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UID:ddb24dc7-cd85-44dd-ac1a-cf7cbe13c6fd
X-WR-CALDESC:<i>Therefore we intend to establish a school for God's service
 . In drawing up its regulations\, we hope to set down nothing harsh\, noth
 ing burdensome. The good of all concerned\, however\, may prompt us to a l
 ittle strictness in order to amend faults and to safeguard love. Do not be
  daunted immediately by fear and run away from the road that leads to salv
 ation. It is bound to be narrow at the outset. But as we progress in this 
 way of life and in faith\, we shall run on the path of God's commandments\
 , our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love. Never swe
 rving from God's instructions\, then\, but faithfully observing God's teac
 hing in the monastery until death\, we shall through patience share in the
  sufferings of Christ that we may deserve also to share in the eternal pre
 sence. Amen.</i>\n\nThe spiritual life is not something that is gotten for
  the wishing or assumed by affectation. The spiritual life takes disciplin
 e. It is something to be learned\, to be internalized. It's not a set of d
 aily exercises\, it's a way of life\, an attitude of mind\, an orientation
  of soul. And it is gotten by being schooled until no rules are necessary.
 \n\nAmong the ancients there is a story told that confirms this insight to
  this day:\n\n'What action shall I perform to attain God?' the disciple as
 ked the elder.\n\n'If you wish to attain God\, the elder said\, there are 
 two things you must know. The first is that all efforts to attain God are 
 of no avail.'\n\n'And the second?' the disciple insisted.\n\n'The second i
 s that you must act as if you did not know the first\,' the elder said.\n
 \nClearly\, great pursuers of the spiritual life know that the secret of t
 he spiritual life is to live it until it becomes real.\n\nThe difference b
 etween Benedict and other spiritual masters of his time lay in the fact th
 at Benedict believed that the spiritual life was not an exercise in spirit
 ual gymnastics. It was to be nothing 'harsh or burdensome.' And it was not
  a private process. It was to be done in community with others. It was to 
 be a 'school' dedicated to 'the good of all concerned.' It was to be lived
  with 'patience.'\n\nThe private preserves of the spiritual life are far f
 rom dead\, however. It is so much easier to go to daily Mass and feel good
  about it than it is to serve soup at a soup kitchen. It is so much more c
 omfortable to say bedtime prayers than it is speak peace in a warring worl
 d. It is so much more satisfying to contribute to the building of a new ch
 urch than it is to advocate for welfare legislation. It is so much more he
 roic to fast than it is to be patient with a noisy neighbor. It is so much
  easier to give the handshake of peace in church than it is to speak gentl
 y in the family. And yet\, one without the other is surely fraud if life w
 ith God in community is truly of the essence of real spiritual growth.\n\n
 The messages of the Prologue are clear: Life is very short. To get the mos
 t out of it\, we must begin to attend to its spiritual dimensions without 
 which life is only half lived. Holiness is in the Now but we go through li
 fe only half conscious of it\, asleep or intent on being someplace other t
 han where we are. We need to open our eyes and see things as they exist ar
 ound us: what is valuable and what is not\, what enriches and what does no
 t\, what is of God and what is not. It may be the neighborhood we live in 
 rather than the neighborhood we want that will really make human beings ou
 t of us. It may be the job we have rather than the position we are selling
  our souls to get that will finally liberate us from ourselves. It may be 
 what we do rather than the prayers we pray that will finally be the measur
 e of our sanctity.\n\nGod is calling us to more than the material level of
  life and God is waiting to bring us to it. All we have to do is to live w
 ell with others and live totally in God. All we have to do is to learn to 
 listen to the voice of God in life. And we have to do it heart\, soul and 
 body. The spiritual life demands all of us.
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DTSTAMP:20260405T113258Z
DESCRIPTION:<i>Therefore we intend to establish a school for God's service.
  In drawing up its regulations\, we hope to set down nothing harsh\, nothi
 ng burdensome. The good of all concerned\, however\, may prompt us to a li
 ttle strictness in order to amend faults and to safeguard love. Do not be 
 daunted immediately by fear and run away from the road that leads to salva
 tion. It is bound to be narrow at the outset. But as we progress in this w
 ay of life and in faith\, we shall run on the path of God's commandments\,
  our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love. Never swer
 ving from God's instructions\, then\, but faithfully observing God's teach
 ing in the monastery until death\, we shall through patience share in the 
 sufferings of Christ that we may deserve also to share in the eternal pres
 ence. Amen.</i>\n\nThe spiritual life is not something that is gotten for 
 the wishing or assumed by affectation. The spiritual life takes discipline
 . It is something to be learned\, to be internalized. It's not a set of da
 ily exercises\, it's a way of life\, an attitude of mind\, an orientation 
 of soul. And it is gotten by being schooled until no rules are necessary.
 \n\nAmong the ancients there is a story told that confirms this insight to
  this day:\n\n'What action shall I perform to attain God?' the disciple as
 ked the elder.\n\n'If you wish to attain God\, the elder said\, there are 
 two things you must know. The first is that all efforts to attain God are 
 of no avail.'\n\n'And the second?' the disciple insisted.\n\n'The second i
 s that you must act as if you did not know the first\,' the elder said.\n
 \nClearly\, great pursuers of the spiritual life know that the secret of t
 he spiritual life is to live it until it becomes real.\n\nThe difference b
 etween Benedict and other spiritual masters of his time lay in the fact th
 at Benedict believed that the spiritual life was not an exercise in spirit
 ual gymnastics. It was to be nothing 'harsh or burdensome.' And it was not
  a private process. It was to be done in community with others. It was to 
 be a 'school' dedicated to 'the good of all concerned.' It was to be lived
  with 'patience.'\n\nThe private preserves of the spiritual life are far f
 rom dead\, however. It is so much easier to go to daily Mass and feel good
  about it than it is to serve soup at a soup kitchen. It is so much more c
 omfortable to say bedtime prayers than it is speak peace in a warring worl
 d. It is so much more satisfying to contribute to the building of a new ch
 urch than it is to advocate for welfare legislation. It is so much more he
 roic to fast than it is to be patient with a noisy neighbor. It is so much
  easier to give the handshake of peace in church than it is to speak gentl
 y in the family. And yet\, one without the other is surely fraud if life w
 ith God in community is truly of the essence of real spiritual growth.\n\n
 The messages of the Prologue are clear: Life is very short. To get the mos
 t out of it\, we must begin to attend to its spiritual dimensions without 
 which life is only half lived. Holiness is in the Now but we go through li
 fe only half conscious of it\, asleep or intent on being someplace other t
 han where we are. We need to open our eyes and see things as they exist ar
 ound us: what is valuable and what is not\, what enriches and what does no
 t\, what is of God and what is not. It may be the neighborhood we live in 
 rather than the neighborhood we want that will really make human beings ou
 t of us. It may be the job we have rather than the position we are selling
  our souls to get that will finally liberate us from ourselves. It may be 
 what we do rather than the prayers we pray that will finally be the measur
 e of our sanctity.\n\nGod is calling us to more than the material level of
  life and God is waiting to bring us to it. All we have to do is to live w
 ell with others and live totally in God. All we have to do is to learn to 
 listen to the voice of God in life. And we have to do it heart\, soul and 
 body. The spiritual life demands all of us.
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260508T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260508T235900
LOCATION:Prologue
SUMMARY:Prologue
END:VEVENT
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