BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//eriebenedictines.org//NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.30.10//
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
UID:cb759876-5f5e-45ce-981b-47c0f93afebc
X-WR-CALDESC:The fourth step of humility is that in this obedience under
difficult\, unfavorable\, or even unjust conditions\, our hearts quietly
embrace suffering and endure it without weakening or seeking escape. For s
cripture has it: 'Anyone who perseveres to the end will be saved (Mt 10:22
)\,' and again\, 'Be brave of heart and rely on God (Ps 27:14).' Another p
assage shows how the faithful must endure everything\, even contradiction\
, for the sake of the Holy One\, saying in the person of those who suffer\
,'For your sake we are put to death continually\; we are regarded as sheep
marked for slaughter (Rom 8:36\; Ps 44:22).' They are so confident in the
ir expectation of reward from God that they continue joyfully and say\, 'B
ut in all this we overcome because of Christ who so greatly loved us (Rom
8:37).' Elsewhere scripture says: 'O God\, you have tested us\, you have t
ried us as silver is tried by fire\; you have led us into a snare\, you ha
ve placed afflictions on our backs (Ps 66:10-11).' Then\, to show that we
ought to be under a prioress or an abbot\, it adds: 'You have placed other
s over our heads (Ps 66:12).'\n\nOne thing about Benedict of Nursia: h
e is not is a romantic. It is so easy to say\, 'Let God be the center of y
our life\; do God's will\; see God's will in the will of others for you.'
It is outrageous to say\, even under the best of conditions\, that it will
be easy. We cling to our own ways like snails to sea walls\, inching alon
g through life\, hiding within ourselves\, unconscious even of the nourish
ing power of the sea that is seeking to sweep us into wider worlds.\n\nAnd
all of that when the words that control us are good for us. What about wh
en they are not? Benedict admits the situation. There are times when the w
ords of those over us will not be good for us.\n\nThe fourth step on the s
piritual ladder\, Benedict says\, is the ability to persevere\, even in th
e face of downright contradiction because it is more right to be open to t
he Word of God through others and have our enterprises fail sometimes than
to be our own guide and have things turn out right.\n\nIt is more right t
o be able to deal with the difficult things of life and grow from them tha
n it is to have things work out well all the time and learn nothing from t
hem at all.\n\nThis is the degree of humility that calls for emotional sta
bility\, for holding on when things do not go our way\, for withstanding t
he storms of life rather than having to flail and flail against the wind a
nd\, as a result\, lose the opportunity to control ourselves when there is
nothing else in life that we can control.\n\nIn truth\, those who are
patient amid hardships and unjust treatment are fulfilling God's command:
'When struck on one cheek\, they turn the other\; when deprived of their c
oat\, they offer their cloak also\; when pressed into service for one mile
\, they go two (Mt 5:39-41). 'With the apostle Paul\, they bear with 'fals
e companions\, endure persecution\, and bless those who curse them (2 Cor
11:26\; 1 Cor 4:12).'\n\nTo bear bad things\, evil things\, well is fo
r Benedict a mark of humility\, a mark of Christian maturity. It is a dour
and difficult notion for the modern Christian to accept. The goal of the
twentieth century is to cure all diseases\, order all inefficiency\, toppl
e all obstacles\, end all stress\, and prescribe immediate panaceas. We wa
it for nothing and put up with little and abide less and react with fury a
t irritations. We are a people without patience. We do not tolerate proces
s. We cannot stomach delay. Persist. Persevere. Endure\, Benedict says. It
is good for the soul to temper it. God does not come on hoofbeats of merc
ury through streets of gold. God is in the dregs of our lives. That's why
it takes humility to find God where God is not expected to be.
X-WR-RELCALID:d96c58b1319d00a8c46c83085d2ad9f0
X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/New_York
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20231105T020000
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
RDATE:20241103T020000
RDATE:20251102T020000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20240310T020000
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
RDATE:20250309T020000
END:DAYLIGHT
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:3e8eb4fe-69ef-42d4-b3a7-3b119b6737f4
DTSTAMP:20260428T203355Z
DESCRIPTION:The fourth step of humility is that in this obedience under
difficult\, unfavorable\, or even unjust conditions\, our hearts quietly e
mbrace suffering and endure it without weakening or seeking escape. For sc
ripture has it: 'Anyone who perseveres to the end will be saved (Mt 10:22)
\,' and again\, 'Be brave of heart and rely on God (Ps 27:14).' Another pa
ssage shows how the faithful must endure everything\, even contradiction\,
for the sake of the Holy One\, saying in the person of those who suffer\,
'For your sake we are put to death continually\; we are regarded as sheep
marked for slaughter (Rom 8:36\; Ps 44:22).' They are so confident in thei
r expectation of reward from God that they continue joyfully and say\, 'Bu
t in all this we overcome because of Christ who so greatly loved us (Rom 8
:37).' Elsewhere scripture says: 'O God\, you have tested us\, you have tr
ied us as silver is tried by fire\; you have led us into a snare\, you hav
e placed afflictions on our backs (Ps 66:10-11).' Then\, to show that we o
ught to be under a prioress or an abbot\, it adds: 'You have placed others
over our heads (Ps 66:12).'\n\nOne thing about Benedict of Nursia: he
is not is a romantic. It is so easy to say\, 'Let God be the center of yo
ur life\; do God's will\; see God's will in the will of others for you.' I
t is outrageous to say\, even under the best of conditions\, that it will
be easy. We cling to our own ways like snails to sea walls\, inching along
through life\, hiding within ourselves\, unconscious even of the nourishi
ng power of the sea that is seeking to sweep us into wider worlds.\n\nAnd
all of that when the words that control us are good for us. What about whe
n they are not? Benedict admits the situation. There are times when the wo
rds of those over us will not be good for us.\n\nThe fourth step on the sp
iritual ladder\, Benedict says\, is the ability to persevere\, even in the
face of downright contradiction because it is more right to be open to th
e Word of God through others and have our enterprises fail sometimes than
to be our own guide and have things turn out right.\n\nIt is more right to
be able to deal with the difficult things of life and grow from them than
it is to have things work out well all the time and learn nothing from th
em at all.\n\nThis is the degree of humility that calls for emotional stab
ility\, for holding on when things do not go our way\, for withstanding th
e storms of life rather than having to flail and flail against the wind an
d\, as a result\, lose the opportunity to control ourselves when there is
nothing else in life that we can control.\n\nIn truth\, those who are p
atient amid hardships and unjust treatment are fulfilling God's command: '
When struck on one cheek\, they turn the other\; when deprived of their co
at\, they offer their cloak also\; when pressed into service for one mile\
, they go two (Mt 5:39-41). 'With the apostle Paul\, they bear with 'false
companions\, endure persecution\, and bless those who curse them (2 Cor 1
1:26\; 1 Cor 4:12).'\n\nTo bear bad things\, evil things\, well is for
Benedict a mark of humility\, a mark of Christian maturity. It is a dour
and difficult notion for the modern Christian to accept. The goal of the t
wentieth century is to cure all diseases\, order all inefficiency\, topple
all obstacles\, end all stress\, and prescribe immediate panaceas. We wai
t for nothing and put up with little and abide less and react with fury at
irritations. We are a people without patience. We do not tolerate process
. We cannot stomach delay. Persist. Persevere. Endure\, Benedict says. It
is good for the soul to temper it. God does not come on hoofbeats of mercu
ry through streets of gold. God is in the dregs of our lives. That's why i
t takes humility to find God where God is not expected to be.
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240602T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240602T235900
LOCATION:Chapter 7
SUMMARY:Humility
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR