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X-WR-CALDESC:Care of the sick must rank above and before all else so tha
t they may truly be served as Christ who said: 'I was sick and you visited
me (Mt 25-36).' and\, 'What you did for one of these least of my people y
ou did for me (Mt. 25-40). Let the sick on their part bear in mind that th
ey are served out of honor for God\, and let them not by their excessive d
emands distress anyone who serves them. Still\, the sick must be patiently
borne with\, because serving them leads to a greater reward. Consequently
\, the prioress or abbot should be extremely careful that they suffer no n
eglect.\n\nThe rabbis say\, 'The purpose of maintaining the body in go
od health is to make it possible for you to acquire wisdom.' Benedictine s
pirituality is about coming to a sense of the fullness of life. It is not
about being self-destructive or living sour lives or dropping down pits of
privacy so deep that no other ever dare intrude. Benedictine spirituality
never gives up on life even though death is known to be the entry to its
everlasting joy. Why? Because\, the rabbi shows us\, every day we have giv
es us another chance to become the real persons we are meant to be. Why? B
ecause\, the scripture says\, to serve the sick is to serve the Christ.\n
\nThe point for us all\, perhaps\, is never to give up on life and never t
o doubt that every bit of kindness\, every tender touch we lay upon anothe
r in life can heal what might otherwise have died\, certainly in them\, pe
rhaps even in ourselves.\n\nLet a separate room be designated for the s
ick\, and let them be served by an attendant who is God-fearing\, attentiv
e and concerned. The sick may take baths whenever it is advisable\, but th
e healthy\, and especially the young\, should receive permission less read
ily. Moreover\, to regain their strength\, the sick who are very weak may
eat meat\, but when their health improves\, they should all abstain from m
eat as usual.\n\nThe abbot and prioress must take the greatest care that c
ellarers and those who serve the sick do not neglect them for the shortcom
ings of disciples are their responsibility.\n\nCare for the sick\, in
the mind of Benedict\, is not a simple warehousing process\, though that i
n itself could have been a great contribution to a society without hospita
ls. Care for the sick\, in Benedictine spirituality\, is to be done with f
aith\, with attention and with a care beyond the technical. The infirmaria
n is to be 'concerned.' Baths\, a very important part of Roman therapy and
hygiene in a hot and sticky climate\, and red meat\, a treat used only ra
rely in early monastic houses both because of its scarcity and because of
its purported relationship to sexual agitation\, are both given generously
and recklessly. Care of the sick\, you see\, is done in the name of God a
nd to the person of the suffering Christ. Nothing was too much. Nothing wa
s to be spared. Nothing that could do good was to be called forbidden.\n\n
We have to ask ourselves\, in a society of technological health care\, how
much of it we do with faith and lavish attention and depth of soul and a
love that drives out repulsion. We have to ask ourselves how willing we ar
e to take a little of our own energy in behalf of those who are no longer
the life of the party\, the help on the job? How much of our own precious
time do we spend on those with little time left?
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DTSTAMP:20260406T031830Z
DESCRIPTION:Care of the sick must rank above and before all else so that
they may truly be served as Christ who said: 'I was sick and you visited
me (Mt 25-36).' and\, 'What you did for one of these least of my people yo
u did for me (Mt. 25-40). Let the sick on their part bear in mind that the
y are served out of honor for God\, and let them not by their excessive de
mands distress anyone who serves them. Still\, the sick must be patiently
borne with\, because serving them leads to a greater reward. Consequently\
, the prioress or abbot should be extremely careful that they suffer no ne
glect.\n\nThe rabbis say\, 'The purpose of maintaining the body in goo
d health is to make it possible for you to acquire wisdom.' Benedictine sp
irituality is about coming to a sense of the fullness of life. It is not a
bout being self-destructive or living sour lives or dropping down pits of
privacy so deep that no other ever dare intrude. Benedictine spirituality
never gives up on life even though death is known to be the entry to its e
verlasting joy. Why? Because\, the rabbi shows us\, every day we have give
s us another chance to become the real persons we are meant to be. Why? Be
cause\, the scripture says\, to serve the sick is to serve the Christ.\n\n
The point for us all\, perhaps\, is never to give up on life and never to
doubt that every bit of kindness\, every tender touch we lay upon another
in life can heal what might otherwise have died\, certainly in them\, perh
aps even in ourselves.\n\nLet a separate room be designated for the sic
k\, and let them be served by an attendant who is God-fearing\, attentive
and concerned. The sick may take baths whenever it is advisable\, but the
healthy\, and especially the young\, should receive permission less readil
y. Moreover\, to regain their strength\, the sick who are very weak may ea
t meat\, but when their health improves\, they should all abstain from mea
t as usual.\n\nThe abbot and prioress must take the greatest care that cel
larers and those who serve the sick do not neglect them for the shortcomin
gs of disciples are their responsibility.\n\nCare for the sick\, in th
e mind of Benedict\, is not a simple warehousing process\, though that in
itself could have been a great contribution to a society without hospitals
. Care for the sick\, in Benedictine spirituality\, is to be done with fai
th\, with attention and with a care beyond the technical. The infirmarian
is to be 'concerned.' Baths\, a very important part of Roman therapy and h
ygiene in a hot and sticky climate\, and red meat\, a treat used only rare
ly in early monastic houses both because of its scarcity and because of it
s purported relationship to sexual agitation\, are both given generously a
nd recklessly. Care of the sick\, you see\, is done in the name of God and
to the person of the suffering Christ. Nothing was too much. Nothing was
to be spared. Nothing that could do good was to be called forbidden.\n\nWe
have to ask ourselves\, in a society of technological health care\, how m
uch of it we do with faith and lavish attention and depth of soul and a lo
ve that drives out repulsion. We have to ask ourselves how willing we are
to take a little of our own energy in behalf of those who are no longer th
e life of the party\, the help on the job? How much of our own precious ti
me do we spend on those with little time left?
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250315T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250315T235900
LOCATION:Chapter 36
SUMMARY:The Sick
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR