so that the strong may have ideals to inspire them and the weak may not be frightened away by excessive demands.
The Rule of Benedict April 21
What a beautiful picture of leadership Benedict paints in this passage. I have no commentary other than to say that any leader in our order should humbly seek to follow in this way.
My favorite paragraph is the second to the last:
They should take to heart these and other examples of discretion, the mother of virtues, and manage everything in the monastery so that the strong may have ideals to inspire them and the weak may not be frightened away by excessive demands.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
April 20
Chapter 64 pt. 1
The Rule of Benedict April 20
This passage calls to mind the need for any Benedictine community to be in transparent relationship with the wider Church in which it finds itself. Although Benedict's vision for a monastery is non-diocesan, he clearly intends that each community will be intimately connected to the life of its diocese and to other monasteries. In our situation, Gil provides the oversight to which Benedict alludes, although I suspect that opportunities to expand our relationship with a wider portion of the Church will be in our future.
The Rule of Benedict April 20
This passage calls to mind the need for any Benedictine community to be in transparent relationship with the wider Church in which it finds itself. Although Benedict's vision for a monastery is non-diocesan, he clearly intends that each community will be intimately connected to the life of its diocese and to other monasteries. In our situation, Gil provides the oversight to which Benedict alludes, although I suspect that opportunities to expand our relationship with a wider portion of the Church will be in our future.
Monday, April 18, 2011
April 19
Chapter 63 pt. 2
The Rule of Benedict April 19
I would like for us to consider together whether it would be valuable for us to address each other by something other than our "mere name" when we gather together as an order. Perhaps simply "brother" or "sister" and "Prior". I am not of the mind that we need to begin recognizing who is older than whom in our community, however.
The Rule of Benedict April 19
I would like for us to consider together whether it would be valuable for us to address each other by something other than our "mere name" when we gather together as an order. Perhaps simply "brother" or "sister" and "Prior". I am not of the mind that we need to begin recognizing who is older than whom in our community, however.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
April 18
Chapter 63 pt. 1
The Rule of Benedict April 18
Benedict's system of community ranking had the somewhat counterintuitive effect of providing equality within the monastery, as Sr. Joan says. Peasants and nobility became simply monks who entered the monastic life at one time or another. I have a hard time imagining that our order would ever benefit from any such ranking of its members, but I think we can listen to the spirit of what Benedict intends here by seeking to relate to each other in ways that regard our common spiritual path and not the social circumstances that might cause division between us. I think we do this quite well already.
The Rule of Benedict April 18
Benedict's system of community ranking had the somewhat counterintuitive effect of providing equality within the monastery, as Sr. Joan says. Peasants and nobility became simply monks who entered the monastic life at one time or another. I have a hard time imagining that our order would ever benefit from any such ranking of its members, but I think we can listen to the spirit of what Benedict intends here by seeking to relate to each other in ways that regard our common spiritual path and not the social circumstances that might cause division between us. I think we do this quite well already.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
April 17
Chapter 62
The Rule of Benedict April 17
This chapter makes very clear our Father Benedict's intentions for how the dual callings of monk and priest are to interact. For a Benedictine monk, the monastic call is primary, and the priestly call is secondary. I think it is fair to say, however, that our order, as it exists now, does not constitute with its vows the level of commitment, nor with its structure the level of authority that Benedict takes for granted here. The nature of the relationship between the members of our order and the Rule is identical to that of an oblate. And, as many priests are themselves oblates, including Gil and our bishop, without major constraints or limitations placed on their priestly vocations as a result of their oblate vows, I see no direct application of this chapter to Robert's or my possible priestly vocation. That is, unless one or both of us hear a call to vows and a structure that go beyond that of an oblate . . . such as those of a Benedictine Canon, for instance.
The Rule of Benedict April 17
This chapter makes very clear our Father Benedict's intentions for how the dual callings of monk and priest are to interact. For a Benedictine monk, the monastic call is primary, and the priestly call is secondary. I think it is fair to say, however, that our order, as it exists now, does not constitute with its vows the level of commitment, nor with its structure the level of authority that Benedict takes for granted here. The nature of the relationship between the members of our order and the Rule is identical to that of an oblate. And, as many priests are themselves oblates, including Gil and our bishop, without major constraints or limitations placed on their priestly vocations as a result of their oblate vows, I see no direct application of this chapter to Robert's or my possible priestly vocation. That is, unless one or both of us hear a call to vows and a structure that go beyond that of an oblate . . . such as those of a Benedictine Canon, for instance.
April 16
Chapter 61 pt. 2
The Rule of Benedict April 16
I have in my own notes that the questions from Sr. Joan's commentary on this passage are very helpful as we approach our yearly revisiting of our vows. Those questions are:
Is this group, this place calling out the best in me?
Is this where I fit?
Is this the place where I can most become what God created me to be?
Is this the path on which I see the footsteps of God most clearly in front of me?
Let us prayerfully consider our answers.
The Rule of Benedict April 16
I have in my own notes that the questions from Sr. Joan's commentary on this passage are very helpful as we approach our yearly revisiting of our vows. Those questions are:
Is this group, this place calling out the best in me?
Is this where I fit?
Is this the place where I can most become what God created me to be?
Is this the path on which I see the footsteps of God most clearly in front of me?
Let us prayerfully consider our answers.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
April 15
Chapter 61 pt. 1
The Rule of Benedict April 15
I love the posture of humility that this passage instructs the community to assume with regard to the visitor. The community is instructed to listen to and learn from the visiting monastic. Benedict desires open hearts and receptive minds to whatever God brings to the communities that bear his name.
As we move forward, let us open ourselves to hearing and learning from others who have walked the path of a vowed religious life. I believe that in this way we will discover profound blessings as we enter the next stage of our life together.
The Rule of Benedict April 15
I love the posture of humility that this passage instructs the community to assume with regard to the visitor. The community is instructed to listen to and learn from the visiting monastic. Benedict desires open hearts and receptive minds to whatever God brings to the communities that bear his name.
As we move forward, let us open ourselves to hearing and learning from others who have walked the path of a vowed religious life. I believe that in this way we will discover profound blessings as we enter the next stage of our life together.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
April 14
Chapter 60
The Rule of Benedict April 14
The BSBSB began as a lay order in large part because of this chapter. Benedictine authority is very clearly not clerical, and this needed to be established in our order's first iteration or it would be very difficult to establish later.
Let us note, however, that it's not only priests who carry with them modes of relating that work against Benedict's intentions for community life. This year has been, for many of us, a process of unlearning and detaching from what we've known in the past so that we can be formed into what the Spirit intends. I feel encouraged and grateful with regard to where we are as we approach our first anniversary.
The Rule of Benedict April 14
The BSBSB began as a lay order in large part because of this chapter. Benedictine authority is very clearly not clerical, and this needed to be established in our order's first iteration or it would be very difficult to establish later.
Let us note, however, that it's not only priests who carry with them modes of relating that work against Benedict's intentions for community life. This year has been, for many of us, a process of unlearning and detaching from what we've known in the past so that we can be formed into what the Spirit intends. I feel encouraged and grateful with regard to where we are as we approach our first anniversary.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
April 13
Chapter 59
The Rule of Benedict April 13
Putting the issue of children offered to God in the monastery aside, this chapter takes seriously Jesus' words about the difficulty of participating fully in God's household when one's human household is filled with wealth. As long as there is a plan B waiting in the wings for a day when things get tough, one will be unable to undergo the transformation that Benedict intends. Self-sufficiency and a Benedictine way of life are incompatible.
Let us consider what in our lives keeps us from experiencing, in Sr. Joan's words, "the smelting effects of a communal spirituality." What would it take to lay those things aside?
The Rule of Benedict April 13
Putting the issue of children offered to God in the monastery aside, this chapter takes seriously Jesus' words about the difficulty of participating fully in God's household when one's human household is filled with wealth. As long as there is a plan B waiting in the wings for a day when things get tough, one will be unable to undergo the transformation that Benedict intends. Self-sufficiency and a Benedictine way of life are incompatible.
Let us consider what in our lives keeps us from experiencing, in Sr. Joan's words, "the smelting effects of a communal spirituality." What would it take to lay those things aside?
Monday, April 11, 2011
April 12
*Please note that I have included in the "About Me" section of this blog a prayer list for our order. Any additions can be emailed to me.
Chapter 58 pt. 2
The Rule of Benedict April 12
This passage depicts a version of the ceremony in which we will participate in less than two weeks. As we have been discerning during Lent whether we are called to renew our vows, I hope some clarity regarding our purpose and work has been gained. Let us consider carefully in the next week our answer to the question of whether or not we will continue for another year as a vowed member of this order. I will need to know your decision during Holy Week.
Chapter 58 pt. 2
The Rule of Benedict April 12
This passage depicts a version of the ceremony in which we will participate in less than two weeks. As we have been discerning during Lent whether we are called to renew our vows, I hope some clarity regarding our purpose and work has been gained. Let us consider carefully in the next week our answer to the question of whether or not we will continue for another year as a vowed member of this order. I will need to know your decision during Holy Week.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
April 11
Chapter 58 pt. 1
The Rule of Benedict April 11
I feel that in some ways we are all, as an order, still novices in need of an elder who is skilled in winning souls. I find great peace in reading that one does not find one's way into a Benedictine life in an instant of decision, but by patience and persistence. Nor does one find one's way alone.
