RB Reflectoions

RB Reflection: 6 September 2008

2008-09-06T06:22:00.002-04:00

Brothers [Sisters], now that we have asked the Lord who will dwell in his tent, we have heard the instruction for dwelling in it, but only if we fulfill the obligations of those who live there. We must, then, prepare our hearts and bodies for the battle of holy obedience to his instructions. What is not possible to us by nature, let us ask the Lord to supply by the help of his grace. If we wish to reach eternal life, even as we avoid the torments of hell, then -- while there is sitll time, while we are in this body and have the time to accomplish all these things by the light of life -- we must run and do now what will profit us forever.

"Prepare our hearts and bodies for the battle of holy obedience." It is sad, but true, that for humans to be obedient it is a battle. As children we are disobedient, punished, and learn to be obedient. As we grow up we learn how to hide our disobedience by a show of obedience. In other words, we get better at concealing the truth.

"What is not possible to us by nature, let us ask the Lord to supply by the help of his grace." Having used examples in the past to illustrate points of obedience and grace has gotten me into some hot water, yet, I don't care any longer whether or not it does, the fact remains that we all resist obedience to God, to each other, to our LCG group, even to those closest to us in life. Throughout the entire International Lay Cistercian movement there is a fear that we will be "taken over" by the order. I'm not sure what that fear is, except of obedience.

When people are asked what do you think would happen if you gave yourself completely to God's will, they say either "I will get cancer," or, "I will lose my identity." That doesn't show much faith in God's goodness. In fact, such attitudes almost make reading the rule a pointless exercise! The goodness of God is so much more than giving us cancer, or taking away our identity. As this relates to the LCG we should be comforted by the document Lay Cistercian Identity (Huerta 2008).

2.1 We are convinced that it is possible to adapt Cistercian spirituality to the lifestyle of a lay person though it is very clear that there are two different ways to live it, monastic and lay, and both are complementary. This shows us the vitality of the monastic life. Lay people have found in Cistercian spirituality a way to live in the world with greater commitment and spiritual depth. We are unanimous in our belief that the Cistercian charism can be lived outside the monastery.

There will be some monks and nuns who find that last sentence to be a great threat to them and the order. They need only rely on God's grace. The protestants of the LCG will worry that they're going to have to be a Roman Catholic. The above paragraph says nothing about that, so perhaps it's time for them to rely on God's grace as well.

I cannot end today's reflection without recalling St. Paul and his instructions to put on the armor of God. Can you find the reference in today's reading to the armor of God?

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 5 Sept. 2008 Guest Writer

2008-09-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

RB Prologue 31-38

Thus also the Apostle Paul hath not taken to himself any credit for his preaching, saying: "By the grace of God, I am what I am" (1 Cor 15:10). And again he saith: "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (2 Cor 10:17).

Hence, the Lord also saith in the Gospel: "He that heareth these my words and doeth them, shall be likened to a wise man who built his house upon a rock; the floods came, the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a rock" (Mt 7:24-25). The Lord fulfilling these words waiteth for us from day to day, that we respond to His holy admonitions by our works. Therefore, our days are lengthened to a truce for the amendment of the misdeeds of our present life; as the Apostle saith: "Knowest thou not that the patience of God leadeth thee to penance" (Rom 2:4)? For the good Lord saith: "I will not the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live" (Ezek 33:11).

We are who and what we are only by the grace (unmerited favor) of God. This is a very hard thing to admit and accept. We are not self-made persons. It is God who has made us and redeemed us.

I remember when I was in the military that I had the attitude of not being real good so Satan would not mess with my “success” and not being real bad so God would not mess with my “success.” One day I went to my pastor’s house and explained to him my attitude. My pastor looked at me and asked, “Who do you think gave you your mind, your body, your drive?” At that point I began to realize that Jesus loved me beyond the cross.

The truth of matter was that I was really worshipping success, perfectionism, and admiration from others. I had committed idolatry. But when I confessed (saying the same thing as God) and repented of my sin (turning from sin and turning to God) then God forgave my sin and with time granted me His success in not just one area of my life but in all areas.

God is a God who is for us. God desired our fellowship with Him so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins to rise victorious.

By living out His commands and more specifically following the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and with the aid of the RB, we can live the life God wants us to and enjoy His blessings even in the midst of difficult times.

Blessings to all!!!!

RB Reflection: 4 September 2008

2008-09-04T07:40:00.000-04:00

A little recycling never hurt anyone. :-)

Jan. 4, May 5, Sept. 4

Having our loins girded, therefore,
with faith and the performance of good works (Eph. 6:14),
let us walk in His paths
by the guidance of the Gospel,
that we may deserve to see Him
who has called us to His kingdom (1 Thess. 2:12).

For if we wish to dwell in the tent of that kingdom,
we must run to it by good deeds
or we shall never reach it.

But let us ask the Lord, with the Prophet,
"Lord, who shall dwell in Your tent,
or who shall rest upon Your holy mountain" (Ps. 14:1)?

After this question,
let us listen to the Lord
as He answers and shows us the way to that tent, saying,
"The one Who walks without stain and practices justice;
who speaks truth from his heart;
who has not used his tongue for deceit;
who has done no evil to his neighbor;
who has given no place to slander against his neighbor."

This is the one who,
under any temptation from the malicious devil,
has brought him to naught (Ps. 14:4)
by casting him and his temptation from the sight of his heart;
and who has laid hold of his thoughts
while they were still young
and dashed them against Christ (Ps. 136:9).

It is they who,
fearing the Lord (Ps. 14:4),
do not pride themselves on their good observance;
but,
convinced that the good which is in them
cannot come from themselves and must be from the Lord,
glorify the Lord's work in them (Ps. 14:4),
using the words of the Prophet,
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to Your name give the glory" (Ps. 113, 2nd part:1).
Thus also the Apostle Paul
attributed nothing of the success of his preaching to himself,
but said,
"By the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10).
And again he says,
"He who glories, let him glory in the Lord" (2 Cor. 10:17).

This is a daunting snippet of the rule today. I find it challenging me "what do you say that I am?" It's almost personal from Benedict to me.

Benedict: What am I saying? To what am I challenging you?

Steve: Now we are dressed with faith for good works and now we're setting out to see the kingdom. I am involved with trying to do the same thing with the Lay Cistercain's of Gethsemani.

Benedict: By what path?

Steve: By following the path of the gospel.

Benedict: God tells us who may "The one Who walks without stain and practices justice;
who speaks truth from his heart;
who has not used his tongue for deceit;
who has done no evil to his neighbor;
who has given no place to slander against his neighbor."

Steve: I have done all those things.

Benedict: This is the one who,
under any temptation from the malicious devil,
has brought him to naught (Ps. 14:4)
by casting him and his temptation from the sight of his heart;
and who has laid hold of his thoughts
while they were still young
and dashed them against Christ (Ps. 136:9).

Steve: So you are saying that by practicing this right now, I can become one who might cling to Christ?

Benedict: Yes, and you must lay hold of those thoughts and temptations in the first moment they appear in your mind and let them be dashed them against Christ (Ps. 136:9).

Steve: What can the Lay Cistercian's of Gethsemani learn from this?

Benedict: By purifying your own thoughts, you own opinions. Let the Holy Spirit work within the Lay Cistercian's of Gethsemani, as it is working already for the upcoming Lay Encounter in Spain.

Steve: We are very busy people.

Benedict: It is they who,
fearing the Lord (Ps. 14:4),
do not pride themselves on their good observance;
but,
convinced that the good which is in them
cannot come from themselves and must be from the Lord,
glorify the Lord's work in them (Ps. 14:4),
using the words of the Prophet,
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to Your name give the glory" (Ps. 113, 2nd part:1).

RB Reflection 3 September 2008

2008-09-03T07:20:00.002-04:00

Prologue 14-20

Seeking his workman in a multitude of people, the Lord calls out to him and lifts his voice again: Is there anyone here who yearns for life and desires to see good days? (Ps 33[34]:13) If you hear this and your answer is "I do," God then directs these words to you: If you desire true and eternal life, keep your tongue free from vicious talk and your lips from all deceit; turn away from evil and do good; let peace be your quest and aim (Ps. 33[34]:14-15). Once you have done this, my eyes will be upon you and my ears will listen for your prayers; and even before you ask me, I will say to you: Here I am (Is 58.9). What, dear brothers, is more delightful than this voice of the Lord calling to us? See how the Lord in his love shows us the way of life.

Is there anyone among us who would answer no to the question of this paragraph? Are we not LCG because we seek to more and more bring our lives in line with the will of God? We have made the steps to come closer to God...but a question remains -- do we keep our tongue from vicious talk? Have we really turned from evil to do good? Is peace our aim?

At various times we can all say yes to each question, and at other times we have to say a sad, no. And, I say so what? Of all the tapes I've heard of Thomas Merton the one line that stands out for me above all the others was when speaking to his group of novices, "What does the monk do who falls?" There was a rather astounding silence. Merton said, "He gets up again. We fail as monks when we stop getting up again."

I am a sin specialist. I am also a Christian and a member of the LCG. I fall, I get up. I fall, I get up. I fall.......get up......fall................up.......

RB Reflection: 1 & 2 September 2008

2008-09-02T05:59:00.002-04:00

L I S T E N carefully, my child, to your master's precepts, and incline the ear of your heart (Prov. 4:20). Receive willingly and carry out effectively your loving father's advice, that by the labor of obedience you may return to Him from whom you had departed by the sloth of disobedience.

To you, therefore, my words are now addressed, whoever you may be, who are renouncing your own will to do battle under the Lord Christ, the true King, and are taking up the strong, bright weapons of obedience.

And first of all, whatever good work you begin to do, beg of Him with most earnest prayer to perfect it, that He who has now deigned to count us among His children may not at any time be grieved by our evil deeds. For we must always so serve Him with the good things He has given us, that He will never as an angry Father disinherit His children, nor ever as a dread Lord, provoked by our evil actions, deliver us to everlasting punishment as wicked servants who would not follow Him to glory.

Let us arise, then, at last, for the Scripture stirs us up, saying, "Now is the hour for us to rise from sleep" (Rom. 13:11). Let us open our eyes to the deifying light, let us hear with attentive ears the warning which the divine voice cries daily to us, "Today if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts" (Ps. 94:8). And again, "Whoever has ears to hear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Matt. 11-15; Apoc. 2:7). And what does He say? "Come, My children, listen to Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord" (Ps. 33:12). "Run while you have the light of life, lest the darkness of death overtake you" (John 12:35).

Many of you will realize that I lifted the two days of readings directly from the OSB website.

"That by the labor of obedience you may return to Him from whom you had departed by the sloth of disobedience." The thought rises that perhaps this is the reason we have decided to become Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani, in order to put off that "sloth of disobedience." We do this by adopting the Rule of Benedict, and the Rule of Life, designed for the LCG, by the LCG and Fr. Michael.

Every Christian might well say, but by following Christ we are already doing Christ's will. That may be, it may also be that you are stronger than I am who needs the Rule of Benedict, and the Rule of Life, just to stay faithful long enough to allow Christ's redemptive work to have a chance in me.

As human beings we are prone to think of ourselves as somewhere between, I am a worm; or, I don't need any help, thank you very much. The Rule today is saying if you have made your decision to take up the battle of renouncing your own will in order to follow the will of Christ, then you have "chosen the better part." Salvation is open to all, and attainable by many paths, but we are a group who need the Rule of Benedict and the Rule of Life to keep us on the right path.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 31 August 2008

2008-08-31T06:34:00.002-04:00

Chapter 73. The Rule Only a Beginning of Perfection

The reason we have written this rule is that, by observing it in monasteries, we can show that we have some degree of virtue and the beginnings of monastic life. But for anyone hastening on to the perfection of monastic life, there are the teachings of the holy Fathers, the observance of which will lead him to the very heights of perfection. what page, what passage of the inspired books of the Old and New Testaments is not the truest of guides for human life? What book of the holy catholic Fathers does not resoundingly summon us along the true way to reach the Creator? then, besides the Conferences of the Fathers, their Institutes and their Lives, there is also the rule of our holy father Basil. For observant and obedient monks, all these are nothing less than tools for the cultivation of virtues; but as for us, they make us blush for shame at being so slothful, so unobservant, so negligent. Are you hastening toward your heavenly home? Then with Christ's help, keep this little that we we have written for beginners. After that, you can set out for the loftier summits of the teaching and virtues we mentioned above, and under God's protection you will reach them. Amen.

"But as for us, they make us blush for shame at being so slothful, so unobservant, so negligent." Either Benedict was, as they say, "protesting too much," or he really thought his rule was fairly shoddy work. He compared himself and his rule to the desert Fathers and to Cassian, and personally, I think they comparison is unfair. The desert Fathers barely had the entire Bible, Cassian was just reporting what he'd seen in Egypt -- Benedict was doing his best to make a way of life for the very real monks who lived with him under very real circumstances. In other words, in a world where everyone was feeling their way along to the road to righteousness, Benedict did a great job of making a rule even we today may live with.

How many of us would live as the Father's and Mother's of the desert? Zero. How many of us would put up with the brutality that is evident in some of Cassian's reports of the eastern monastics? Zero. In both instances we find excess. In Benedict we find very little of excess, and a great deal of moderation. In Benedict we find a way of life that we can live today, in monasteries and outside of monasteries. You can't say that for the desert Father's and Mother's. We read them for their insights, but we do not live by their methods.

So in this last chapter of the rule, let us, the LCG, be thankful to St. Benedict for his "little rule for beginners."

RB Reflection: 30 August 2008

2008-08-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

The Holy Rule of St Benedict

Chapter 72: On the Good Zeal Which They Ought to Have

Apr. 30 - Aug. 30 - Dec. 30

Just as there is an evil zeal of bitterness
which separates from God and leads to hell,
so there is a good zeal
which separates from vices and leads to God
and to life everlasting.
This zeal, therefore, the sisters should practice
with the most fervent love.
Thus they should anticipate one another in honor (Rom. 12:10);
most patiently endure one another's infirmities,
whether of body or of character;
vie in paying obedience one to another --
no one following what she considers useful for herself,
but rather what benefits another -- ;
tender the charity of sisterhood chastely;
fear God in love;
love their Abbess with a sincere and humble charity;
prefer nothing whatever to Christ.
And may He bring us all together to life everlasting!

Every person who comes into our lives is a gift from God. Some for a moment others for a life time, some for too short a time. Cherish; value each gift, each moment. I lost two friends not long ago. One who went to be with the Lord. One who just walked out of my life. How do I cope with loss? The realization that I was so very blessed with the gift I had from God of these two wonderful folks who came into my life for too short a time. I cherish each moment they were with me. May He bring us together in life everlasting.

As LCG members do we consider what benefits another? Must we have our way? Do we even really listen to the other? I love the Bridges to Contemplative Living Course I facilitate (actually all I am is the time keeper). Listening to what is said by the group members as we take our turns. Listening to this child of God He has so graciously placed in my life. A different life than mine. A different personality. A different expression of God creation. Listen without judging without asking a question or disagreeing or agreeing. They feed me. They bless me.

Listening to the prayer class giving feedback. What do you need now? One of the questions they answer each session. People so different from each other who come together in a union that can only be accomplished by the Spirit. They feed me. They bless me.

Can we hold a dying persons hand whom we love and don’t want to lose and say, “Go to Jesus, friend”? Do we do as God calls us to do in our relationships even though it hurts? Do we honor each other? Do we honor our differences? Do we allow another to have their way? Do we look beyond our provincialism? Do we prefer nothing, not husband, wife, mother, father, daughter, son or our sweetest friend, to the Love of Christ? Do we love Jesus more than having it our way?

Call me Mara Naomi said to Ruth. Mara the word for bitterness. An evil zeal of inward turning, which St Benedict warns separates us from God and leads to hell. Do we separate ourselves because our world isn’t our way? It isn’t God way either. He comes to save His world not condemn it. Can we follow in His steps? Can we reach to each other? Come together in the Love of Christ? As Lay Cistercians do we share the Love of Christ? If we do there is hope.

LCG Grandma

RB Reflection: 29 August 2008

2008-08-29T07:29:00.002-04:00

Chapter 71. Mutual Obedience

Obedience is a blessing to be shown by all, not only to the abbot but also to one another as brothers, since we know that it is by this way of obedience that we go to God. Therefore, although orders of the abbot or of the priors appointed by him take precedence, and no unofficial order may supersede them, in every other instance younger monks should obey their seniors with all love and concern. Anyone found objecting to this should be reproved.

If a monk is reproved in any way by his abbot or by one of the seniors, even for some very small matter, or if he gets the impression that one of his seniors is angry or disturbed with him, however slightly, he must, then and there without delay, cast himself on the ground at the others feet to make satisfaction, and lie there until the disturbance is calmed by a blessing. Anyone who refuses to do this should be subjected to corporal punishment or, if he is stubborn, should be expelled from the monastery.

In this day it would be overly dramatic to be throwing yourself at the feet of someone you have offended, or even think you have upset. In places where they practice this in the sight of guests it comes off as theater and not humility at all. We do not live in a world where we grovel before higher classes, or even before kings.

There are two lessons here that we shall focus on. First, mutual respect could be put in place of the word obedience without much damage to the spirit of the chapter. In the monastery there is obedience, in the world of a Lay Cistercian of Gethsemani there is not that type of obedience. Mutual respect and caring should be our guide in all our relationships, especially in our relationships within the LCG.

For some people it is not hard to sense when they have offended someone, or hurt their feelings. For others, you have to actually tell them because they haven't got the sensitivity to know. As I said at the start, we don't lay down on the ground anymore, but we can, and should, apologize immediately. If we respect each other, and love each other, as the Rule and Christ tells us to do, then we should immediately seek to set right what we have upset. There is a reverse obligation too, that if you are the offended party, do not withhold your forgiveness. "Anyone who refuses to do this should be subjected to corporal punishment or, if he is stubborn, should be expelled from the monastery." That applies to the one offending, and the one who withholds the blessing of forgiveness.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 28 August 2008

2008-08-28T06:10:00.002-04:00

Chapter 70. The Presumption of Striking Another Monk at Will

In the monastery every occasion for presumption is to be avoided, and so we decree that no one has the authority to excommunicate or strike any of his brothers unless he has been given this power by the abbot. Those who sin should be reprimanded in the presence of all, that the rest may fear (I Tim. 5:20). Boys up to the age of fifteen should, however, be carefully controlled and supervised by everyone, provided that this too is done with moderation and common sense.

If a brother, without the abbot's command, assumes any power over those older or, even in regard to boys, flares up and treats them unreasonably, he is to be subjected to the discipline of the rule. after all, it is written: Never do to another what you do not want done to yourself (Tob. 4:16)

I hope that people in monastery today do not hit each other as apparently they did in the Dark Ages. The violence of the fist: we all know how powerful that is. The violence of the word: ah, that violence is almost more destructive. We have all known people who would "cuss you out" at the drop of a hat. What's worse, other people would encourage this in them because they liked to hear the hurtful things said. "They had it coming." Or, "They asked for it." Those are the common justifications. There is no justifying such a thing.

As LCG we are trying to live a life where violence and hurtful words are banished from our personal actions. Making accusations, pressing for ones own point of view over everyone else around you, gossiping like people who've never heard the gospel; all of these are acts of violence against the community. In this chapter Benedict is addressing a rowdy crowd of monks in a world where the barbarian invasions are a fact of life. Also, he is addressing us who hold the barbarian within our selves, and have made a commitment to live by the Rule of Life!

Just because we don't smack each other around -- which is, oh, so tempting in some cases -- doesn't mean that we are free from the violence implied in this chapter. Words can be violent. Are your words violent?

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 27 August 2008

2008-08-27T07:25:00.002-04:00

Chapter 69. the Presumption of Defending Another in the Monastery

Every precaution must be taken that one monk does not presume in any circumstance to defend another in the monastery or to be his champion, even if they are related by the closest ties of blood. In no way whatsoever shall the monks presume to do this, because it can be a most serious source and occasion of contention. Anyone who breaks this rule is to be sharply restrained.

It's chapters like this that make me wish for a deeper understanding of the Rule itself. I'm sure there is some deeper context that I am missing here, but for the sake of this reflection I shall push on.

Everyone has to learn to stand on their own two feet. When we are young, if we have brothers and sisters, sometimes you have to stand up for your younger brother or sister, or else some punk will push them down and make them cry. That's fine, when you're six. It's considerably less fine when your twenty-six.

I believe what Benedict is addressing here is the tendency we have to break off into cliques. If I defend you from the rudeness of another, then I have denied you the right to stand on your own two feet. I have also appointed myself as your protector. Those who agree with me will gather around me and we will have a clique. It works the same way for the one who was rude; a group will gather around him, and they will become a clique. As Benedict says, "it can be a most serious source and occasion of contention."

It is no mistake that tomorrow's section of the rule is about striking another monk at will. If I defend you to the point of getting into a fist fight on your behalf, then what have I done to the peace of the monastery?

This applies to the LCG in almost the same way. No position, no matter how dearly held, is worth destroying the peace of the LCG. Pet projects, positions, people, etc., nothing is worth the destruction of the peace of our community.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 26 August 2008

2008-08-26T07:20:00.002-04:00

Chapter 68. Assignment of Impossible Tasks to a Brother

A brother may be assigned a burdensome task or something he cannot do. If so, he should, with complete gentleness and obedience, accept the order given him. Should he see, however, that the weight of the burden is altogether too much for his strength, then he should choose the appropriate moment and explain patiently to his superior the reasons why he cannot perform the task. This he ought to do without pride, obstinacy or refusal. If after the explanation the superior is still determined to hold to his original order, then the junior must recognize that this is best for him. Trusting in God's help, he must in love obey.

We have seen in other parts of the rule that sons peasant and sons of noblemen were both allowed to become monks. You tell a nobleman's son to dig a hole and he is going to say "a nobleman does not do physical labor." You tell the son of a peasant to study this book, and he might say, "I cannot read." In both cases the abbot is likely to say, "do it anyway." The intention being clear, learn to work, and learn to read.

Okay, that for the Dark Ages, what about now with the LCG. What about the most shy member of a group, who also happens to be the one with the most advanced spiritual outlook, asked to give a speech at one of our gatherings. They might say, "Oh, I can't do that, I'm too shy." The leader might respond, "Yes, you can do that because you have the most to share and it needs to be shared."

Another example might be the one with a high opinion of his/herself being told to take on a duty that is very lowly. "But you are wasting my high abilities!" And they may be answered, "but you are serving Christ in your community." We are always challenged by this charism which has come to us, to change our ways, our attitudes, our cherished stands on certain things. In the end, we must obey, whether we like it or not. Benedict says nothing about having to like it. Just trust in God's help and do it.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 25 August 2008

2008-08-25T06:35:00.002-04:00

Chapter 67. Brothers Sent on a Journey

Brothers sent on a journey will ask the abbot and community to pray for them. All absent brothers should always be remembered at the closing prayer of the Work of God. When they come back from a journey, they should, on the very day of their return, lie face down on the floor of the oratory at the conclusion of each of the customary hours of the Work of God. They ask the prayers of all for their faults, in case they may have been caught off guard on the way by seeing some evil thing, or hearing some idle talk.

No one should presume to relate to anyone else what he saw or heard outside the monastery, because that causes the greatest harm. If anyone does so presume, he shall be subjected to the punishment of the rule. So too shall anyone who presumes to leave the enclosure of the monastery, or go anywhere, or do anything at all, however small, without the abbot's order.

When Benedict wrote this, he was dealing with a world in chaos. The barbarian invasions of Italy were in progress, the empire was essentially gone, and life in monasteries was as much of a mess as life outside the monasteries. Sending a brother on any sort of journey was a dangerous undertaking, for being a monk did not guarantee you of safe passage.

When we bring this reading to application for the LCG, perhaps the best thing is to say that when we come to our meetings, retreats, etc., that we leave outside the door all our prejudices, upsets, obsessions and pet causes. Meetings are too easily disrupted if one member is on a campaign of some kind, and prevents the meeting from advancing in an orderly fashion.

We are imperfect people, in an imperfect organization, carrying out an impossible task: to carry to the Love of Christ to the secular world by way of our Lay Cistercian Charism. Somehow, that impossible task becomes possible by the working of grace. We have to trust that as we grow, and develop new rules to reflect the overall changes that will come as a result of our continually drawing closer to some sort of union with the OCSO, that God will provide, and guide us.

So when we come to meetings, we should leave our fears at the door, our causes, our obsessions, and trust the grace of Christ to see to our needs so much more perfectly than we ourselves can ever hope.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 23 August 2008

2008-08-23T11:37:00.002-04:00

Chapter 65 11-22

For the preservation of peace and love we have, therefore, judged it best for the abbot to make all decisions in the conduct of his monastery. If possible, as we have already established, the whole operation of the monastery should be managed through deans under the abbot's direction. Then, so long as it is entrusted to more than one, no individual will yield to pride. But if local conditions call for it, or the community makes a reasonable and humble request, and the abbot judges it best, then let him, with the advice of God-fearing brothers, choose the man he wants and himself make him his prior. The prior for his part is to carry out respectfully what his abbot assigns to him, and do nothing contrary to the abbot's wishes or arrangements, because the more he is set above the rest, the more he should be concerned to keep what the rule commands.

If this prior is found to have serious faults, or is led astray by conceit and grows proud, or shows open contempt for the holy rule, he is to be warned verbally as many as four times. If he does not amend, he is to be punished as required by the discipline of the rule. Then, if he still does not reform, he is to be deposed from the rank of prior and replaced by someone worthy. If after all that, he is not a peaceful and obedient member of the community, he should even be expelled from the monastery. Yet the abbot should reflect that he must give God an account of all his judgments, lest the flames of jealousy or rivalry sear his soul.

Well, that's a rather rowdy ending: "flames of jealousy or rivalry sear his soul." If we completely forget that this is written in the dark ages as a rule for monks we might say it was written yesterday for us! Again and again as I approach the Rule I am struck by the timeliness of Benedict.

If we consider this chapter about priors alone we could be talking about any corporation, or small business, or school, or fraternity ... or even the LCG. Benedict was a canny observer of human nature, saw the tendency of fallen humankind to let "power corrupt" or "go to our heads." We should thank God that the Rule of Life we live by, and the Rule of Benedict to which we are bound, provides the checks and balances needed to keep, at least, a consistent peace.

Ages come and ages go. People come and people go. Forms of worship and organization come and go, yet God remains the same. The LCG has one form today, and in two years may have an altogether different form. And it doesn't matter, because the Rule of Benedict will still be here to say, "May God bring us altogether to everlasting life."

If I am not mistaken this is about the spot where I started writing reflections on the rule back in April. I leave it up to the readership. Do you want me to continue? If so, respond to the list, and I will publish all responses: good, bad, or indifferent. I am willing to keep going, I am also willing to stop. My website http://rbreflections.blogspot.com will continue no matter what. All that is at question is whether or not you want me to keep writing a daily reflection, or not.

Peace to You All
May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflections: 22 August 2008

2008-08-22T06:30:00.002-04:00

Chapter 65. the Prior of the Monastery

Too often in the past, the appointment of a prior has been the source of serious contention in monasteries. Some priors, puffed up by the evil spirit of pride and thinking themselves as second abbots, usurp tyrannical power and foster contention and discord in their communities. This occurs especially in monasteries where the same bishop and the same abbots appoint both abbot and prior. It is easy to see what an absurd arrangement this is, because from the very first moment of his appointment as prior he is given grounds for pride, as his thoughts, suggest to him that hs is exempt from his abbot's authority. "After all, you were made prior by the same men who made the abbot."

This is an open invitation to envy, quarrels, slander, rivalry, factions and disorders of every kind, with the result that, while abbot and prior pursue conflicting policies, their own souls are inevitably endangered by this discord; and at the same time the monks under them take sides and so go to their ruin. the responsibility for this evil and dangerous situation rests on the heads of those who initiated such a state of confusion.

Again Benedict has shown himself to be a man who possesses plain old good horse sense. If the same authority sets up number 1, and number 2, then number 2, if inflated by the "evil spirit of pride" will certainly try to undercut the authority of number 1. This is seen in the business world every day, why should we expect it to be different in the monastery?

How is it true in the LCG? Do we undercut others with carping and malicious talk? Do we say "in the spirit of charity" and then proceed to gossip? It's tricky living the Rule of Life. Power struggles must be avoided in the life of the LCG, and for the most part, I believe that they are. That does not mean they won't come up at some point. Lucky for us, we have Benedict to help us. Tomorrow he will show us the way.

May God bring us all to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 21 August 2008

2008-08-21T06:33:00.003-04:00

Chapter 64 7-22 (lifted without remorse from the OSB website)

Once she has been constituted, let the Abbess always bear in mind what a burden she has undertaken and to whom she will have to give an account of her stewardship, and let her know that her duty is rather to profit her sisters than to preside over them. She must therefore be learned in the divine law, that she may have a treasure of knowledge from which to bring forth new things and old. She must be chaste, sober and merciful. Let her exalt mercy above judgment, that she herself may obtain mercy. She should hate vices; she should love the sisterhood. In administering correction she should act prudently and not go to excess, lest in seeking too eagerly to scrape off the rust she break the vessel.

Let her keep her own frailty ever before her eyes and remember that the bruised reed must not be broken. By this we do not mean that she should allow vices to grow; on the contrary, as we have already said, she should eradicate them prudently and with charity, in the way which may seem best in each case. Let her study rather to be loved than to be feared.

Let her not be excitable and worried, nor exacting and headstrong, nor jealous and over-suspicious; for then she is never at rest. In her commands let her be prudent and considerate; and whether the work which she enjoins concerns God or the world, let her be discreet and moderate, bearing in mind the discretion of holy Jacob, who said, "If I cause my flocks to be over driven, they will all die in one day." Taking this, then, and other examples of discretion, the mother of virtues, let her so temper all things that the strong may have something to strive after, and the weak may not fall back in dismay.

And especially let her keep this Rule in all its details, so that after a good ministry she may hear from the Lord what the good servant heard who gave the fellow-servants wheat in due season: "Indeed, I tell you, he will set that one over all his goods" (Matt. 24:27).

As LCG we make a promise to God to live in a way that is consistent with the rule of life we take on when become full members. Yesterday I said that I wished the abbot would receive our obedience, but when and if that happens, who knows what that would look like, and how on earth he would actually keep up with our bursting at the seams membership. So then, what does this chapter have to do with us? Is it just another interesting thing that we read and say, "oh so that's how they do it in the monastery." If that's the case, then are we followers of the Rule? Are we supposed to apply this reading to our own lives in any case? Of course, that's true, but there must be something more to this than just an interesting observation on what makes a good abbot.

It should guide us in our to select our own leadership. Abbot Elias is a busy man, without the extra burden of our extra large membership. My personal preference is to give obedience to him, but until that happens I suppose the only obedience I have to give is to God. I know that some of you will be cheering, but consider this, if you had only made a promise to God to be monogamous in your marriage, and not to your partner, what good is that? Is it not that you make your promise to your partner in the presence of God, and that is what makes the marriage? Are the monastics not our fathers and mothers in this process, and though we are a lay organization, do we not owe something to them as well?

May God lead us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 20 August 2008

2008-08-20T06:22:00.002-04:00

Chapter 64. The Election of an Abbot

In choosing an abbot, the guiding principle should always be that the man placed in office be the one selected either by the whole community acting unanimously in the fear of God, or by some part of the community, no matter how small, which possesses sounder judgment. Goodness of life and wisdom in teaching must be the criteria for choosing the one to be made abbot, even if he is the last in community rank.

May God forbid that a whole community should conspire to elect a man who goes along with its own evil ways. but if it does, and if the bishop of the diocese or the abbots or Christians in the area come to know of these evil ways to any extent, they must block the success of this wicked conspiracy, and set a worthy steward in charge of God's house. They may be sure that they will receive a generous reward for this, if they do it with pure motives and zeal for God's honor. Conversely, they may be equally sure that to neglect to do so is sinful.

Since Fr. Elias is now Abbot Elias, we can rest easy that the second paragraph need not be applied. It is not hard, however, to imagine in a rougher time, that a monastery that liked to drink too much might elect a fellow drinker to be their abbot. In that case ... well we already know in that case.

LCG leadership, on the local and national level. This chapter points to the responsibility we have in choosing our leaders. Until the world wide Lay Cistercian movement has some type of regulations on the matter, each monastery and their lay associates, must come up with their own way of leadership. The LCG is too big to easily govern beyond the local level, and it is unreasonable to expect anyone to travel around to each local group for visitation, if you will.

So who is our authority? Is it the executive council? I don't see how that could be, since they exist for purely administrative reasons. What if we were under obedience to the Abbot of Gethsemani? We certainly would not expect him to make the rounds in visitation, but at least there would be some authority to whom we are ultimately answerable. Without obedience that is promised, and kept, what are we?

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 18 & 19 August 2008

2008-08-19T07:02:00.002-04:00

Today I am playing catch-up, so to spare my typing, please click here for the complete chapter of the Rule we will discuss today.

Benedict has proven time and again throughout the rule that his main concern is for an orderly flow of life in the monastery, that helps the brothers souls to grow ever closer to the will of Christ. He settles one of the major problems that afflict every organization on earth, and probably throughout history -- that of seniority. With Benedict, "I was here first" really does mean something. In a world of high aristocracy and low peasantry, it leveled the playing field when the peasant came at the second hour, and the aristocrat at the fourths hour, thereby making the peasant the senior of the aristocrat!

Also,

And in no place whatever should age decide the order
or be prejudicial to it;
for Samuel and Daniel as mere boys judged priests.

Even though mere sentences later he says that boys are to be disciplined by everyone.

The bottom line here is respect. Both for those who are older in years and for those with higher seniority. And the teaching for Lay Cistercians is made clear, we are to admit that we as individuals do not know everything, that just because a person has been LCG a long time doesn't mean anything more than they are due respect, and outrank the newcomer. On the other hand it also means that the newcomer must be listened to closely, for "for Samuel and Daniel as mere boys judged priests."

The LCG is so big I don't know if anyone really keeps track of rank, and if it even matters. After all, this is a rule for monastics that we adapt to life in the secular world. It certainly would not hurt us to pay greater respect to our founders, to listen closely to their words, teaching and experience, and to always keep one ear close to the newcomer for that new word when God most assuredly says "I will do a new thing."

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflections: 17 August 2008

2008-08-18T07:22:00.003-04:00

Chapter 62. The Priests of the Monastery

Any abbot who asks to have a priest or deacon ordained should choose from his monks one worthy to exercise the priesthood. The monk so ordained must be on guard against conceit or pride, must not presume to do anything except what the abbot commands him, and must recognize that now he will have to subject himself all the more to the discipline of the rule. just because he is a priest, he may not therefore forget the obedience and discipline of the rule, but must make more and more progress toward God.

He will always take the place that corresponds to the date of his entry into the monastery, except in his duties at the altar, or unless the whole community chooses and the abbot wishes to give him a higher place for the goodness of his life. Yet, he must know how to keep the rule established fro deans and priors; should he presume to act otherwise, he must be regarded as a rebel, not as a priest. If after many warnings he does not improve, let the bishop too be brought in as a witness. Should he not amend even then, and his faults become notorious, he is to be dismissed from the monastery, but only if he is so arrogant that he will not submit or obey the rule.

Off the top of my head I would say this chapter says "don't let your new power go to your head." Sometimes it almost seems that Benedict is dealing with people who have a playground mentality, instead of a monastery full of adults. Now, having said that, I wonder if perhaps that playground mentality doesn't stay with us all our lives. Think of the new manager who in the zeal of MANAGER makes life a living hell for everyone under them.

Benedict says that the new priest is to remember the rule for priors and deans. What the rule said about deans was, that

if perhaps one of these deans is found to be puffed up with any pride, and so deserving of censure he should be reproved.

Later on in the rule Benedict will say that some priors think of themselves as second abbots. The warning and message is clear: "don't let it go to your head." And, "if you do you will lose it."

As Lay Cistercians we need to remember that we are called to live in a charism that is a gift to us, it does not make us better than the other members of our parishes, or more holy because we are contemplatives. The frightening thing is that without an abbot to call us to account, we are answerable to God!

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflections: 16 August 2008

2008-08-16T06:55:00.002-04:00

chapter 61, 6-14

But if during his stay he has been found excessive in his demands or full of faults, he should certainly not be admitted as a member of the community. Instead, he should be politely told to depart, lest his wretched ways contaminate others.

If, however, he has shown that he is not the kind of man who deserves to be dismissed, let him, on his request, be received as a member of the community. He should even be urged to stay, so that others may learn from his example, because wherever we may be, we are in the service of the same Lord and doing battle for the same King. Further, the abbot may set such a man in a somewhat higher place in the community, if he sees that he deserves it. In fact, whether is is a monk or someone in the priestly or clerical orders mentioned above, the abbot has the power to set any of them above the place that corresponds to the date of his entry, if he sees that his life warrants it.

The abbot much, however, take care never to receive into the community a monk from another known monastery, unless the monk's abbot consents and sends a letter of recommendation, since it is written: Never do to another what you do not want done to yourself (Tobit 4:16).

Life is just full of exceptions, isn't it? Not three days ago we learned from Benedict that even priests who enter the monastery must take their place at the bottom of the totem pole. Today we read that if the abbot likes, he may raise the monk, even the priest, to whatever place he likes. That smells a bit like the abbot as absolute tyrant, and I know that is not what Benedict means.

Without pointing out the obvious about

If, however, he has shown that he is not the kind of man who deserves to be dismissed, let him, on his request, be received as a member of the community

we should be able to see that Benedict is speaking of someone of special insight, or in possession of some particular charism that would benefit all the brothers/sisters by placing such a person a little bit higher in the ranks. Perhaps remembering that the abbot is to do all things for the good of his community, then the raising and lowering of people on the ranks may be an important part of his work.

NOTA BENE: When I use examples in an effort to apply the Rule to Lay Cistercians, I am making the examples up. I am not basing them upon knowledge of someone, situation, or any other thing ,except my own imagination. The one exception is when I write about people who do not come to any meetings yet expect full rights as LCG. Even saying that, I know there are people who cannot come to Sunday meetings because they have to work on Sunday morning in their pulpits, etc. In that case, I'm not talking about you! So people, stop assuming I know all about you and your life and your personal situations. I do not. If I use an example about LCG, then I am making it up. That bears repeating. If I use an example about LCG, then I am making it up.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 15 August 2008

2008-08-15T06:48:00.003-04:00

Chapter 61. The Reception of Visitng Monks

A visiting monk from far away will perhaps present himself and wish to stay as a guest in the monastery. Provided that he is content with the life as he finds it, and does not make excessive demands that upset the monastery, but is simply content with what he finds, he should be received for as long a time as he wishes. He may, indeed, with all humility and love make some reasonable criticisms or observations, which the abbot should prudently consider; it is possible that the Lord guided him to the monastery for this very purpose.

If after a while he wishes to remain and bind himself to stability, he should not be refused this wish, especially as there was time enough, while he was a guest, to judge his character.

We have all had the house guest who showed up unexpectedly, was squeamish about the food we served, and found our bed linens not to their liking, "not that I'm complaining, of course." Benedict clearly had guests like that.

The LCG has guests, and members like that, too. "I did not expect it to be this way." Or, "In my old LCG group we did it this way." Perhaps this one from those who have changed affiliation from another monastery, "You mean you don't have statutes? You let non-Catholics in?" Now, I've made up each example, but the odds are good that those phrases have been said at some point.

It seems then that Benedict is telling us to take things as we find them, don't be a bunch of whiners, and don't nitpick with "in my old group we did it ... " Who cares how you did it? On the other hand, when someone comes with a criticism that is based upon the Rule, or the Rule of Life, or any other sound reason, then we should listen to them. We may distill today's reading to "ignore the whiners, and hear the spirit when it speaks in the newcomer."

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection 14 August 2008

2008-08-14T14:12:00.002-04:00

Chapter 60. The Admission of Priests to the Monastery

If any ordained priest asks to be received into the monastery, do not agree too quickly. However, if he is fully persistent in his request, he must recognize that he will have to observe the full discipline of the rule without any mitigation, knowing that it is written: Friend, what have you come for (Matt 26:50)? He should, however, be allowed to stand next to the abbot, to give blessings and to celebrate Mass, provided that the abbot bids him. Otherwise, he must recognize that he is subject to the discipline of the rule, and not make any exceptions for himself, but rather give everyone an example of humility. Whenever there is question of an appointment or of any other business in the monastery, he takes the place that corresponds to the date of his entry into the community, and not that granted him out of respect for his priesthood.

Any clerics who similarly wish to join the community should be ranked somewhere in the middle, but only if they, too, promise to keep the rule and observe stability.

When I served as Hospitality for the meeting of the American representatives meeting of Lay Cistercians, in November, the subject of admitting priests into the various lay groups was discussed. Overall, people were against it for various reasons. One reason is that if a priest is in the group then others will always defer to the priest, and that completely ruins the purpose of a lay association. Another was that priests sometimes think that because they are priests they should run whatever show they are involved with.

St. Benedict in this chapter is speaking to both of those problems, admittedly under different circumstances. A priest wants to join his monastery, Benedict says: "sure, but you're coming in at the bottom of the ladder, though. That means the seventeen year old over there is your senior in the monastic life. Can you handle that? Oh, and don't just stand up with me when I give the blessing until I invite you to do it. You leave all your rights at the door, just like everyone else."

Lay Cistercians have to behave in a similar manner when admitting those in the hierarchy of the church into our groups. Personally, I think if they feel called to the Cistercian way of life, then let them enter the monastery. Priests have plenty of organizations that's just for them. Others will feel differently, and in the end I don't care either way. The point is that we must not let a person with 'perceived power' enter our group without that person realizing they are nothing more than just another member.

Lay Cistercians also need to apply this chapter to our own hearts. How much privilege do I expect because I write the rule reflections? Or that s/he might expect because they serve on the Executive Council? The answer is nothing more than what we do as a service. I, Steve, am not the authority on Benedict in all matters pertaining to the Rule. The executive s/he's are not potentates of our administrative law either.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 13 August 2008

2008-08-13T05:40:00.003-04:00

Chapter 58 17-29

Let him who is received promise in the oratory, in the presence of all, before God and His saints, stability, the conversion of morals, and obedience, in order that, if he should ever do otherwise, he may know that he will be condemned by God "Whom he mocketh." Let him make a written statement of his promise in the name of the saints whose relics are there, and of the Abbot there present. Let him write this document with his own hand; or at least, if he doth not know how to write, let another write it at his request, and let the novice make his mark, and with his own hand place it on the altar. When he hath placed it there, let the novice next begin the verse: "Uphold me, O Lord, according to Thy word and I shall live; and let me not be confounded in my expectations" (Ps 118[119]:116). Then let all the brotherhood repeat this verse three times, adding the Gloria Patri.

Then let that novice brother cast himself down at the feet of all, that they may pray for him; and from that day let him be counted in the brotherhood. If he hath any property, let him first either dispose of it to the poor or bestow it on the monastery by a formal donation, reserving nothing for himself as indeed he should know that from that day onward he will no longer have power even over his own body.

Let him, therefore, be divested at once in the oratory of the garments with which he is clothed, and be vested in the garb of the monastery. But let the clothes of which he was divested by laid by in the wardrobe to be preserved, that, if on the devil's suasion he should ever consent to leave the monastery (which God forbid) he be then stripped of his monastic habit and cast out. But let him not receive the document of his profession which the Abbot took from the altar, but let it be preserved in the monastery.

The rule today was typed not by me, but lifted from:
The 1949 Edition
Translated by Rev. Boniface Verheyen, OSB
of St. Benedict's Abbey, Atchison, Kansas

If you have had the privilege of seeing a monk or nun take their final vows then you know it is a deeply moving moment for everyone involved. I have seen it twice at Gethsemani and both times the person taking the vows was so moved that they had trouble singing "do not let me disappointed in my expectation." The closest thing I can compare it to is a wedding, except this isn't one person marrying another person, it's one person marrying an entire group of people.

When you promise fidelity to the group, stability, lifelong chastity, poverty, conversion of life, and all of it to be lived with the same group of people, you have done something very close to marriage. Marriage, of course, is the wrong word for it, but it's a good metaphor for what needs saying.

As LCG we make a promise (not a vow) to live according to a rule of life, within the context of a community (that we do not live with), to be witnesses to the secular world of the charismatic gift which has been given to us from God, through the monks. One of the things that struck me as odd when I made my promise was that the document I was given came back to me. I didn't want it back, I had hoped that I was making a promise that would be kept in the archives of the monastery. None of us made a promise to the worldwide Lay Cistercians, or to Conyers, or to Genesee. We made it to Our Lady of Gethsemani.

To wrap this up, we should consider ourselves married in a way to the monastery and to each other.

As to Chapter 59, The Offering of sons of nobles or by the poor. I have nothing to say about that. If someone else would like to tackle that one, I welcome it.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 11 August 2008

2008-08-11T06:27:00.002-04:00

Chapter 58.1-16 The Procedure for Receiving Brothers

Do not grant newcomers to the monastic life an easy entry, but, as the Apostle says, Test the spirits to see if they are from God (1 John 4:1). Therefore, if someone comes and keeps knocking at the door, and if at the end of four or five days he has shown himself patient in bearing his harsh treatment and difficulty of entry, and has persisted in his request, then he should be allowed to enter and stay in the guest quarters for a few days. After that, he should live in the novitiate, where the novices study, eat and sleep.

A senior chosen for his skill in winning souls should be appointed to look after them with careful attention. The concern must be whether the novice truly seeks God and whether he shows eagerness for the Work of God, for obedience and for trials. The novice should be clearly told all the hardships and difficulties that will lead him to God.

If he promises perseverance in his stability, then after two months have elapsed let this rule be read straight through to him, and let him be told: "This is the law under which you are choosing to serve. If you can keep it, come in. If not, feel free to leave." If he still stands firm, he is to be taken back to the novitiate, and again thoroughly tested in patience. After six months have passed, the rule is to be read to him, so that he may know what he is entering. If once more he stands firm, let four months go by, and then read this rule to him again. If after due reflection he promises to observe everything and to obey every command given him, let him then be received into the community. But he must be well aware that, as the law of the rule establishes, from this day he is no longer free to leave the monastery, nor to shake from his neck the yoke of the rule which, in the course of so prolonged a period of reflection, he was free either to reject or to accept.

Lay Cistercians neither have novitiates, nor have the rule read to us in its entirety four times before we are allowed to join our local community. The section today causes me to think it might be a good idea for exactly such a thing to happen. Many want to join, but few are willing to come to the meetings. St. Benedict has no patience with those who have heard the rule over and over again and then when admitted to the community decide they don't want to stay.

Should we have patience with people who declare how much they are Lay Cistercian but cannot be bothered to attend our meetings? The LCG has a retreat coming up, and there will be those present who haven't attended a single LCG meeting throughout the entire year. Every local chapter has one member that just will not come. I'm not talking about those who cannot come because Sunday is their work day, like ministers and choir directors/members! I am talking about those who wish the benefits, without any of the effort.

I am more hermit than not, but I go to my monthly meetings with joy. There are members of the same local group that I attend who live far away, but they meet together often. At the retreat I will see people whom supposedly belong to the same local group as I do whom I never see the rest of the year! Perhaps it is time for the 1960s Hippy approach to change, perhaps we do need some specific rules, as much as I hate to say it.

"This is the law under which you are choosing to serve. If you can keep it, come in. If not, feel free to leave."

May God bring us all to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 10 August 2008

2008-08-10T07:41:00.002-04:00

Chapter 57. The Artisans of the Community

If there are artisans in the monastery, they are to practice their craft with all humility, but only with the abbot's permission. If one of them becomes puffed up by his skillfulness in his craft, and feels that he is conferring something on the monastery, he is to be removed from practicing his craft and not allowed to resume it unless, after manifesting his humility, he is so ordered by the abbot.

Whenever products of these artisans are sold, those responsible for the sale must not dare to practice any fraud. Let them always remember Ananias and Sapphira, who incurred bodily death (Acts 5:1-11), lest they and all who perpetrate fraud in monastery affairs suffer spiritual death.

The evil of avarice must have no part in establishing prices, which should, therefore, always be a little lower than people outside the monastery are able to set, so that in all things God may be glorified (1 Pet. 4:11)

There is little doubt in my mind that Benedict was a very poor economist. Of course, greed is a sin, but pricing yourself below the market price a little bit won't hurt. Then again, if you price under market price you may sell more, but exactly how much cheese and fruitcake, or candy, or fudge, or jelly do you have to sell in volume to make up for what you could have made by pricing it at the right price at the beginning.

The fact that Benedict opens this chapter talking about artisans is interesting to me. For anyone who has ever created something of which they are proud, this chapter may seem a little harsh. What Benedict is saying is don't think you're the only means of support here, or that what you do can't be done by someone else.

Pride! Pride and greed are the sins this chapter is really getting at. I might think "without me at the organ bench the liturgy can't go on," until the replacement comes in and plays better than I do! Or that my icons are perfect and "if this monastery didn't have me then they'd be hurting," until the new icon writer replaces me and produces more spiritual and beautiful icons.

In the life of Lay Cistercians this plays out again and again in the secular world. We see it in others, catch it in ourselves, and pray for grace to not be puffed up. There are always those who whisper in our ear, "you're not paid enough to do this job." Or, "you're worth far more than this." Or, "I'll show them." Each of those, while they may be true, are pretty close to sin. How? Because they cause us to think more highly of ourselves than we should. I'm not advocating a policy of self loathing that goes well with that "old time religion" but of knowing who you are, where you are, and having a self worth that doesn't need to be puffed up or have the air popped out of it. Benedict is telling us the same thing.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 9 August 2008

2008-08-09T20:13:00.002-04:00

Chapter 56. The Abbot's Table

The abbot's table must always be with guests and travelers. Whenever there are no guests, it is within his right to invite any of the brothers he wishes. However, for the sake of maintaining discipline, one or two seniors must always be left with the brothers.

What an interesting chapter. I cannot recall ever eating dinner with any abbot of Gethsemani, at any time. Of course, these days, the abbots and abbesses would have to spend every meal eating with the guests and never with the community.

This is one of the dreaded chapters when I took on the writing of the daily reflections on the rule. The understanding of the chapter in sixth century terms, and in 21st century terms is tough. However, I understand that at Mississippi Abbey, the nuns and the guests all eat together. Then again, every Abbey is different. Gethsemani does not do that.

So what can we learn as Lay Cistercians from this? This time I leave it up to you. I challenge you, the reader, to write to the list with your reading of this chapter and how it applies to us as members of the LCG. I will approve all messages in the morning.

RB Reflection: 8 August 2008

2008-08-08T07:41:00.002-04:00

Chapter 55.15-22 (bravely typed by me)

For bedding the monks will need a mat, a woolen blanket and a light covering as well as a pillow.

The beds are to be inspected frequently by the abbot, lest private possessions be found there. A monk discovered with anything not given him by the abbot must be subjected to very severe punishment. In order that this vice of private ownership may be completely uprooted, the abbot is to provide all things necessary: that is, cowl, tunic, sandals, shoes, belt, knife, stylus, needle, handkerchief and writing tablets. In this way every excuse of lacking some necessity will be taken away.

The abbot, however, must always bear in mind what is said in the Acts of the Apostles: Distribution was made to each one as he had need (Acts 4:35). In this way the abbot will take into account the weaknesses of the needy, not the evil will of the envious; yet in all his judgments he must bear in mind God's retribution.

Since the abbot is not meant to be a tyrant, we again must look deeper for what Benedict is telling us. First we are greeted with the letter of the law inspecting beds (one does wonder what he's looking for exactly), making sure no private possessions are lurking around. Then we get the spirit of the law where the abbot is to "take into account the weakness of the needy."

That's a nice touch, and one that seems to have almost nothing to do with Lay Cistercian life in the 21st Century. I'm going out on a limb here but I think the lesson for us is to take our gifts from God with joy, and not pout because we aren't rich like that guy over there, or don't have a dress like that woman over there. Judging ourselves by what we own is to judge ourselves by the standards of the world and not by the standards -- certainly -- of any acceptable Lay Cistercian standard.

If you are a rich Lay Cistercian, accept it with joy and thanksgiving to God. If you are a poor Lay Cistercian, accept it with joy and thanksgiving to God -- plus don't envy the rich Lay Cistercian! This is where remembering that we are NOT monks and nuns should help us. Private possessions of other people are none of our business. We are not little abbots running around inspecting the beds of our brothers and sisters, or their closets (no matter how much fun that might be), or their bank accounts.

In fact, I don't think in the application to Lay Cistercians this chapter has anything to do with beds or clothes, it has to do with turning to God for our sustenance, looking to God for all things that keep us servants of God.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life. (Even if I still want that 40" flat screen, HD, plasma television)

RB Reflection: 7 August 2008

2008-08-07T07:17:00.002-04:00

Chapter 55:1-14 On the Clothes and Shoes of the Brethren

Let clothing be given to the brethren
according to the nature of the place in which they dwell
and its climate;
for in cold regions more will be needed,
and in warm regions less.
This is to be taken into consideration, therefore, by the Abbot.

We believe, however, that in ordinary places
the following dress is sufficient for each monk:
a tunic,
a cowl (thick and woolly for winter, thin or worn for summer),
a scapular for work,
stockings and shoes to cover the feet.

The monks should not complain
about the color or the coarseness of any of these things,
but be content with what can be found
in the district where they live and
can be purchased cheaply.

The Abbot shall see to the size of the garments,
that they be not too short for those who wear them,
but of the proper fit.

Let those who receive new clothes
always give back the old ones at once,
to be put away in the wardrobe for the poor.
For it is sufficient if a monk has two tunics and two cowls,
to allow for night wear and for the washing of these garments;
more than that is superfluity and should be taken away.
Let them return their stockings also and anything else that is old
when they receive new ones.

Those who are sent on a journey
shall receive drawers from the wardrobe,
which they shall wash and restore on their return.
And let their cowls and tunics be somewhat better
than what they usually wear.
These they shall receive from the wardrobe
when they set out on a journey,
and restore when they return.

This is a very practical chapter of the rule. As usual I shall skip over most of the 6th century, and strictly monastic things, and dive right into the direct application, as I see it, for Lay Cistercians.

The monks should not complain
about the color or the coarseness of any of these things,
but be content with what can be found
in the district where they live and
can be purchased cheaply.

And

For it is sufficient if a monk has two tunics and two cowls,
to allow for night wear and for the washing of these garments;
more than that is superfluity and should be taken away.
Let them return their stockings also and anything else that is old
when they receive new ones.

If we made a one to one between that passage and our wardrobes (which I admit is impractical) then we should find ourselves grossly over stocked. Most modern people are blessed with superfluity, and some even make a part time job of shopping until they have superfluity. This applies to more than clothing. I like to joke with my local group that what I really need to be happy is a 40" flat screen plasma television, in HD, of course. While it is true I would enjoy such a television, even if I had the money to buy one, I would not buy one.

What Benedict is doing today is challenging us to ask ourselves how much is enough? If only the church leaders would take into account the RB and stop having their clothes handmade for them. I was asked to write about Abbot Elias installation. I could not put into a memorial book what I had to say, because what I wanted to say was how the Archbishop (as the Official Church) shined in thousands of dollars of regalia, while Fr. Elias shined in cloth of about one hundred and fifty dollars. The Archbishop's crozier was at least a thousand dollars of silver, while the abbatial staff was simple, made of wood.

As Lay Cistercians we have made our choice to align ourselves with the likes of Abbot Elias, and go for the more simple things.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflections: 6 August 2008

2008-08-06T06:41:00.003-04:00

Chapter 54. Letters or Gifts for Monks

In no circumstances is a monk allowed, unless the abbot says he may, to exchange letters, blessed tokens or small gifts of any kind, with his parents without previously telling the abbot. If the abbot orders acceptance, he still has the power to give the gift to whom he will; and the brother for whom it was originally sent must not be distressed, lest occasion be given to the devil (Eph. 4:27; 1 Tim 5:14). Whoever presumes to act otherwise will be subjected to the discipline of the rule.

I admit to being clueless on this one. I'm pretty sure it does not mean that if monk-mom X sends cookies to monk X, that the abbot should say, "oh, monk Z likes cookies so give them to him." That type of thing would make the abbot a tyrant, and that is not what Benedict is saying. What I believe he is saying here for the monastic is "look, you came here of your own free will to leave the world: so leave it." Even in the case of babies given to the monastery, the parents are forbidden from making contact with the boy again.

That's nice, interesting trivia on the life of 6th century monks. So what's it got to do with Lay Cistercians? Let's think about that little boy given as a baby to the monks to raise. If he grows up in the monastery then that is his home and his family. If his mom and dad are constantly sending him presents, or sneaking to find ways to see him, then they are creating a situation that is certain to divide the lads loyalty.

As Lay Cistercians we must not divide our loyalty. We have taken on a Rule of Life, and vowed to follow Christ in the same charism of Citeaux that is shared with us by the monks and nuns, through the gift of the Holy Spirit. This chapter is telling us to not be turning back to our pre-converted selves and sneaking visits or gifts from our old ways. Just as it's dangerous for the reformed alcoholic to attend a drinking party, it is dangerous for those in conversion to participate in any of their "old ways."

RB Reflection: 5 August 2008

2008-08-05T06:35:00.004-04:00

Chapter 53. 16-24

Let there be a separate kitchen for the Abbot and guests, that the brethren may not be disturbed when guests, who are never lacking in a monastery, arrive at irregular hours. Let two brethren capable of filling the office well be appointed for a year to have charge of this kitchen. Let them be given such help as they need, that they may serve without murmuring. And on the other hand, when they have less to occupy them, let them go out to whatever work is assigned them.

And not only in their case but in all the offices of the monastery let this arrangement be observed, that when help is needed it be supplied, and again when the workers are unoccupied they do whatever they are bidden.

The guest house also shall be assigned to a brother whose soul is possessed by the fear of God. Let there be a sufficient number of beds made up in it; and let the house of God be managed by prudent men and in a prudent manner.

On no account shall anyone who is not so ordered associate or converse with guests.
But if he should meet them or see them, let him greet them humbly, as we have said,
ask their blessing and pass on, saying that he is not allowed to converse with a guest.

Again today I have lifted directly from the OSB website.

Two points jump out at me immediately here, first is "The guest house also shall be assigned to a brother whose soul is possessed by the fear of God." For those of us who have spent any time at Gethsemani in the guesthouse, that brother is Br. Rene. It is hard, for me at least, to think of a more saintly man than Br. Rene. He does not engage you in conversation unless you engage him, and then he is happy to talk to you as long as you need it. While he is not the guesthouse chaplain I think it's safe to say he has given peace to thousands of souls over the years.

The second point that jumps out is that final paragraph. Since Cistercians of the Strict Observance keep the rule relatively strictly, pardon the pun, it explains a lot the complaints people have made over the years about how cold the monks seem to outsiders. It's not so much as matter of coldness, it is obeying the Rule. If you've been around a while you know that up until fairly recently all you got out of a monk if you passed him in the hall was a nod if you were lucky.

Lay Cistercians need to remember that not being monks or nuns we must speak to stranger/guest, in our meetings, our parish life, in any place where it might be said that we "entertained angels unaware." It does not mean that we have to become their best friend, or subject our lives to their needs. We have to remember that we are the hands of the monks and nuns who live within enclosure, and that is how we serve the Charism. It is also every Christian's duty to remember that we are the hands and face of Christ to every person we meet. And that! That is infinitely more challenging.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 4 August 2008

2008-08-04T07:00:00.001-04:00

Chapter 53.1-14

All guests who present themselves are to be welcomes as Christ, for he himself will say: I was a stranger and you welcomed me (Matt 25:35). Proper honor must be shown to all, especially to those who share our faith (Gal. 6:10) and to pilgrims.

Once a guest has been announced, the superior and the brothers are to meet him with all the courtesy of love. First of all, they are to pray together and thus be united in peace, but prayer must always precede the kiss of peace because of the delusions of the devil.

All humility should be shown in addressing a guest on arrival or departure. By a bow of the head or by a complete prostration of the body, Christ is to be adored because he is indeed welcomed in them. After the guests have been received, they should be invited to pray; then the superior or an appointed brother will sit with them. The divine law is read to the guest for his instruction, and after that every kindness is shown to him. The superior may break his fast for the sake of a guest, unless it is a day of special fast which cannot be broken. The brothers, however, observe the usual fast. The abbot shall pour water on the hands of the guests, and the abbot with the entire community shall wash their feet. After the washing they will recite this verse: God we have received your mercy in the midst of your temple (Ps 47[48]:10).

Great care and concern are to be shown in receiving poor people and pilgrims, because in them more particularly Christ is received; our very awe of the rich guarantees them special respect.

I'm not sure how I would react if every time I went to the monastery I were greeted in such a fashion. However, as is often done in these reflections, we shall pass over much, in order to concentrate on a little.

All guests who present themselves are to be welcomes as Christ, for he himself will say: I was a stranger and you welcomed me (Matt 25:35).

Yesterday at our monthly meeting for the Louisville LCG we discussed the concept of seeing God. How does one see God? Is it like looking at the sun? Or is it like calm eye in the hurricane?

Benedict, indeed, the scriptures, seem to say that we encounter Christ/God in each other. I speak only for myself, but to see God I need only look at you, or the stranger, or the neighbor, or the traveler. The better question to ask is where can you look and not see God?

Benedict in this chapter is telling us all, monk, nun, and Lay Cistercian alike, to never be the person who in the last moment says, "when did I see you Lord and not welcome you?" Because then Jesus will answer, "whenever you did it to the least of my children."

May God lead us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 1 August 2008

2008-08-01T05:23:00.002-04:00

Chapter 50

Brothers who work so far away that they cannot return to the oratory at the proper time--and the abbot determines that is the case--are to perform the Work of God where they are, and kneel out of reverence for God.

So too, those who have been sent on a journey are not to omit the prescribed hours but to observe them as best they can, not neglecting their measure of service.

Whether at home, in the fields, or on a journey, when it is time to perform the Work of God, then we are to do it, then and there. In the monastic life the meaning here is quite clear. In the life of lay people, or Lay Cistercians, it must be adapted to our situations in life. If a real estate agent stops showing people a house because it is time to say terce, then they won't last long as a real estate agent. If the same real estate agent has the time and fails to say vespers, then something is lacking in their commitment to God and their Rule of Life.

Part of being Lay Cistercian is not acting like a monk/nun in the secular world. At the same time, part of being a Lay Cistercian is to remember that we share the values, and the spirit of the prayer life of monks/nuns. In this chapter Benedict is telling his monks "don't get out there and act like fools, goofing around and neglecting the prayers." I suppose he could be saying the same thing to us. "Living in the secular world is not a reason to fail in doing the Work of God."

Think about that. The Work of God--both as praying the hours, and as being the hands of Christ in the world--is something we will never be released from doing. We willingly took upon ourselves the Rule of Life that all LCG take, so then to fail in the Work of God, be it prayers or being the hands of Christ in the world, is to make a mockery of our vows.

RB Reflection 31 July 2008

2008-07-31T06:03:00.002-04:00

Although the life of a monk ought to have about it at all times the character of a Lenten observance, yet since few have the virtue for that, we therefore urge that during the actual days of Lent the brethren keep their lives most pure and at the same time wash away during these holy days all the negligence of other times. And this will be worthily done if we restrain ourselves from all vices and give ourselves up to prayer with tears, to reading, to compunction of heart and to abstinence.

During these days, therefore, let us increase somewhat the usual burden of our service, as by private prayers and by abstinence in food and drink. Thus everyone of his own will may offer God "with joy of the Holy Spirit" (1 Thess. 1:6)something above the measure required of him. From his body, that is he may withhold some food, drink, sleep, talking and jesting; and with the joy of spiritual desire he may look forward to holy Easter.

Let each one, however, suggest to his Abbot what it is that he wants to offer, and let it be done with his blessing and approval. For anything done without the permission of the spiritual father will be imputed to presumption and vainglory
and will merit no reward. Therefore let everything be done with the Abbot's approval.

Let everything be done with the Abbot's approval. That presents something of a problem to the LCG because we are not under obedience to the Abbot of Gethsemani. Would that we were! Truthfully, how far could such obedience extend? Abbot Elias has his hands full with the monastery, the last thing he needs is over a 100 extra people, with varying degrees of commitment, to worry about.

This chapter speaks of lent specifically. Now, a lenten obedience is a horse of a different color. We could make our specific intentions for lent known to him, and feel ourselves ... I almost said accountable, but in his first chapter talk Dom Elias made it clear that accountable was the language of corporations, not of Religious. So, instead I shall say we could make our specific intentions for lent known to him and feel ourselves eager to grow in the spirit so that by keeping our lent, we grow closer to God.

I'm still under this cold, so this is all the inspiration I can come up with for today. May God bring us all to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 30 July 2008

2008-07-30T08:05:00.002-04:00

Chapter 48.22-25

On Sunday all are to be engaged in reading except those who have been assigned various duties. If anyone is so remiss and indolent that he is unwilling or unable to study or to read, he is to be given some work in order that he may not be idle.

Brother who are sick or weak should be given a type of work or craft that will keep them busy without overwhelming them or driving them away. The abbot must take their infirmities into account.

Today brothers and sisters, that last sentence describes me. I have a summer cold which has kept me up most of the night and completely destroyed my ability to think in a serious way. It seems that while I sit here, my computer screen is in the next room. Therefore I must beg your forgiveness and leave the reflection today in the hands of God, for I can't think of anything except keeping my sneeze towel close at hand.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 29 July 2008

2008-07-29T06:12:00.002-04:00

Chapter 48 10-21

From the first of October to the beginning of Lent, the brothers ought to devote themselves to reading until the end of the second hour. At this time Terce is said and they are to work at their assigned tasks until None. At the first signal for the hour of None, all put aside their work to be ready for the second signal. Then after their meal they will devote themselves to their reading or to the psalms.

During the days of Lent, they should be free in the morning to read until the third hour, after which they will work at their assigned tasks until the end of the tenth hour. During this time of Lent each one is to receive a book from the library, and is to read the whole of it straight through. These books are to be distributed at the beginning of Lent.

Above all, one or two seniors must surely be deputed to make the round of the monastery while the brother are reading. Their duty is to see that no brother is so apathetic as to waste time or engage in idle talk to the neglect of his reading, and so not only hard himself but also distract others. If such a monk if found--God forbid--he should be reproved a first and a second time. If he does not amend, he must be subjected to the punishment of the rule as a warning to others. further, brothers ought not to associate with one another at inappropriate times.

Seasons of the heart do not always reflect the seasons of nature, and there is a winter of the heart. Every member of the Lay Cistercian movement, whether LCG or some other affiliation, faces a long dark winter in their lives at some point. Fr. Michael Cassagram put it best in his Formation Letter that we "must be obedient to the needs of the present moment." Sometimes that means looking after each other just like the

one or two seniors ... deputed to make the round of the monastery while the brother are reading.

Instead of idle chatter being the problem, we should be ready to assist one another during their winter of the heart, alert to the needs of our brothers and sisters, not caught up in busyness of our own holiness.

May God bring us altogther to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 28 July 2008

2008-07-28T05:00:00.002-04:00

Chapter 48. The Daily Manual Labor

Idleness is the enemy of the soul. therefore, the brothers should have specified periods for manual labor as well as for prayerful reading.

We believe that the times for both may be arranged as follows: From Easter to the first of October, they will spend their mornings after Prime till about the fourth hour at whatever work needs to be done. From the fourth hour until the time of Sext, they will devote themselves to reading. But after Sext and their meal, they may rest in their beds in complete silence; should a brother with to read privately, let him do so, but without disturbing the others. They should say None a little early, about midway through the eighth hour, and then until Vespers they are to return to whatever work is necessary. They must not become distressed if local conditions or their poverty should force them to do the harvesting themselves. When they live by the labor of their hands, as our fathers and the apostles did, then they are really monks. Yet, all things are to be done with moderation on account of the fainthearted.

Idleness is the enemy of the soul. That is very true. Each of us can attest that nothing is quite so dangerous as a bored and idle mind. I am not talking about rest and relaxation, or vacation days, no, but the life that is spent with nothing to occupy the hours. The secular image of Trappists is that the pray all day and read the rest of the time. Since they no longer work in the fields there is no visible work. We know that is not true.

While it may appear the monks did not do much work back then, we have to remember that between None and Vespers was probably a considerably longer amount of time than from 2:30 to 5:30. They lived by the rising and setting of the sun. We live by the clock.

What Benedict teaches here, and not just to monks and nuns, but to us, the LCG, is that the day must include prayer, work, rest, and reading. Prayer frames the work day, reading feeds out ability to pray more completely, and rest refreshes the body so we can do the whole thing over again the next day. As member of the Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani, we have our Rule of Life to guide us, and it just so happens to cover all four: prayer, work, rest and reading. It covers solitude as well, but each of us need that or we would not be involved with Trappists at all.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 27 July 2008

2008-07-27T08:05:00.002-04:00

Chapter 47. Announcing the Hours for the Work of God

It is the abbot's care to announce, day and night, the hour for the Work of God. He may do so personally or delegate the responsibility to a conscientious brother, so that everything may be done at the proper time.

Only those so authorized are to lead psalms and refrains, after the abbot according to their rank. No one should presume to read or sing unless he is able to benefit the hearers; let this be done with humility, seriousness and reverence, and at the abbot's bidding.

Today the bells take care of the summoning for the Work of God. Of course, it's up to the abbot to determine when those hours are, but for the most part I'd say that is set by tradition more than the abbot's own determination. At least for long established communities. And, clearly don't have the tone deaf brother intone the psalm, or the brother with the serious stutter doing the readings.

So much for the 6th century and monastic practice. What about Lay Cistercian practice? What are we to take from this chapter? I cheated today and checked what Sr. Joan had to say about this, and she says that the meaning under the meaning is that the group must always become more conscientious about prayer.

As Lay Cistercians are we conscientious about prayer? Is it prayer that guides our decisions, both as individuals and as a group? Is the LCG prayer driven, or are we too busy trying to figure out our administrative problems?

Am I saying those problems are not important? No. I am not.

Am I implying that those who wrestle with our administrative problems are not people of prayer and deep contemplation? No. I am not.

So then, what am I saying? First, the LCG does not get together and say 7 rounds of prayers on a daily basis. This chapter must be seen in light of our secular experience as LCG. So, we must first of all remember our call to prayer, to support one another in prayer, and especially to give prayerful support to our Executive Council. We place people on that council who figuratively "read or sing [because] s/he is able to benefit the hearers," therefore let us pray for them.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 26 July 2008

2008-07-26T07:19:00.002-04:00

Chapter 46. Faults Committed in Other Matters.

If someone commits a fault while at any work--while working in the kitchen, in the storeroom, in serving, in the bakery, in the garden, in any craft of anywhere else--either by breaking or losing something or failing in any other way in any other place, he must at one come before the abbot and community and of his own accord admit his fault and make satisfaction. If it is made known through another, he is to be subjected to a more severe correction.

When the cause of the sin lies hidden in conscience, he is to reveal it only to the abbot or to one of the spiritual elders, who know how to heal their own woulds as well as those of others, without exposing them and making them public.

This chapter is about taking responsibility for ones own actions. Retail stores often have signs that say, "You break it, you bought it." I don't need to deliver a lecture about personal responsibility for the obvious lesson of this chapter to be understood.

What is more interesting is the last paragraph. "When the cause of the sin lies hidden in the conscience...." Benedict calls us to take responsibility for what we have done and not hide it until someone else points it out, he also says that sometimes actions have deeper reasons, reasons that deal with matters of the soul. It's not for me to say what those matters are, but let's think about the workshop where the one in charge abuses a younger worker. That happens in the 21st century, so surely it happened in the 6th century as well.

As Lay Cistercians we are called to always be responsible for our actions, and to not be quick to point out the sins of others. In fact, it's not our job at all to point out the sins of others. We are to pray, and give witness to the face of Christ--not just in us--but in the other people we encounter. At some point we are going to be that "spiritual elder" for someone, and then the true job of being a Lay Cistercian will begin.

NOTA BENE: I write these every day. Not every day does the Holy Spirit inspire what I write. I do my best to serve my community. If a reflection does not suit you, then by all means, delete it, or go to the website http://rbreflections.blogspot.com and leave a comment. Sometimes I am sad, sometimes I am tired, and sometimes I am sick. So I beg your patience.

With Love
Steve

RB Reflection: 25 July 2008

2008-07-25T07:13:00.002-04:00

Chapter 45. Mistakes in the Oratory

Should anyone make a mistake in a psalm, responsory, refrain or reading, he must make satisfaction there before all. If he does not use this occasion to humble himself, he will be subjected to more severe punishment for failing to correct by humility the wrong committed through negligence. Children, however, are to be whipped for such a fault.

Being able to read at all was something rare up until the 19th and 20th century. Reading implied education, and education has almost always been the privilege of the wealthy. That was certainly the case in 6th century Europe. So a mistake in the liturgy showed that you were either:
a. not paying attention
b. had not bothered to go over the reading beforehand
c. you had dyslexia, which they didn't even know about or
d. you just didn't care.

As for whipping the children, I have nothing to say except times change, thank God.

As Lay Cistercians we should be thinking about what this chapter tells us about our own negligence in prayer. How often do you catch yourself in the middle of a psalm switching words around, because you simply aren't paying attention to your prayers; your mind is off on some extraneous subject? Or you rush through the prayers because, after all, you have more important things to do? Or you're just in a bad mood and don't give a flip.

Lay Cistercians must be people who pray with attention and devotion. We must not be negligent in how we pray. Prayer is our only weapon, comfort, and resource in the charism that keeps us close to the spirit of our calling.

Besides, if you don't pray with devotion, someone might whip you. Better that whipping come from yourself, or LCG Grandma, than from God Almighty. Or worse yet, a disappointed Jesus is more terrible than all the whippings in the world.

May God lead us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 24 July 2008

2008-07-24T05:42:00.003-04:00

Chapter 44. Satisfaction by the Excommunicated

Anyone excommunicated for serious faults from the oratory and from the table is to prostrate himself in silence at the oratory entrance at the end of the celebration of the Work of God. He should lie face down at the feet of all as they leave the oratory, and let him do this until the abbot judges he has made satisfaction. Next, at the bidding of the abbot, he is to prostrate himself at the abbot's feet, then at the feet of all that they may pray for him. Only then, if the abbot orders, should he be admitted to the choir in the rank the abbot assigns. Even so, he should not presume to lead a psalm or a reading or anything else in the oratory without further instructions from the abbot. In addition, at all the hours, as the Work of God is completed, he must prostrate himself in the place he occupies. He will continue this form of satisfaction until the abbot again bids him cease.

those excommunicated for less serious faults from the table only are to make satisfaction in the oratory for as long as the abbot orders. They do so until he gives his blessing and says: "Enough."

I think I could stand being excluded from the table more easily than from the liturgy. Either way, the lesson is simple, play by the rules or suffer the consequences. Consequences come with every act we perform in life. There are repercussions to every event in the universe.

Lay Cistercians must always keep in mind how the events that we create have consequences as well. It is our charism to carry the face of Christ, and to see it in other people out in the secular world. We are planting seeds, if you will, that will grow in some way, either positive or negative. Do we bring peace to the lives of others, or do we bring discord? And, if we do bring discord, what do we do to repair it?

We are long past laying on the floor in front of others, thankfully, because that seems too much like drama to me, but we are never past repentance, and apology to those whom we have given bad seed. Perhaps each of us should daily examine our lives to find that bad seed we've planted that day, and make it our business to repent of it, and then apologize for it! In this day and time, apologizing is our version of laying on our face.

But never forget, there comes a time when even the penitent must be told, "enough."

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 23 July 2008

2008-07-23T05:46:00.001-04:00

The Holy Rule of St Benedict

March 23, July 23, November 22

Chapter 43: On Those Who Come Late to the Work of God or to Table (cont.)

Anyone who does not come to table before the verse,
so that all together may say the verse and the oration
and all sit down to table at the same time --
anyone who
through his own carelessness or bad habit
does not come on time
shall be corrected for this up to the second time.
If then he does not amend,
he shall not be allowed to share in the common table,
but shall be separated from the company of all
and made to eat alone,
and his portion of wine shall be taken away from him,
until he has made satisfaction and has amended.
And let him suffer a like penalty who is not present
at the verse said after the meal.

And let no one presume
to take any food or drink
before or after the appointed time.
But if anyone is offered something by the superior
and refuses to take it,
then when the time comes
that he desires what he formerly refused
or something else,
let him receive nothing whatever
until he has made proper satisfaction.

I wonder how many schemes St Benedict went though before he came up with this one. As any person who plans and executes family and friends get togethers and dinner parties will tell you, getting everyone there at the same time to sit down together can be quite frustrating. What about late comers? Do we start without them? Do they squeeze past those at table upon arrival? Begin eating after the Blessing? What about people who come after the meal and are hungry?

Well, why worry about the small stuff? I mean who cares when they come. Let’s just set the food out and everyone can eat whenever they want. Forget the nice china or a pretty ambiance or good dinner conversation. Get out the paper plates and put up the corn hole in the back yard. Out with Emily Post. Who needs rules about dinner time? After all most families don’t even eat together anymore.

So why does St Benedict make such a deal about being late to meal time? I mean shouldn’t we be more concerned about war and peace and starving children in Africa? The thing about the Rule that strikes me is that it is all about the small stuff. St Benedict never even talks about the cataclysmic events of his day. His rule is teaching us the best way to relate to our God, to ourselves and to each other. It is as if he is saying if we can’t get that right we probably won’t get war and peace and feeding starving children right either.

LCG Grandma

RB Reflection: 22 July 2008

2008-07-22T05:48:00.000-04:00

The Holy Rule of St. Benedict

March 22, July 22, November 21

Chapter 43: On Those Who Come Late to the Work of God or to Table

At the hour for the Divine Office,
as soon as the signal is heard,
let them abandon whatever they may have in hand
and hasten with the greatest speed,
yet with seriousness, so that there is no excuse for levity.
Let nothing, therefore, be put before the Work of God.

If at the Night Office
anyone arrives after the "Glory be to the Father" of Psalm 94 --
which Psalm for this reason we wish to be said
very slowly and protractedly --
let him not stand in his usual place in the choir;
but let him stand last of all,
or in a place set aside by the Abbot for such negligent ones
in order that they may be seen by him and by all.
He shall remain there until the Work of God has been completed,
and then do penance by a public satisfaction.
the reason why we have judged it fitting
for them so stand in the last place or in a place apart
is that,
being seen by all,
they may amend for very shame.
For if they remain outside of the oratory,
there will perhaps be someone who will go back to bed and sleep
or at least seat himself outside and indulge in idle talk,
and thus an occasion will be provided for the evil one.
But let them go inside,
that they many not lose the whole Office,
and may amend for the future.

At the day Hours
anyone who does not arrive at the Work of God
until after the verse
and the "Glory be to the Father" for the first Psalm following it
shall stand in the last place,
according to our ruling above.
Nor shall he presume to join the choir in their chanting
until he has made satisfaction,
unless the Abbot should pardon him and give him permission;
but even then the offender must make satisfaction for his fault.

In this chapter St Benedict is trying to teach the virtue of punctuality. We all have been late. Life happens as the saying goes.

But being perpetually late is making an all about me statement. My time and activities are more important than others. If the group has already started and I come in interrupting, well, they should be glad to see me and thankful I am among them.

Following the Rule, St Benedict hoped his students (we) would learn that it isn’t all about them (us) but it is all about Him. It’s not our time but His time. He created it along with the other dimensions we live in; height, depth and width. We have the time He gives to us for living our lives. Lives He created for us. Time, as the old Shaker song goes, to turn, turn, turn ‘round right.

One day for each of us time will end. For those who have learned the virtue of punctuality we will be right on time.

LCG Grandma

RB Reflection: 21 July 2008

2008-07-21T05:50:00.003-04:00

Chapter 42. Silence After Compline

Monks should diligently cultivate silence at all times, but especially at night. Accordingly, this will always be the arrangement whether for fast days or for ordinary days. When there are two meals, all the monks will sit together immediately after rising from supper. Someone should read from the Conferences, or the Lives of the Fathers or at any rate something else that will benefit the hearers, but not the Heptateuch or the Books of Kings, because it will not be good for those of weak understanding to hear these writings at that hour; they should be read at other times.

On fast days there is to be a short interval between Vespers and the reading of the Conferences, as we have indicated. Then let four or five pages be read, or as many as time permits. This reading period will allow for all to come together, in case any were engaged in assigned tasks. When all have assembled, they should pray Compline; and on leaving Compline, no one will be permitted to speak further. If anyone if found to transgress this rule of silence, he must be subjected to severe punishment, except on occasions when guests require attention or the abbot wishes to give someone a command, but even this is to be done with the utmost seriousness and proper restraint.

We could easily transform the first sentence of this chapter simply by replacing Monks with Lay Cistercians. Let's try that: "Lay Cistercians should diligently cultivate silence at all times, but especially at night." There is a certain rightness to the sound of that. Let's not stop there, "Lay Cistercians should read from the Conferences or the Lives of the Fathers/Mothers."

It appears that this chapter is as workable for us as it is for the monks and nuns. We don't assemble to pray Compline, but that doesn't change the fact that after Compline no more words need to be said. I admit that I am a morning person, but I don't get into conversations until after the Office of Readings and Lauds have been said. Granted, I am the only one awake in my house at that point, but even when with others, I keep the silence.

The hours between Compline and the beginning of the day after Lauds are holy to the Lord. I'm sure there is a scripture to back that up, but I can't think of it right now. Think of Psalm 134

Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
Lift up your hands to the holy place,
and bless the Lord.
May the Lord, maker of heaven and earth,
bless you from Zion.

Part of the attraction of Cistercian life to us is how they seem to be Temple attendants. When the lights come on at 3:00 a.m. in the Church, most of the monks are all already in place, and ready to go. It gives one the feeling that some of them might have been there all night. The flickering Sanctuary Lamp at the far end reminds us that God has been present throughout the night whether or not we knew it, cared, or sat in awe before the Sacred Presence, is present now, and will be present forever.

The night belongs to the Lord.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection 20 July 2008

2008-07-20T07:58:00.003-04:00

No, you're not safe from the rule even on Sunday.

Chapter 41. The Times for the Brothers' Meals

From holy Easter to Pentecost, the brothers eat at noon and take supper in the evening. Beginning with Pentecost and continuing throughout the summer, the monks fast until midafternoon on Wednesday and Friday, unless they are working in the fields or the summer heat is oppressive.

On the other days they eat dinner at noon. Indeed, the abbot may decide that they should continue to eat dinner at noon every day if they have work in the fields or if the summer heat remains extreme. Similarly, he should so regulate and arrange all matters that souls may be saved and the brothers may go about their activities without justifiable grumbling.

From the thirteenth of September to the beginning of Lent, they always take their meal in midafternoon. Finally, from the beginning of Lent to Easter, they eat towards evening. Let Vespers be celebrated early enough so that there is no need for a lamp while eating, and that everything can be finished by daylight. Indeed, at all times let supper or the hour of the fast-day meal be so scheduled that everything can be done by daylight.

Benedict's concern for the health of his monks is evident in this chapter. Heavy meals in the summer make for a listlessness that will surely slow down any work that needs to get done. Summer is the time of harvest. He takes into account those brothers working in the fields and their need for the extra calories just to get them through the day. He is also aware that if you aren't in the fields, then you do not need so much food.

As Lay Cistercians we have to consider our use of food, of course, but we also should consider, as Benedict does, the health of others. All good virtues begin at home, and perhaps we should extend that to our local Lay Cistercian group, and even further into the world of day to day life that we can personally affect. It should be very hard for the Lay Cistercian (or any Christian) to know of a brother or sister in need of food, and not make every effort to provide that food for them.

There is a lot of concern for the starving in other nations, and God knows we should help them. Let us also help the starving and needy in our own town. Cistercian communities of monks and nuns are enclosed, and their charity is first felt and practiced right in their own community. Can we do any less in our communities?

Once I tried to set up something to benefit a national feeding of children, and was asked, will it help the children here in Nelson County? Well, that answer had to be no! Then why would I put my efforts to saving children somewhere else, when there are children right here to be helped?

Now some of my readers might wish I would interpret the dietary rules according to our personal lives and how we might eat rather like the rule says. Fine, but in that case the rule has spoken for itself and does not require anyone to explain what it means. We are not monks, we are not nuns, we do not work in fields, and we do not have to worry about lighting lamps. We should worry about our use of electricity. Since utility bills remind us of our stewardship of electricity I don't think anyone needs to be told to turn on only those lights that you need at that moment.

May God lead us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 19 July 2008

2008-07-19T06:58:00.002-04:00

Chapter 40. the Proper Amount of Drink

Everyone has his own gift from God, one this and another that (I Cor. 7:7). It is, therefore, with some uneasiness that we specify the amount of food and drink for others. However, with due regard for the infirmities of the sick, we believe that a half bottle of wine a day is sufficient for each. But those to whom God gives the strength to abstain must know that they will earn their own reward.

The superior will determine when local conditions, work or the summer heat indicates the need for a greater amount. He must, in any case, take great care lest excess or drunkenness creep in. We read that monks should not drink wine at all, but since the monks of our day cannot be convinced of this, let us at least agree to drink moderately, and not to the point of excess, for wine makes even wise men go astray (Sir 19.2).

However, where local circumstances dictate an amount much less than what is stipulated above, or even none at all, those who live there should bless God and not grumble. Above all else we admonish them to refrain from grumbling.

This is a new bent for Benedict, "with some uneasiness that we specify the amount of food and drink for others." I haven't been struck thus far with his reluctance to specify everything in the smallest detail. In Benedict's defense, and I don't know but suspect Abbots and Abbesses might back me up on this, running a monastery could be much like herding fifty cats. They say the devil is in the details. That is true, but we must also say that God is in the details, as well.

A half-bottle of wine is a lot of wine by anybodies standards. And of course, what Benedict wanted to guard against, just like with the food, is over indulgence. Which brings us directly to the applications for Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani or elsewhere. Having already discussed that yesterday, today we shall look at how Benedict uses the first scripture quotation as his reason for being reluctant to dictate who gets to eat and drink what and how much.

"Everyone has his own gift from God, one this and another that (I Cor. 7:7)." That verse comes smack in the middle of the chapter dealing with marriage, and how it's so much better to not marry at all. We cannot question a man who passed to the nearer presence of God more than a thousand years ago, about his use of scripture out of context, but we can wonder if there is a connection in some way that isn't immediately obvious to us.

The previous verse says, "This I say by way of concession, not of command. I wish that all were as I myself am." Paul was talking about staying unmarried; Benedict was talking about not drinking wine. There may well be nothing to make of this comparison, but I offer it because when scripture is lifted out of its natural context and used for something entirely different, I get curious. Clearly Benedict was very reluctant to allow the drinking of wine...at all, but because he knew human nature, and that modern day monks could not be convinced otherwise, he allowed half a bottle of wine.

Maybe the lesson for us here is to not judge others according to our own standards. God alone will judge. As Lay Cistercians it is our charism to bring that refusal to judge others to our daily lives and encounters.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting wine. Teetotalers and Sippers alike.

RB Reflection: 18 July 2008

2008-07-18T07:00:00.002-04:00

Chapter 39. The Proper Amount of Food

For the daily meals, whether at noon or in midafternoon, it is enough, we believe, to provide all tables with two kinds of cooked food because of individual weaknesses. In this way, the person who may not be able to eat one kind of food may partake of the other. Two kinds of cooked food, therefore, should suffice for all the brothers, and if fruit or fresh vegetables are available, a third dish may also be added. A generous pound of bread is enough for a day whether for only one meal or for both dinner and supper. In the latter case the cellarer will set aside one third of this pound and give it to the brothers at supper.

Should it happen that the work is heavier than usual, the abbot may decide--and he will have the authority--to grant something additional, provided that it is appropriate, and that above all overindulgence is avoided, lest a monk experience indigestion. For nothing is so inconsistent with the life of any Christian as overindulgence. Our Lord says: Take care that your hearts are not weighed down with overindulgence (Luke 21:34).

Young boys should not receive the same amount as their elders, but less, since in all matters frugality is the rule. Let everyone, except the sick who are very weak, abstain entirely from eating the meat of four-footed animals.

What the sixth century did not know about childhood development could fill entire libraries. So we pass over the business of feeding young boys less.

What strikes me as interesting in this chapter is Benedict's concern for every detail in the daily life of the monastery. It is as if experience has taught him what you do not regulate will come back as a problem. For instance, I have a terrible allergy to almonds. If I eat an almond with the skin still on it, chances are I will die. So my "individual weakness" would have been a plate of almonds on the table. Benedict provided for that by allowing two dishes per table.

I also have to wonder if fresh vegetables were so rare that when they had them they made a third dish on the table; what then were the other two dishes? Stone soup?

Okay, so he was a good administrator and someone should write a book Management According to St. Benedict, but what does this have to do with Lay Cistercians? I suggest that the paragraph about overindulgence is what most applies to us today. In a world where so many are starving to death, it is a sin for us to sit at table and eat until we can barely move. Now, I am a fat man, and confess that I have done this more times than I should have, but that doesn't change the truth of what I am saying. One doesn't need to be fat to overindulge, either.

This chapter calls us to consider our personal stewardship of God's prolific creation, whether it be food, or fossil fuels. Just because we can eat until we can't stuff in another bite, doesn't mean we should. And it does cause a torpor which leads to laziness and a nap. Nutritionist have been telling us for years if you eat until you feel full, you have already eaten too much.

Benedict already knew this.

RB Reflection: 17 July 2008

2008-07-17T08:33:00.002-04:00

Chapter 38. The Reader for the Week

Reading will always accompany the meals of the brothers. the reader should not be the one who just happens to pick up the book, but someone who will read for a whole week, beginning on Sunday. After Mass and Communion, let the incoming reader ask all to pray for him so that God may shield him from the spirit of vanity. Let him begin this verse in the oratory: Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise (Ps. 50[51]:17), and let all say it three times. When he has received a blessing, he will begin his week of reading.

Let there be complete silence. No whispering, no speaking--only the reader's voice should be heard there. The brothers should by turn serve one another's needs as they eat and drink, so that no one need ask for anything. If, however, anything is required, it should be requested by an audible signal of some kind rather than by speech. No one should presume to ask a question about the reading or about anything else, lest occasion be given [to the devil] (Eph. 4:27; I Tim. 5:14). The superior, however, may wish to say a few words of instruction.

Because of holy Communion and because the fast may be too hard for him to bear, the brother who is reader for the week is to receive some diluted wine before he begins to read. Afterward he will take his meal with the weekly kitchen servers and the attendants.

Brothers will read and sing, not according to rank, but according to their ability to benefit their hearers.

If you have spent time at Gethsemani on retreat then you know that from time to time they will play a tape of a conference given by some holy person or other. It makes the meal more interesting. The custom is very different from most family tables where people talk about their day, or siblings accuse one another...in general, family life. Some families eat in silence because one parent or the other works in such noisy conditions that they need some silence while they eat in their own home.

How does this chapter speak to us as Lay Cistercians? One way might be as a reminder to respect the food we eat. To slow down, taste the food, think of where it comes from, and what effort someone put into making it for us. Another is to value the silence, and try not to fill our lives with idle chit-chat every moment we are awake. As for being read to, oh what a luxury that would be! In an age of talking books, we can have that luxury. Let us be thankful for our food, our silence, and our technology that allows us to hear holy men and holy women speak to us.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 16 July 2008

2008-07-16T07:23:00.005-04:00

Chapter 37. The Elderly and Children.

Although human nature itself is inclined to be compassionate toward the old and the young, the authority of the rule should also provide for them. Since their lack of strength must always be taken into account, they should certainly not be required to follow the strictness of the rule with regard to food, but should be treated with kindly consideration and allowed to eat before the regular hours.

Once again, Benedict, that deep perceiver of human nature, has taken into account that if we are not reminded of our "inclination to be compassionate" that we very likely will not be compassionate. It's not what Benedict is saying in this chapter so much as what he is not saying that makes this chapter so interesting. "Since their lack of strength must always be taken into account," indicates that he had seen evidence of its not being taken into account enough, that he felt the need to include a chapter saying be nice to the old and the children.

Cases of elder abuse are on the rise. I know personally of a case where a son is taking terrible advantage of his mother with Alzheimers Disease to drain her bank accounts to feed his nefarious habits. We all read of the abuse of the elderly in certain nursing homes in the newspapers. And do I really need to list any of the cases of child abuse?

What are we as Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani to do about this? Does the lay charism call us to act for social justice? If we recall that the lay charism is different from the monastic charism then yes, it does call us to be witnesses not only of prayer and contemplation, but to uphold this chapter of the rule by our actions, witness, protest, and vigilance.

For the most part we are a bunch of contemplative people. Contemplation is not burying ones head in the sand. It wasn't all that long ago in historical time that we left the sick, elderly, or the unwanted baby behind when the clan/tribe moved on. We still hear of elderly people dying of heatstroke in houses without air conditioning because no one cared enough to check on them regularly. We still hear of infants found in garbage bags, or children locked in closets, or even grown women locked in basements.

Benedict teaches us in this chapter to open our hearts to the most vulnerable in our communities, and have a special care for them and their needs. Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani can do no less.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 15 July 2008

2008-07-15T06:37:00.003-04:00

Chapter 36. The Sick Brothers

Care of the sick must rank above and before all else, so that they may truly be served as Christ, for he said: I was sick and you visited me (Matt. 25:36), and, What you did for one of these least brothers you did for me (Matt. 35:40). Let the sick on their part bear in mind that they are served out of honor for God, and let them not by their excessive demands distress their brothers who serve them. Still, sick brothers must be patiently borne with, because serving them leads to a greater reward. Consequently, the abbot should be extremely careful the they suffer no neglect.

Let a separate room be designated for the sick, and let them be served by an attendant who is God-fearing, attentive and concerned. The sick may take baths whenever it is advisable, but the healthy, and especially the young, should receive permission less readily. Moreover, to regain their strength, the sick who are very weak may eat meat, but when their health improves, they should all abstain from meat as usual.

The abbot must take the greatest care that cellarers and those who serve the sick do not neglectd them, for the shortcomings of disciples are his responsibility.

While typing this chapter I was struck by the two quotes from Matthew, the issue of taking a bath, and not neglecting the sick. The eating of meat I won't get into because that raises more hackles than almost anything else, which in a way, is a crying shame.

Passing over all the sixth century applications, and the enclosed/monastic applications, let us move directly to how this applies to the Lay Cistercian of today.

Care of the sick must rank above and before all else, so that they may truly be served as Christ, for he said: I was sick and you visited me (Matt. 25:36), and, What you did for one of these least brothers you did for me (Matt. 35:40).

That is just as true now as it was when Jesus uttered the words. Recently in the forum there was a discussion about our prayer list, and how it should be run. It comes to mind only because of the quotes from Matthew, above. We can't visit the sick on the LCG prayer list, unless we are rich and have nothing to do but run all over the continent visiting those who are sick. We can pray for them, however. Prayer is medicine after all, for a people of faith.

This chapter is especially poignant for those of us dealing with aging and ailing parents -- and who isn't -- as time and finances are stretched to the breaking point. Some have no choice but to put their parents into nursing homes where they are forced to trust the staff to give their mother or father, some form of loving care. In our own group at least one faces that dilemma everyday of his life. That's just the one known to me, how many more are their who face that same problem and the rest of us don't even know about it?

As far as taking a bath is concerned, thank heaven we have running water (but for how long?) and can take a bath every day. The sixth century monk must have stunk. Again, the injunction against baths for the young would be an issue in a multi-generational monastery. After all, babies were given to the monastery to raise. Nothing will generate so much noise as a bunch of boys swimming in a pond.

Again, Benedict is showing us that practical applications of good sense, and a prayerful attitude toward all things in life, including the care of the sick, and not dumping them off in a nursing home just because they are inconvenient -- and I do not mean those who must have 24 hour medical care -- is not only good ministry, it is good Christianity.

Let the sick on their part bear in mind that they are served out of honor for God, and let them not by their excessive demands distress their brothers who serve them. Still, sick brothers must be patiently borne with, because serving them leads to a greater reward. Consequently, the abbot should be extremely careful the they suffer no neglect.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 13 & 14 July

2008-07-14T07:07:00.002-04:00

I am cheating today because of the length of this chapter, I have copied it lock, stock, and barrel from the OSB website.

Let the brethren serve one another, and let no one be excused from the kitchen service
except by reason of sickness or occupation in some important work. For this service brings increase of reward and of charity. But let helpers be provided for the weak ones,
that they may not be distressed by this work; and indeed let everyone have help, as required by the size of the community or the circumstances of the locality. If the community is a large one, the cellarer shall be excused from the kitchen service;
and so also those whose occupations are of greater utility, as we said above.
Let the rest serve one another in charity.

The one who is ending his week of service shall do the cleaning on Saturday. He shall wash the towels with which the brethren wipe their hands and feet; and this server who is ending his week, aided by the one who is about to begin, shall wash the feet of all the brethren. He shall return the utensils of his office to the cellarer clean and in good condition, and the cellarer in turn shall consign them to the incoming server, in order that he may know what he gives out and what he receives back.

An hour before the meal let the weekly servers each receive a drink and some bread
over and above the appointed allowance, in order that at the meal time they may serve their brethren without murmuring and without excessive fatigue. On solemn days, however, let them wait until after Mass.

Immediately after the Morning Office on Sunday, the incoming and outgoing servers
shall prostrate themselves before all the brethren in the oratory and ask their prayers.
Let the server who is ending his week say this verse: "Blessed are You, O Lord God,
who have helped me and consoled me." When this has been said three times
and the outgoing server has received his blessing, then let the incoming server follow and say, "Incline unto my aid, O God; O Lord, make haste to help me." Let this also be repeated three times by all, and having received his blessing let him enter his service.

There is a lot in this chapter and all of it deals with serving the food.

Let the brethren serve one another, and let no one be excused from the kitchen service except by reason of sickness or occupation in some important work. For this service brings increase of reward and of charity.

In other words, no one is too good to serve the community. No one is allowed to get away with an uppity attitude of "I'm much too important to do something so very lowly as serve dinner to this group of ingrates." Can you hear the upper classes of the sixth century saying that? Oh, wait, was that just yesterday I said that, and you said it too?

I am always amazed at Benedict and his knowledge of human nature

Let the server who is ending his week say this verse: "Blessed are You, O Lord God, who have helped me and consoled me."

To me, there is something almost sweet in that simple statement ending a week of, what could have been grueling, service. As Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani or anywhere else, here is the example of how we should bring to a close any service we are required to render to our community. I think this should be taken to heart by those who will soon rotate off the Executive Council.

let the incoming server follow and say, "Incline unto my aid, O God; O Lord, make haste to help me."

And this said by those who will replace them. We are called to help bring out the Charism from behind the walls of enclosure and show it to the world, as such we are the kitchen servers for our monks of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, to the secular world that needs our witness of contemplation, and silence. But not those alone! Also, loving service.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 12 July 2008

2008-07-12T06:50:00.002-04:00

Chapter 34. Distribution of Goods According to Need

It is written: Distribution was made to each one as s/he had need (Acts 4:35). By this we do not imply that there should be favoritism--God forbid--but rather consideration for weaknesses. Whoever needs less should thank God and not be distressed, but whoever needs more should feel humble because of his weakness, not self-important because of the kindness shown him. In this way all the members will be at peace. First and foremost, there must be no word or sign of the evil of grumbling, no manifestation of it for any reason at all. If, however, anyone is caught grumbling, let him/her undergo more severe discipline.

Don't show favorites, but be considerate of weakness. Benedict bases this upon just one verse of scripture -- an oddity for him -- and from it makes a rule about favoritism, and consideration of weakness. It takes no imagination to see how easily favoritism could:
1. increase the amount given to one, simply because we like him/her better, and
2. less be given to one, whom actually needs more, because we don't like him/her as well.

It is human nature to give generously to our friends, to make sure they have enough, and even more than enough. To those whom we don't like so much, we give "just enough," and not a bit more. Benedict says NO to both of those attitudes.

Whoever needs less should thank God and not be distressed, but whoever needs more should feel humble because of his weakness, not self-important because of the kindness shown him.

That fairly well puts the kibosh on the strong sneering at the weak, and the weak from saying, "see how special I am? I get more than you do." If we are honest, we all know people who fall into one category or the other. Which category are you in?

The chapter ends on the subject of grumbling. As Lay Cistercians we need to think about how much grumbling we do, at our meetings, at our retreats, in our day to day lives, with our families, etc. etc. etc.

We are the face of the Cistercian Charism to the world. We must guard the Charism by not being a bunch of grumbling folks who have pet favorites at work, and sneer at those we don't like so much. And no, I don't think we do so much of that. Yet, this is the section of the rule for today, and these questions and challenges must be raised, lest we forget.

May God bring us altogether (even grumblers) to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 11 July 2008 Feast of St. Benedict

2008-07-11T06:30:00.005-04:00

Chapter 33. Monks and Private Ownership

Above all, this evil practice must be uprooted and removed from the monastery. We mean that without an order from the abbot, no one may presume to give, receive or retain anything as his own, nothing at all -- not a book, writing tablets or stylus -- in short, not a single item, especially since monks may not have the free disposal even of their own bodies and wills. For their needs, they are to look to the father of the monastery, and are not allowed anything which the abbot has not given or permitted. All things should be common possession of all, as it is written, so that no one presumes to call anything his own (Acts 4:32).

But if anyone is caught indulging in this most evil practice, he should be warned a first and a second time. If he does not amend, let him be subjected to punishment.

There is one major lesson here, "without cost you have received; without cost you are to give." (Matthew 10). You see, what applies to monks and nuns in monastic enclosure does not necessarily apply to Lay Cistercians in the secular world. How the monks and nuns interpret this is their business; clearly though, for those of us who live in the world, we must have certain possessions, or we will live in cardboard boxes, or caves, and our families will die of exposure.

"Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give." When that scripture is taken along with this chapter of the rule we are brought face to face with the question of how much is enough? I have no intention of deciding how much is enough for YOU, the only person whom I may do that for is ME.

As Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani we must come face to face with our use of money, and the things we buy. Are we techno-freaks? Are books like crack cocaine to us? (They are to me). Do we own possessions, or do they own us? This isn't a new question or even a very original discussion of it, but here it is in the rule, confronting us.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 10 July 2008

2008-07-10T06:43:00.002-04:00

Chapter 21. The Tools and Goods of the Monastery.

The goods of the monastery, that is, its tools, clothing or anything else, should be entrusted to brothers whom the abbot appoints and in whose manner of life he has confidence. He will, as he sees fit, issue to them the various articles to be cared for and collected after use. The abbot will maintain a list of these, so that when the brothers succeed one another in their assigned tasks, he may be aware of what he hands out and what he receives back.

Whoever fails to keep the things belonging to the monastery clean or treats them carelessly should be reproved. If he does not amend, let him be subjected to the discipline of the rule.

Good tools have never been cheap. I recently bought a good Stanley chisel and the cost surprised me. It was only 5/8" wide, but I paid a goodly price for it. So too the tools of the monastery back when they numbered the years in three digits (649) and not four (1066). In fact, they had to make their tools. Treating a tool roughly, breaking it, or not cleaning it properly, was not only a breach of manners, it showed crass disrespect. To this day, if you borrow a paintbrush and do not clean it but return it full of dried paint, the owner is likely to never allow you to touch, much less borrow, another tool again. That is an easy commonality we share with the sixth century.

As Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani, what are the tools entrusted to us? The monks teach us, and their teachings are tools that we may use when we re-enter the secular world. When we return to the monastery again, in what condition are the tools we left with? Does the tool of purity return crusted in adultery? Or what about humility, does it come back broken by pride?

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 9 July 2008

2008-07-09T07:12:00.003-04:00

Chapter 31. 13-19

Above all, let him be humble. If goods are not available to meet a request, he will offer a kind word in reply, for it is written: A kind word is better than the best gift (Sir 18.17). He should take care of all that the abbot entrusts to him, and not presume to do what the abbot has forbidden. He will provide the brothers their allotted amount of food without any pride or delay, lest they be led astray. For he must remember what the Scripture says that person deserves who leads one of the little ones astray (Matt. 18:6).

If the community is rather large, he should be given helpers, that with their assistance he may calmly perform the duties of his office. Necessary items are to be requested and given at the proper times, so that no one may be disquieted or distressed in the house of God.

Today we are still with the cellarer. Isn't Benedict's choice of scripture in this section interesting: A kind word is better than the best gift (Sir 18.17), and, [anyone] who leads one of the little ones astray (Matt. 18:6). That places a true burden of kindness and compassion on the cellarer.

A burden, you say? Yes, because how often do you actually feel like responding with kindness to the person who has asked you for something for the tenth time? Or how compassionate do you feel to the hypochondriac always looking for something more? Benedict is very clear here, the cellarer is to respond with "a kind word in reply."

If we took that "kind word in reply" kind of thinking into our day to day world, which is exactly what we are called to do as Lay Cistercians, then think how it could transform the world? Think of it on a more local Lay Cistercian group level. How can the local Lay Cistercian group respond with kindness and compassion to our hosts, the monks and nuns who nourish us?

In a concrete way we are the cellarers of the Cistercian Charism in the world. We carry it with us from the monastery where we got it, into the world where we live and work. There's nothing new about helping others, or being kind or compassionate, but here we find that it is possible to do these things on behalf of the monastery of our association. The monks and nuns are in monastic enclosure. We are not. What they give to us, we must give to the world. Hence, we are the cellarers, each one of us, of our monastery.

RB Reflection: 8 July 2008

2008-07-08T07:06:00.004-04:00

Chapter 31. Qualifications of the Monastery Cellarer

As cellarer of the monastery, there should be chosen from the community someone who is wise, mature in conduct, temperate, not an excessive eater, not proud, excitable, offensive, dilatory or wasteful, but God-fearing, and like a father to the whole community. He will take care of everything, but will do nothing without an order from the abbot. Let him keep to his orders.

He should not annoy the brothers. If any brother happens to make an unreasonable demand of him, he should not reject him with disdain and cause him distress, but reasonably and humbly deny the improper request. Let him keep watch over his own soul, ever mindful of that saying of the Apostle: He who serves well secures a good standing for himself (I Tim. 3:13). He must show every care and concern for the sick, children, guests and the poor, knowing for certain that he will be held accountable for all of them on the day of judgment. He will regard all utensils and goods of the monastery as sacred vessels of the altar, aware that nothing is to be neglected. He should not be prone to greed, nor be wasteful and extravagant with the good of the monastery, but should do everything with moderation and according to the abbot's orders.

