Chapter 45
The Rule of St. Benedict July 25
Last year on the Feast of St. James the Apostle, I was at St. Gregory's Abbey in Three Rivers, Michigan, just concluding my two-week stay in the Summer Vocation program. I saw the instructions from Chapter 45 (aside from the last sentence) played out several times during my time at St. Gregory's. Almost every member of the community, including the Abbot, at one point or another, made a mistake on a Psalm tone or on a reading and immediately performed a small, quick genuflection toward the Superior. This little action seemed to be the beginning and the end of the matter, and I felt it to be refreshing to have such a clear procedure for the addressing of mistakes rather than a muddled series of apologies and/or reprimands and/or passive-aggressive silence and/or cloying assurances.
As Benedict indicates, the issue for the offender is that of humility, which, in truth, needs not speak a word of excuse or defense. And the issue for the Superior and community is that of holding the space for that humility to manifest without undue commentary or judgment.
Br. Chad 2012
Simple, open, honest and acknowledging exactly what is so. This is so very refreshing. Liberating to be the cause of one's own honesty, authenticity, responsibility for change, and transformation into our individual and collective calling to God's work for us.
ReplyDeleteBr. Rawleigh