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X-WR-CALDESC:<i>As often as anything important is to be done in the monaste
 ry\, the prioress or abbot shall call the whole community together and exp
 lain what the business is\; and after hearing the advice of the members\, 
 let them ponder it and follow what they judge the wiser course. The reason
  why we have said all should be called for counsel is that the Spirit ofte
 n reveals what is better to the younger. The community members\, for their
  part\, are to express their opinions with all humility\, and not presume 
 to defend their own views obstinately. The decision is rather the prioress
 ' or the abbot's to make\, so that when the abbot or prioress of the commu
 nity has determined what is more prudent\, all must obey. Nevertheless\, j
 ust as it is proper for disciples to obey their teacher\, so it is becomin
 g for the teacher to settle everything with foresight and fairness.</i>\n
 \nAn African proverb says: 'You do not teach the paths of the forest to an
  old gorilla.' Experience counts. Wisdom is simply its distillation. Abbot
 s may be abbots and prioresses may be prioresses but the community was the
 re long before them and the community will remain long after they have gon
 e\, as well. To ignore the counsel of a group\, then\, is to proceed at ri
 sk.\n\nBut Benedict knows about more than the value of experience. Benedic
 t knows about the presence and power of God. And Benedict knows that there
  is a spark of the divine in all of us. The function of an abbot or priore
 ss\, of leaders and spouses everywhere\, is not so much to know the Truth 
 as it is to be able to espy it and to recognize it in the other when they 
 hear it. Calling the community for counsel is Benedict's contribution to t
 he Theology of the Holy Spirit.\n\nIn the monastic community\, this common
  search for truth is pitched at a delicate balance. The abbot and prioress
  are clearly not dictators but the community is not a voting bloc either. 
 They are each to speak their truth\, to share the perspective from which t
 hey see a situation\, to raise their questions and to open their hearts\, 
 with honesty and with trust. The prioress and abbot are to listen carefull
 y for what they could not find in their own souls and to make a decision o
 nly when they can come to peace with it\, weighing both the community's co
 ncerns and the heart they have for carrying the decision through.\n\n'Fore
 sight and fairness' are essentials for leaders who lead out of a sense of 
 Benedictine spirituality. The decision is all theirs and they will answer 
 for it in conscience and in consequences. They must not make it lightly an
 d they must take all of its effects into consideration. The emphasis in th
 is paragraph is clearly on results rather than on power. It is easy to gai
 n power. It is difficult to use it without being seduced by it. The Rule o
 f Benedict reminds us that whatever authority we hold\, we hold it for the
  good of the entire group\, not for our own sense of self.
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DTSTAMP:20260406T161542Z
DESCRIPTION:<i>As often as anything important is to be done in the monaster
 y\, the prioress or abbot shall call the whole community together and expl
 ain what the business is\; and after hearing the advice of the members\, l
 et them ponder it and follow what they judge the wiser course. The reason 
 why we have said all should be called for counsel is that the Spirit often
  reveals what is better to the younger. The community members\, for their 
 part\, are to express their opinions with all humility\, and not presume t
 o defend their own views obstinately. The decision is rather the prioress'
  or the abbot's to make\, so that when the abbot or prioress of the commun
 ity has determined what is more prudent\, all must obey. Nevertheless\, ju
 st as it is proper for disciples to obey their teacher\, so it is becoming
  for the teacher to settle everything with foresight and fairness.</i>\n\n
 An African proverb says: 'You do not teach the paths of the forest to an o
 ld gorilla.' Experience counts. Wisdom is simply its distillation. Abbots 
 may be abbots and prioresses may be prioresses but the community was there
  long before them and the community will remain long after they have gone\
 , as well. To ignore the counsel of a group\, then\, is to proceed at risk
 .\n\nBut Benedict knows about more than the value of experience. Benedict 
 knows about the presence and power of God. And Benedict knows that there i
 s a spark of the divine in all of us. The function of an abbot or prioress
 \, of leaders and spouses everywhere\, is not so much to know the Truth as
  it is to be able to espy it and to recognize it in the other when they he
 ar it. Calling the community for counsel is Benedict's contribution to the
  Theology of the Holy Spirit.\n\nIn the monastic community\, this common s
 earch for truth is pitched at a delicate balance. The abbot and prioress a
 re clearly not dictators but the community is not a voting bloc either. Th
 ey are each to speak their truth\, to share the perspective from which the
 y see a situation\, to raise their questions and to open their hearts\, wi
 th honesty and with trust. The prioress and abbot are to listen carefully 
 for what they could not find in their own souls and to make a decision onl
 y when they can come to peace with it\, weighing both the community's conc
 erns and the heart they have for carrying the decision through.\n\n'Foresi
 ght and fairness' are essentials for leaders who lead out of a sense of Be
 nedictine spirituality. The decision is all theirs and they will answer fo
 r it in conscience and in consequences. They must not make it lightly and 
 they must take all of its effects into consideration. The emphasis in this
  paragraph is clearly on results rather than on power. It is easy to gain 
 power. It is difficult to use it without being seduced by it. The Rule of 
 Benedict reminds us that whatever authority we hold\, we hold it for the g
 ood of the entire group\, not for our own sense of self.
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250517T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250517T235900
LOCATION:Chapter 3
SUMMARY:Summoning The Community for Counsel
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR