November 27

First Sunday of Advent
Chapter 48 pt. 1

The Rule of Benedict November 27

"Idleness is the enemy of the soul."

Our culture often conceives of a "balanced" life as a life that maintains appropriate ratios between work and leisure.  Much of the world's economy functions to supply each side of this "balance", and it is the leisure side that drives the sacred calf of "consumer spending" so much in our national psyche this time of year.  I think it's safe to say that Americans are awash in idleness.

Part of the call to a Benedictine way of life is a call out of the dominant modes of being according to which our culture functions.  If we truly believe the first sentence of this chapter and seek to find a balance in our life between prayer, work, and study that leaves little room for idleness, we will find ourselves functioning in a different mode altogether.