Chapter 71: Mutual obedience in the monastery

Any monk or nun who is corrected for anything by abbot or abbess or one of the seniors and perceives that the senior is upset by feelings of anger, even though they may be well in control, then that junior should at once prostrate on the ground in contrition and not move until the senior gives a blessing which will heal the upset. (From para. 2 of Ch. 70 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)

I've pondered on this directive quite a bit from a justice point of view. Who's guilty, and of what? Was the junior really at fault for something or unjustly corrected? Isn't the senior's anger a fault, and isn't controlling his anger enough? Why does the junior, guilty or not, have to prostrate himself for his perceived fault to the senior? But I realize St. Benedict isn't talking about justice. He's talking about love in the form of mutual obedience, and that happens in the moment of the blessing. The blessing takes the scenario beyond a matter of justice and moves it into the realm of reconciliation.