The Rule of St. Benedict September 10
"The purpose of Benedictine spirituality is to gather equally committed adults for a journey through earthen darkness to the dazzling light that already flames in each of us, but in a hidden place left to each of us to find."This paragraph from Sr. Joan's commentary on today's reading in Chapter 2 shapes my approach to leadership in our community. As the religious superior, the prior, as we call the role, I am responsible before God to accompany each member on the journey to his hidden flame and, once found, to help protect and fan the flame.
At the same time, our Father Benedict knows well that there is only so much that anyone can do to assist another on the inner journey. No one is relieved of the responsibility to do her own work, to face her own "earthen darkness" in her search for the "dazzling light." But, as Benedictines, we are never expected to face such things alone.
Br. Chad 2012
Brothers and Sisters:
ReplyDeleteI have thought since my early Twenties, that all the greatness that I will ever be, is already in side me. I began to think about what it really means to be created in God's image. To me this means both God within my Spirit, that has yet in this life I live to be revealed, and in the way I treat the Temple Body in which I have been given to live and work out where the flame of God burns within me.
Experiences in life reveal the greatness within me that waits to be released to live in the body I have.
My responsibility is to understand that all experience is just that, experience. Some are pleasant and some are very much not pleasant. But, in the context of living the life of Christ on the earth today, I learn each day that I must not categorize the experiences as good or bad, but, as keys that release the light of God already with in me, in equally. Experiences, as are the people in our lives, Gatekeepers who can open the doors to the greater life that God has for us.
I am grateful to be on this journey in my Novice Year of understanding what it means to live a full Christian Life through learning and applying the Rule of St. Benedict.
Peace and Possibilities,
Br Rawleigh