WCCM Benedictine Oblates are encouraged to read a designated portion of the Rule daily, and to write a brief, personal response. I hope that this blog will support our Oblate community in this practice. Please, keep blog entries brief and in a first-person ("I") voice. Refrain from discussing, offering an opinion, or commenting on other entries. Simply consider how a particular section of the Rule is speaking to you in your present circumstances.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Chapter 44: The reconciliation of those excommunicated
As a correction in the monastery, the one at fault must “prostrate”(RB 44.1) him or herself, lying “face down at the feet of all”(RB 44.2) and “at the abbott’s feet”(RB 44.4) making “satisfaction there before all”(RB 45.1). If I am to make amends, come to full awareness of my faults at not loving enough, I need to once again touch the ground of my being as one lying on the ground at the feet of all.
I like how Richard Rohr explains this process of coming to a new awareness and a “healing” and a conversion for me, “To finally surrender ourselves to healing, we have to have three spaces opened up within us, all at the same time: our opinionated head, our closed-down heart, and our defensive and defended body. That is the core work of all spirituality—and it is work”(from Richard Rohr’s Meditation, Monday, November 23, 2015).
There it is for me. I cannot miss, or be negligent, or tardy, or unaware, or unbelieving at the time for the Work of God because in meditation and in community life, my head and heart and body come together opening up to the presence of God, the presence of Love. It is in the ground, the nourishing soil of meditation, prayer and work in humility that I can let go of opinions, and defenses and obstacle and grow- from Love into love.
As a correction in the monastery, the one at fault must “prostrate”(RB 44.1) him or herself, lying “face down at the feet of all”(RB 44.2) and “at the abbott’s feet”(RB 44.4) making “satisfaction there before all”(RB 45.1). If I am to make amends, come to full awareness of my faults at not loving enough, I need to once again touch the ground of my being as one lying on the ground at the feet of all.
ReplyDeleteI like how Richard Rohr explains this process of coming to a new awareness and a “healing” and a conversion for me, “To finally surrender ourselves to healing, we have to have three spaces opened up within us, all at the same time: our opinionated head, our closed-down heart, and our defensive and defended body. That is the core work of all spirituality—and it is work”(from Richard Rohr’s Meditation, Monday, November 23, 2015).
There it is for me. I cannot miss, or be negligent, or tardy, or unaware, or unbelieving at the time for the Work of God because in meditation and in community life, my head and heart and body come together opening up to the presence of God, the presence of Love. It is in the ground, the nourishing soil of meditation, prayer and work in humility that I can let go of opinions, and defenses and obstacle and grow- from Love into love.