To be read: January 28, May 28, September 28

We are thus forbidden to do our own will, since the Scripture tells us: “Turn away from your evil will”(Sir 18:30). ²⁰And, too, we ask God in prayer that His will may be done in us (cf Mt 6:10). ²¹We are rightly taught not to do our own will when we guard against what the Scripture says: “There are ways that seem right to men, that in the end plunge them into the depths of hell”(Prov 16:25). ²²And also we are filled with fear at what is said of the negligent: “They are corrupted and become abominable in their desires”(Ps 13[14]:1). 

This brief section is summarized in verse 21: “We are rightly taught not to do our own will…”  This laying aside of our will in deference to the Father’s will is, paradoxically, not something we can accomplish by means of our own will.  To want what God wants requires God’s grace—His gift of desire.  Left to our own desires we will rely on our fallible reason, and selfish will, so that, we think and do things that may seem right to our reason, or appropriate according to our selfish thoughts.  And when we do those things, as Benedict reminds us, they “in the end plunge [us] into the depths of hell.”  No matter how hard we try, we cannot lay our will aside by our own efforts.  We are, by our fallen nature, selfish creatures.  It is not until we have died to self and been raised in Christ that we can begin to change into His likeness.  It is the grace of God that makes it possible.

As Christians living in the secular realm we are constantly bombarded with demands on our time, our attention, and our property.  It is a self-protective reflex to elevate our will in response to those attacks.  But the Kingdom is not about our desires or our will, it is about seeking the will of God for ourselves, our family, and the world around us.  His Kingdom will come when His will is being done by those who are residents of the Kingdom—the subjects of the King.  As St. Benedict reminds us, “we ask God in prayer that His will may be done in us.”  As Christians living in the world, this petition should be a constant: “thy will be done.”  It is one of the many reasons we say the Lord’s prayer at the conclusion of every hour of the Divine Office.

The ultimate goal of this first step is that we may be so yielded to Jesus that we not only desire to do the will of the Father, but like Jesus Himself, delight to do His will.  Hebrews 10, quoting Psalm 40, says, “Consequently, when Christ came into the world he said…‘Lo, I have come to do your will, O God.’”  And the wording of Psalm 40:8 is even more explicit:  “I delight to do your will, O my God.”  May we always desire and delight in fulfilling the will of our Lord.

To be read: January 27, May 27, September 27

The first step of humility, then, is that a man always have the fear of God before his eyes (cf Ps 35[36]:1-2), shunning all forgetfulness ¹¹and that he be ever mindful of all that God has commanded, that he always consider in his mind how those who despise God will burn in hell for their sins, and that life everlasting is prepared for those who fear God. ¹²And while he guards himself evermore against sin and vices of thought, word, deed, and self-will, let him also be quick to cut off the desires of the flesh. ¹³Let a man consider that God always sees him from Heaven, that the eye of God observes his works everywhere, and that the angels report them to Him every hour. ¹⁴The Prophet tells us this when he shows that God is ever present in our thoughts, saying: “The searcher of hearts and minds is God”(Ps 7:10). ¹⁵And again: “The Lord knows the thoughts of men”(Ps 93[94]:11). ¹⁶And he says: “You have understood my thoughts afar off”(Ps 138[139]:3). ¹⁷And: “The thoughts of man shall give praise to You”(Ps 75[76]:11). ¹⁸Therefore, in order that he may always be on his guard against evil thoughts, let the humble brother always say in his heart: “Then I shall be spotless before Him, if I shall keep myself from iniquity”(Ps 17[18]:24). 

The first step in the ladder of humility is to have the fear of God before our eyes.  Nearly a third of the seventy verses of this chapter are dedicated to this first step.  Why is that?  Benedict is laying a foundation as well as erecting a ladder.  The first step is the most important, for without it, the other steps have nothing upon which to build.  St. Paul says that “no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11).  And that is what St. Benedict is doing.  He is contrasting self-will with the will of God.  We are to “be ever mindful of all that God has commanded…”  We are to guard ourselves against the “vices of thought, word, deed, and self-will.”  Even our thoughts, to which God is privy, must be toward God and the desire for His will.

But what does Benedict mean when he exhorts us “to have the fear of God before our eyes”?  By looking at the Scripture citation accompanying the command we can see that the one who doesn’t have the fear of God “flatters himself in his own eyes”.  He is proud.  And his pride leads him to believe that “his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.”  Benedict is declaring a warning to us all.  He is reiterating the exhortation given by Moses to the people of Israel before they entered the Promised Land, saying, “what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord…” (Deut. 10:12-13).  And the implications of walking in humble submission go far beyond our own relationship with God.  St. Luke tells us that the early Church was built up in faith, “and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it was multiplied” (Acts 9:32).  The fear of God is a yielding of our will to His, by the grace of God’s Holy Spirit.  To enter the Promised Land we must “walk in all His ways, to love Him, and to serve the Lord.”

Right relationship with God begins in humble submission to His will.  It is the first step and foundation for our intimate walk in communion with God.

To be read: January 26, May 26, September 26

Brothers, the Holy Scripture calls to us saying: “For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted”(Lk 14:11; 18:14). ²In saying this, therefore, it shows us that every exaltation is a kind of pride. ³The Prophet declares that he guards himself against this, saying: “O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me”(Ps 130[131]:1). ⁴What then? “I have calmed and quieted my soul; as a child that is weaned is towards his mother, so shall You reward my soul”(Ps 130[131]:2).  ⁵Hence, brothers, if we wish to reach the greatest height of humility, and speedily to arrive at that heavenly exaltation to which ascent is made in the present life by humility, ⁶then, by our actions, we must erect the ladder which appeared to Jacob in his dream, by means of which angels were shown to him ascending and descending (cf Gen 28:12). ⁷Without a doubt, we understand this ascending and descending to be nothing else but that we descend by pride and ascend by humility. ⁸The erected ladder, however, is our life in the present world, which, if the heart is humble, is by the Lord lifted up to heaven. ⁹For we say that our body and our soul are the two sides of this ladder; and into these sides the divine calling has inserted various steps of humility and discipline which we must mount. 

These verses are the table setting for the teaching on humility.  At first glance, this chapter seems extremely intimidating.  There are 70 verses in this chapter, and they cover what Benedict calls 12 steps.  But it is not as if Benedict is creating something new regarding how a Christian is to live.  Humility is a Biblical hallmark for living life in the likeness of Christ.  In these first few verses of the chapter Benedict lays the framework of the structure for the steps of what he calls the “ladder” of humility.  He says, “by our [ascending] actions, we must erect the ladder”.  The ladder is “our life in the present world…[and] our body and our soul are the two sides of this ladder…” into which the steps which follow in this chapter are inserted.  These steps are inserted by what St. Benedict labels “the divine calling”.  And it is in understanding that divine calling that we can learn to apply the teachings of this chapter.

But what is this divine calling?  If the divine calling is to be a monk or a nun, then we who are dwelling in the secular world are going to be either left out or hard pressed to experience it.  And so, for those of us on the outside of the monastic enclosure our calling is going to be different, and if truth be told, somewhat more difficult.  For the cares of the world and the culture in which we find ourselves, which encourages selfishness and pride, are always going to weigh on and confront the Christian seeking to abide by the Gospel.  As the prophet Micah states: God “has shown you…what is good…”.  Then he asks, “and what does the Lord require of you?…”  We are to “walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8).  And that is the battle.  Humility is accursed in this world.  The humble get run over.  But the model of Christ is that of one who lays down his life for others.  Jesus said, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).  By always putting the needs of others first we enter into the promise of growing in humility.  As St. Paul said, “I bid every one among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think,” … “but in humility count others better than yourselves.” (Rom. 12:3; Phil. 2:3).  

Our vocation, our divine calling, then is to live in harmony with Christ and in obedience to His Word and His will, re-presenting Him to the world by our “ascending actions” of humility.  St. Benedict tells us in this opening to chapter 7, that we will ascend to the fulfillment of that calling through the practice of humility, and we can best do that by the steps which follow. 

To be read: January 25, May 25, September 25

Let us do what the Prophet says: “I said, I will take heed of my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I have set a guard over my mouth, I was dumb, and was humbled, and kept silence even from good things”(Ps 38[39]:2-3). ²Here the prophet indicates that there are times we ought to refrain even from useful speech for the sake of silence.  How much more ought we to abstain from evil words on account of the punishment due to sin.  ³Therefore, because of the importance of silence, let permission to speak be seldom given even to the mature disciples, no matter how good and holy and edifying their discourse, ⁴for it is written: “In much talk you shall not escape sin”(Prov 10:19). ⁵And elsewhere: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”(Prov 18:21). ⁶For speaking and teaching are the master’s responsibility; the disciple is to be silent and listen. ⁷If, therefore, anything must be asked of the Superior, let it be asked with all humility and respectful submission. ⁸But coarse jests, and idle words, or speech provoking laughter we condemn everywhere; and we do not permit the disciple to engage in speech of that kind. 

In this chapter, Benedict implies that it is a human tendency to regularly engage in unnecessary conversation.  Our insistence upon filling the vacuum of silence with speech is, or certainly can be, distracting from the greater communication taking place in the silence of the heart in both the speaker and the hearer.  “We ought to refrain even from useful speech for the sake of silence,” Benedict declares.  There are better words to be heard from God in the silence of the heart.  Let me offer two examples.  When I was a postulant for holy orders, my bishop was trying to help me understand the art of spiritual contemplation.  He told the story of his meeting the Metropolitan of Constantinople at Kennedy airport as the latter arrived for a conference at the Trinity Institute in New York.  My bishop was the conference organizer and he had a number of questions for the Metropolitan who was the featured speaker.  But when his guest got in the car, the two men sat together in silence until they arrived at the venue.  At that point the Metropolitan turned to Bishop Terwilliger and said, “Thank you for that intimate communication.  I feel I know you better, now that we have shared this spiritual union.”  The conference went forward smoothly from there.  The second example is personal.  I am losing my hearing.  I have been prayed over many times for healing, but the prophetic word I have received in those healings is that God is allowing me to lose my physical hearing so that I can spiritually hear more clearly.  My hearing loss has given me a greater appreciation for silence.

Shutting out unnecessary noise and confusing voices allows me to concentrate more fully on the voice of God, and I believe that is true for all of us whether in the monastery or outside.  We would all do well to talk less and listen more.  But Benedict goes further.  He also commands a prohibition against vulgarity and gossip.  This should be an obvious restraint for the Christian, however, the reason for the prohibition against “speech provoking laughter” seems less obvious.  We spoke of this in the meditation on chapter 4:44-54.  What Benedict is seeking to guard against in placing this restriction is distracting behavior.  A pun, a play on words, or even a humorous aside can distract the hearer from the import of the current conversation.  Any significant points that are being made in the conversation can be lost in the distracting asides or humorous twists of language.  This can lead to wandering minds and unnecessary digressions, and the conversation can become hijacked to less edifying thoughts.

Our lives are filled with noise and confusion.  Any discipline which helps brings order out of the chaos common in secular living is worthy to be employed.  Silence has become a lost art in modern society, and sadly, it is often denigrated as “wasted time” by those who neither understand it nor respect it.  As Christians seeking the heart of God, we need to make time in our confusing days to listen carefully for the still small voice of God and actively carve moments out of our busy days for silent contemplation.  Make time for silence, and consciously seek to develop and perfect that precious gift of holding one’s tongue and listening.

To be read: January 24, May 24, September 24

The first degree of humility is obedience without delay.  ²This comes to those who hold nothing dearer than Christ.  ³Because of the holy service which they have promised, or of the fear of hell, or the glory of life everlasting, ⁴as soon as the Superior has commanded anything they permit no delay in the execution of that work, as if the matter had been commanded by God Himself.  ⁵The Lord says of these men: “At the hearing of the ear he has obeyed Me” (Ps 17[18]:45).  ⁶And again He says to the teachers: “He who hears you hears Me”(Lk 10:16).  ⁷Such people, therefore, instantly quit their own work and abandon their own will, ⁸and lay down whatever they have in hand, and leaving unfinished what they were doing, follow with the ready step of obedience the voice of authority. ⁹And in the same moment, both the master’s command and the disciple’s finished work are, in the fear of God, speedily finished together.  ¹⁰The desire of advancing to eternal life urges them on.  ¹¹They, therefore, are eager for the narrow way of which the Lord says: “Narrow is the way which leads to life”(Mt 7:14), ¹²so that, they no longer live according to their own desires and pleasures but walk according to the judgment and will of another. They choose to live in monasteries, and desire an Abbot to be over them.  ¹³These men truly live up to the maxim of the Lord in which He says: “I came not to do My own will, but the will of Him Who sent Me”(Jn 6:38).  ¹⁴This obedience, however, will be acceptable to God and agreeable to men only if what is commanded is done without hesitation, delay, lukewarmness, grumbling or complaint.  ¹⁵For the obedience which is rendered to Superiors is rendered to God.  For He Himself said: “He who hears you hears Me”(Lk 10:16).  ¹⁶Further, obedience must be rendered gladly by the disciples, “for the Lord loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7). ¹⁷If the disciple obeys with an ill will and grumbling, not only with lips but also in his heart, ¹⁸even though he fulfills the command, yet it will not be acceptable to God, who regards the heart of the grumbler.  ¹⁹And he will have no reward for such an action; rather he will incur the penalty for grumblers, unless he makes satisfactory amendment. 

St. Benedict declares in this chapter that obedience is always immediate (5:4,7), complete (5:9), and joyful (5:16).  Anything less than this is at best compliance, at worst rebellion.  But the question that resonates for us today is, ‘what does this chapter say to the non-cenobitic follower of the Rule?’  We do not, as it says in verse 13, “choose to live in monasteries, and desire an Abbot to be over [us].”  Who, then, is the authority over us, and to whom do we owe obedience?

There are various forms of authority in the world, and we need to be obedient to them all.  Let us, then, look at some of the types of authority with whom we interact in our daily lives.  The first, is direct authority: the Word of God.  We must obey the Biblical Word of God.  This is non-negotiable.  The Word of God is authoritative and unchangeable.  We must also be aware that God continues to speak to His Church prophetically.  We need to test the prophetic word, and if it is in line with Holy Scripture, and is affirmed by the elders, we need to be obedient to that word.  When God speaks through Scripture and prophetically, we must respond immediately, completely, and joyfully.  

Secondly, there is delegated authority.  Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been committed to Me” (Matt. 28:18).  But He also delegated authority to His disciples.  He said to His disciples, “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 18:18).  And as Benedict points out (twice) in the chapter above, Jesus said, “He who listens to you listens to Me” (Luke 10:16 NIV).  The apostles, then, in each successive generation, over the centuries, have delegated that authority to the elders in the Church, and that authority has been passed down through the Church to today.  We are called, therefore, to be obedient, immediately, completely, and joyfully, to the current apostolic authority in the Church.

There is also delegated authority in the secular realm.  Jesus told us to “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17).  And St. Paul says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Rom. 13:1).  The same commands to be immediate, complete, and joyful in our obedience to the authority in the Church apply here.  For when the commands of secular authorities are not in violation of the Word of God, then we are duty-bound to be obedient to them.

And finally, there is familial authority.  The fifth commandment says that we are to honor our father and mother.  And St. Paul reiterates this command in Ephesians 6:1.  When we are living in our parents’ home, we are to be obedient to them.  And in Ephesians 5:21f, Paul lays out some general “haustafel” or household-codes.  He begins these codes with “Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.”  We need to recognize that God continues to speak to His Church, and He does so through the members of the Body.  We need to listen to one another and be willing to accept that what we are hearing from a brother or sister may actually be the Word of God.  If what we have heard from others in the Church is in line with God’s Word and is affirmed by the elders of the Church, we need to respond immediately, completely, and joyfully, “out of reverence for Christ.”

Obedience is freeing.  When we recognize that the ones in authority over us have been placed there by God, and that they answer to Him, we can accept that they are duty-bound to fulfill God’s will.  And if we obey and they have misspoken, then the responsibility for the mistake lies solely with them.  Obedience that is immediate, complete, and joyful honors God and builds up the Body.

To be read: January 23, May 23, September 23

Behold, these are the instruments of the spiritual art, ⁷⁶which, if they have been applied without ceasing day and night and approved on judgment day, will merit for us from the Lord that reward which He has promised: ⁷⁷“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him”(1 Cor 2:9). ⁷⁸But the workshop in which we perform all these works with diligence is the enclosure of the monastery, and stability in the community. 

Benedict summarizes his listing of the tools available in God’s tool chest by saying, “Behold, these are the instruments of the spiritual art…”  We are to use them “without ceasing day and night…”  He uses the Latin word instrumenta.  This word is also used for musical instruments, and as such begs a metaphor.  Just as there are a large number of tools available to be used for the work of living in community, so there are a large number of musical instruments available to be used in the composition and performance of a symphony.  Each musical instrument has a specific role in the composition of a symphony, and must be played at the appointed time, in the right tempo, and at the appropriate volume.  There is a logic and flow to a symphony, with each instrument playing its crucial part.  Out of context the notes played by any one instrument might seem odd, even dissonant.  But in the context of the whole composition, each instrument adds its unique part to the complete work of art.  There is a beauty to the crafted whole, and when each piece has played its part well the work holds together and paints an auditory picture for the audience.  So it is with the tools of the spiritual art.  When we employ each tool, and use it properly, our lives and that of the community become a complete work, a masterpiece—beautifully framed and forged, proclaiming a glorious message.  

This may all sound wonderful, but in the last verse Benedict declares that “the workshop in which we perform all these works with diligence is the enclosure of the monastery…”  That would be a problem for us.  Is there some means or provision for an alternate reading, or an adaptation of verse 78?  The beginning of the verse reads, “the workshop in which we perform all these works with diligence is the enclosure of the monastery…”, but then Benedict adds, “and stability in the community.”  Even if we are not cenobitic, we do live in community.  Whether as professed Benedictines, or faithful Christians living in the world, we promise “stability” in our profession of promises according to chapter 58 of the Rule.  These monastic promises are reflected in every Christian’s baptismal vows:  “Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching…? Will you persevere in resisting evil…? Will you proclaim…the Good News…? Will you seek and serve Christ…? Will you strive for justice and peace…?”  All of these speak to stability in relationship with Christ and community.  And in order to properly employ “the instruments of the spiritual art” we must be walking in the way of the Spirit, in fidelity to the calling, and in obedience to the Word.  Therefore, we must practice “stability in the community” wherever we live and work, be it the monastery or the world.

Maintaining a stable relationship with Christ and with His Church is invaluable.  It is hard enough to live in the world as a Christian, to do so without Christ and His Church would be impossible.  So, Benedict has given us this chapter on the “instruments of the spiritual art”.  He has shown us how to employ the tools.  Now we need to maintain stability in our relationships with God and one another in order to utilize these gifts for the building up of the Body of Christ and the spread of His Kingdom.

To be read: January 22, May 22, September 22

Do not desire to be called holy before you are; but be holy first, that you may be truly so called. ⁶³Fulfill daily the commandments of God. ⁶⁴Treasure chastity. ⁶⁵Hate no one, ⁶⁶and do not be jealous. ⁶⁷Do nothing to entertain envy. ⁶⁸Do not love quarreling. ⁶⁹Do not be prideful. ⁷⁰Honor the aged. ⁷¹Love the young. ⁷²Pray for your enemies in the love of Christ. ⁷³Make peace with an adversary before the setting of the sun. ⁷⁴And never despair of God’s mercy. 

“Do not aspire to be called holy before you really are…” for God alone is Holy.  When we seek to be recognized as holy, we are seeking the place of God.  It is the first temptation:  “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God…” (Gen. 3:5).  To aspire to be called holy, is very different than to aspire to become holy in God’s grace.  The prior is prideful, the latter is humble.  And so to avoid such a stumbling block we must “be holy first…[and] fulfill daily the commandments of God.”  From there Benedict gives us a list of Biblical commands in verses 64-73.

The fact is that we do all fall short of the glory of God, and it is easy to become frustrated and discouraged.  But our father Benedict does not leave us comfortless.  He ends this section with the hopeful exhortation to “never despair of God’s mercy.”  As we aspire to holiness, God’s mercy is always available for “His mercy endures forever” (cf. Psalms 107, 118, 136, etc.).  God knows our weaknesses, and the trials and tribulations we face day after day.  He will, if we seek Him, strengthen us and provide for us every spiritual gift.  And when (not if) we come up short in our aspiration for holiness, and when we outright fail to measure up, He will have mercy.  Never despair.  God loves you.  God has forgiven you.  God is not mad at you.  And God will NEVER leave you nor forsake you.  “His mercy endures forever.”

To be read: January 21, May 21, September 21

Listen willingly to holy reading. ⁵⁶Apply yourself often to prayer. ⁵⁷Confess your past sins to God daily in prayer with sighs and tears, ⁵⁸and to amend them for the future. ⁵⁹Do not fulfill the desires of the flesh (cf Gal 5:16). ⁶⁰Hate the urgings of your will. ⁶¹Obey the commands of the Abbot in all things, even though he himself (which Heaven forbid) act otherwise, mindful of that precept of the Lord: “observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do”(Mt 23:3).

“Listen readily to holy reading.”  Reading is a huge component of Benedictine discipline and something all of us should be readily about.  There are set times for reading, according to the Rule, so that the monks may study the Word and the Fathers in their private cells.  There is an exhortation to do lectio divina, divine or meditative reading.  If a monk arrived at the cloister and was found to be illiterate, one of the brothers was tasked with teaching him to read.  And in subsequent generations Benedictines have been instrumental in bringing literacy to the masses.  Reading is essential to encouraging and fostering a healthy spiritual discipline.  It is one of the means used to foster spiritual growth in the disciple.  The “holy reading” that Benedict is prescribing here is not just the Bible; the monk is commanded to read the teachings of the Fathers, and whatever books the Abbot assigns, especially during the Season of Lent (cf. 48:10-16).  We would all do well to follow this example.  Ask what those in leadership in the Church are reading.  Follow their example.

“And devote yourself often to prayer.”  This prayer is above and beyond the liturgical cycle of prayer.  Benedict is encouraging all of us to fulfill St. Paul’s challenge to pray constantly (1 Thess. 5:17).  At those quiet moments throughout our day (when we are so blessed to have them) we can pause in thankfulness to God.  While driving, or shopping, say a blessing on those around you.  When waiting in line, or stuck in a traffic jam due to construction or an accident, pray for those causing or dealing with the delay, and pray for the injured and inconvenienced.  And Benedict declares that we ought every day to confess our sins in prayer that we might change our ways in the future (vv. 57-58).  

Even as we pursue a life of  prayer, it is a labor of obedience—a battle against self-will.  Benedict recognizes this work as he commands that we “hate the urgings of self-will”.  It is not enough to desire to submit to Christ’s will, we must subject our will to His, which is a much bigger step.  We must recognize that there is a war of wills being waged, and self-will must be defeated.  It is essential that we turn against its urgings and acknowledge that those urgings are working against our best interests.  They have become our enemy.

And finally, don’t do as I do; do as I say.  When I was in high school I had an employer who actually said those words to me.  I had a job where I spent many hours unsupervised.  I had seen my boss cut corners in one of the jobs that I shared with him.  One day he caught me doing that very same thing and took me to task.  I confronted him saying that I had seen him do it, and he replied “Don’t do as I do; do as I say.”  Benedict says, “Obey the commands of the Abbot in all things, even though he himself (which Heaven forbid) act otherwise…”  Those in leadership are human, and they are in the battle, too.  We will all slip up, and as St. Paul says, we all fall short of the glory of God.  But, it is not for us to judge them.  We are to maintain a place of submission to their authority and obey—to do as they say.

To be read: January 20, May 20, September 20

Fear the day of judgment. ⁴⁵Be in dread of hell. ⁴⁶Desire eternal life with all spiritual longing. ⁴⁷Have an expectation of death before your eyes daily. ⁴⁸Keep a constant watch over the actions of our life ⁴⁹certain that God sees us everywhere. ⁵⁰Dash at once against Christ the evil thoughts which rise in your heart, and disclose them to your spiritual father. ⁵¹Guard your tongue against bad and wicked speech. ⁵²Practice moderation in speaking. ⁵³Do not speak useless words and such as provoke laughter. ⁵⁴Do not love much or boisterous laughter. 

This section is troubling for many people, myself included.  It appears to draw our focus onto things to avoid rather than affirm, and it seems to attempt to quash joy in the saints.  I don’t think either of those are the intent behind this portion of the Rule.  Let’s look.

The section begins with the admonition to “Fear the day of judgment.”  Scripture tells us to fear the Lord (e.g. Deut. 10:12-22; Acts 9:31; 2 Cor. 5:11).  However, St. John tells us that fear has to do with punishment, and that only perfect love (i.e. God’s love) casts out fear (1 Jn. 4:18).  And Luke tells us in Acts 9:31, that as the early Church was “walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it (the Church) was multiplied.”  So, if we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, and we continually seek to nourish our  relationship with Christ, then we need not fear either the judgment day or dread the horror of hell.  So, what is Benedict saying?  He places all of this in the context of the exhortation which follows:  “Desire (literally, ‘yearn for’ or ‘work toward’) eternal life with all spiritual longing.”  Those who are not in right relationship with Christ are alienated from God, for Jesus is the Way, and no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).  Benedict’s concern was that we foster a yearning and a holy desire to dwell in the courts of our God.  He expands this thought with practical advice in verses 47-54.

But what about the prohibitions against laughter (cf. 6:8; 7:59,60)?  Scripture tells us that “the joy of the Lord is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). But as fallen creatures we can attempt to hide our fallenness behind a facade of bawdy laughter, with off-color jokes, or humor at the expense of another.  This can be harmful to another, and that must be avoided.  Laughter is not always the outward sign of a joyful heart.  Nevertheless, there are times when a turn of phrase or an expression of delight may bring laughter apropos to a situation.  Benedict is not opposed to an expression of joy of this sort; he is simply warning the brothers to avoid bawdy and inappropriate conversation which does not build up the Body of Christ.

We are to take all “evil thoughts which rise in our hearts” and “dash them at once against Christ.”  As St. Paul tells us, “We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…” (2 Cor. 10:3-5).  However, if we are honest, we can admit that we are not always so vigilant.  Benedict is aware that we all fall short of the glory of God, thus, he tells us to disclose those shortcomings to “our spiritual father.”  We are to quickly and readily confess our sins to God in the sacrament of Holy Reconciliation.  This is not a burden, it is a blessing to be able to know that cleansing love—it is an unburdening of our spirit.

Benedict said in the Prologue that these regulations were not intended to be harsh or burdensome (v. 46), and so we need to read the directives of the Rule in that light.  Benedict wants the followers of the Rule to be followers of Christ, not their own selfish and sinful desires.  Let us keep that always in the forefront of our minds as we read and study the Rule, looking at the teachings and regulations not as restrictive, rather as instructive.  And may we always “prefer nothing whatever to Christ.” (72:11).

To be read: January 19, May 19, September 19

Do not be proud… ³⁵Do not be given to wine(cf Ti 1:7; 1 Tm 3:3). ³⁶Do not eat to excess, ³⁷or be given to much sleep. ³⁸Do not be slothful(cf Rom 12:11). ³⁹Do not grumble. ⁴⁰Do not speak ill of another. ⁴¹Put your trust in God alone. ⁴²If you see what is good in yourself, give the credit to God. ⁴³But be sure that any evil in yourself is your own and charge it to yourself. 

“Do not be proud…”  A difficult command for most.  And yet, most of us would argue that we are not prone to pride.  The outward signs of pride are not necessarily visible, and the evil one wants us to deny that this deadly sin is an issue for us.  Too quickly we believe the lie, and so we become proud that pride is not a problem for us.  Hmmm.

The first verses of this section, verses 35-38, are an exhortation against gluttony in all of its varied forms, and we need to take notice of these.  Let us carefully examine them and let the light of these test and challenge us.  Then Benedict comes back to the issues of interpersonal relationships:  “Do not grumble…[or] speak ill of another.”  Again, how easy it is to fall into the trap of gossip and speaking ill of another.  How do we avoid doing these wrongs, and how can we begin to apply these precepts to our lives?  In our fallen nature we all look at the apple and find it pleasing to the eye (Gen. 3:1-6).  We are gluttonous, and covetous, and prideful by nature—fallen nature.  But God…  “With God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27).  But God… He alone can save us from ourselves.  But God… He alone can give us the grace of discipline.  And so Benedict gives us this tool:  “Put your trust in God alone.”  Anything good found within us is from God, so “give the credit to God.”  Trust Him, and allow Him to begin to transform us into His Image.