" . . . the Abbot's foresight shall decide on this.
Thus it is that he should adapt and arrange everything
in such a way that souls may be saved
and that the brethren may do their work without just cause for murmuring."
"If you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea."
Mark 9:42
I hear a similar teaching in this passage from the Gospel and the above quote from chapter 41. We are each given to care for the spiritual well-being of all with whom we are in relationship, and the choices we make in our relationships are to serve in clearing the way for the Work of Grace. When we ignore this responsibility in favor of small-minded self-interest, we contribute to the proliferation of obstacles in the paths of those for whom God has called us to care.
Br. Chad
It sometimes seems so easy to get tangled in the rigors of everyday liing and forget that the Communion of Saints is waiting for me to pray with them and Praise God with them. then there is the guilt feeling that I am inadvertently pushing off on them when I feel bad for not getting my commitment to them and my canon community, kept. Lord, I pray that my commitment to You, My Community, and The Communion of Saints is as precious as fine gold or precious jewels, more, much more even..It is my responsibility to to be ministering in prayer, singing, and living in community; to be healthy relationship with them.
ReplyDeleteBroRaw.