For an eye opening view into the duties of the early Cistercians click here. According to the Statute On Temporal Administration. 1999.

The Cellarer: The Abbot appoints a cellarer who is responsible for the ordinary administration of the monastery's temporal affairs. Normally, apart from the abbot, only he may act validly in the name of the monastery when incurring expenses and in legal matters" (C. 43.1). The Abbot may, however, entrust the function traditionally assumed by the cellarer to several persons, one of whom may be given the title of cellarer.

So it is easy to see that the duties of the cellarer have changed dramatically from the 6th century to the 21st century. Now that the details of what they do is out of the way, we can look more closely into how the cellarer is to do his/her duties. Let's see, there is wise, mature, temperate, not an overeater, not proud, excitable, offensive, dilatory or wasteful. In other words, you need to be stable and trustworthy to be given control of the Abbey's food, drink, properties, etc., and not a drama queen/king.

How does this fit in with Lay Cistercians? Think of our treasurers, and those in charge of arranging large scale events: they are cellarers. The LCG picnic is coming up this weekend for those who can brave the $4.00 a gallon gasoline prices (which raises all sorts of questions about what is a good steward of God's goods we take from the earth), and those who will bring food, set up for the occasion, and more importantly, stick around to clean it all up so that when we leave, no trace of our having been there is left.

There is another dimension to the cellarer that applies to each and every one of us. "He must show every care and concern for the sick, children, guests and the poor...." That is a requirement for compassion and love. Interesting that the person in charge of all the worly goods of the monastery should be required also to possess great compassoin and great love. How much compassion and love do you have? Is it enough for everyone?

Part two of the requirement is even more interesting. "He will regard all utensils and goods of the monastery as sacred vessels of the altar, aware that nothing is to be neglected." This seems to say that everything, food, drink, plates, silverware, and people, are as sacred as the vessels of the altar. Nothing is sacred in itself. Not even a newly bought chalice. It is the use of the item that makes it sacred.

As we near our retreat at the Abbey let us ask ourselves, just how we treat the goods of the monastery--in a sacred fashion? Or, as there for our disposal and nothing more?

RB Reflection: 7 July 2008

2008-07-07T07:02:00.002-04:00

Chapter 30. The Manner of Reproving Boys

Every age and level of understanding should receive appropriate treatment. Therefore, as often as boys and the young, or those who cannot understand the seriousness of the penalty of excommunication, are guilty of misdeeds, they should be subjected to severe fasts or checked with sharp strokes so that they may be healed.

I nearly skipped this chapter because I call it the brutalizing chapter. If they are slow, mentally retarded, or a young boy, then by all means, beat the hell out of them! Okay, so maybe that's not what Benedict means here, but it has been the practice of society up to the present day. And I'm sure there have always been mean spirited people who took full advantage of the latitude this chapter allowed them. Need we consider the sexual abuse scandal? I thought not.

We may consider that it was a different day and time in Benedict's day, and that's all fine with me. But who cares. What's this got to do with today for Lay Cistercians?

Does this give us the right to strike one another, especially the one who never seems to quite get it? No!

Well then, what about the one who never shows up but takes up a valuable room at the retreat? No!

Does this mean no hitting anyone? Yes!

The point here is that whatever level of understanding exists among individual members of the LCG, we must strive to help them understand on their level. Sometimes that may mean telling someone that perhaps the Lay Cistercian path just is not for them. Or even more frightening, requiring the rabblerouser to show a real penance!

If you upset your local group, do I think you should lay face down to make amends? Good heavens, no. That's just showing off. I think it's showing off when monks do it too, especially if done where someone outside the monastic community can see it. However, if you upset your local group, you might be required to make amends in some way, perhaps as easily as saying, "I'm sorry."

We must love one another as ourselves. Yet, even when loving ourselves we have to face our shortcomings and call ourselves to account. Perhaps it is time we do the same in our groups.

May God bring us altogether, the slow, the rebellious, and the young, to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 6 July 2007

2008-07-06T06:25:00.005-04:00

Chapter 29. Readmission of Brothers Who Leave the Monastery

If a brother, following his own evil ways, leaves the monastery but then wishes to return, he must first promise to make full amends for leaving. Let him be received back, but as a test of his humility he should be given the last place. If he leaves again, or even a third time, he should be readmitted under the same conditions. After this, however, he must understand that he will be denied all prospect of return.

I have been told that in the pre-Vatican II days, if a brother left Gethsemani, he was not allowed to tell anyone he was leaving; he gave back his habit, was given his street clothes, and shown to a room where his suitcase was waiting for him, and that was it. No goodbye, go God bless, just -- go back to the world of the doomed. They stopped doing that nearly forty years ago. In fact, in the 1970s they had a gathering of as many of the brothers who had left as they could find, and said, "We were wrong, and we are sorry."

It's not hard to see, though, where the older attitude came from: "following his own evil ways." However, if we place this chapter as a natural follow up to the previous chapter, where a brother is cast out of the community, then the "following his own evil ways," begins to make sense.

Since the Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani have no such procedures in place, let's think of the various relationships in our lives. When you finally realize that a friendship is toxic, what do you do? How do you handle it? If we take the spirit of the last few chapters and apply it to the relationships in our lives, then we have learned to deal with the "toxic" without the non-christian reaction of simply cutting them off like a dead branch. We learn to give chances for amendment from the other person, but in the end if they will not change how they deal with us, then they must be cut out of our lives.

As the Lay Cistercians grow, both at Gethsemani and internationally, then such structures may be put in place. Are we ready to grow that far?

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 5 July 2008

2008-07-05T07:53:00.002-04:00

Chapter 28. Those who Refuse to Amend After Frequen Reproofs

If a brother has been reproved frequently for any fault, or it he has even been excommunicated, yet does not amend, let him receive a sharper punishment: that is, let him feel the strokes of the rod. But if even then he does not reform, or perhaps becomes proud and would actually defend his conduct, which God forbid, the abbot should follow the procedure of a wise physician. After he has applied compresses, the ointment of encouragement, the medicine of divine Scripture, and finally the cauterizing iron of excommunication and strokes of the rod, and if he then perceives that his earnest efforts are unavailing, let him apply an even better remedy: he and all the brothers should pray for him so that the Lord who can do all things, may bring about the health of the sick brother. Yet if even this procedure does not heal him, then finally, the abbot must use the knife and amputate. For the Apostle says: Banish the evil one from your midst (I Cor. 5:13); and again, If the unbeliever departs, let him depart (I Cor. 7:150, lest one diseased sheep infect the whole flock.

I hope that you who read these daily reflections appreciate the fact that struggling with a chapter like this is very, very hard for me. The fact that this was all written in the 6th century doesn't help my reaction to this chapter at all. I'm deeply curious why at the last just before the amputation, is prayer finally applied? Sure, they've been praying for him all along, and Benedict is listing the various things they've tried to bring the brother back, but for God sake why is prayer listed as the last resort?

A monastery, like any community of people who have to live together, needs to deal with the rebellious one who will attract other rebellious ones to them, and eventually will end up with a monastery in full revolt and the abbot kicked out. According to legend that is exactly what happened to Benedict before he founded Monte Casino.

We must assume then that this chapter is for the good of the community, which, does make it a little easier to swallow. But, how is this applied to the Lay Cistercian community? We both glory in our lack of structure, and are hampered by our lack of structure, because absolutely nothing is in place for dealing with situations like the past few days have been talking about. Everyone just smiles and puts up with it. Is that really the right thing to do? No one wants confrontation, yet, the prophets are always confrontational. Perhaps what we need is a prophet. Even though it makes me shudder to think of a real prophet arising among us.

Somewhere in all this is a lesson for us to learn. If we claim the Rule of Benedict as guidance for our lives, then we have to come to terms with this chapter.

May God lead us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 4 July 2008

2008-07-04T06:00:00.001-04:00

Guest Comments by Barry Cappleman

RB: 27 REFLECTION- JULY 4, 2008

Let the Abbot show all care and concern towards offending brethren because "they that are in health need not a physician, but they that are sick" (Mt 9:12). Therefore, like a prudent physician he ought to use every opportunity to send consolers, namely, discreet elderly brethren, to console the wavering brother, as it were, in secret, and induce him to make humble satisfaction; and let them cheer him up "lest he be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow" (2 Cor 2:7); but, as the same Apostle saith, "confirm your charity towards him" (2 Cor 2:8); and let prayer be said for him by all.

The Abbot must take the utmost pains, and strive with all prudence and zeal, that none of the flock entrusted to him perish. For the Abbot must know that he has taken upon himself the care of infirm souls, not a despotism over the strong; and let him fear the threat of the Prophet wherein the Lord saith: "What ye saw to be fat, that ye took to yourselves, and what was diseased you threw away" (Ezek 34:3-4). And let him follow the loving example of the Good Shepherd, who, leaving the ninety-nine sheep on the mountains, went to seek the one that had gone astray, on whose weakness He had such pity, that He was pleased to lay it on His sacred shoulders and thus carry it back to the fold (cf Lk 15:5).

There is a saying in my faith denomination, “Don’t shoot the wounded.” I think that is what St Benedict is saying to us in this chapter. But we need to go one step further. We need to actually help treat the wounded back to health.

How does this apply to us as Lay Cistercians? I imagine all of us know someone who has fallen away from their faith and/or is in the midst of a very addicting and destructive lifestyle. We as Lay Cistercians are in some ways leaders in our faith groups. As leaders and co-workers with Christ, we are called by God to humbly help those who are wounded (see Galatians 6:1-5). However, we need to prepare to help others by prayer, scripture reading, public and private worship, constant self-examination, and becoming educated as lay people on ways to help others.

Saying to someone, “I will pray for you” is good and helpful as long as we do pray for that person. Saying to that person, I will pray for you” can also be a way of making ourselves feel better without having to get really involved in helping that person (See James 2:14-17).

Let us always pray and let us always be listening and looking to see how God will use us to help others and how God will further His kingdom by using us in the little things we do for others and for His glory.

Blessings to each one of you and all those you love.

RB Reflection: 3 July 2008

2008-07-03T06:51:00.004-04:00

Chapter 26. Unauthorized Association with the Excommunicated.

If a brother, acting without an order from the abbot, presumes to associate in any way with an excommunicated brother, to converse with him or to send him a message, he should receive a like punishment of excommunication.

This is challenging in a familiar way. When I was a child, if I got in trouble, my brother would often either A) attempt to comfort me, or B) rub it in that I was in trouble and he was not. Like most kids, B was the more usual option. I wonder if this chapter of the rule isn't trying to prevent that very thing. It's easy to imagine a terribly uppity monk making sure that the excommunicated monk knew how much more superior he was than the one in trouble. Humans have a hard time not rubbing salt in. This chapter usually brings to mind a punishment for those who might try to comfort the excommunicated, or slip him some extra food. That is likely, especially from his friends. However, I think what is more like is the uppity monk rubbing it in.

So what's it got to do with Lay Cistercians? To be perfectly honest, I do not know. However! I can think of a few areas where it might be useful to remember. Is there someone in your local group who just never seems to get it? Is there someone in your local group who will just never shut up? Is there someone in your local group who sometimes makes such a fool of themself that you are embarrassed for them?

In those cases I think the application of this chapter might be,
--Don't go up to the one who is slow on the uptake and say, "are you stupid of what?"
--Don't go to the blabber mouth and say, "don't you ever shut up?"
--Don't go to the one who has made a fool of themself and say, "what an idiot you are."

May God bring us all (stupid, blabbermouths and idiots) to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 2 July 2008

2008-07-02T06:18:00.002-04:00

Chapter 26. Serious Faults

A brother guilty of a serious fault is to be excluded from both the table and the oratory. No other brother should associate or converse with him at all. He will work alone at the tasks assigned to him, living continually in sorrow and penance, pondering that fearful judgment of the Apostle: Such a man is handed over for the destruction of his flesh that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord (I Cor 5:5). Let him take his food alone in an amount and at a time the abbot considers appropriate for him. He should not be blessed by anyone passing by, nor should the food that is given him be blessed.

Holy hopping hoards of hell!

Okay, I'll calm down and try to make something out of this. I knew this chapter was coming, and was hoping some brave soul would volunteer to take it, but here it is the 2nd day of July and it's up to me. In a monastic setting, the effects of this would be devastating to be so cut off from your community.

Lay Cistercians? Would we do that? If we did, who would make such a decision? The Abbot of the monastery? Our local group leader? I see the value of this chapter for monastic life. I also see that if it is applied in Lay Cistercian life that a revolution could easily occur. Feel free to disagree, but before we start pointing out those little specs in the eye of someone else, we'd better pull that log out of our own.

With that said, let's think about group meetings that are disrupted by one person, or the person who never comes, but when they do show up, are the final authority of everything that ever was. What about those who say they are Lay Cistercians but simply can't be bothered with coming to one single meeting? At some point we may have to make some rules that say "you don't show up once in a years time, you are no longer part of us."

These are not decisions to be made by one person, they should be made by the entire community.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 1 July 2008

2008-07-01T06:00:00.001-04:00

Guest Writer Barry Cappleman

RB: 24 REFLECTION- JULY 1, 2008

The degree of excommunication or punishment ought to be meted out according to the gravity of the offense, and to determine that is left to the judgment of the Abbot. If, however, anyone of the brethren is detected in smaller faults, let him be debarred from eating at the common table.

The following shall be the practice respecting one who is excluded from the common table: that he does not intone a psalm or an antiphon nor read a lesson in the oratory until he hath made satisfaction; let him take his meal alone, after the refection of the brethren; thus: if, for instance, the brethren take their meal at the sixth hour that brother will take his at the ninth, and if the brethren take theirs at the ninth, he will take his in the evening, until by due satisfaction he obtaineth pardon.

Some of the things I like about the RB are its flexibility, its realism about human nature, its accountability of its members for the sake of its members and their souls, and its lessons on forgiveness. This chapter is great example of all of the above.

St Benedict, wisely so, uses peer pressure to help the offender correct his/her fault(s). We tend to think this is an awful thing to do today but the truth of the matter is people in all societies, including ours, use peer pressure to help people comply with societal norms. Sometimes the norms of a society are healthy and for the betterment of all of society but at times the norms of society can be destructive and for betterment of only a few individuals.

St Benedict has as the goal of this system of discipline the betterment of the person’s relationship with God, others, and the overall community. When the person has made “due satisfaction” then the person is returned to full fellowship with the community and the other members of the community, hopefully, have also learned something from the offender’s lesson(s) themselves.

This chapter reflects a picture of us when we are unrepentant and have unconfessed sins in our lives. Christ still loves us, but because of our sins, we have a strained relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins, and when we repent and confess our sins, then our fellowship with God is fully restored and we can once again enjoy the peace of God. However, let us always remember Jesus is the one who made “due satisfaction” for us all on the cross.

Blessings to each one of you and all those you love

RB Reflection: 30 June 2008

2008-06-30T06:23:00.002-04:00

Chapter 23 Excommunication for Faults

If a brother is found to be stubborn or disobedient or proud, if he grumbles or in any way despises the holy rule and defies the orders of his seniors, he should be warned twice privately by the seniors in accord with our Lord's injunction (Matt 18:15-16). If he does not amend, he must be rebuked publicly in the presence of everyone. But if even then he does not reform, let him be excommunicated, provided that he understands the nature of this punishment. If however he lacks understanding, let him undergo corporal punishment.

Should we let this chapter serve as a lesson that if you are not a cooperative Lay Cistercian you may end up being whipped?

For heaven sake, no! Many people read this chapter, come to the last sentence, and then promptly forget everything that came before.

Do you know any Lay Cistercian who is;
1. Stubborn?
2. Disobedient?
3. Proud?
4. Complainer/Grumbler?
5. Pooh-poohs the rule?
6. Blatantly ignores what the seniors of the group tell them?

Are you one of those? Personally, I am every one of those things at some point, not just in my Lay Cistercian life, but in life in general. Although, Praise be to God, I am less of each because of the conversion of life that is part of the Lay Cistercian life. We all have each of those six things in us, but the grace of Christ is always available to us. Let us then throw ourselves upon the grace of Christ.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 29 June 2008

2008-06-29T07:06:00.002-04:00

Chapter 22. The Sleeping Arrangements of the Monks

The monks are to sleep in separate beds. They receive bedding as provided by the abbot, suitable to monastic life.

If possible, all are to sleep in one place, but should the size of the community preclude this, they will sleep in groups of ten or twenty under the watchful care of seniors. A lamp must be kept burning in the room until morning.

They sleep clothed, and girded with belts or cords; but they should remove their knives, lest they accidentally cut themselves in their sleep. Thus the monks will always be ready to arise without delay when the signal is given; each will hasten to arrive at the Work of God before the others, yet with all dignity and decorum. The younger brothers should not have their beds nest to each other, but interspersed among those of the seniors. On arising for the Work of God, they will quietly encourage each other, for the sleepy like to make excuses.

When you were young did you ever go to a sleep over? Or to camp? Remember how raucous things could get, that is until the counselor came to bed and quieted everyone down. I imagine Benedict faced the same thing and decided that two young men in beds next to each other will keep up a giggle/farting fest, until no one in the room can sleep and everyone is laughing. They would be much less likely to do that with a senior beside them.

Lay Cistercians are reminded here to keep the same decorum that Benedict expected of his monks. Whatever your profession, think about the last convention you attended and that should remind you how important it is to keep some decorum. Also, in the darkness people can get up to all sorts of naughty things, not the least of which is late night raids on the kitchen. So Benedict said, keep a lamp lit all night.

What type of decorum do you keep in your night life? Is it filled with prayer? Television? A quiet evening with a good book? The list of "or is it filled with..." could go on and on, and not one thing on that last be edifying, healthy, or sinless.