The Rule of Benedict April 11
I feel that in some ways we are all, as an order, still novices in need of an elder who is skilled in winning souls. I find great peace in reading that one does not find one's way into a Benedictine life in an instant of decision, but by patience and persistence. Nor does one find one's way alone.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
April 10
Chapter 57
The Rule of Benedict April 10
I used this chapter to inform our approach to sharing our roles with the larger community at our retreat in November. While I feel as though it was a valid application of Benedict's instructions in this chapter, I now believe that it was premature to apply ourselves to the work of discerning our roles and navigating their relationship to St. Brigid's Community. Our work over this first year has shown itself to be the quintessentially Benedictine charism of prayer.
I can envision a time, however, when this chapter will come to life for us as a vowed community. Let us be patient to experience that manifestation.
The Rule of Benedict April 10
I used this chapter to inform our approach to sharing our roles with the larger community at our retreat in November. While I feel as though it was a valid application of Benedict's instructions in this chapter, I now believe that it was premature to apply ourselves to the work of discerning our roles and navigating their relationship to St. Brigid's Community. Our work over this first year has shown itself to be the quintessentially Benedictine charism of prayer.
I can envision a time, however, when this chapter will come to life for us as a vowed community. Let us be patient to experience that manifestation.
Friday, April 8, 2011
April 9
Chapter 56
The Rule of Benedict April 9
There may be a day when this chapter has more to say to our circumstances. For the time being, I'll begin to invite you over, one by one, for dinner . . . starting with Jana.
The Rule of Benedict April 9
There may be a day when this chapter has more to say to our circumstances. For the time being, I'll begin to invite you over, one by one, for dinner . . . starting with Jana.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
April 8
Chapter 55 pt. 2
The Rule of Benedict April 8
In this passage I can't help but see the scenario described through the lens of Julie and Monty's experience of attachment disorder with Mila. Attachment disorder occurs when a person does not form the normal attachments to a parent or primary caregiver during early childhood. The result is a human being that believes, on a primal level, that she must fend for herself in a hostile world that does not meet her needs.
I don't think it's a stretch to say that the Rule is therapy for a soul that has lost its attachment to God. Benedict's instructions can seem harsh until you realize the nature of the illness that needs to be cured. The sort of love that is willing to bear the bruises of a screaming, striking child in a calm, firm, four-limbed embrace is the kind of love displayed here by our Father Benedict.
The Rule of Benedict April 8
In this passage I can't help but see the scenario described through the lens of Julie and Monty's experience of attachment disorder with Mila. Attachment disorder occurs when a person does not form the normal attachments to a parent or primary caregiver during early childhood. The result is a human being that believes, on a primal level, that she must fend for herself in a hostile world that does not meet her needs.
I don't think it's a stretch to say that the Rule is therapy for a soul that has lost its attachment to God. Benedict's instructions can seem harsh until you realize the nature of the illness that needs to be cured. The sort of love that is willing to bear the bruises of a screaming, striking child in a calm, firm, four-limbed embrace is the kind of love displayed here by our Father Benedict.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
April 7
Chapter 55 pt.1
The Rule of Benedict April 7
Many schools in our time have returned to the practice of requiring a uniform to be worn on campus. It is claimed that such a practice eliminates one way that middle and high schoolers regularly go about distinguishing themselves from one another in order to gain attention, display wealth, or identify themselves with a group. While clearly there are other ways to gain distinction and do these sorts of things, in most stories I've heard, the requirement to wear a specific uniform is a relief to students. One major weight seems to be lifted from the minds and hearts of teenagers during a critical developmental period in their lives. Everyone, at least when it comes to clothes, is in the same boat at school.
I think this is in the spirit of Benedict's instructions regarding a dress code. In time, I believe that we will come to consider how our order can embody this spirit in our own context.
The Rule of Benedict April 7
Many schools in our time have returned to the practice of requiring a uniform to be worn on campus. It is claimed that such a practice eliminates one way that middle and high schoolers regularly go about distinguishing themselves from one another in order to gain attention, display wealth, or identify themselves with a group. While clearly there are other ways to gain distinction and do these sorts of things, in most stories I've heard, the requirement to wear a specific uniform is a relief to students. One major weight seems to be lifted from the minds and hearts of teenagers during a critical developmental period in their lives. Everyone, at least when it comes to clothes, is in the same boat at school.
I think this is in the spirit of Benedict's instructions regarding a dress code. In time, I believe that we will come to consider how our order can embody this spirit in our own context.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
April 6
Chapter 54
The Rule of Benedict April 6
The value behind the instructions in this chapter, and behind a vow of poverty, is not the glorification of being poor. Rather, it is a freedom from the need to possess.
When Jana and I attended an Enneagram seminar taught by Richard Rohr in February, I saw this freedom in action. At the end of the event, as he was closing, he told someone at the back of the room, "If you recorded this and want to make copies to sell, that's fine. You don't need to give me any money; I'm a Franciscan. You can give a donation to the Center (for Action and Contemplation), if you want." When I heard him say this it hit me: he doesn't make money! All his books and speaking engagements and Richard Rohr doesn't own a thing!
