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X-WR-CALDESC:<i>Every precaution must be taken that one member does not pre
 sume in any circumstance to defend another in the monastery or to be their
  champion\, even if they are related by the closest ties of blood. In no w
 ay whatsoever shall monastics presume to do this\, because it can be a mos
 t serious source and occasion of contention. Anyone who breaks this rule i
 s to be sharply restrained.</i>\n\n'Stay away from your enemies but guard 
 yourself against friends\,' Ben Sirach wrote in Ecclesiasticus. The rule k
 nows that false friendship is bad for the person and bad for the community
  as well. In a life dedicated to spiritual growth and direction\, there is
  no room for multiple masters. Friends who protect us from our need to gro
 w are not friends at all. People who allow a personal agenda\, our need to
  be right or their need to shield\, block the achievement of a broader vis
 ion in us and betray us. Supporters who risk dividing a group into faction
 s over personal tensions rather than to allow individuals to work their wa
 y positively through the hard points of life\, barter the spirit and peace
  of the whole community. We are taught in the Rule not to take sides in is
 sues of personal interpretation and spiritual challenge. We are to hold on
 e another up during hard times\, Chapter 27 indicates\, but we are not to 
 turn personal difficulty into public warfare. The groups that would be bet
 ter off if individuals had refused to turn differences of opinion into mor
 al irreconciliables are legion. The Desert Monastics say that one of the d
 isciples asked Abba Sisoes one day\, 'If I am sitting in the desert and a 
 barbarian comes to kill me and if I am stronger than he\, shall I kill him
 ?' The old man said to him\, 'No\, leave him to God. In fact whatever the 
 trial is which comes to a person\, let them say\,'This has happened to me 
 because of my sins\,' and if something good comes say\, 'This has happened
  to me because of the providence of God.'\n\nLife is not perfect\; some of
  life just is. A great deal of mental\, psychological and spiritual health
  comes from learning to endure the average heat of the average day and to 
 wear both its banes and its blessings with a tempered heart. No warfare. N
 o armies mobilized on the plain. No identification of enemies. Just life.
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DTSTART:20241103T020000
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UID:ef0b76b5-4628-45b0-8e3d-9532f0ccc180
DTSTAMP:20260408T113203Z
DESCRIPTION:<i>Every precaution must be taken that one member does not pres
 ume in any circumstance to defend another in the monastery or to be their 
 champion\, even if they are related by the closest ties of blood. In no wa
 y whatsoever shall monastics presume to do this\, because it can be a most
  serious source and occasion of contention. Anyone who breaks this rule is
  to be sharply restrained.</i>\n\n'Stay away from your enemies but guard y
 ourself against friends\,' Ben Sirach wrote in Ecclesiasticus. The rule kn
 ows that false friendship is bad for the person and bad for the community 
 as well. In a life dedicated to spiritual growth and direction\, there is 
 no room for multiple masters. Friends who protect us from our need to grow
  are not friends at all. People who allow a personal agenda\, our need to 
 be right or their need to shield\, block the achievement of a broader visi
 on in us and betray us. Supporters who risk dividing a group into factions
  over personal tensions rather than to allow individuals to work their way
  positively through the hard points of life\, barter the spirit and peace 
 of the whole community. We are taught in the Rule not to take sides in iss
 ues of personal interpretation and spiritual challenge. We are to hold one
  another up during hard times\, Chapter 27 indicates\, but we are not to t
 urn personal difficulty into public warfare. The groups that would be bett
 er off if individuals had refused to turn differences of opinion into mora
 l irreconciliables are legion. The Desert Monastics say that one of the di
 sciples asked Abba Sisoes one day\, 'If I am sitting in the desert and a b
 arbarian comes to kill me and if I am stronger than he\, shall I kill him?
 ' The old man said to him\, 'No\, leave him to God. In fact whatever the t
 rial is which comes to a person\, let them say\,'This has happened to me b
 ecause of my sins\,' and if something good comes say\, 'This has happened 
 to me because of the providence of God.'\n\nLife is not perfect\; some of 
 life just is. A great deal of mental\, psychological and spiritual health 
 comes from learning to endure the average heat of the average day and to w
 ear both its banes and its blessings with a tempered heart. No warfare. No
  armies mobilized on the plain. No identification of enemies. Just life.
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250427T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250427T235900
LOCATION:69
SUMMARY:The Presumption of Defending Another in the Monastery
END:VEVENT
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