Chapter 55: Clothing and footwear for the community (paragraphs 3-4)
There is one saying, however, from the Acts of the Apostles which the superior must always bear in mind, namely that proper provision was made according to the needs of each. (From para. 4 of Ch. 55 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)
Living in a world with so much "stuff", I can easily scatter my energies or overindulge in my own material things. Living like this, it can be so hard to know what I or anyone else really needs. But, over time, the discipline of saying the mantra helps me to discern much about the practicalities of life -- and the discipline also helps me to see what someone else might need in the way of a kind word, a loving gesture, a prayer, a presence.
Hoarding is a growth industry in our acquisitive society. Storage facilities more and more dot the landscape, supporting my consumption addictions. Meditation and lectio and Benedict's Rule all help remind me, Abba, that, simply having you, I have enough, I am enough.
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