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X-WR-CALDESC:The first step of humility is unhesitating obedience\, whic
h comes naturally to those who cherish Christ above all. Because of the ho
ly service they have professed\, or because of dread of hell and for the g
lory of everlasting life\, they carry out the orders of the prioress or ab
bot as promptly as if the command came directly from God. The Holy One say
s of people like this: 'No sooner did they hear than they obeyed me (Ps 18
:45)\;' again\, God tells teachers: 'Whoever listens to you\, listens to m
e (Lk 10:16).' Such people as these immediately put aside their own concer
ns\, abandon their own will\, and lay down whatever they have in hand\, le
aving it unfinished. With the ready step of obedience\, they follow the vo
ice of authority in their actions. Almost at the same moment\, then\, as t
he teacher gives the instruction the disciple quickly puts it into practic
e out of reverence for God\; and both actions together are swiftly complet
ed as one.\n\nThere is an urgency in the Rule of Benedict. The hallmar
k of obedience for Benedict\, in fact\, is immediacy. Monasticism is a pro
cess\, true\, but it is lived out in a million little ways day after day.
Most of all\, perhaps\, it is lived out in obedience\, the ability to hear
the voice of God in one another\, in the members of the community\, both
old and young\; in the person we married all of whose aphorisms we know by
now\, in underlings and children\, in old parents and boring in-laws. Thi
s voice of God in the demands of community life is not something to be dal
lied with\, or contended with or speculated about or debated.\n\nThe neces
sary question\, of course\, is how is it that a Rule that purports to deal
with the spiritual life can possibly put so much stock in the human dimen
sions of community. Obedience to God is imperative\, yes\, but so much emp
hasis on obedience to a prioress or abbot\, to leaders whose mundane lives
are as limited as our own\, almost seems to make a mockery of the very co
ncept. If this is a life centered in the call of God\, then why so much at
tention to the human?\n\nThe answer\, of course\, is that the human is the
only place we can really be sure that God is. It is so easy to love the G
od we do not see but it is so much more sanctifying to serve the God we le
arn to see in others.\n\nThe self-giving of real obedience is very clear t
o Benedict. When we follow the voice of the ones who call us to higher ser
vice\, we put down our own concerns\, allow ourselves to be led by the sig
hts of another\, treat our own best interests with a relaxed grasp. We emp
ty ourselves out so that the presence of God can come in\, tangible and pr
esent and divinely human.\n\nIt is love that impels them to pursue ever
lasting life\; therefore\, they are eager to take the narrow road of which
God says: 'Narrow is the road that leads to life (Mt 7:14).' They no long
er live by their own judgment\, giving in to their whims and appetites\; r
ather they walk according to another's decisions and directions\, choosing
to live in monasteries and to have a prioress or abbot over them. Monasti
cs of this resolve unquestionably conform to the saying of Christ: 'I have
come not to do my own will\, but the will of the One who sent me (Jn 6:38
).'\n\nTwo ideas permeate the Rule of Benedict: love and wisdom. Love
is the motive\; wisdom is the goal and the way. Two great loves\, love of
God and love of the other\, impel us to look outside ourselves and learn f
rom those outside of ourselves where we really are in life. When we love s
omething besides ourselves and when we listen to someone besides ourselves
we have glimmers of growth to guide us.\n\nThat's why the Rule alone is n
ot enough. The Rule is a luminaria\, a lighted path\, a clear direction. T
he presence of a prioress and abbot\, of spiritual guides and spiritual gi
ants in our lives\, the living interpreters of a living spirituality and W
ay of Life\, holds us up during the hard times in life. These living\, bre
athing\, loving vessels of the best in the spiritual life act as antidotes
to our confusions and selfishness and pain when we are least able to make
clear decisions. They act as corrections on the self when we of all peopl
e would be least satisfied with ourselves. They become the compasses when
we are veering off course\, not because we do not want to see but because
our sight is blinded now by age or stress or fatigue. They become the trac
k when our hearts stray or our lives hurt.\n\nWhat Benedict is saying\, ob
viously\, is that there is no going through life alone. Each of us needs a
wisdom figure to walk the way with us as well as a Rule to route us. The
Rule is clearly not enough.\n\n'Why do you need teachers?' the visitor ask
ed a disciple.\n\n'Because\,' the disciple answered\, 'if water must be he
ated it needs a vessel between the fire and itself.'\n\nAbbots and priores
ses\, good leaders and teachers\, fine parents and mentors\, tender husban
ds and gentle wives\, good friends and quality administrators\, who listen
to us as much as we listen to them\, are there to help us bear the heat o
f life that shapes us\, not to escape it.
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UID:0820fe68-8ec9-4bff-a03d-b9405dcfba22
DTSTAMP:20260426T161326Z
DESCRIPTION:The first step of humility is unhesitating obedience\, which
comes naturally to those who cherish Christ above all. Because of the hol
y service they have professed\, or because of dread of hell and for the gl
ory of everlasting life\, they carry out the orders of the prioress or abb
ot as promptly as if the command came directly from God. The Holy One says
of people like this: 'No sooner did they hear than they obeyed me (Ps 18:
45)\;' again\, God tells teachers: 'Whoever listens to you\, listens to me
(Lk 10:16).' Such people as these immediately put aside their own concern
s\, abandon their own will\, and lay down whatever they have in hand\, lea
ving it unfinished. With the ready step of obedience\, they follow the voi
ce of authority in their actions. Almost at the same moment\, then\, as th
e teacher gives the instruction the disciple quickly puts it into practice
out of reverence for God\; and both actions together are swiftly complete
d as one.\n\nThere is an urgency in the Rule of Benedict. The hallmark
of obedience for Benedict\, in fact\, is immediacy. Monasticism is a proc
ess\, true\, but it is lived out in a million little ways day after day. M
ost of all\, perhaps\, it is lived out in obedience\, the ability to hear
the voice of God in one another\, in the members of the community\, both o
ld and young\; in the person we married all of whose aphorisms we know by
now\, in underlings and children\, in old parents and boring in-laws. This
voice of God in the demands of community life is not something to be dall
ied with\, or contended with or speculated about or debated.\n\nThe necess
ary question\, of course\, is how is it that a Rule that purports to deal
with the spiritual life can possibly put so much stock in the human dimens
ions of community. Obedience to God is imperative\, yes\, but so much emph
asis on obedience to a prioress or abbot\, to leaders whose mundane lives
are as limited as our own\, almost seems to make a mockery of the very con
cept. If this is a life centered in the call of God\, then why so much att
ention to the human?\n\nThe answer\, of course\, is that the human is the
only place we can really be sure that God is. It is so easy to love the Go
d we do not see but it is so much more sanctifying to serve the God we lea
rn to see in others.\n\nThe self-giving of real obedience is very clear to
Benedict. When we follow the voice of the ones who call us to higher serv
ice\, we put down our own concerns\, allow ourselves to be led by the sigh
ts of another\, treat our own best interests with a relaxed grasp. We empt
y ourselves out so that the presence of God can come in\, tangible and pre
sent and divinely human.\n\nIt is love that impels them to pursue everl
asting life\; therefore\, they are eager to take the narrow road of which
God says: 'Narrow is the road that leads to life (Mt 7:14).' They no longe
r live by their own judgment\, giving in to their whims and appetites\; ra
ther they walk according to another's decisions and directions\, choosing
to live in monasteries and to have a prioress or abbot over them. Monastic
s of this resolve unquestionably conform to the saying of Christ: 'I have
come not to do my own will\, but the will of the One who sent me (Jn 6:38)
.'\n\nTwo ideas permeate the Rule of Benedict: love and wisdom. Love i
s the motive\; wisdom is the goal and the way. Two great loves\, love of G
od and love of the other\, impel us to look outside ourselves and learn fr
om those outside of ourselves where we really are in life. When we love so
mething besides ourselves and when we listen to someone besides ourselves
we have glimmers of growth to guide us.\n\nThat's why the Rule alone is no
t enough. The Rule is a luminaria\, a lighted path\, a clear direction. Th
e presence of a prioress and abbot\, of spiritual guides and spiritual gia
nts in our lives\, the living interpreters of a living spirituality and Wa
y of Life\, holds us up during the hard times in life. These living\, brea
thing\, loving vessels of the best in the spiritual life act as antidotes
to our confusions and selfishness and pain when we are least able to make
clear decisions. They act as corrections on the self when we of all people
would be least satisfied with ourselves. They become the compasses when w
e are veering off course\, not because we do not want to see but because o
ur sight is blinded now by age or stress or fatigue. They become the track
when our hearts stray or our lives hurt.\n\nWhat Benedict is saying\, obv
iously\, is that there is no going through life alone. Each of us needs a
wisdom figure to walk the way with us as well as a Rule to route us. The R
ule is clearly not enough.\n\n'Why do you need teachers?' the visitor aske
d a disciple.\n\n'Because\,' the disciple answered\, 'if water must be hea
ted it needs a vessel between the fire and itself.'\n\nAbbots and prioress
es\, good leaders and teachers\, fine parents and mentors\, tender husband
s and gentle wives\, good friends and quality administrators\, who listen
to us as much as we listen to them\, are there to help us bear the heat of
life that shapes us\, not to escape it.
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250523T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250523T235900
LOCATION:Chapter 5
SUMMARY:Obedience
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR