Prologue to The Rule (paragraphs 1-2)

Listen, child of God, to the guidance of your teacher.  Attend to the message you hear and make sure that it pierces to your heart, so that you may accept with willing freedom and fulfil by the way you live the directions that come from your loving Father. (From para. 1 of Prologue to The Rule of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1973.)

I stand waiting to be delivered into a new phase of my life, and the words "child of God" don't strike me with the sentimentality that they sometimes do. Experiencing a kind of womb-like quickening, I emerge with all the vulnerability and strength freedom gives me. I welcome the loving guidance of my Inner Teacher.