Chapter 36: The care of the sick in the monastery

The care of those who are sick in the community is an absolute priority, which must rank before every other requirement, so that there may be no doubt that it is Christ who is truly served in them. (From Ch. 36 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)

Being sick, or being with those who are sick, can sometimes radically simplify my vision, and make me more sensitive to Christ's healing power of relationship.