Saturday, January 17, 2015

Chapter 3: Calling the community together for consultation (paragraphs 2-3)


Such an ideal can be achieved only if everyone duly conforms to the authority of the Rule and no one gives way to self-will be deviating from it. (From para. 2 of Ch. 3 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)

These words call me to re-commit myself to the authority of the Rule, that ancient sixth-century guide for rustic Italian monks living radically in the midst of political and cultural chaos. The authority of the Rule for me, lies in its potency as a living document, one that can be made real in my life, to what is required to transform the ego, to love and live with others, and to seek God.

1 comment:

  1. "Moreover, the prioress or abbot must themselves reverence God and keep the rule in everything they do; they can be sure beyond any doubt that they will have to give an account of all their judgments to God, the most just of judges."

    This tells me the limits of authority. If I have authority or even influence over another, I must not let that become Ego fuel, but treat it as a responsibility for which I am accountable to God. Meditation helps me deal with the Ego so that I am more able to see how God wants me to move forward.

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