Chapter 12: The Celebration of the Solemnity of Lauds

1Sunday Lauds begin with Psalm 66, said straight through without a refrain.2Then Psalm 50 follows with an "alleluia" refrain. 3Lauds continue with Psalms 117 and 62, 4the Canticle of the Three Young Men, Psalms 148 through 150, a reading from the Apocalypse recited by heart and followed by a responsory, an Ambrosian hymn, a versicle, the Gospel Canticle, the litany and the conclusion.

Now we begin to speak about the Divine Office of Lauds. It is important that we notice the repetitions that occur in the Divine Office. If we follow the Divine Office exactly as it is outline in the Rule of Benedict, we will end up with praying about 279 Psalms in a week because of the repetitions.

Here at Lauds we have Psalm 66 and Psalm 50 and then Psalms 148, 149 and 150 every day. There are two other Psalms and a Canticle also every day at Lauds. Saint Benedict knows that the Divine Office is longer because of repetitions but he still seems to like them because certain Psalms add a distinctive flavor, at least to some of the Divine Offices.

Is there any value in repetition? Certainly! It is the principal element of the Divine Office because every week we repeat the same Psalms. Over many years of monastic life, we can come to know most of the Psalms by heart. Saint Benedict would have presumed that every monk would know the entire Book of Psalms by heart and probably also all of the New Testament.

As always in the Christian life, we must look closely at our own motivations. Are we really seeking to know Jesus Christ here and now? For some, religion has become a kind of way to keep God safely in check and avoid guilt on our own part. For others, religion is simply meaningless. For the Christian and for the monk, our faith is the attempt to know Jesus Christ and to follow Him in this world. We need not fear Him except in the sense of tremendous awe that we have towards Him.

Just as Vigils is the Night Office and must take place before daybreak, so Lauds is the Morning Prayer and should take place at the dawning of the day. Again, such precision does not always work when we live in various places around the world where the sun rises and sets with great changes throughout the year. On the other hand, we should never cut off our celebration of the Divine Office entirely from this sense of celebrating the darkness into which Christ comes as light and the light which illumines our path throughout the day.

Lauds is named after the three last Psalms of that Divine Office, which are called the "Laudate" Psalms because they all praise the Lord. Lauds is praise for Christ coming into the world once again as light and as our light. Lauds is praising God for all of His creation.

RB, Chapter 11: The Celebration of Vigils on Sunday

1On Sunday the monks should arise earlier for Vigils. 2In these Vigils, too, there must be moderation in quantity: first, as we have already indicated, six psalms are said, followed by a versicle.

Then the monks, seated on the benches and arranged in their proper order, listen to four readings from the book. After each reading a responsory is sung, 3but “Glory be to the Father” is added only to the fourth. When the cantor begins it, all immediately rise in reverence. 4After these readings the same order is repeated: six more psalms with refrain as before, a versicle, 5then four more readings and their responsories, as above.

6Next, three canticles from the Prophets, chosen by the abbot, are said with an “alleluia” refrain. 7After a versicle and the abbot’s blessing, four New Testament readings follow with their responsories, as above. 8After the fourth responsory, the abbot begins the hymn “We praise you, God.” 9When that is finished, he reads from the Gospels while all the monks stand with respect and awe. 10At the conclusion of the Gospel reading, all reply “Amen,” and immediately the abbot intones the hymn “To you be praise.”

After a final blessing, Lauds begin. 11This arrangement for Sunday Vigils should be followed at all times, summer and winter, 12unless—God forbid—the monks happen to arise too late. In that case, the readings or responsories will have to be shortened. 13Let special care be taken that this not happen, but if it does, the monk at fault is to make due satisfaction to God in the oratory.

Reflection

Here it is very clear that Saint Benedict expects the monks to keep Sunday as a very important day of prayer. The monk should get up earlier than on the other days of the week. Today most people want to get up later on Sunday because that is a way of celebrating. Saint Benedict is strong on the prayer aspects. If we celebrate Sunday, it is because Jesus Christ rose from the dead and we should be keeping Vigil even earlier than normal on the Sunday, waiting for the Lord.

Kardong things that verse 2 should be translated simply as "the following order should be observed." The "moderation in quantity" referred to in the translation from RB1980 can too easily be misunderstood as if Saint Benedict wants to reduce the amount of prayers. Certainly Saint Benedict is proposing for the coenobitic monks a measure of prayer much less than many of the Desert Fathers.

Vigils is the same on Sundays as on weekdays except that there is third nocturn added, which has canticles instead of psalms. Also there are four lessons after the first nocturn, instead of three, and ther are another four lessons after the second nocturn and then another four lessons after the third nocturn. This makes the Sunday Vigils very long and very strong.

After the lessons and responsories comes the Te Dum and the Gospel and the Te decet laus. And so the end. It is a daunting kind of prayer service when it is done fully and it is also very impressive.

Again we note here that if for any reason the Divine Office must be shortened, then the readings and responsories are what are shorted, never the Psalms. This points again to the very important place of psalms in the life of the monk.

We are challenged over and over to make the psalms the basis of our prayer here in the monastery.

Until we come to understand the importance of the psalms in our lives, we will not understand the Rule of Benedict. May our Holy Father guide us and help us.

RB, Chapter 10: The Arrangement of the Night Office in Summer

1From Easter until the first of November, the winter arrangement for the number of psalms is followed. 2But because summer nights are shorter, the readings from the book are omitted. In place of the three readings, one from the Old Testament is substituted. This is to be recited by heart, followed by a short responsory. 3In everything else, the winter arrangement for Vigils is kept. Thus, winter and summer, there are never fewer than twelve psalms at Vigils, not counting Psalms 3 and 94.

Reflection

In this short Chapter 10, we have an important teaching about the Divine Office as understood by Saint Benedict. In the modern age, our focus is very much on intellectual content and thus on listening to the readings. For Saint Benedict, it is clear, the psalms are the most important part of the Divine Office and so if the Divine Office has to be shorted, the readings are the first things to be omitted.

So in the summer, when the night is shorter, the three longer readings are dropped and one shorter reading from the Old Testament is substituted.

Saint Benedict is clear that he wants 12 psalms at Vigils, not counting psalms 3 and 94. The number 12 is very important in the history of monasticism because a tradition that an angel appeared to Saint Pachomius and revealed to him the importance of praying 12 psalms.

Saint Benedict is also clear, later in the Rule, that our monastic ancestors prayed all 150 psalms in one day and we can be a bit lazy and do all of them in one week. Actually Saint Benedict has almost double that number in a week in the schedule that he gives for the Divine Office.

For our own times, we must look again at the importance of memorizing passages of Scripture so that we can take the Scripture with us throughout the day. As we memorize Scriptures, they come more easily to our mind when we need them: when we want to deepen our prayer, when we want to resist temptation, when we want to ask God's help, etc.

We also can also spend time learning the psalms and Saint Benedict will mention this also in another part of the Holy Rule.

From the Chapters we have read so far concerning the Divine Office, again it is clear that Vigils is the pivotal office for the monk. Let us embrace the challenge of praying Vigils each day and ask the Lord to form us as Christians and as monks.

RB, Chapter 9: The Number of Psalms at the Night Office

1During the winter season, Vigils begin with the verse: Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall proclaim your praise (Ps 50[51]:17). After this has been said three times, 2the following order is observed: Psalm 3 with “Glory be to the Father”; 3Psalm 94 with a refrain, or at least chanted; 4an Ambrosian hymn; then six psalms with refrain.

5After the psalmody, a versicle is said and the abbot gives a blessing. When all are seated on the benches, the brothers in turn read three selections from the book on the lectern. After each reading a responsory is sung. 6“Glory be to the Father” is not sung after the first two responsories, but only after the third reading.

7As soon as the cantor begins to sing “Glory be to the Father,” let all the monks rise from their seats in honor and reverence for the Holy Trinity.

8Besides the inspired books of the Old and New Testaments, the works read at Vigils should include explanations of Scripture by reputable and orthodox catholic Fathers. 9When these three readings and their responsories have been finished, the remaining six psalms are sung with an “alleluia” refrain.

10This ended, there follow a reading from the Apostle recited by heart, a versicle and the litany, that is, “Lord, have mercy.” 11And so Vigils are concluded.

Reflection

Always the day begins with asking God to open our lips. We can meditate on that a lot because so often during the day it is no longer God who is on our lips! So often during the day it is not God's praises that come forth from our mouths. We want to strive to live each day with only the words of God passing our lips and only the thoughts of God coming from our hearts. Right from the beginning of describing the structure that he wants in the Divine Office, Saint Be

nedict is putting the Divine Office into a divine context, insisting that we are there for God, to praise God and only to speak with and to God.

The structure of Vigils is very clear in the Rule. The opening versicle, Psalm 3, Psalm 94 (the Invitatory), the hymn, then 6 psalms. After those 6 psalms, a versicle and response, the abbot's blessing, then three readings each with a response but the third response has a "Glory be to the Father" added to is. When that "Glory be to the Father" is sing, all the monks rise and bow. Then there are 6 more psalms with an alleluia refrain. Then a short lesson fro heart, a versicle and response, the litany and so the end.

If we simply look at the structure of Vigils, we must realize that this is the strongest and longest of all of the hours of the Divine Office. It is supposed to happen before daybreak and needs to be long enough so that it really is a vigil, a keeping watch for the Lord. Vigils is supposed to take some effort on the part of the monk.

Saint Benedict simply presumes this and does not talk about it. Christians and monks of his time knew that Vigils was important and a strong part of the Divine Office. There are more psalms in the Vigils of Saint Benedict than there are in the entire daily Roman Office as it is now celebrated.

We can probably say, without much dispute, that Vigils is a defining office of the monk. The monk is a Christian who keeps vigil every day. It is not easy to maintain this strong discipline in our own time. So many people want to look at the Divine Office simply as a form of prayer which can altered easily.

Certainly, Saint Benedict will later allow it to be altered, but he seems not happy about that and insists that the monks should always have at least 150 psalms in their public prayer every week.

Today those who strive to live the life according the Rule fairly closely are almost put on the defensive, even by their monastic superiors, for insisting on such a strong life.

On the other hand, history seems to show, over and over again, that if we want a strong monastic life, we need only return to the Rule of Benedict and somehow life comes back into a monastic way of living.

May we be strong in our monastic life! May we not be arrogant but humble! May we seek the Lord in this monastic way given to us by our Holy Father Saint Benedict.

RB, Chapter 8 The Divine Office at Night

1During the winter season, that is, from the first of November until Easter, it seems reasonable to arise at the eighth hour of the night. 2By sleeping until a little past the middle of the night, the brothers can arise with their food fully digested.

3In the time remaining after Vigils, those who need to learn some of the psalter or readings should study them.

4Between Easter and the first of November mentioned above, the time for Vigils should be adjusted so that a very short interval after Vigils will give the monks opportunity to care for nature’s needs. Then, at daybreak, Lauds should follow immediately.

Reflection

We leave Chapter 7 on the steps of humility behind us now and begin to speak of the Divine Office and how it should be arranged and prayed.

These Chapters, from 8 through 20, are very important for understanding life in a Benedictine monastery. Today very few follow these chapters of the Rule, especially with regard to the structure of the Divine Office.

Unless we understand them well, we will begin to lose a truly Benedictine life, which has at its heart the praying of the Divine Office. There is no way that one can follow this structure of Rule of Benedict and not be aware of the truly important place of the Divine Office in the daily life of the monk and the amount of time that Saint Benedict presumed that a monk would spend in public prayer.

The winter season in Subiaco, Italy, and in Monte Cassino, Italy, probably had a sunrise of about 7:15 am and a sunset of about 5:15 pm. That means that the night would have been about 840 minutes. Divine that by 12 and the night hours would have been 70 minutes each.

We don't think of time that way, but that would have probably been the way of reckoning in the time of Saint Benedict. The middle of the night would have been 440 minutes or a bit over 7 hours of sleep—if one got to sleep immediately. The night office would have begun about 12 midnight or about 1:00 am. The monk would be getting up early, but would have a good amount of sleep.

If the summer months have a sunrise of 6:00 am and a sunset of 6:00 pm, the schedule changes by itself. The night hours now become about 60 minutes. If the monk go to bed at sunset and the monk will get about 6 or 7 hours of sleep. Still he will arise for the night office about 1:00 am.
None of this works very well in situations where in the summer the sun can rise at 5:00 am a

nd set at 9:00 pm and in the winter where the sun can rise about 7:00 am and set at 5:00 pm. So we must always look at the relative arrangement of the elements in a typical day in Saint Benedict's monastery. We can see that sleep deprivation is not a concern of the Rule! Rather, the monk generally is able to get between 6 and 8 hours of sleep. And when the sleep is less, there is a siesta!

Also it is clear that Saint Benedict is not concerned so much with the comfort of the monk—although there is some concern—as with accomplishing a very strong and demanding schedule of prayer. Vigils, the night office, is certainly an anchor of the Divine Office and one of the anchors that is far too easily thrown away today.

For our spirituality, we must reflect on whether the Divine Office is at the heart of our own personal spirituality. This is a teaching of the Rule that is very important.

Let us strive to keep the Divine Office central in our lives by being present, by praying and by giving ourselves generously to the demands of this type of prayer.

RB, Chapter 7. Humility

Verse 1 - 91Brothers, divine Scripture calls to us saying: Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted (Luke 14:11; 18:14).

2In saying this, therefore, it shows us that every exaltation is a kind of pride, 3which the Prophet indicates he has shunned, saying: O Lord, my heart is not exalted; my eyes are not lifted up and I have not walked in the ways of the great nor gone after marvels beyond me (Ps 130[131]:1). 4And why?

If I had not a humble spirit, but were exalted instead, then you would treat me like a weaned child on its mother’s lap (Ps 130[131]:2). 5Accordingly, brothers, if we want to reach the highest summit of humility, if we desire to attain speedily that exaltation in heaven to which we climb by the humility of this present life, 6then by our ascending actions we must set up that ladder on which Jacob in a dream saw angels descending and ascending (Gen 28:12).

7Without doubt, this descent and ascent can signify only that we descend by exaltation and ascend by humility. 8Now the ladder erected is our life on earth, and if we humble our hearts the Lord will raise it to heaven. 9We may call our body and soul the sides of this ladder, into which our divine vocation has fitted the various steps of humility and discipline as we ascend.

Reflection

We begin to reflect now on the value of humility. We have already begun to reflect on obedience and on silence. Humility begins to underline both the silence and the obedience of our monastic life. Monastic life is not a life of thinking badly about ourselves because that is not true humility. Saint Benedict takes a long time and a lot of space to reflect on humility because it is such an important value in our monastic life.

Saint Benedict is totally clear here: if we want to be humble, we will have to work to be humble! Some virtues are given to us as gifts but for others we must really work a lot and spend out energy trying to understand and trying to live the virtue. Humility is that kind of virtue: it will take struggles and a lot of our energy before we begin to understand it and to live it.

Many of us want a virtue such as humility to come to us easily and without much effort. This is fairly general today in our world. If something is really difficult, then often we simply give up trying to attain it and settle for something easier.

For the monk, however, humility is not optional! It is right at the heart of our monastic life and we are given no choice but to struggle until we attain humility. Saint Benedict is going to give us all kinds of steps, 12 of them, so that we can come to know what humility really is and so that we can truly live it.

We must accept Saint Benedict as our guide here and trust in him and begin to practice each of the steps that he gives to us. If we really do practice these steps we begin to see changes in our way of living, changes in our way of thinking and changes in the way that we relate to others. May we have the courage to begin to live each of these steps and trust that by living the steps we shall arrive at a different way of living our lives.

Verse 10 - 12

10The first step of humility, then, is that a man keeps the fear of God always before his eyes (Ps 35[36]:2) and never forgets it. 11He must constantly remember everything God has commanded, keeping in mind that all who despise God will burn in hell for their sins, and all who fear God have everlasting life awaiting them. 12While he guards himself at every moment from sins and vices of thought or tongue, of hand or foot, of self-will or bodily desire.

Reflection

Again we come across this difference in the first step of humility. We remember that Chapter 5 of the Rule of Benedict tells us that the first step of humility is obedience without delay. Here the first step of obedience is keeping the fear of God always before our eyes and never forget it.

This sounds pretty negative to a lot of people and has little appeal. On the other hand, it is the teaching of our Father Benedict and we must consider it well and strive to put it into practice.
It has been said that this first step of humility is really the spiritual core of the entire Rule of Benedict. Instead of thinking of the "fear of the Lord" as something negative, we need to see it an "awe of God" or as the "memory of God" at work in our lives.

If we begin to think of the "fear of the Lord" as keeping the memory of God always present before us, it loses all of its negativity and become a positive way of thinking of God—with awe but with love and compassion.

The first step of humility, then, is that a man keeps the memory of the God always before his eyes and never forgets it.
This positive way of thinking does not take away the strength of the next statement: " He must constantly remember everything God has commanded, keeping in mind that all who despise God will burn in hell for their sins, and all who fear God have everlasting life awaiting them."

We monks must remember always the commandments of God. It is much easier to live without thinking and remembering! Saint Benedict invites us, as part of keeping the memory of God before us, to remember what God asks of us. We need always to be aware of the "two roads" that are possible for us, one leading to God and one leading to hell. Hell is not a popular topic in our present age.

Probably it has never been too popular! Today many people do not even believe in hell or in a devil. Saint Benedict is quite clear about these realities.

For us who follow the Lord Jesus, our hearts must be set on Him always. This is the way of keeping his memory always before us. The more we are in awe of Him and love Him, the more we shall turn away from the vices and sins that may be within us and which we live in our lives.

Truly we can say that keeping the fear of God, the memory of God, the awe of God, central in our lives will transform us little by little with the Lord's grace. We can never demand grace but we can be consistent in asking. May the Lord help us!

Verse 13 - 18

13let him recall that he is always seen by God in heaven, that his actions everywhere are in God’s sight and are reported by angels at every hour.

14The Prophet indicates this to us when he shows that our thoughts are always present to God, saying: God searches hearts and minds (Ps 7:10); 15again he says: The Lord knows the thoughts of men (Ps 93[94]:11); 16likewise, From afar you know my thoughts (Ps 138[139]:3); 17and, The thought of man shall give you praise (Ps 75[76]:11).

18That he may take care to avoid sinful thoughts, the virtuous brother must always say to himself: I shall be blameless in his sight if I guard myself from my own wickedness (Ps 17[18]:24).

Reflection

In these few verses The Rule of Benedict points us to God once again, using the Psalms as the basic text to speak of humility.

First, we must realize that nothing is hidden from God. This reality is expressed here in the normal manner of previous ages: God looks at us, we are seen. These are images of course, since God does not have eyes and does not see the way that we see.

The phrases are not meant to be taken literally, but as images: telling us that God knows us to the innermost part of our being, nothing is hidden from God, not now and not in the past and not in the future.

Another image given to us is that God searches our hearts and the minds. This indicates that God really has interest in us. God is actively knowing us, not at all like watching a movie or a picture of some kind. God seeks us out and wants to know us—not to condemn us but to invite us to live the divine life.

Our response to God is to avoid that which damages the relationship with Him. So we avoid sinful thoughts. This is a very strong teaching among the early monks and still has enormous value today.

The early monks recognized that our actions generally begin with thoughts and if we can learn how to control our thoughts with faith, then our actions will reflect this change. This has been summarized in a simple saying: our feelings and actions must be directed by reason; then reason must be directed by faith.

This seems fairly easy to do until we try to do it consistently.
Just as in the earlier verses of this Chapter of the Rule, we are invited to be aware of God, but in these verses the focus is more on being aware that God is aware of us!

Verse 19 - 2319Truly, we are forbidden to do our own will, for Scripture tells us: Turn away from your desires (Sir 18:30). 20And in the Prayer too we ask God that his will be done in us (Matt 6:10). 21We are rightly taught not to do our own will, since we dread what Scripture says: There are ways which men call right that in the end plunge into the depths of hell (Prov 16:25).

22Moreover, we fear what is said of those who ignore this: They are corrupt and have become depraved in their desires (Ps 13[14]:1). 23As for the desires of the body, we must believe that God is always with us, for All my desires are known to you (Ps 37[38]:10), as the Prophet tells the Lord.

Reflection

Many of us today don't think much about where our hopes, our plans, our desires come from. Many of us focus more on the fact that they are "ours" and should be honored. As we read Verse 19, we are called to reflect that serving God means trying to follows God's hopes, desires and plans for us.

Desires can often have an overtone of sexuality, in the Bible and in the Rule also. Here this seems not to be the focus until we get to the "desires of the flesh." Even at that point, the reference may be more to these hopes and plans that come simply from us and which we do not place before the Lord.

At the level of the theory of the inner life, the life of seeking God, we admit that we are given life in order to seek and to do God's will, not our own. Every day we pray in the "Our Father"—and lots of times each day—that God's will be done in us.

Benedict wants us to recognize that lots of our own plans and desires ultimately lead us away from God and not to God. Away from God is the same as leading us to hell. When we ignore this advice, we become corrupt and depraved in our own desires.

Here it is easy to think of brothers who make all of their own plans and then ask the abbot for his approval. If the abbot approves, all of their plans look like they are a true seeking of God's will and everything is peaceful. On the other hand, if the abbot does not approve, there is conflict and anger and frustration, which reveals that deep inside the brother, he was already following his own will.

These verses given to us today are really important in the struggle to be obedient. In the Rule of Benedict, the remedy for our own will is to do the will of another. That "another" is the abbot or our immediate superior.

How often we consider ourselves so very obedient as long as the abbot approves what we have already decided. How rare it is for the monk simply to present his plans and hopes and desires, and then ask the abbot: "What do you really think? Is this the will of God for me?"

Verse 24 - 30

24We must then be on guard against any base desire, because death is stationed near the gateway of pleasure. 25For this reason Scripture warns us, Pursue not your lusts (Sir 18:30).

26Accordingly, if the eyes of the Lord are watching the good and the wicked (Prov 15:3), 27if at all times the Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see whether any understand and seek God (Ps 13[14]:2); 28and if every day the angels assigned to us report our deeds to the Lord day and night, 29then, brothers, we must be vigilant every hour or, as the Prophet says in the psalm, God may observe us falling at some time into evil and so made worthless (Ps 13[14]:3).

30After sparing us for a while because he is a loving father who waits us to improve, he may tell us later, This you did, and I said nothing (Ps 49[50]:21).

Reflection

We come to the end of this fairly long first step of humility. It seems long because it putting down many of the foundations of our spiritual life as monks, as men who are seeking God.

There seems no doubt that in this step of humility, Saint Benedict is warning us against sexual desires. On the other hand, Saint Benedict is very much aware that a monk can learn to control his sexual desires and still have many other hopes and plans that just as surely undermine the journey to God. There are countless other pleasures desires those of our sexuality.

We return in this last part of the first degree, the first step of humility, to the awareness that God's watches us and even sends his angels to watch over us. Perhaps such watching sounds here a bit menacing—and may be meant to sound that way—but ultimately God and angels watch us in love. Our challenge is not to take that love for granted, but instead to learn how to respond to it will all our being.

The last section of this degree of humility tells us that God may observe us falling into evil and then wait for us to improve. God's patience is another way of expressing God's love for us. The goal is always the same: how do we begin now to respond to this God who loves us?

At the level of our daily life, sometimes the abbot also sees a brother making a choice that will not lead him to the Lord. If the brother is open to the abbot's words, the abbot is free to say something and perhaps the brother make a choice that leads him to God.

On the other hand, many times the abbot must remain silent because he knows that his words will not only not be heard, they may harden the heart of the brother so that he stays longer on a wrong path. Once again we need to be aware that obedience is the road of the monk, and especially obedience to his abbot.

Verse 31 - 33

31The second step of humility is that a man loves not his own will nor takes pleasure in the satisfaction of his desires; 32rather he shall imitate by his actions that saying of the Lord: I have come not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me (John 6:38). 33 Similarly we read, “Consent merits punishment; constraint wins a crown.”

Reflection

The first step of humility is keeping the fear of God before us always—with many overtones of obedience involved in keeping that awareness and memory of God.

This second step clarified just a little more what it means not to do our own will—again we touch the theme of obedience. We are beginning to see why Chapter 5, on Obedience, states that the first step of humility is obedience!

Here we are encouraged not to love our own will. This sounds impossible until we put it into the context of seeking God. The more that we become interested in the spiritual life, the inner life with God, the more we come to understand that all we really want is God and to do God's will.

Such an understanding, even such a desire, does not make us capable of only wanting God and God's will. Rather we must begin to do the strong and difficult work of cooperating with God's grace and allowing ourselves to be changed, to be transformed, to be converted.

The quotation at the end of this small section of the Rule is from an early Christian saying. It is not entirely clear what the meaning is, but perhaps Terrence Kardong's understanding might help: "As is clear from the context, the issue in the tracts is the forced actions of persecuted Christians: What they are forced to do against their conscience, far from bringing guilt, is meritorious." This is at least one way of understanding the quotation.

For us as monks, the challenge is how to follow just our own will. To obtain this end, we follow the will of the abbot, except in a case where the abbot might—God forbid—ask us to do something immoral. In the case of something immoral, we must simply say "no."

Like many of the steps of humility, this one is generally ignored in our present age. The abbot rarely asks a monk to do anything other than follow the life and accept whatever assignment he is asked to take. Perhaps the abbot should be more forceful in our own time so that the monk can come to understand this step of humility. Perhaps a monk needs to ask his abbot more: what do you want me to do? Is there anything in my life that you want me to change?

Verse 34

34The third step of humility is that a man submits to his superior in all obedience for the love of God, imitating the Lord of whom the Apostle says: He became obedient even to death (Phil 2:8).

Reflection

This third step of humility is surely one of the most difficult. It is the shortest step in number of words, but calls on us for the most personal change in our lives. None of us likes to obey all that much! Yet we are given the example of our Lord Jesus, who became obedient even to death.

What does it mean to submit to a superior in all obedience? The master tells us: "If he puts no trust in his own opinion but all in the judgment of his superior and listens eagerly and willingly to his directions."

Always we must be careful so that the monk truly develops as a human being, but as a monk as well. The monk, in order to do this, at times must be able to tell his abbot: I don't agree with you. That is fine. But the monk must still obey and try to follow what his abbot asks of him, and this can be very difficult at times. Most of us don't like to make our decisions with our abbot! Instead we make our own decisions and then try to get the abbot to agree with us.

This is not obedience.
To be truly obedient, the monk must listen and try to see life as his abbot sees it—at least in some sense. At the level of external obedience, the monk accepts all that the abbot asks of him and tries to live that obedience with a cheerful heart.

That is really difficult at times. If the monk resists all the time, then he has not yet become a full monk. Monks who have lived monastic life for many, many years, often learn how to obey because they have finally discovered that not much matters except following the Lord and having peace in one's heart.

Just as Jesus did not want to accept death, but did accept it because He wanted to do the Father's will, so also we monks eventually learn to accept the small death of following our superiors and letting go of what we want so as to do what they want us to do!

So often we justify doing just what we want to do by thoughts such as these: the abbot doesn't really understand me; the abbot doesn't really understand this situation; the abbot is from another culture and doesn't understand; the abbot is a different age and doesn't understand; the abbot doesn't really understand the Church today; the abbot doesn't understand what makes for a good monastic life; and so on.

None of these thoughts can have value before the Lord who asks us, by our vows, to be obedient al an abbot who is never perfect and who imperfections really prove our obedience or our lack of obedience.

May God give us the grace to obey and to come to know the wonderful and mystical beauty of honest obedience according to our vows.

Verse 35 - 43

35The fourth step of humility is that in this obedience under difficult, unfavorable, or even unjust conditions, his heart quietly embraces suffering 36and endures it without weakening or seeking escape. For Scripture has it: Anyone who perseveres to the end will be saved (Matt 10:22), 37and again, Be brave of heart and rely on the Lord (Ps 26[27]:14).

38Another passage shows how the faithful must endure everything, even contradiction, for the Lord’s sake, saying in the person of those who suffer, For your sake we are put to death continually; we are regarded as sheep marked for slaughter (Rom 8:36; Ps 43[44]:22).

39They are so confident in their expectation of reward from God that they continue joyfully and say, But in all this we overcome because of him who so greatly loved us (Rom 8:37). 40Elsewhere Scripture says: O God, you have tested us, you have tried us as silver is tried by fire; you have led us into a snare, you have placed afflictions on our backs (Ps 65[66]:10–11).

41Then, to show that we ought to be under a superior, it adds: You have placed men over our heads (Ps 65[66]:12). 42In truth, those who are patient amid hardships and unjust treatment are fulfilling the Lord’s command: When struck on one cheek, they turn the other; when deprived of their coat, they offer their cloak also; when pressed into service for one mile, they go two (Matt 5:39–41).

43With the Apostle Paul, they bear with false brothers, endure persecution, and bless those who curse them (2 Cor 11:26; 1 Cor 4:12).

Reflection

This step of humility speaks almost directly to our hearts. Each one of us has felt at times the suffering of trying to obey our abbot or our superiors. Who of us has never felt the difficult, unfavorable or even unjust conditions of obedience? Saint Benedict is clear that when we experience these real difficulties in obedience, we must quietly embrace the suffering and endure it without weakening or seeking escape.

That seems almost impossible in our present, but Saint Benedict is telling us that it is possible and that to be monks, we must learn to act in this way, accepting the sufferings of obedience.
Saint Benedict continues in this section almost to pound his point home: no matter what happens, we must obey. If it is difficult, we must obey. If it is unfavorable, we must obey. If it is unjust, we must obey. If it is a contradiction, we must obey.

Saint Benedict softens the impact of these truly strong statements when he says of us monks that we are so confident in our expectation of reward from God that we can continue in our obedience joyfully because we know that God loves us!

For the superior, of course, it is not easy to be thought of as a scourge of God! Saint Benedict quotes Psalm 65/66: You have placed men over our heads! And the implication seems to be that it is the superior who will strike us on one cheek and we must turn the other.

It is the superior who will deprive us of our coat and we must then offer our cloak as well. It is the superior who will push us to go one mile and we must offer to go two miles! That is surely how we shall feel about our superiors from time to time, especially if the superior is truly faithful to the Rule and not afraid of insisting that we live the monastic life.

May God help each one of us with the fourth step of humility! May God help the superior be faithful and ask us to be monks. May God help us monks walk faithfully the royal road of obedience.

Verse 44 - 48

44The fifth step of humility is that a man does not conceal from his abbot any sinful thoughts entering his heart, or any wrongs committed in secret, but rather confesses them humbly. 45Concerning this, Scripture exhorts us: Make known your way to the Lord and hope in him (Ps 36 [37]:5). 46And again, Confess to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy is forever (Ps 105[106]:1; Ps 117[118]:1).

47So too the Prophet: To you I have acknowledged my offense; my faults I have not concealed. 48I have said: Against myself I will report my faults to the Lord, and you have forgiven the wickedness of my heart (Ps 31[32]:5).

Reflection

Truly these steps of humility become very difficult for us modern people! There are monks even in our own community who live this step of humility and it does change one's life radically. We can easily see in this fifth step of humility why we should think of humility as truth rather than as self-abasement or putting oneself down.

It takes a very humble person to live in his own truth and to be able to say to his abbot, with complete candor: this is what I have done, this is what I have thought, and I ask you to help me be faithful to the Lord!

If we truly believe that the abbot is Christ present in the community, as is the clear teaching of the Rule of Benedict, then this step of humility makes complete sense. On the other hand, it demands of us that we live entirely by faith and not in any other way.

The abbot for his part must respond as Christ would respond: with love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness—and also giving a clear direction to the monk. We can think of Jesus' words to the woman in John's Gospel: Go now and sin no more. Such words must clearly come from love and compassion and a total acceptance of the monk with all of his failings.

Each of us must consider how we can live this step of humility! We must strive to keep ascending this ladder of humility by practicing what our Holy Father recommends, even when it is difficult. May the Lord help us open our hearts so that we can live in spirit and in truth!

Verse 49 - 50

49The sixth step of humility is that a monk is content with the lowest and most menial treatment, and regards himself as a poor and worthless workman in whatever task he is given, 50saying to himself with the Prophet: I am insignificant and ignorant, no better than a beast before you, yet I am with you always (Ps 72[73]:22–23).

Reflection

When we are young, this step of humility may seem difficult. Generally as we get older, it seems simply to be something that we take for granted, especially if we have continued to try to live a good monastic life. Usually we are much more confident of our personality and our identity as we get older and so no longer worry about how others treat us.

If we are still young, how do we begin to live this step of humility? First we must accept any treatment given to us by others—and that is not easy. We must fight against our own reactions and learn how to cling to God alone.

If we feel that a brother or a superior is mistreating us, we need to recognize our own feelings in the matter and then have the courage to accept this treatment. This is only possible for us if we are living by faith and not living by the standards of this world.

At some point in a serious monastic life, we must begin to accept the teachings of our Holy Father Benedict and try to live them. This step of humility is one of those great opportunities for us to find out the real value of struggling against ourselves. It is a great opportunity to find out how suffering can strengthen us in the spiritual battle.

Sometimes when we feel mistreated or badly treated, we can reflect that although the treatment is difficult for us, we can offer it up in reparation for the sins of our past life, for the sinfulness of our world and for those who suffer unjustly all over the world. We monks really do not suffer so very much when we look at the immense sufferings in our world.

The real struggle is always against ourselves. We want to be treated well. We want to be acknowledged. We want others to be good to us. This step of humility never denies those quite normal and healthy feelings.

The step of humility does tell us, though, that if we really want to advance in the spiritual life, we must be able to put our own desires to one side and accept whatever happens to us and seek God in the events of our daily life, never losing our peace and tranquility. This is not easy! But it is possible. Let us use the opportunities of our daily lives to walk with our Lord Jesus and learn from Him!

Verse 51 - 54

51The seventh step of humility is that a man not only admits with his tongue but is also convinced in his heart that he is inferior to all and of less value, 52humbling himself and saying with the Prophet: I am truly a worm, not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people (Ps 21[22]:7).

53I was exalted, then I was humbled and overwhelmed with confusion (Ps 87[88]:16). 54And again, It is a blessing that you have humbled me so that I can learn your commandments (Ps 118[119]:71, 73).

Reflection

We move on in the steps of humility, always with a sense that Saint Benedict is asking more and more of us. This step really sounds like not very good psychology to our modern ears. But if we meditate and pray, perhaps we can come to understand what it means in our daily lives.
Perhaps once more we should be aware that an older man and a younger man will probably think in different ways about this step of humility.

As a man gets older, he can recognize that his motivation is truly flawed and that his reasons for doing things are often very bad indeed. Perhaps an older man will have very little problem in thinking of himself as inferior to all and of less value. Of course, some older men would not think this way at all. On the other hand, a man who has consistently tried to follow the Lord, I think, will have very little problem in thinking according to this step of humility.

The man who can think this way (admits and is convinced in his heart that he is inferior to all of less value) does not necessarily have any inferiority complex nor a bad self image. Rather, he can see himself as honestly evaluating his life and his motivations in a very straightforward manner.

The challenge for all of us, as monks, is to accept this teaching of our Holy Father Benedict and to strive to live it and see what effect it has in our lives. So often, we modern people reject teachings from the saints without ever trying them to see if they might have some wonderful and good effect in our lives.

May the Lord God help us this day to walk this step of humility. May the Holy Spirit show us the value of this step and help us continue the spiritual struggle ahead of us.

Verse 55

55The eighth step of humility is that a monk does only what is endorsed by the common rule of the monastery and the example set by his superiors.

Reflection

This step seems so absolutely simple that we often cannot imagine that anyone would find it difficult. Yet it can be very difficult. In the past, many monks were told in formation: Don't be singular! Today that kind of language is not often heard in formation or even later, but the message is still true.

That message is clear: We must find our identity by being ordinary monks of the community rather than by trying to be different, trying to show that we are better, trying to show that we are gifted, trying to show that we are special. In order to do what is endorsed by the common rule of the monastery and the example set by the superiors, we must be able to see what they do and hear what they say. That means that we must pay attention.

Part of the tradition of teaching this step of humility is to state clearly that we should follow only the good example of our superiors. Saint Benedict says this elsewhere in his Rule: If the superior does not follow his own teaching about what to do and what not to do, then the monk should follow the words of the superior but not his bad example.

A great challenge in monasteries is for the superiors, the seniors, those who are in solemn vows, to set a truly good example for the juniors, those who are still learning how to live monastic life. When we wonder about the observance in the monastery, each one of us must make an effort to live truly what is endorsed by the common rule of the monastery. For us today, this common rule of the monastery is expressed in our Customary, the book in which we write down how we expect a monk to live.

So we can say about this step of humility that it obliges us, if we want to be holy, to follow what the community has decided and placed in the Customary. For all of us, there are probably some aspects of our Customary that we like less than others!

Yet in order to follow Christ, in order to walk this path of humility, we must learn to accept the whole way of life in our Customary and to do this with dignity and with joy. May the Lord help us!

Verse 56 - 58

56The ninth step of humility is that a monk controls his tongue and remains silent, not speaking unless asked a question, 57for Scripture warns, In a flood of words you will not avoid sinning (Prov 10:19), 58and, A talkative man goes about aimlessly on earth (Ps 139[140]:12).

Reflection

For us human beings, control of our tongues is really difficult. We find references to this way of living in much literature from other religious traditions as well. The person who cannot control his or her speech is a person who will have problems throughout life.

We have to distinguish here between a person who is silent and yet angry inside and the person who can remain silent and peaceful inside. Yet this step of humility is obviously speaking first simply about physical silence. Even if another person can see that we are angry, we must learn to keep silence and to insist that we shall say nothing. After that we can work at coming to inner peace and then, perhaps, having a word.

We need to be aware that even if another person has asked us a question, there are times when we must guard silence. And there are times when no question is asked and we should speak. This deep understanding of when to speak and when to be silence comes from the virtues of wisdom and prudence. This particular step of humanity is one of the ways in which we come to know what wisdom and prudence can be in our lives.

We should not think that this step of humility is a greater difficulty in our time than in previous ages. It seems to be a challenge for each age of history and for each human being. For those who are taciturn by nature, there is still the challenge of inner silence. For those who are talkative by nature, there is the gift of learning how this silence changes the inner life.

May we learn to practice this external silence. May we learn the value of internal peace and silence. May we given the Holy Spirit to show us when to speak.

Verse 59

59The tenth step of humility is that he is not given to ready laughter, for it is written: Only a fool raises his voice in laughter (Sir 21:23).

Reflection

This step again tells us that the monk must be a serious person, not one who is always laughing. Does this mean that the monk should never laugh? Does this mean that the monk must not see the humor in anything? Probably not, although a monk should be expected to be present and to be serious when that is the normally accepted behavior.

In the ancient traditions, there is some understanding that laughter of itself is not really a good thing for humans. Btu that is only a part of the tradition. In other tradition, laughter is the defining characteristic of being human, since animals do not laugh.

Saint Benedict seems in this step of humility to indicate that monk can laugh but must be careful not to be a person who only laughs and does not know how to be serious.

Perhaps in the monastery at times monks prefer to laugh rather than to be serious. Saint Benedict indicates that the balance should be on the other side. A monk should know how to laugh, but should generally be serious.

A monk should want to be taken seriously when speaking to others and if he never expresses a deep thought or an inclination to seriousness, hw will not be taken seriously by others.
Let us pray that we can be serious monks who know when and how to laugh!

Verse 60 - 61

60The eleventh step of humility is that a monk speaks gently and without laughter, seriously and with becoming modesty, briefly and reasonably, but without raising his voice, 61as it is written: “A wise man is known by his few words.”

Reflection

We are now coming close to the end of the steps of humility. Once again Saint Benedict puts before us the model type of behavior that he wants of his monks. This step seems easy after we have practiced the first ten steps! What a difference in the monastic life of a community when many brothers practice this eleventh step!

First, a monk should speak gently. Although speaking gently sounds easy, it is not so easy when we are convinced of something and want to insist on it! We should all recognize, however, the when a monk presents his ideas gently, they have a much better chance of being heard and understood and even accepted.

When a monk is loud or insistent, much of the attention of his listeners goes to the loudness or to the insistence—but not to the idea or thought itself.

Gentleness does not mean that a monk cannot make a clear and strong presentation, but it must be gentle. Most of us know the difference when we feel pushed by someone else or when we feel invited by someone else. Saint Benedict would have his monks be the type of people who invite others to listen rather than insist that others listen.

Without laughter, Saint Benedict says. It is important that when something needs to be discussed that we do not ridicule it by laughing at it. Ridicule and this kind of laughter only push others to be defensive when they should be listening. There can be a place for humor when presenting one's ideas, but we must be careful to preserve the seriousness of our thoughts and feelings.

The monk needs to present his thoughts briefly and reasonably. We do not want to be known as a person who says in twenty minutes what could have been said in two minutes! Some of us feel that we must keep elaborating our thoughts. Benedict wants thoughts to be short and clear, brief and reasonable.

Let us try to walk this small step of humility today. We can learn to be silent, to be gentle, to be modest. And we can trust that as we try to live this way, the Lord will open the hearts and minds of others to us.

Verse 62 - 70

62The twelfth step of humility is that a monk always manifests humility in his bearing no less than in his heart, so that it is evident 63at the Work of God, in the oratory, the monastery or the garden, on a journey or in the field, or anywhere else.

Whether he sits, walks or stands, his head must be bowed and his eyes cast down. 64Judging himself always guilty on account of his sins, he should consider that he is already at the fearful judgment, 65and constantly say in his heart what the publican in the Gospel said with downcast eyes: Lord, I am a sinner, not worthy to look up to heaven (Luke 18:13).

66And with the Prophet: I am bowed down and humbled in every way (Ps 37[38]:7–9; Ps 118[119]:107). 67Now, therefore, after ascending all these steps of humility, the monk will quickly arrive at that perfect love of God which casts out fear (1 John 4:18).

68Through this love, all that he once performed with dread, he will now begin to observe without effort, as though naturally, from habit, 69no longer out of fear of hell, but out of love for Christ, good habit and delight in virtue. 70All this the Lord will by the Holy Spirit graciously manifest in his workman now cleansed of vices and sins.

Reflection

Here we are at the end of the steps of humility. If we have tried seriously to walk each step of humility, our lives have changed. This should be our personal experience as well as that of Saint Benedict. What happens is that we begin to live almost naturally the spiritual life. We will still have failures and defects, but our hearts will be clearly established on the road which leads to life eternal and we begin to have delight in walking that road.

This is a change that comes over the monk slowly and is not always so clear until one day the monk recognizes that he is firmly set on this road and finds it easier and easier to walk the road.
There is, as Saint Benedict notes, a cleaning of vices and sins.

That takes place on this journey as well, in the Lord's time. It is so important to note that unless we set out now on the steps of humility, we will not come to this point in our lives. Every day we must set out again on this road and trust in the Lord. Every day we will find ourselves still sinners and still faithless, yet it is God who keeps summoning us to Him.

Love of Christ, good habit and delight in virtue! These are really important realities for the monk. If we are not loving Christ, then there is no sense in being in the Monastery. Good habits take a long time to form, but will form only if we keep working at them. Delight in virtue can come only when we begin to practice virtue and begin to see its effects in our lives.

So much of the spiritual life needs to be lived for a long period of time before we begin to see and to experience its effects in our lives. Often we rebel against doing something that we have not tried before but Saint Benedict is telling us: This is the road! Walk it with confidence! Let us set out today to walk with the Lord under the guidance of our Holy Father Benedict.

RB, Chapter 6. Restraint of Speech

1Let us follow the Prophet’s counsel: I said, I have resolved to keep watch over my ways that I may never sin with my tongue. I have put a guard on my mouth. I was silent and was humbled, and I refrained even from good words (Ps 38[39]:2–3).

2Here the Prophet indicates that there are times when good words are to be left unsaid out of esteem for silence. For all the more reason, then, should evil speech be curbed so that punishment for sin may be avoided. 3Indeed, so important is silence that permission to speak should seldom be granted even to mature disciples, no matter how good or holy or constructive their talk, 4because it is written: In a flood of words you will not avoid sin (Prov 10:19); 5and elsewhere, The tongue holds the key to life and death (Prov 18:21).

6Speaking and teaching are the master’s task; the disciple is to be silent and listen. 7Therefore, any requests to a superior should be made with all humility and respectful submission. 8We absolutely condemn in all places any vulgarity and gossip and talk leading to laughter, and we do not permit a disciple to engage in words of that kind.

Reflection
Now we begin to speak of silence. Silence is one of the very most important values a monk should have when he lives according to the Rule of Benedict. There are many stories about silence from the early monks. Most of all we must recognize that it is not easy to keep external silence and even more difficult to keep internal silence.

External silence is achieved by not talking. That sounds easy enough, but anyone who has tried to be silent externally for any length of time knows how difficult it is.

And even more difficult is to speak when we should with peace and love. If we only had the obligation of not speaking, it would be easier! Instead we must learn to be silent unless speech is really necessary. Then we must speak and return to silence.

Inner silence is the practice of always being at peace so that our words, when we do speak, come from the peace and tranquility of inner silence. Most of us can recognize when a person is being silence but resentful, silent but angry, silent but rigid and un-accepting. This is external silence without internal silence.

Most of us can also recognize when a person is silent and loving, silent and accepting, silent and at peace. This is what we need to strive for in our monastic lives.
Why silence? Always it is for the sake of listening to the Lord, living in the Kingdom, knowing that this silent listening is of more value than any words.

As we begin monastic life, we must take up this discipline. At first it seems entirely unnatural and even unacceptable. As we begin to live in silence, we come to understand its value in opening the reality of God to us, in ourselves, in one another and in all of creation.

May each of us learn to practice silence daily, even when it is difficult, so that together we create a monastery of silence, love and peace.

RB, Chapter 5. Obedience

Verse 1 - 13
1The first step of humility is unhesitating obedience, 2which comes naturally to those who cherish Christ above all. 3Because of the holy service they have professed, or because of dread of hell and for the glory of everlasting life, 4they carry out the superior’s order as promptly as if the command came from God himself.

5The Lord says of men like this: No sooner did he hear than he obeyed me (Ps 17[18]:45); 6again, he tells teachers: Whoever listens to you, listens to me (Luke 10:16). 7 Such people as these immediately put aside their own concerns, abandon their own will, 8and lay down whatever they have in hand, leaving it unfinished. With the ready step of obedience, they follow the voice of authority in their actions.

9Almost at the same moment, then, as the master gives the instruction the disciple quickly puts it into practice in the fear of God; and both actions together are swiftly completed as one.

10It is love that impels them to pursue everlasting life; 11therefore, they are eager to take the narrow road of which the Lord says: Narrow is the road that leads to life (Matt 7:14).

12They no longer live by their own judgment, giving in to their whims and appetites; rather they walk according to another’s decisions and directions, choosing to live in monasteries and to have an abbot over them.

13Men of this resolve unquestionably conform to the saying of the Lord: I have come not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me (John 6:38).

Reflection

In this Chapter Saint Benedict tells us that the first step of humility is unhesitating obedience. In Chapter Seven of the Rule, Saint Benedict tells us that the first step of humility is fear of God. RB 1980 takes up this contradiction and used the commentary of Fr. Adalbert de Vögue to give some solution to it.

This intellectual understanding is necessary for us monks at time, even though the point of the present type of commentary is to try to understand the spiritual implications of the Rule of Benedict in our daily lives.

Obedience is not easy, but it is possible and is a traditional monastic way for the monk to purify his own will.

So often we think that our thoughts and our decisions are the center of the universe. Obedience soon helps the monk to realize that there are many ways of thinking. Sometimes when we are young, we think that obedience is really impossible.

As we grow older in the monastic life, we can find that obedience is a wonderful gift for us to deepen our interior life. Walking according to the decisions and directions of another person is meant to challenge us. We can live obedience in very bad ways—being completely obedient externally.

We can also live obedience in a wonderfully enriching way and begin to grow and mature in the spiritual life. Even while recognizing that no superior can ask of me what is immoral, we can come to trust our immediate superiors and give ourselves wholeheartedly to deep obedience.

This obedience demands of us that we tell our superiors if we are convinced that what we are being asked to do really won't accomplish what the superior wants.

Yet, along with Saint Benedict, we recognize that if the superior still tells us to do what was asked, then we do it—wholeheartedly and with all our strength.

This will not be easy for us, but as we begin to practice it, our monastic life changes. Again, if we are convinced it is not right, we speak to the superior. If the superior still asks us to do it, then we do it with all the energy of our being and God begins to change us. Let us ask for this deep grace of obedience today!

Verse 14 - 19

14This very obedience, however, will be acceptable to God and agreeable to men only if compliance with what is commanded is not cringing or sluggish or half-hearted, but free from any grumbling or any reaction of unwillingness.

15 For the obedience shown to superiors is given to God, as he himself said: Whoever listens to you, listens to me (Luke 10:16). 16Furthermore, the disciples’ obedience must be given gladly, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:7).

17If a disciple obeys grudgingly and grumbles, not only aloud but also in his heart, 18then, even though he carries out the order, his action will not be accepted with favor by God, who sees that he is grumbling in his heart. 19He will have no reward for service of this kind; on the contrary, he will incur punishment for grumbling, unless he changes for the better and makes amends.

Reflection

Saint Benedict continues his teaching on obedience by reminding us that any obedience that is sluggish, half-hearted, grumbling or unwilling really is not obedience.

At times, perhaps most of us grumble about obedience, but here, in this Chapter of the Rule, we are invited to recognize that this grumbling really makes true obedience impossible.

When we grumble, we may do what has been asked of us, but without giving our whole energy to it. For real obedience, we must accept the word of the superior as God's word and respond whole-heartedly.

Saint Benedict is very, very strong against grumbling throughout the whole Rule. Grumbling destroys communities because the energies of the individual monk is no longer being given to the seeking of God.

Instead that energy becomes focused on one's own desires and hopes. Instead of being willing to accept what is difficult and to see the difficulty as God-given, the monk begins to spend his life looking for what is easy and for ways to avoid what is difficult.

This is easy to see in some situations. When a monk is asked to be bell-ringer, for instance, and can sense his own resentment and then begins to act on his own resentment, the use of his inner energies is diverted.

This same kind of response happens, however, when a monk loses his inner peace because the observance of others is not as good as it should be. Always when our inner energies turn away from looking for God, we lose the focus of our lives and live in a way that is not the way of the monk.

From this part of the Chapter on Obedience, may we learn to focus all of our energies on seeking the Lord and responding whole-heartedly to His holy will.

Once again we should recognize that each of us has a right to tell our superior that what is asked is difficult and perhaps even seems impossible. But if we are still asked to do it, we should do it with our whole heart and soul, with no resentment and no holding back!

RB, Chapter 4: The Tools for Good Works

Verse 1 - 21

1First of all, love the Lord God with your whole heart, your whole soul and all your strength, 2and love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:37–39; Mark 12:30–31; Luke 10:27).

3Then the following: You are not to kill, 4not to commit adultery; 5you are not to steal 6nor to covet (Rom 13:9); 7you are not to bear false witness (Matt 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20). 8You must honor everyone (1 Pet 2:17), 9and never do to another what you do not want done to yourself (Tob 4:16; Matt 7:12; Luke 6:31).

10Renounce yourself in order to follow Christ (Matt 16:24; Luke 9:23); 11discipline your body (1 Cor 9:27); 12do not pamper yourself, 13but love fasting. 14You must relieve the lot of the poor, 15clothe the naked, 16visit the sick (Matt 25:36), 17and bury the dead.

18Go to help the troubled 19and console the sorrowing. 20Your way of acting should be different from the world’s way; 21the love of Christ must come before all else.

Reflection

Now we begin that Chapter on the Tools for Good Works. We have heard about the kinds of monks. We have heard what qualities that abbot should have. We have heard that the abbot needs to take counsel from the community.

The first part of the tools of good works simply tells all of us that we must follow the Scriptures and the ten commandments of the Lord from the Hebrew Scriptures. It is clear that monks are followers of God and accept the Lord Jesus. We are Christian monks!

Then the tools for good works take on a tone that is perhaps more monastic or perhaps just the demands of the ordinary Christian placed more clearly in front of our eyes. The monk must learn to renounce himself in order to follow Christ.

This does imply a strong discipline and Saint Benedict spells that discipline out a bit: discipline your body, don't pamper yourself, love fasting.
For us monks today, perhaps we must listen again to these three works: discipline your body, don't pamper yourself and love fasting.

The present age does not like ascetic practices, even in the time of Lent. There is almost a fear of depriving ourselves of anything, as though somehow we will be making a bad decision if we make life any tougher than it already is.

The role of these ascetic practices is clear: so that we will be able to choose to do the Lord's will, even when it is difficult. We must start now to train ourselves and some of the best training is in this learning to discipline our bodies, learning how not to pamper ourselves and learning to love fasting.

We don't need to let anyone know what we are doing, but we ourselves must commit ourselves to these practices if we ever want to become strong monks who are able to commit themselves to doing the Lord's will.

Verse 22 - 43

22You are not to act in anger 23or nurse a grudge. 24Rid your heart of all deceit. 25Never give a hollow greeting of peace 26or turn away when someone needs your love.

27Bind yourself to no oath lest it prove false, 28but speak the truth with heart and tongue. 29Do not repay one bad turn with another (1 Thess 5:15; 1 Pet 3:9).

30Do not injure anyone, but bear injuries patiently. 31Love your enemies (Matt 5:44; Luke 6:27). 32If people curse you, do not curse them back but bless them instead. 33Endure persecution for the sake of justice (Matt 5:10).

34You must not be proud, 35nor be given to wine (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3). 36Refrain from too much eating 37or sleeping, 38and from laziness (Rom 12:11).

39Do not grumble 40or speak ill of others. 41Place your hope in God alone. 42If you notice something good in yourself, give credit to God, not to yourself, 43but be certain that the evil you commit is always your own and yours to acknowledge.

Reflection

As we go through these tools of Good Works, we find a very simple list of things to do or not to do. One would think, probably, that a serious Christian or a committed monk would already be doing these things.

How often we find that many of us are blind to the things that we find difficult! When we get angry, for instance, how many of us find it difficult to pardon the one who angered us! And we find ways inside ourselves to avoid the clear directions of the Lord Jesus and ways to avoid what the Rule of Benedict says.

Never nursing a grudge is fairly easy for some and almost impossible for others. When relationships in the monastery are hurt or conflict arises, it is no easier for us monks to reconcile than for those who live a non-Christian life. This speaks so much about our faith and our lack of depth in following the Lord.

How often a monk needs to give the kiss of peace to his brother and refuses to do so!
Most of all, each of us must learn how to put all our hope in God. We want human relationships, we want friends, we want human acknowledgement.

All of that is normal and is not evil. But when those desires interfere with our relationship with one another, we must learn to put all our hope in God. God must be for us all that we want and our human relationship must come to be an expression of putting all our hope in God.

Instead we find ourselves just like everyone else: we turn to God and try to be faithful to Him when we are in trouble. When things are going well, we trust in ourselves and in what we have accomplished!

Today let us try again to place our hope in the Lord.

Verse 44 - 62

44Live in fear of judgment day 45and have a great horror of hell. 46Yearn for everlasting life with holy desire. 47Day by day remind mind yourself that you are going to die.

48Hour by hour keep careful watch over all you do, 49aware that God’s gaze is upon you, wherever you may be. 50As soon as wrongful thoughts come into your heart, dash them against Christ and disclose them to your spiritual father.

51Guard your lips from harmful or deceptive speech. 52Prefer moderation in speech 53and speak no foolish chatter, nothing just to provoke laughter; 54do not love immoderate or boisterous laughter.

55Listen readily to holy reading, 56and devote yourself often to prayer. 57Every day with tears and sighs confess your past sins to God in prayer 58and change from these evil ways in the future.

59Do not gratify the promptings of the flesh (Gal 5:16); 60hate the urgings of self-will. 61Obey the orders of the abbot unreservedly, even if his own conduct—which God forbid—be at odds with what he says. Remember the teaching of the Lord: Do what they say, not what they do (Matt 23:3).

62Do not aspire to be called holy before you really are, but first be holy that you may more truly be called so.

Reflection

Many of us find it difficult to live in fear of judgment day even though we may indeed have a great horror of hell. Perhaps when we slow down and meditate on judgment day, it becomes clearer why we might have such a fear.

Even when we trust entirely in God's mercy and compassion, we can realize the depths of our failures to love God and to respond to His goodness and love. Probably the more we can develop this fear of judgment day, the more we can yearn for everlasting life with a holy desire.

A holy desire seems to imply that we year for everlasting life because we want to be with God, not simply because we want to avoid the sufferings of hell.

Many of us do not yet have a practice of thinking each day that we are going to die, yet this is recommended to us. As we get older, the practice seems almost natural instead of something morbid.

Basically this part of the Chapter on Good Works is reminding us to be "recollected" all the time. Many of the modern meditation techniques are trying to achieve the same thing. We need to be aware of who we are, that we are going to die and that we should be living in Christ now and our actions should come from that belief.

We are reminded that in our recollection we need to speak very little, to guard ourselves against speaking a lot, in order to keep our hearts and our minds fixed on the Lord.

Devoting ourselves often to prayer probably means that we are able to be aware of God's presence and turn to that divine presence frequently throughout the day. It surely does not mean stopping for a half hour of prayer here and there!

This turning to God in prayer will help us not satisfy the promptings of the flesh. Many of us struggle with the lusts of the flesh and spend many years to find how to continue in this struggle without losing hope. Not losing hope is at the heart of our monastic life: trust in the Lord.

Perhaps even more difficult that the struggle with the lusts of the flesh is the struggle to obey the abbot unreservedly in all that he asks of us. This obedience is put into the context of our not wanting to look holy but a deeper desire to be holy.

May the Lord help us live these teachings of our Father Benedict with great depth!

Verse 63 - 78

63Live by God’s commandments every day; 64 treasure chastity, 65harbor neither hatred 66nor jealousy of anyone, 67and do nothing out of envy. 68 Do not love quarreling; 69shun arrogance. 70Respect the elders 71and love the young.

72Pray for your enemies out of love for Christ. 73If you have a dispute with someone, make peace with him before the sun goes down. 74And finally, never lose hope in God’s mercy. 75These, then, are the tools of the spiritual craft.

76When we have used them without ceasing day and night and have returned them on judgment day, our wages will be the reward the Lord has promised: 77What the eye has not seen nor the ear heard, God has prepared for those who love him (1 Cor 2:9).

78The workshop where we are to toil faithfully at all these tasks is the enclosure of the monastery and stability in the community.

Reflection

These final tools of good work might possibly have been taken for granted among Christians at the time that Saint Benedict was writing.

Today they seem to be counter cultural in many parts of the world. Living by God's commandments is clearly seen as important. Today more and more people do not even know those commandments, even new monks coming into the monastic community.

We are invited to treasure chastity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that chastity is the integration of sexuality. The Catechism also tells us that man either governs his passions and finds peace or is dominated by his passions and becomes unhappy.

This domination of the passions is also necessary in not harboring hatred or jealousy and in not doing anything our of envy.

Although we often think of monks as strong Christians, how difficult it is to make peace with our brothers before the sun goes down when we have had some conflict!

Anyone who has lived a serious monastic life for years come to know the strength of these tools of good works. Such a monk understands why Saint Benedict encourages us with this long list of good works and understands the joy that begins to come into one's life after many years of struggle.

Saint Benedict makes a point here to emphasize that the place of struggle is within the enclosure of the monastery and with stability in the community.

RB, Chapter 3: Summoning the brothers for counsel

Summoning the Brothers for Counsel

Verse 1 - 6

1As often as anything important is to be done in the monastery, the abbot shall call the whole community together and himself explain what the business is; 2and after hearing the advice of the brothers, let him ponder it and follow what he judges the wiser course.

3The reason why we have said all should be called for counsel is that the Lord often revealswhat is better to the younger. 4The brothers, for their part, are to express their opinions with all humility, and not presume to defend their own views obstinately.

5The decision is rather the abbot’s to make, so that when he has determined what is more prudent, all may obey. 6Nevertheless, just as it is proper for disciples to obey their master, so it is becoming for the master on his part to settle everything with foresight and fairness.

Reflection

Saint Benedict now turns from the abbot to the community. But it is still clearly a relationship between the abbot and the community. The abbot must call the brothers together and listen to them. He must seek their advice about the things that must be decided in the monastery.

Listening to advice is not so bad! But then, the abbot must ponder that advice, praying over it, and decide finally what is to be done. He must share that decision with the community because they are waiting for his decision.

He must be able to tell the community how he came to his decision, even if they disagree with it. The rule for the abbot is clear: he must follow what he (the abbot) judges in the wiser course or what he judges is more prudent.

The abbot needs to know from the beginning that his monks will sometimes disagree with him. He must have courage and strive to make decisions based on wisdom, not on what will please the community.

Today it is not always easy for the abbot to insist that he must have time to pray first, then to ponder the decision and then finally to make the decision.

Monks often want a decision immediately. But the monastic life keeps telling us that the abbot must take his time, must pray, must ponder and then finally make a decision.

So the monks should encourage their abbot to take his time. They must encourage the abbot not to rush to decisions.

Then the monks must obey the decision. This is not the kind of obedience that we find in a modern corporation, where people do what they are told because they know that otherwise, they would lose their job. No, this is an obedience of faith, in which the monk waits to hear the word of the abbot and then, according to the Rule, hastens to live out that word because he knows that God's presence and will is encountered in the word of the abbot.

Verse 7 - 13

7Accordingly in every instance, all are to follow the teaching of the rule, and no one shall rashly deviate from it. 8In the monastery no one is to follow his own heart’s desire, 9nor shall anyone presume to contend with his abbot defiantly, or outside the monastery.

10Should anyone presume to do so, let him be subjected to the discipline of the rule. 11Moreover, the abbot himself must fear God and keep the rule in everything he does; he can be sure beyond any doubt that he will have to give an account of all his judgments to God, the most just of judges.

12If less important business of the monastery is to be transacted, he shall take counsel with the seniors only, 13as it is written: Do everything with counsel and you will not be sorry afterward (Sir 32:24).

Reflection

This teaching is for all of us, for the abbot and the monks: we all follow the Rule. This teaching implies for all of that we are all faithful to the Catholic Church. Just as we follow the rules and regulations of the Church, we follow the Rule.

In Saint Benedict's time there was no Code of Canon Law and their were no constitutions. In one sense it was more simple life. In other ways, perhaps not as simple.

So often we must wonder how an abbot can ask others to be faithful to the teachings that he gives if he himself is not faithful to the teachings of the Church?

Saint Benedict does not want the monk to contend with his abbot defiantly or outside of the monastery. This surely implies that the monk can question the abbot, can disagree with the abbot, can have an opinion different from his abbot.

This is important in monastic life because such a life is not a sect nor an attempt at brain-washing the monk.

Call the brothers to counsel is a delicate matter because it implies a true freedom on the part of the brother. It also recognizes that the Holy Spirit works in all of us, not just in the abbot. Yet the abbot still has a special role in the community.

Even though the Holy Spirit works in all, it is the abbot's task to decide finally what that Holy Spirit is saying. This kind of dynamic in a community is a call to a deep maturity. We must all speak and yet we must all trust that the abbot is listening and that what the abbot finally decides is God's will for the community.

This type of obedience and acceptance does not sit well today with many people. It should be clear in any community that the abbot is not the only wise person, that the abbot is not always blessed with the best thinking, that the abbot has no monopoly on God.

Yet we cannot get around Saint Benedict's teaching: when the abbot speaks after listening to counsel and after pondering what has been said, his decisions are God's will for the community and God will work through them.

Finally, in today's selection of the Rule, it is clear that the abbot does not have to consult the community on every matter. Ye the abbot must always take counsel and so in lesser matters, the abbot consults his Council.