I have been thinking of what to post while trying to reminisce the six months of struggle which i did with my first semester in my master's degree at the seminary of St Meinrad when I suddenly thought of my abbot superior. I guess now is the most appropriate time to write about him as my mind is still really racing with thoughts about him after just reading an email from him.
Well, where do i start? maybe, I will tell you what is an abbot doing in a community like mine.
The position of an abbot is central to the well-being of of the monastic community.
His position is one of great responsibility, for he is Christ's representative in the monastery and and he will be accountable for the good of his monks on Judgment Day.
He is to be the spiritual father of the community, a person filled with the Holy Spirit, who seeks to lead the monks to holiness and union with God.
He must be a person experienced in monastic life and teaching, who leads more by his deeds than his words.
Since the monastery is a family, the abbot must seek to develop a family spirit and to assist the monks to live in harmony and mutual love.
The abbot is also a public person who has a definite jurisdiction and authority to rule over the monastery in temporal as well as spiritual needs and matters.
The monk in turn owes obedience to the abbot, an obedience that should be rendered with a cheerful spirit to the one who speaks as God's representative. This obedience is intimately connected with the virtue of humility, the virtue that St. Benedict recognizes as central for gowth and progress in holiness. This growth in humility leads to the flowering of true love, the perfect love of God.
So, my friends, this is what an abbot does for me, for my confreres and for the whole of my community of contemplative priestmonks and brothermonks of Christ in the Desert monastery.
1 comment:
Your Abbot is a great man. You are lucky to live under his guidance.
We love your Abbot Philip.
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