BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//eriebenedictines.org//NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.30.10//
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
UID:9f64eeef-09e8-431a-8752-44765af8098c
X-WR-CALDESC:If any ordained priest asks to be received into a male mona
stery\, do not agree too quickly. However\, if he is fully persistent in h
is request\, he must recognize that he will have to observe the full disci
pline of the rule without any mitigation\, knowing that it is written:'Fri
end\, what have you come for (Mt 26:50)?' He should\, however\, be allowed
to stand next to the abbot\, to give blessings and to celebrate the Eucha
rist\, provided that the abbot bids him. Otherwise\, he must recognize tha
t he is subject to the discipline of the rule\, and not make any exception
s for himself\, but rather give everyone an example of humility. Whenever
there is question of an appointment or of any other business in the monast
ery\, he takes the place that corresponds to the date of his entry into th
e community\, and not that granted him out of respect for his priesthood.
\n\nAny clerics who similarly wish to join the community should be ranked
somewhere in the middle\, but only if they\, too\, promise to keep the rul
e and observe stability.\n\nBenedictine life was monastic and lay\, no
t diocesan and clerical. It's role was not to serve parishes or to develop
dioceses but to create a way of life immersed in the scriptures\, devoted
to the common life\, and dedicated to the development of human community.
It was simple\, regular and total\, a way of living\, not a way of servin
g\; it was an attitude toward life\, not a church ministry. Benedict\, in
other words\, is not trying to create a clerical system. He is trying to c
reate a human family. He is not out trying to collect priests though he do
es recognize that a priest may well have a monastic vocation.\n\nMore inte
resting\, then\, than the fact that he does not see priesthood as essentia
l to the achievement of his vision of life is the fact that he actually se
ems to discourage the idea. If they come and ask to be received\, 'do not
agree too quickly\,' he cautions and actually puts some restrictions on th
eir membership: no elevated rank\, no special attention\, no official plac
e. Why? And what can that possibly say to the rest of us now?\n\nBenedict
knew what most of us learn sooner or later: it is hard to let go of the pa
st and yet\, until we do\, there is no hope whatsoever that we can ever ga
in from the future. Priests\, Benedict knew\, came to the monastery having
already been formed in another system. They were accustomed to living a h
ighly independent and highly catered life. They had been a world unto them
selves and leaders of others. In the monastery\, they would have to be for
med in a whole new way of life and spirituality. They would have to defer
to the presence and needs of others. They\, who had given so many orders\,
would have to take some. They would have to begin again. It could be done
but it would not be easy. The Tao Te Ching reads:\n\nThe Master leads\nby
emptying people's minds\nand filling their cores\,\nby weakening their am
bition\nand toughening their resolve.\nHe helps people lose everything\nth
ey know\, everything they desire\,\nand creates confusion\nin those who th
ink that they know.\n\nThe insights are important ones for all of us. Ever
yone has to put down some part of their past sometime. Everyone makes a ma
jor life change at some time or other. Everyone has to be open to being fo
rmed again. The only thing that can possibly deter the new formation is if
we ourselves refuse to let go of what was. If we cling to the past\, the
future is closed to us.
X-WR-RELCALID:55ad082a1e9a8ec75c44c5ef61ce5834
X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/New_York
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T020000
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
RDATE:20261101T020000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T020000
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
RDATE:20270314T020000
END:DAYLIGHT
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:2d05a5ea-6334-4113-baee-125fc4330e86
DTSTAMP:20260405T113817Z
DESCRIPTION:If any ordained priest asks to be received into a male monas
tery\, do not agree too quickly. However\, if he is fully persistent in hi
s request\, he must recognize that he will have to observe the full discip
line of the rule without any mitigation\, knowing that it is written:'Frie
nd\, what have you come for (Mt 26:50)?' He should\, however\, be allowed
to stand next to the abbot\, to give blessings and to celebrate the Euchar
ist\, provided that the abbot bids him. Otherwise\, he must recognize that
he is subject to the discipline of the rule\, and not make any exceptions
for himself\, but rather give everyone an example of humility. Whenever t
here is question of an appointment or of any other business in the monaste
ry\, he takes the place that corresponds to the date of his entry into the
community\, and not that granted him out of respect for his priesthood.\n
\nAny clerics who similarly wish to join the community should be ranked so
mewhere in the middle\, but only if they\, too\, promise to keep the rule
and observe stability.\n\nBenedictine life was monastic and lay\, not
diocesan and clerical. It's role was not to serve parishes or to develop d
ioceses but to create a way of life immersed in the scriptures\, devoted t
o the common life\, and dedicated to the development of human community. I
t was simple\, regular and total\, a way of living\, not a way of serving\
; it was an attitude toward life\, not a church ministry. Benedict\, in ot
her words\, is not trying to create a clerical system. He is trying to cre
ate a human family. He is not out trying to collect priests though he does
recognize that a priest may well have a monastic vocation.\n\nMore intere
sting\, then\, than the fact that he does not see priesthood as essential
to the achievement of his vision of life is the fact that he actually seem
s to discourage the idea. If they come and ask to be received\, 'do not ag
ree too quickly\,' he cautions and actually puts some restrictions on thei
r membership: no elevated rank\, no special attention\, no official place.
Why? And what can that possibly say to the rest of us now?\n\nBenedict kn
ew what most of us learn sooner or later: it is hard to let go of the past
and yet\, until we do\, there is no hope whatsoever that we can ever gain
from the future. Priests\, Benedict knew\, came to the monastery having a
lready been formed in another system. They were accustomed to living a hig
hly independent and highly catered life. They had been a world unto themse
lves and leaders of others. In the monastery\, they would have to be forme
d in a whole new way of life and spirituality. They would have to defer to
the presence and needs of others. They\, who had given so many orders\, w
ould have to take some. They would have to begin again. It could be done b
ut it would not be easy. The Tao Te Ching reads:\n\nThe Master leads\nby e
mptying people's minds\nand filling their cores\,\nby weakening their ambi
tion\nand toughening their resolve.\nHe helps people lose everything\nthey
know\, everything they desire\,\nand creates confusion\nin those who thin
k that they know.\n\nThe insights are important ones for all of us. Everyo
ne has to put down some part of their past sometime. Everyone makes a majo
r life change at some time or other. Everyone has to be open to being form
ed again. The only thing that can possibly deter the new formation is if w
e ourselves refuse to let go of what was. If we cling to the past\, the fu
ture is closed to us.
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260414T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260414T235900
LOCATION:60
SUMMARY:The Admission of Priests to the Monastery
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR