Chapter 54: The reception of letters and gifts in the monastery
No one in a monastic community may receive or send to others letters, gifts of piety or any little tokens, without the permission of the superior, whether it is their parents who are concerned or anyone else at all or another member if the community. (From Ch. 54 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)
Gifts and letters are good, I think, except when I use them to manipulate others or make them indebted to me. True generosity comes from one realized heart respecting another, and carries with it liberty of spirit.
My disease of “More” and restlessness until I get it, is nourished by everything about me in this consumer society. By your grace, however, one day at a time my disease is arrested and my heart finds rest in you, Abba. In this moment with you, I have enough, I do enough, I am enough.
ReplyDeleteI am to be on guard against corrupting influences of the outside world. Only what comes from God can be trusted.
ReplyDeleteYes, the Rule invites me to be mindful of my intentions in giving and my disposition in receiving. My generosity shall always come from a happy and sincere spirit and my act of receiving shall be from a humble heart.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very challenging insight. Even things that are good in themselves can be used to manipulate. Often I think that Christians have the need to do good and fail to examine their own motives which would first bring us all to our knees.
ReplyDelete