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X-WR-CALDESC:Do not grant newcomers to the monastic life an easy entry\,
but\, as the apostle says\, 'Test the spirits to see if they are from God
(1 Jn 4:1).' Therefore\, if someone comes and keeps knocking at the door\
, and if at the end of four or five days has shown patience in bearing har
sh treatment and difficulty of entry\, and has persisted in the request\,
then that one should be allowed to enter and stay in the guest quarters fo
r a few days. After that\, the person should live in the novitiate\, where
the novices study\, eat and sleep.\n\nThe spiritual life is not a set
of exercises appended to our ordinary routine. It is a complete reorderin
g of our values and our priorities and our lives. Spirituality is not just
a matter of joining the closest religious community or parish committee o
r faith sharing group. Spirituality is that depth of soul that changes our
lives and focuses our efforts and leads us to see the world differently t
han we ever did before. The Mezeritizer Rabbi taught: 'There are sparks of
holiness in everything. They constitute our spirituality.' Benedict\, too
\, wants proof of this commitment to truth and perseverance in the search
before a new member is even admitted to the community. 'Test the spirits\,
' the Rule says\, and test he does\, in more than one place. Even the newc
omer is left sitting in the guesthouse until the community is sure that th
e applicant is sure. No one is to enter a Benedictine community on impulse
and\, once there\, no one is to treat life as a series of hapless circums
tances. In fact\, life itself is a discipline. Life is something that we a
re to live with purpose and control right from the very beginning. Life is
not easy and life is not to be lived as if it were\, for fear that when w
e really need internal fortitude we will not have developed it.\n\nIt is a
n important insight for all of us. We must develop the rigor it takes to l
ive through what life deals us. We can't set out to get holy in the hope t
hat we will then automatically become faithful. We must require fidelity o
f ourselves even when we fail\, in the hope that someday\, as a result\, w
e will finally become holy.\n\nA senior chosen for skill in winning sou
ls should be appointed to look after the newcomer with careful attention.
The concern must be whether the novice truly seeks God and shows eagerness
for the Opus Dei\, for obedience and for trials. The novices should be cl
early told all the hardships and difficulties that will lead to God.\n
\nThere are two elements of this paragraph that may come as a surprise in
the wake of early twentieth century spirituality with its emphasis on part
icular examens and reparation for sin. The first is that it is not perfect
ion that Benedict insists on in a newcomer to the spiritual life\; it is d
irection. 'The aim\, if reached or not\, makes great the life\,' Robert Br
owning wrote. The Rule of Benedict wants to know at what we're aiming: pra
yer\, concern for the will of God\, commitment--whatever the cost--or less
er things?\n\nThe second surprise in a document that was written in a cent
ury of harsh penances and rigorous pious disciplines is that the director
is not asked to be harsh and demanding but 'skilled in winning souls\,' so
meone who can make a hard way possible.\n\nIn the spiritual life we may fa
il often but we may never change course and we must always seek the help o
f those whose ways are wiser and more tried than ours.\n\nIf they promi
se perseverance in stability\, then after two months have elapsed let this
rule be read straight through to them\, and let them be told: 'This is th
e law under which you are choosing to serve. If you can keep it\, come in.
If not\, feel free to leave.' If they still stand firm\, they are to be t
aken back to the novitiate\, and again thoroughly tested in all patience.
After six months have passed\, the rule is to be read to them\, so that th
ey may know what they are entering. If once more they stand firm\, let fou
r months go by\, and then read this rule to them again. If after due refle
ction they promise to observe everything and to obey every command given t
hem\, let them then be received into the community. But they must be well
aware that\, as the law of the rule establishes\, from this day they are n
o longer free to leave the monastery\, nor to shake from their neck the yo
ke of the rule which\, in the course of so prolonged a period of reflectio
n\, they were free either to reject or to accept.\n\nBenedict allows n
o one to take on the monastic life without knowing what it entails--in ful
l and without gloss. At the same time\, the Rule makes it quite clear that
this is the process of a lifetime. It is not a year's experience\; it is
not a degree once gotten and then ignored. This is not a spiritual quick-f
ix. It is a way of life and it takes a lifetime to absorb. Nothing importa
nt\, nothing life-altering\, nothing that demands total commitment can be
tried on lightly and easily discarded. It is the work of a lifetime that t
akes a lifetime to leaven us until\, imperceptibly\, we find ourselves cha
nged into what we sought.
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UID:d87a136c-077e-4e64-8f40-89449aabffe4
DTSTAMP:20260405T113946Z
DESCRIPTION:Do not grant newcomers to the monastic life an easy entry\,
but\, as the apostle says\, 'Test the spirits to see if they are from God
(1 Jn 4:1).' Therefore\, if someone comes and keeps knocking at the door\,
and if at the end of four or five days has shown patience in bearing hars
h treatment and difficulty of entry\, and has persisted in the request\, t
hen that one should be allowed to enter and stay in the guest quarters for
a few days. After that\, the person should live in the novitiate\, where
the novices study\, eat and sleep.\n\nThe spiritual life is not a set
of exercises appended to our ordinary routine. It is a complete reordering
of our values and our priorities and our lives. Spirituality is not just
a matter of joining the closest religious community or parish committee or
faith sharing group. Spirituality is that depth of soul that changes our
lives and focuses our efforts and leads us to see the world differently th
an we ever did before. The Mezeritizer Rabbi taught: 'There are sparks of
holiness in everything. They constitute our spirituality.' Benedict\, too\
, wants proof of this commitment to truth and perseverance in the search b
efore a new member is even admitted to the community. 'Test the spirits\,'
the Rule says\, and test he does\, in more than one place. Even the newco
mer is left sitting in the guesthouse until the community is sure that the
applicant is sure. No one is to enter a Benedictine community on impulse
and\, once there\, no one is to treat life as a series of hapless circumst
ances. In fact\, life itself is a discipline. Life is something that we ar
e to live with purpose and control right from the very beginning. Life is
not easy and life is not to be lived as if it were\, for fear that when we
really need internal fortitude we will not have developed it.\n\nIt is an
important insight for all of us. We must develop the rigor it takes to li
ve through what life deals us. We can't set out to get holy in the hope th
at we will then automatically become faithful. We must require fidelity of
ourselves even when we fail\, in the hope that someday\, as a result\, we
will finally become holy.\n\nA senior chosen for skill in winning soul
s should be appointed to look after the newcomer with careful attention. T
he concern must be whether the novice truly seeks God and shows eagerness
for the Opus Dei\, for obedience and for trials. The novices should be cle
arly told all the hardships and difficulties that will lead to God.\n
\nThere are two elements of this paragraph that may come as a surprise in
the wake of early twentieth century spirituality with its emphasis on part
icular examens and reparation for sin. The first is that it is not perfect
ion that Benedict insists on in a newcomer to the spiritual life\; it is d
irection. 'The aim\, if reached or not\, makes great the life\,' Robert Br
owning wrote. The Rule of Benedict wants to know at what we're aiming: pra
yer\, concern for the will of God\, commitment--whatever the cost--or less
er things?\n\nThe second surprise in a document that was written in a cent
ury of harsh penances and rigorous pious disciplines is that the director
is not asked to be harsh and demanding but 'skilled in winning souls\,' so
meone who can make a hard way possible.\n\nIn the spiritual life we may fa
il often but we may never change course and we must always seek the help o
f those whose ways are wiser and more tried than ours.\n\nIf they promi
se perseverance in stability\, then after two months have elapsed let this
rule be read straight through to them\, and let them be told: 'This is th
e law under which you are choosing to serve. If you can keep it\, come in.
If not\, feel free to leave.' If they still stand firm\, they are to be t
aken back to the novitiate\, and again thoroughly tested in all patience.
After six months have passed\, the rule is to be read to them\, so that th
ey may know what they are entering. If once more they stand firm\, let fou
r months go by\, and then read this rule to them again. If after due refle
ction they promise to observe everything and to obey every command given t
hem\, let them then be received into the community. But they must be well
aware that\, as the law of the rule establishes\, from this day they are n
o longer free to leave the monastery\, nor to shake from their neck the yo
ke of the rule which\, in the course of so prolonged a period of reflectio
n\, they were free either to reject or to accept.\n\nBenedict allows n
o one to take on the monastic life without knowing what it entails--in ful
l and without gloss. At the same time\, the Rule makes it quite clear that
this is the process of a lifetime. It is not a year's experience\; it is
not a degree once gotten and then ignored. This is not a spiritual quick-f
ix. It is a way of life and it takes a lifetime to absorb. Nothing importa
nt\, nothing life-altering\, nothing that demands total commitment can be
tried on lightly and easily discarded. It is the work of a lifetime that t
akes a lifetime to leaven us until\, imperceptibly\, we find ourselves cha
nged into what we sought.
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260411T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260411T235900
LOCATION:Chapter 58
SUMMARY:The Procedure for Receiving Members
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR