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X-WR-CALDESC:In their teachings\, the prioress or abbot should always ob
serve the apostle's recommendation in which it is said: 'Use argument\, ap
peal\, reproof (2 Tm 4:2).' This means that they must vary with circumstan
ces\, threatening and coaxing by turns\, at times stern\, at times devoted
and tender. With the undisciplined and restless\, they will use firm argu
ment: with the obedient and docile and patient\, they will appeal for grea
ter virtue\; but as for the negligent and disdainful\, we charge the abbot
or prioress to use reproof and rebuke. They should not gloss over the sin
s of those who err\, but cut them out while they can\, as soon as they beg
in to sprout\, remembering the fate of Eli\, priest of Shiloh (Sm 2:11-4:1
8). For the upright and perceptive\, the first and second warnings should
be verbal\; but those who are evil or stubborn\, arrogant or disobedient\,
can be curbed only by blows or some other physical punishment at the firs
t offense. It is written\, 'The fool cannot be corrected with words (Prv 2
9:19):' and again\, 'Strike your children with a rod and you will free the
ir souls from death (Prv 23:14).'\n\nTo 'vary with the circumstances'
may be the genius of the entire Rule of Benedict. It is undoubtedly clear
here.\n\nThe Rule of Benedict does not turn people into interchangeable pa
rts. Benedict makes it quite plain: people don't all learn the same way\;
they don't all grow the same way\; they can't all be dealt with the same w
ay. Those concepts\, of course\, have become commonplace in a culture that
is based on individualism. But they were not commonplace as recently as f
ifty years ago. Historically\, there has been a more acceptable way for ju
st about everything: a more acceptable way to pray\; a more acceptable way
to celebrate the Mass\; a more acceptable way to think\; a more acceptabl
e way to live. Not everyone did it\, of course\, but everyone had very cle
ar criteria by which to judge the social fit of everyone else.\n\nPersonal
ism is a constant throughout the Rule of Benedict.Here\, though\, in a cha
pter on the abbot or prioress\, you would certainly expect at least to fin
d a clear call for order\, if not for perfection and discipline and confor
mity. There is no room in Benedictine spirituality\, though\, for bloodles
s relationships between people in authority and the people for whom they h
ave responsibility. Benedictine authority is expected to have meaning. It
is to be anchored in the needs and personality of the other person. For th
e prioress or abbot or parent or supervisor\, it is an exhausting task to
treat every individual in our care as an individual but nothing else is wo
rth our time. It is easy to intimidate the stubborn with power. It is simp
le to ignore the mediocre. It is possible to leave the docile on their own
and hope for the best.\n\nIn the Rule\, though\, the function of the lead
er is to call each individual to become more tomorrow than they were today
. The point of the paragraph is not how the calling is to be done\, with f
irmness or tenderness or persuasion or discipline. The theories on that su
bject change from period to period. Some types respond to one approach\, s
ome respond better to another. The point here is simply that the calling i
s to be done. The person who accepts a position of responsibility and milk
s it of its comforts but leaves the persons in a group no more spiritually
stirred than when they began\, no more alive in Christ than when they sta
rted\, no more aflame with the gospel than when they first held it in thei
r hands\, is more to be criticized than the fruitless group itself. It was
Eli\, Benedict points out\, the father who did not correct his sinful son
s\, whom God indicts\, not the sons alone.
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UID:f8a2d502-5289-4386-814a-9e7e10e8cfdf
DTSTAMP:20260514T062645Z
DESCRIPTION:In their teachings\, the prioress or abbot should always obs
erve the apostle's recommendation in which it is said: 'Use argument\, app
eal\, reproof (2 Tm 4:2).' This means that they must vary with circumstanc
es\, threatening and coaxing by turns\, at times stern\, at times devoted
and tender. With the undisciplined and restless\, they will use firm argum
ent: with the obedient and docile and patient\, they will appeal for great
er virtue\; but as for the negligent and disdainful\, we charge the abbot
or prioress to use reproof and rebuke. They should not gloss over the sins
of those who err\, but cut them out while they can\, as soon as they begi
n to sprout\, remembering the fate of Eli\, priest of Shiloh (Sm 2:11-4:18
). For the upright and perceptive\, the first and second warnings should b
e verbal\; but those who are evil or stubborn\, arrogant or disobedient\,
can be curbed only by blows or some other physical punishment at the first
offense. It is written\, 'The fool cannot be corrected with words (Prv 29
:19):' and again\, 'Strike your children with a rod and you will free thei
r souls from death (Prv 23:14).'\n\nTo 'vary with the circumstances' m
ay be the genius of the entire Rule of Benedict. It is undoubtedly clear h
ere.\n\nThe Rule of Benedict does not turn people into interchangeable par
ts. Benedict makes it quite plain: people don't all learn the same way\; t
hey don't all grow the same way\; they can't all be dealt with the same wa
y. Those concepts\, of course\, have become commonplace in a culture that
is based on individualism. But they were not commonplace as recently as fi
fty years ago. Historically\, there has been a more acceptable way for jus
t about everything: a more acceptable way to pray\; a more acceptable way
to celebrate the Mass\; a more acceptable way to think\; a more acceptable
way to live. Not everyone did it\, of course\, but everyone had very clea
r criteria by which to judge the social fit of everyone else.\n\nPersonali
sm is a constant throughout the Rule of Benedict.Here\, though\, in a chap
ter on the abbot or prioress\, you would certainly expect at least to find
a clear call for order\, if not for perfection and discipline and conform
ity. There is no room in Benedictine spirituality\, though\, for bloodless
relationships between people in authority and the people for whom they ha
ve responsibility. Benedictine authority is expected to have meaning. It i
s to be anchored in the needs and personality of the other person. For the
prioress or abbot or parent or supervisor\, it is an exhausting task to t
reat every individual in our care as an individual but nothing else is wor
th our time. It is easy to intimidate the stubborn with power. It is simpl
e to ignore the mediocre. It is possible to leave the docile on their own
and hope for the best.\n\nIn the Rule\, though\, the function of the leade
r is to call each individual to become more tomorrow than they were today.
The point of the paragraph is not how the calling is to be done\, with fi
rmness or tenderness or persuasion or discipline. The theories on that sub
ject change from period to period. Some types respond to one approach\, so
me respond better to another. The point here is simply that the calling is
to be done. The person who accepts a position of responsibility and milks
it of its comforts but leaves the persons in a group no more spiritually
stirred than when they began\, no more alive in Christ than when they star
ted\, no more aflame with the gospel than when they first held it in their
hands\, is more to be criticized than the fruitless group itself. It was
Eli\, Benedict points out\, the father who did not correct his sinful sons
\, whom God indicts\, not the sons alone.
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260514T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260514T235900
LOCATION:Chapter 2
SUMMARY:Qualities of the Abbot or Prioress
END:VEVENT
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