How can we, in our circumstances, find such freedom in our lives?
The Rule of Benedict April 6
The value behind the instructions in this chapter, and behind a vow of poverty, is not the glorification of being poor. Rather, it is a freedom from the need to possess.
When Jana and I attended an Enneagram seminar taught by Richard Rohr in February, I saw this freedom in action. At the end of the event, as he was closing, he told someone at the back of the room, "If you recorded this and want to make copies to sell, that's fine. You don't need to give me any money; I'm a Franciscan. You can give a donation to the Center (for Action and Contemplation), if you want." When I heard him say this it hit me: he doesn't make money! All his books and speaking engagements and Richard Rohr doesn't own a thing!
How can we, in our circumstances, find such freedom in our lives?
Monday, April 4, 2011
April 5
Chapter 53 pt. 2
The Rule of Benedict April 5
I wonder if, between the members of our order, we could provide guest quarters for people traveling to or through our community. I can imagine making it known that we can offer Benedictine hospitality to, for instance, visiting clergy, students, or travelers flying in or out of Sky Harbor. People who would like to receive such hospitality could let us know a day, a week, a month ahead of time, and we could determine who among us is able to accommodate. Let us consider whether this can be a ministry of ours.
The Rule of Benedict April 5
I wonder if, between the members of our order, we could provide guest quarters for people traveling to or through our community. I can imagine making it known that we can offer Benedictine hospitality to, for instance, visiting clergy, students, or travelers flying in or out of Sky Harbor. People who would like to receive such hospitality could let us know a day, a week, a month ahead of time, and we could determine who among us is able to accommodate. Let us consider whether this can be a ministry of ours.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
April 4
Chapter 53 pt. 1
The Rule of Benedict Apirl 4
There is great wisdom in putting into place a protocol for the welcoming of guests into the presence of the community--into the home. We suffer as a culture, civil and religious, from the lack of such a protocol. I am struck in this reading by the central idea at play, which is that Christ is the one being welcomed as we welcome the guest. The protocol is in place in order to ensure that Christ is greeted and nurtured in the very heart of the community.
I wonder how we are called to practice this teaching of Father Benedict. I believe that, as non-cloistered Benedictines, it is up to us to determine our own protocol for such encounters, both at our gatherings, and during the course of the rest of our lives. How is Christ to be honored and served in those who come to us, especially in the poor and the "pilgrim"?
The Rule of Benedict Apirl 4
There is great wisdom in putting into place a protocol for the welcoming of guests into the presence of the community--into the home. We suffer as a culture, civil and religious, from the lack of such a protocol. I am struck in this reading by the central idea at play, which is that Christ is the one being welcomed as we welcome the guest. The protocol is in place in order to ensure that Christ is greeted and nurtured in the very heart of the community.
I wonder how we are called to practice this teaching of Father Benedict. I believe that, as non-cloistered Benedictines, it is up to us to determine our own protocol for such encounters, both at our gatherings, and during the course of the rest of our lives. How is Christ to be honored and served in those who come to us, especially in the poor and the "pilgrim"?
Saturday, April 2, 2011
April 3
Chapter 52
The Rule of Benedict April 3
One beginning application of this chapter for our lives can be that we each (or each household) set aside a space that is devoted to our practice of prayer. Not all of us will be able to set aside exclusive space in which nothing else is done, but it is enough that we each pay attention to the cultivation of the sacred in our dwelling place.
The Rule of Benedict April 3
One beginning application of this chapter for our lives can be that we each (or each household) set aside a space that is devoted to our practice of prayer. Not all of us will be able to set aside exclusive space in which nothing else is done, but it is enough that we each pay attention to the cultivation of the sacred in our dwelling place.
April 2
Chapter 51
The Rule of Benedict April 2
At first glance, the punishment in this chapter appears a bit extreme for the offense. But if we think about it in terms of vows and what it means to violate the spirit of a vow, it seems quite appropriate. For example, if I, without Jana's permission, were to meet a female friend for lunch in some hidden cafe across town, the issues at play cut straight to the heart of what it means for me to be married. These are matters of fidelity and trust.
As members of our order, what might it look like to act outside of the spirit of our vows? How do our vows accompany us in our daily lives?
The Rule of Benedict April 2
At first glance, the punishment in this chapter appears a bit extreme for the offense. But if we think about it in terms of vows and what it means to violate the spirit of a vow, it seems quite appropriate. For example, if I, without Jana's permission, were to meet a female friend for lunch in some hidden cafe across town, the issues at play cut straight to the heart of what it means for me to be married. These are matters of fidelity and trust.
As members of our order, what might it look like to act outside of the spirit of our vows? How do our vows accompany us in our daily lives?
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