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X-WR-CALDESC:<i>The prioress and abbot must always remember what they are a
 nd remember what they are called\, aware that more will be expected of one
  to whom more has been entrusted. They must know what a difficult and dema
 nding burden they have undertaken: directing souls and serving a variety o
 f temperaments\, coaxing\, reproving and encouraging them as appropriate. 
 They must so accommodate and adapt themselves to each one's character and 
 intelligence that they will not only keep the flock entrusted to their car
 e from dwindling\, but will rejoice in the increase of a good flock.</i>\n
 \nThere are some interesting distinctions made in this paragraph. The abbo
 t and prioress are to remember what they are and what they are called. Wha
 t they and every other leader are is painfully clear: they are people just
  like everybody else in the monastery. They are not royalty. They are not 
 potentates. They are only people who also struggle and fail just like the 
 people they lead.\n\nBut what they are and what they are called--abbot\, a
 bbess\, spiritual father\, spiritual mother--are not unrelated. They are n
 ot called to be either lawgivers or camp counselors. They are not expected
  to be either rigid moralists or group activity directors. They are to be 
 directors of souls who serve the group by 'coaxing\, reproving and encoura
 ging it'--by prodding and pressing and persuading it--to struggle as they 
 have struggled to grow in depth\, in sincerity and in holiness\, to grow d
 espite weaknesses\, to grow beyond weaknesses.\n\nAbbots or prioresses of 
 Benedictine monasteries\, then\, parents and supervisors and officials and
  bishops everywhere who set out to live a Benedictine spirituality\, are t
 o keep clearly in mind their own weak souls and dark minds and fragile hea
 rts when they touch the souls and minds and hearts of others.\n\nBut there
  is another side to the question as well. It is not easy for honest people
  who hold their own failures in their praying hands to question behavior i
 n anyone else. 'There but for the grace of God\, go I\,' John Bradford sai
 d at the sight of the condemned on their way to execution. Aware of what I
  myself am capable of doing\, how can I possibly censure or disparage or r
 eprimand or reproach anyone else? On the other hand\, Benedict reminds us\
 , how can those who know that conversion is possible\, who have been calle
 d to midwife the spiritual life\, for this generation and the next\, do le
 ss.\n\nThe Hasidim tell a story that abbots and prioress\, mothers and fat
 hers\, teachers and directors may understand best. Certainly Benedict did:
 \n\nWhen in his sixtieth year after the death of the Kotzker\, the Gerer a
 ccepted election as leader of the Kotzker Hasidim\, the Rabbi said: 'I sho
 uld ask myself: 'Why have I deserved to become the leader of thousands of 
 good people?' I know that I am not more learned or more pious than others.
  The only reason why I accept the appointment is because so many good and 
 true people have proclaimed me to be their leader. We find that a cattle-b
 reeder in Palestine during the days when the Temple stood was enjoined by 
 our Torah (Lev 27:32) to drive newborn cattle or sheep into an enclosure i
 n single file. When they went to the enclosure\, they were all of the same
  station\, but when over the tenth one the owner pronounced the words: 'co
 nsecrated unto the Lord\,' it was set aside for holier purposes. In the sa
 me fashion when the Jews pronounce some to be holier than their fellows\, 
 they become in truth consecrated persons.'\n\nOnce chosen\, it is their we
 akness itself that becomes the anchor\, the insight\, the humility and the
  gift of an abbot or prioress\, a pope or a priest\, a parent or a directo
 r. But only if they themselves embrace it. It is a lesson for leaders ever
 ywhere who either fear to lead because they know their own weaknesses or w
 ho lead defensively because they fear that others know their weaknesses. I
 t is a lesson for parents who remember their own troubles as children. It 
 is a lesson for husbands and wives who cannot own the weaknesses that plag
 ue their marriage. We must each strive for the ideal and we must encourage
  others to strive with us\, not because we ourselves are not weak but beca
 use knowing our own weaknesses and admitting them we can with great confid
 ence teach trust in the God who watches with patience our puny efforts and
  our foolish failures.
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DTSTAMP:20260501T131411Z
DESCRIPTION:<i>The prioress and abbot must always remember what they are an
 d remember what they are called\, aware that more will be expected of one 
 to whom more has been entrusted. They must know what a difficult and deman
 ding burden they have undertaken: directing souls and serving a variety of
  temperaments\, coaxing\, reproving and encouraging them as appropriate. T
 hey must so accommodate and adapt themselves to each one's character and i
 ntelligence that they will not only keep the flock entrusted to their care
  from dwindling\, but will rejoice in the increase of a good flock.</i>\n
 \nThere are some interesting distinctions made in this paragraph. The abbo
 t and prioress are to remember what they are and what they are called. Wha
 t they and every other leader are is painfully clear: they are people just
  like everybody else in the monastery. They are not royalty. They are not 
 potentates. They are only people who also struggle and fail just like the 
 people they lead.\n\nBut what they are and what they are called--abbot\, a
 bbess\, spiritual father\, spiritual mother--are not unrelated. They are n
 ot called to be either lawgivers or camp counselors. They are not expected
  to be either rigid moralists or group activity directors. They are to be 
 directors of souls who serve the group by 'coaxing\, reproving and encoura
 ging it'--by prodding and pressing and persuading it--to struggle as they 
 have struggled to grow in depth\, in sincerity and in holiness\, to grow d
 espite weaknesses\, to grow beyond weaknesses.\n\nAbbots or prioresses of 
 Benedictine monasteries\, then\, parents and supervisors and officials and
  bishops everywhere who set out to live a Benedictine spirituality\, are t
 o keep clearly in mind their own weak souls and dark minds and fragile hea
 rts when they touch the souls and minds and hearts of others.\n\nBut there
  is another side to the question as well. It is not easy for honest people
  who hold their own failures in their praying hands to question behavior i
 n anyone else. 'There but for the grace of God\, go I\,' John Bradford sai
 d at the sight of the condemned on their way to execution. Aware of what I
  myself am capable of doing\, how can I possibly censure or disparage or r
 eprimand or reproach anyone else? On the other hand\, Benedict reminds us\
 , how can those who know that conversion is possible\, who have been calle
 d to midwife the spiritual life\, for this generation and the next\, do le
 ss.\n\nThe Hasidim tell a story that abbots and prioress\, mothers and fat
 hers\, teachers and directors may understand best. Certainly Benedict did:
 \n\nWhen in his sixtieth year after the death of the Kotzker\, the Gerer a
 ccepted election as leader of the Kotzker Hasidim\, the Rabbi said: 'I sho
 uld ask myself: 'Why have I deserved to become the leader of thousands of 
 good people?' I know that I am not more learned or more pious than others.
  The only reason why I accept the appointment is because so many good and 
 true people have proclaimed me to be their leader. We find that a cattle-b
 reeder in Palestine during the days when the Temple stood was enjoined by 
 our Torah (Lev 27:32) to drive newborn cattle or sheep into an enclosure i
 n single file. When they went to the enclosure\, they were all of the same
  station\, but when over the tenth one the owner pronounced the words: 'co
 nsecrated unto the Lord\,' it was set aside for holier purposes. In the sa
 me fashion when the Jews pronounce some to be holier than their fellows\, 
 they become in truth consecrated persons.'\n\nOnce chosen\, it is their we
 akness itself that becomes the anchor\, the insight\, the humility and the
  gift of an abbot or prioress\, a pope or a priest\, a parent or a directo
 r. But only if they themselves embrace it. It is a lesson for leaders ever
 ywhere who either fear to lead because they know their own weaknesses or w
 ho lead defensively because they fear that others know their weaknesses. I
 t is a lesson for parents who remember their own troubles as children. It 
 is a lesson for husbands and wives who cannot own the weaknesses that plag
 ue their marriage. We must each strive for the ideal and we must encourage
  others to strive with us\, not because we ourselves are not weak but beca
 use knowing our own weaknesses and admitting them we can with great confid
 ence teach trust in the God who watches with patience our puny efforts and
  our foolish failures.
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260515T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260515T235900
LOCATION:Chapter 2
SUMMARY:Qualities of the Abbot or Prioress
END:VEVENT
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