Category: Rule of St Benedict

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Advent Benedictine Spirituality Christ Divine Office Gospel Lectio Divina Liturgy O Clavis David Prayer Rule of St Benedict Scripture Vespers

O Clavis David. Choosing Freedom.

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Today at Vespers we’ll sing the 4th O antiphon, O Clavis David, O key of David:

“O key of David, and ruler of the house of Israel: who open and none can close: close and none may open: come bring out of prison the captive who sits in darkness and the shadow of death.”

It speaks of a deep and powerful yearning for freedom that lives within all of us. We each long for freedom from all that would restrict our growth and development. We desire the freedom to become the people we are called to be, to nurture the talents we’ve each been given.

This yearning for freedom is deeply personal and individual, yet there is more to it that that. The past few years have taught us some hard lessons about freedom. The pandemic, the suffering of war, the economic crisis, the worsening ecological situation all point to the fact that this freedom we desire can’t only be a personal, individual freedom.

It has also to be a communal freedom, a freedom that is willing to sacrifice individual freedoms for the common good. It has to be a freedom that is willing to put the needs of others before our own.

In chapter 72 of the Rule St Benedict tells us that Christ brings us “all together” to everlasting life. It seems to me the same is true of the freedom Christ offers us, we accept it for each other as much as for ourselves.

What would enable you to accept the freedom Christ offers this Advent?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Divine Office Gospel Lectio Divina Liturgy Monastic Life Prayer Rule of St Benedict Scripture Uncategorized

The goodness of the Lord.

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Today, as we’re celebrating the dedication of our Oratory I’m reposting this from our archives. The scripture reading at the vigil was from the first letter of St Peter:

“Be sure you are never spiteful, or deceitful, or hypocritical, or envious and critical of each other. You are new born, and, like babies, you should be hungry for nothing but milk – the spiritual honesty which will help you grow up to salvation – now that you have tasted the goodness of the Lord.”

Several things resonate with me in in. It’s reminder of how we are called to behave and to treat one another seems especially important just now. Living through stressful and challenging times can give us all a short fuse and doesn’t always bring out the best in us. St Peter reminds us that, whatever challenges and uncertainties we face we are called not to give into the temptation to spitefulness and criticism. The call is still to become more Christlike whatever we face.

He goes on to tell us that as we have tasted the goodness of the Lord already our desire and long should be for those things that will help us grow into our salvation. This brings to mind a favourite psalm, psalm 34, “taste and see that the Lord is good”, and I’m reminded to keep seeking the goodness of the Lord in whatever challenges and uncertainties life is currently throwing at us.

Where are you tasting the Lord’s goodness in these challenging times?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Cross Gospel Lectio Divina Rule of St Benedict Scripture Uncategorized

A call to serve

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In this weeks’ gospel the disciples fall into the sort of grumbling that, while appearing harmless, can destroy relationships and community if it is allowed to develop unchecked. It begins as an attempt by the sons of Zebedee, James and John, to ensure prestigious positions for themselves in the Kingdom. When the other disciples hear about this they understandably feel disgruntled and annoyed.

Although Jesus moves quickly to stop this his response to their grumbling is not to blame or to criticise. Instead he gathers them together and explains once again how his Kingdom is to be very different from the kingdoms of this world. He says to them:

“Anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all. For the Son of Man himself did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

He reminds them that in his kingdom there will be no place for people to lord it over others, or to hold prestigious positions of power. Instead his kingdom will turn human values and judgements on their heads. It will be a kingdom where the greatest will serve the least, putting aside their own needs and desires for the good of others.

It’s a beautiful image, echoed by St Benedict calling his followers to pursue what they judge better for others rather than what is best for themselves. It’s a call to each one of us, as it was to the disciples, to put others before ourselves. In a harsh and challenging world it’s a call to to try to make life easier, more pleasant and more comfortable for those we encounter.

Where is Christ calling you to serve others in your life today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Divine Office Gospel Lectio Divina Liturgy Monastic Life Rule of St Benedict Saints Scripture

Love in action.

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Today we’re celebrating feast of St Bernard Tolomei, the founder of the Olivetan congregation. He was a 13th century lawyer who, with a few friends, left the city to live as hermits in the hills outside of Siena.

However, things did not turn out quite as they planned. Having being led out into one of those “desert places” where God speaks to the heart, they were called back into the city to nurse the victims of the plague in 1349. It was there that St Bernard fell ill and died.

Reflecting on Bernard’s life in the light of that gospel I was touched by this:

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.”

It sums up both the essence of St Bernard’s life and of the call to contemplation that we all experience. The result Bernard’s contemplation was not to cut him off from the world and its sufferings, but to make him more aware of them. This led him back to the city to give his life in serving others.

It’s tempting to make a division between a life of contemplation and one of service. Bernard’s life suggests that there is no such division, they are two parts of a whole. It is our time spent with God that enables and sustains our service to others. It is the love we discover in the heart of God that enables us to love our sisters and brothers.

How is Christ calling you to serve today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Gospel Lectio Divina Liturgy Rule of St Benedict Scripture Uncategorized

With undivided hearts

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A post from the archives on the parable of the sower. It seems to me that the heart of this parable is its call to attentiveness:

“Listen, anyone who has ears!”

Jesus tells his followers at the end of the parable of the sower. There are so many things that distract us. The pressures and anxieties of life make it hard to pay attention, we often end up with half an eye and half our hearts on something else. It might be the next thing we have to do, or something in the past that we wished we’d done differently or a myriad of other concerns.

Whatever the distraction it makes us less attentive to God. Our distractions harden our hearts so that the Word doesn’t penetrate and take root and our initial enthusiasm withers in the face of hardship. It can be strangled by the thorns of anxiety and uncertainty that make up so much of all or lives today, and get no chance to grow. Or we can be so preoccupied that the Word washes over us without us even noticing.

Jesus offers another way. It is possible to prepare our hearts to receive the Word so that it grows and is able to sustain us whatever we face. The key to this preparation is to give our whole attention to the present moment, to open ourselves to the possibility that every task, every interaction is an opportunity to come into God’s presence.

What helps you to be attentive to the presence of God in the ordinary tasks of your day?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Gospel Lectio Divina Rule of St Benedict Scripture Uncategorized

Finding Balance

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Today’s gospel highlights a dilemma that is at the heart of Christian life and ministry. When his disciples come back from their mission Jesus’ first thought is to give them space for rest and reflection. He says to them:

“You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while.”

He is responding both to their need to recover from their travels and to the situation to which they returned which was so busy that they didn’t even have time to eat. In our busy, stressful and needy world we all know this situation from our own experience. When we are presented with situations that need us it is very easy to forget the importance of our own well-being. Like the disciples we need space to rest and recover and it is a relief that Jesus acknowledges that.

Later he is presented with another challenge:

“As he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.”

His actions may seem confusing and contradictory. They leave us wondering what we should do if we are to model our lives on his. They are a reminder that, as St Benedict tells us, the Christian life is one of balance.

We are not called to choose one or the other of these ways of being, but to hold them in tension and balance. This requires discernment and self-knowledge, we have to take each situation and discern what we are being called to in it. Our discernment needs to take account of our own needs and the needs of those who come to us.

Where is Christ challenging you to find balance in the midst of your life and commitments?

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Ancient wisdom for modern times.

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We’re celebrating the feast of St Benedict as a new government is formed and I’m reminded of his instructions to the Superior of the community. He says that the Superior should have a treasury of knowledge both old and new to draw on in leading the community.

His words left me reflecting on what the Rule could offer to this new chapter in our public life, and that drew me back to the heart of the Rule, chapter 72. It captures the essence of the Rule with the combination of practicality and idealism that has kept the Rule relevant and grounded through the centuries. St Benedict begins by setting a high ideal for his community telling telling them to:

“Foster the good zeal which separates from evil and leads to God and eternal life.”

He then draws that ideal into the reality of daily life showing his disciples how to put it into practice:

“Try to be the first to show respect to one another, supporting with the greatest patience one another’s weaknesses of body or behaviour… No one is to pursue what they judge better for themselves, but instead what they judge better for someone else.”

He brings his ideal down to simple, straightforward actions that we can all put into practice. This good zeal that leads us to God is not beyond our reach, which is not the same as saying it is easy. It requires daily commitment and self sacrifice; we can find a myriad of ways to practice it every day.

It’s a call to be patient, considerate and kind in our daily interactions with one another. As our new government takes office I’m hoping that practicing these ancient values will shape our public discourse in ways that value every member of our society.

Where are you being called to practice good zeal in your relationships today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Divine Office Gospel John the Baptist Lectio Divina Rule of St Benedict Saints Scripture Uncategorized

Hearing the Word.

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Today we’re celebrating the birthday of St John the Baptist. From his very beginnings John is marginal, he marks the boundaries between the Old Testament and the new Testament. He calls us to look back to the rich tradition of the old Testament with its covenant and promise, and forward to the new hope offered by the coming of Christ. While being on the margins brings insight, wisdom and the clarity of view that those in more central positions can miss, it is an uncomfortable and often dangerous position.

Those on the margins are often ignored, misunderstood or even despised. They make us feel uncomfortable or even threatened. John the Baptist knew that all too well. Reflecting on this I was struck by these words from the hymn we sang at last night’s vigil:

“How shall we hear the Word if we despise the voice…”

They carry something of the urgency of John’s original message. They remind me that the voices that call us to be open to the transforming power of the Word are not necessarily ones we are comfortable with. If we we want to hear the Word in our times we have to turn towards the voices of those on the margins today. We have to ask ourselves whose voices are despised, silenced, ignored. Then, responding to John’s instruction, we have to listen to them and allow them to point us towards Christ. This seems especially important this year as we approach a General Election.

Where are you being to hear the Word from challenging directions today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Divine Office Gospel Lectio Divina Liturgy Prayer Rule of St Benedict Scripture Uncategorized Vespers

Learning to pray

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Teaching his disciples how to pray, Jesus begins by telling them what to avoid:

“In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

These are as much traps for us as the were for the pagans. He tells us another way, we can begin our prayer by trusting ourselves to the God who already knows all our needs. He goes on to gives us the words of what became the “Our Father”, a prayer that touches all our needs, putting all our physical and material needs into God’s hands. As I reflected on it this morning I was especially touched by this:

“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us.”

Forgiveness is central to our human experience. Both our need to forgive and to be forgiven are deeply rooted in the reality of our daily lives in both big things and small. St Benedict recognises this when he says that the Our Father should be said by the superior at Lauds and Vespers “because thorns of contention are likely to spring up”. He wants the community to be reminded regularly both of their need for forgiveness to forgive others in the course of their daily life.

These two are intimately linked. We begin by acknowledging our own need for forgiveness. When we know ourselves held in the loving forgiveness of God then we are able to reach out and offer forgiveness to the people who have wounded us in the course of our daily interactions.

What enables you to ground your prayer in the reality of your daily life?

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Secret encounters

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Today’s gospel is full of advice about living humbly. Jesus warns us against seeking attention and admiration for our faith and our good deeds. Humility is also essential in Benedictine spirituality. It’s not easy, it requires self-knowledge, self-awareness, self acceptance and self-love. It calls us both to accept our limitations and our giftedness, to acknowledge that we are both made of dust and the beloved children of God. As I reflected on this I was touched by these words from the gospel:

“When you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.”

It seems to me that Jesus shows us the best way to learn to live humbly. He calls us to come alone into God’s presence, to spend time in a quiet, private, intimate space with God. It’s not an easy or comfortable place to be. Like the desert, it can be a place where we both wrestle demons and discover angels. Entering that private place where God is we can come to acknowledge our weakness and our failings, learning to accept them lovingly as God does. We can discover the precious gifts that God has given us and discern how best to use them in the service of others. The secret place where we encounter God is a place of challenge, it is also a place of consolation, healing and encouragement.

How do you draw strength from your times alone in God’s presence?