Let us remember this chapter of the rule the next time we gather at the Abbey of Gethsemani for our retreat. The monks remember us [LCG] most of all for the noise we make, the chatter we carry on in the places marked "silence."

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 28 June 2008

2008-06-28T06:54:00.002-04:00

Chapter 21. The Deans of the Monastery

If the community is rather large, some brothers chosen for their good repute and holy life should be made deans. They will take care of their groups of ten, managing all affairs according to the commandments of God and the orders of their abbot. The deans selected should be the kind of men with whom the abbot can confidently share the burdens of his office. They are to be chosen for virtuous living and wise teaching, not for their rank.

If perhaps one of these deans is found to be puffed up with any pride, and so deserving of censure, he is to be reproved once, twice and even a third time. Should he refuse to amend, he must be removed from office and replaced by another who is worthy. We prescribe the same course of action in regard to the prior.

The Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani is a large group with over one hundred members. Twenty-eight states, and even some members in Canada, makes us an international group, so if any group needs Deans, it is the LCG. Each regional group has a leader, someone who facilitates the meetings, and to some extent keeps watch over the spiritual health of the group members. I wish there were as many monks at Gethsemani Abbey as their are members of the LCG, but that in itself is a sign of the new movement of the Charism we share with the monks/nuns.

What strikes me in today's reading is the deans should be under the orders of the Abbot. As LCG we have no official abbot, other than Abbot Elias, and it yet remains to be seen how he will interact with us. I am not alone in longing for an obedience to the Abbot of Gethsemani. Time will tell, and as I am fond of saying to friends, time brings all things.

The other striking image is "puffed up with pride." The passage serves as a warning to all of us that when we are given a task, small or large, that we do it without putting up a neon sign over our heads proclaiming, "Important Lay Cistercian Here." It also hearkens back to earlier chapters of the Rule, namely, chapter 7, Humility. More and more it is revealed to me how the Rule is a tapestry, always weaving what has come before into the pattern of right now.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 27 June 2008

2008-06-27T07:04:00.002-04:00

Chapter 20. Revernce in Prayer

Whenever we want to ask some favor of a powerful man, we do it humbly and respectfully, for fear of presumption. How much more important, then, to lay our petitions before the Lord God of all things with the utmost humility and sincere devotion. We must know that God regards our purity of heart and tears of compunction, not our many words. Prayer should therefore be short and pure, unless perhaps it is prolonged under the inspiration of divine grace. In community, however, prayer should always be brief; and when the superior gives the signal, all should rise together.

Today we have left the neighborhood of liturgical instructions, but are still discussing prayer. For Lay Cistercians prayer should be the first thing on our minds in the morning, then punctuate our day, and be the final act of the evening.

It is interesting that we are taught to pray short prayers, and with not too many words. Occasionally when people lead a public prayer it goes on so long that everyone starts to wonder just what is s/he really trying to say. Or is it, what are they trying to prove? Somewhere in the bible it says something like "you will not be saved by many words."

Also interesting in today's reading is how Benedict acknowledges the occasional prolongation of prayer by the Holy Spirit. Oh! that is indeed a blessed moment in prayer, when the Holy Spirit holds rapt our attention, teaching us. Is that not the reason we are Lay Cistercians to begin with? Did we not feel our hearts thrill within us when we first decided that the "it" we encountered in the Cistercian monastery had to be God calling us to kind of life that demanded a certain Rule, a certain expression? Did we not find it in the silent solemnity of Cistercian worship speaking to us in the deepest levels of our psyche?

If Huerta has shown anything, it has shown that this is a feeling shared by Lay Cistercians world wide, independent of one another, independent of culture, or background. This is a call from God, and Benedict is here to help show us the way.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 26 June 2008

2008-06-26T08:00:00.004-04:00

Chapter 19. The Discipline of Psalmody

We believe that the divine presence is everywhere and that in every place the eyes of the Lord are watching the good and the wicked (Prov. 15:3). But beyond the least doubt we should believe this to be especially true when we celebrate the divine office.

We must always remember, therefore, what the Prophet says: Serve the Lord with fear (Ps 2:11) and again, Sing praise wisely (Ps 46[47]:8); and, In the presence of the angels I will sing to you (Ps 137[138]:1). Let us consider, then, how we ought to behave in the presence of God and his angels, and let us stand to sing the psalms in such a way that our minds are in harmony with our voices.

In these reflections it is not the purpose to make the reflections deep, spiritual treatises. No, the purpose is to assist us in our Lay Cistcercian life -- yes, to remember the prayers, and the vast importance Benedict has laid upon them -- as we learn to act in such a way as "our minds are in harmony with our voices."

Regular readers know how I have been harping for weeks now about the meeting at Huerta and the changes that will inevitably comes about as a result of our asking the OCSO for a deeper relationship: heck, for outright recognition. "The times they are a changin'" sang Bob Dylan, and for all of us the times are changing.

The changes that are coming, and the challenge to deeper and more serious prayer by Benedict, should push us to ever deeper reflection into what this Lay Cistercian Charism really means for each of us in our lives. We'll no doubt be asked to give up certain cherished practices to take up something new. If we are serious, we will do it. If we are playing at being monks/nuns then we'll balk and resist and complain and....didn't Benedict have something to say about that early on in the Rule? It might even mean that those of us who want to be Lay Cistercian's but can't be bothered to come to the local meetings have to either ante up or move on.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life. Not one at a time, but altogether.

RB Reflection 25 June 2008

2008-06-25T07:25:00.002-04:00

The remaining psalms not accounted for in this arrangement for the day hours are distributed evenly at Vigils over the seven nights of the week. Longer psalms are to be divided so that twelve psalms are said each night.

Above all else we urge that if anyone find this distribution of the psalms unsatisfactory, he should arrange whatever he judges better, provided that the full complement of one hundred and fifty psalms is by all means carefully maintained ever week, and that the series begins anew each Sunday at Vigils. For monks who in a week's time say less that the full psalter with the customary canticles betray extreme indolence and lack of devotion in their service. We read, after all, that our holy Fathers, energetic as they were, did all this in a single day. Let us hope that we, lukewarm as we are, can achieve it in a whole week.

And so ends for days worth of Chapter 18. I am not sorry to see it go. It is not easy to squeeze spiritual meaning out of an arrangement of psalms to be said at certain hours. Especially as it seems that no particular spiritual reason was at work in their selection. But, as Benedict told me in our dialog the other day, it's not the when and how many, it's the psalms themselves which are important.

There is a matter of obedience in this chapter. Benedict sets out the prayers so that we don't have to waste time figuring out what goes where, and when. He also makes certain that we understand there should be no shirking of the full 150 psalms. It's not the psalms he's so worried about, I think, so much as our prayer. Do we pray enough? Do we join our prayer with the church by praying the psalms?

As Lay Cistercian's of Gethsemani we are a varied group of people who keep our rule of life in many different ways. Our meetings are different, our focus in group is different, but we share the charism which is the same no matter what group you belong to. When the Mixed General Meeting of Abbots and Abbesses next year, hears the results of the meeting at Huerta, they will make a decision, and that decision is something by which we must abide.

There is always wiggle room, just like Benedict allows when he says, and I paraphrase without remorse, if someone can find a better way of doing it, then go for it, just get it all said in one week.

RB Refelction: 24 June 2008

2008-06-24T06:52:00.002-04:00

Four psalms are sung each day at Vespers, starting with Psalm 109 and ending with Psalm 147, omitting the psalms in this series already assigned to other hours, namely, Psalms 117 through 127, Psalm 133 and Psalm 142. All the remaining psalms are said at Vespers. Since this leaves three psalms too few, the longer ones in the series should be divided: that is, Psalms 138, 143, and 144. And because Psalm 116 is short, it can be joined to Psalm 115. This is the order of psalms for Vespers; the rest is as arranged above: the reading, responsory, hymn, versicle and canticle. The same psalms--4, 90 and 133--are said each day at Compline.

Yesterday Benedict taught us that the psalms are profound. Today I would say they are the most profound prayers we can utter. It never fails when I get up in the morning, or sit down at night to pray, no matter my mood, there is something in one of the psalms that speaks directly to me!

With the importance of Psalmody established, let us now look at the importance of order, both in the monastery and in the Lay Cistercian's of Gethsemani. Benedict knew that if he did not set out a detailed liturgical list of what psalm for what day, the potential for trouble was present. "I don't like that psalm, let's not do it." Or, "Let's move that one to Tuesday, it's so depressing on Monday."

Lay Cistercian's are going to be confronted with changes that will come about as a result of the Encounter at Huerta. We do not know what is coming. In a way, we are very much like the monks and nuns of the Sixth Century before Benedict wrote the Rule. Now that the Lay Cistercian ball is in the OCSO's court, so to speak, we have to be prepared to do as they ask. In essence, we have asked them to be our Benedict. We have asked for guidance, and must be prepared to take what they give. It might be a detailed list, like Benedict's liturgical rules, or shockingly little, we do not yet know.

Are we ready to do that? Are we prepared to do as they ask us to do? Or shall we be like the mythical monk and say "Let's move that one to Tuesday, it's so depressing on Monday."

RB Reflection: 22 & 23 June

2008-06-23T06:00:00.001-04:00

Chapter 18. The Order of the Psalmody

Each of the day hours begins with the verse, God, come to my assistance; Lord, Make hast to help me. followed by "Glory be to the Father" and the appropriate hymn.

Then, on Sunday at Prime, four sections of Psalm 118/119 are said. At the other hours, that is, at Terce, Sext and None, three sections of this psalm are said. On Monday three psalms are said at Prime: Psalm 1, 2 and 6. At Prime each day thereafter until Sunday, three psalms are said in consecutive order as far as Psalm 19. Psalms 9 and 17 are each divided into two sections. In this way, Sunday Vigils can always begin with Psalm 20.

On Monday at Terce, Sext and None, the remaining nine sections of Psalm 118 are said, three sections at each hour. Psalm 118 is thus completed in two day, Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday, three psalms are said at each of the hours of Terce, Sext and None. The same psalms are repeated at these hours daily up to Sunday. Likewise, the arrangement of hymns, readings and versicles for these days remains the same. In this way, Psalm 118 will always begin on Sunday.

STEVE: Okay, so what am I supposed to make of this.
BENEDICT: That the most important things need to be dealt with first.
STEVE: We're already to chapter 18, I'd hardly call this dealing with most important first.
BENEDICT: That's not really the truth. The first seven chapters dealt with Kinds of monks, the abbot, counsel, tools for good works, obedience, restraint of speech, and humility. We start Chapter 8 with The Divine office at night. We are still talking about the Divine Office ten chapters later, and will continue to talk about it for three more days.
STEVE: Yeah, yeah. Fine, but I have to make sense of this for a bunch of Lay Cistercian's who are going to be waiting for me to say something profound.
BENEDICT: Why? Are the Psalms themselves not profound enough? Have I gone to all this trouble to write about the importance of the Psalms only to have them ignored for some "perceived" profound thing you might have to say?
STEVE: (bowing his head with both hands on his chest) Forgive me.

RB Reflection: 21 June 2008

2008-06-21T06:30:00.002-04:00

Chapter 17. The Number of Psalms to be Sung at These Hours

We have already established the order for psalmody at Vigils and Lauds. Now let us arrange the remaining hours. Three psalms are to be said at Prime, each followed by Glory be to the Father. The Hymn for this hour is sung after the opening versicle God, come to my assistance, before the psalmody begins. One reading follows the three psalms, and the hour is concluded with a versicle, "Lord, have mercy" and the dismissal.

Prayer is celebrated in the same way at Terce, Sext and None: that is, the opening verse, the hymn appropriate to each hour, three psalms, a reading with a versicle, "Lord, have mercy" and the dismissal. If the community is rather large, refrains are used with the psalms; if it is smaller, the psalms are said without refrain.

At Vespers the number of psalms should be limited to four, with refrain. After these psalms there follow: a reading and responsory, an Ambrosian hymn, a versicle, the Gospel Canticle, the litany, and immediately before the dismissal, the Lord's Prayer.

Compline is limited to three psalms without refrain. After the psalmoday comes the hymn for this hour, followed by a reading, a versicle, "Lord, have mercy," a blessing and the dismissal.

As always, we are challenged by the liturgical rules set out in the RB, not because they are unclear, but because they are so complete. One might say they are uncompromising. Now, in the 6th Century I doubt that much existed in the way of liturgical rules for monks leading the cenobitic life, unless of course they were living in Egypt, in which case you were up all night chanting psalms. In fact, there is every reason to believe that Benedict shortened the list of psalms that had to be chanted daily.

As Lay Cistercian's we are tempted to say, so what? What does the practice of ancient monks/nuns have to do with me, and my life as a busy 21st Century person? All week long we've been talking about these various hours of prayer, and how we might adapt our lives as modern Lay Cistercian's to the already demanding schedule of day to day life in the secular world.

The point is that prayer is important and must be given every bit as much attention as we give to how we earn, or spend, our money. As Lay Cistercian's, especially, we should be grasping that point, and holding it under our shirts, close to our hearts. Someone said that as we pray we rise, and as we forget we fall. That little business of tying our shoe to have a private moment in our work day to say an Our Father, that's not some cutesy image I cooked up, it's a necessity for our lives as Christians and as Lay Cistercian's.

Benedict is beating his head against the wall doing his best to teach us, even now, that prayer, even in the most minute detail, matters. May God, through Benedict's tireless teaching, bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 20 June 2008

2008-06-20T06:34:00.002-04:00

Chapter 16. The Celebration of the Divine Office During the Day

The prophet says: Seven times a day have I praised you (Ps. 118[119]:164). We will fulfill this sacred number of seven if we satisfy our obligations of service at Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline, for it was of these hours during the day that he said: Seven times a day have I praised you. Concerning Vigils, the same Prophet says: At midnight I arose to give you praise (Ps. 118[119]:62). Therefore we should praise our Creator for his just judgments at these times: Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline; and let us arise at night to give him praise (Ps 118[119]:164, 62).

While it would be a lot of fun for me to get into all the details of these offices, and the history of Prime from its purpose of keeping the monks awake, all the way to the suppression of Prime by Vatican II, that is not the point of this blessedly short chapter.

Benedict goes to a great deal of trouble here to make it plain that the entire day, and part of the night itself, is holy to the Lord. We are never to be so busy that God is forgotten for the sake of writing an email, returning that phone call, or running the kids to soccer practice. There's nothing wrong with any of those things, so long as they are not excuses for why we do not pray.

We've talked before in these reflections that working people cannot afford to stop everything, say three psalms and an Our Father, and then go back to work. In fact, doing that might get you fired. We have also discussed that nothing stops you from at least turning your mind to God, as often as you can during the day. As helps to remember: tie your shoe or some other common task, at 9am, noon, and 3pm, take those moments to recall God, to turn your heart to God.

As Lay Cistercian's we have takent this Rule of Benedict as our own, to live according to our lay state of life. That means we are bound to pray at least Lauds and Vespers. Personally, I like Office of Readings and Vespers. I don't think God cares much which we use for what time, so long as the praying gets done.

Another lesson there might be that we not get so caught up in our rules and regulations in the coming months and years, as the Lay Cistercian movement grows into maturity, that we forget just why we started this in the first place.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 19 June 2008

2008-06-19T06:00:00.001-04:00

Guest Comments by Sue Kephart

The Holy Rule of St. Benedict

Chapter 15: At what times “Alleluia” is to be said

Feb 18-June 19-Oct 19

From holy Easter until Pentecost without interruption

Let “Alleluia” be said

both in the Psalms and in the responsories.

From Pentecost to the beginning of Lent

let it be said every night

with the last six Psalms of the night Office only.

On every Sunday, however, outside of Lent,

The canticles, the Morning Office, Prime, Terce, Sext and None

shall be said with “Alleluia,”

but Vespers with antiphons.

The responsories are never to be said with “Alleluia”

except from Easter to Pentecost.

Alleluia: Praise the Lord! A popular expression among many Christians today. However, in our reading today St. Benedict restricts the use of the Alleluia. I may know why. Those LCG members in liturgical traditions go through the seasons of the church year. Other LCG members in other Christian traditions do not. “Every day is the same in the Lord”, I’ve been told.

God may be the same today, tomorrow and yesterday. But I admit I am not. The change of the church seasons reminds me of my desert times, my close times and times of seeking. With the changes in the Daily Office as St. Benedict has arranged it everyone from all traditions can sense the ever changing human condition in our relationship to the Lord.

In my tradition we bury the Alleluia the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. In my congregation it is done with children’s Alleluia banners waving to the strains of the Jambalaya Dixieland Band. Buried until “the appointed time”. Then long dreary Lenten season begins. Sometimes I long for a little alleluia. Palm Sunday, Holy Week. A time of quiet remembrance.

Then with the children’s new Alleluia banners leading the processional the appointed time is here, the Resurrection of Our Lord. Alleluia, all of us of all traditions can shout together, “He has risen, Alleluia. He has risen indeed Alleluia, Alleluia”.

Alleluia without interruption!!

LCG grandma

RB Reflection: 18 June 2008

2008-06-18T07:19:00.002-04:00

Feb. 17 - June 18 - Oct. 18

Chapter 14. The Celebration of Vigils on the Anniversaries of Saints.

On the feasts of saints, and indeed on all solemn festivals, the Sunday order of celebration is followed, although the psalms, refrains and readings proper to the day itself are said. The procedure, however, remains the same as indicated above.

When the monks and nuns celebrate a solemnity, they treat the day as a Sunday. No work is done on Sunday, so treating a solemnity (like the Sacred Heart) as a Sunday is a way of making the day special. In our lives, too, we have special days, birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations of graduation. What Benedict is showing us here is that yes, indeed, celebrate the special days, give them the same importance you would a Sunday.

I'm not saying take off work on every saint's day, but it wouldn't hurt us to pay more attention to each others special days of celebration. If someone in your local Lay Cistercian group has reached a milestone, then make a celebration out of it. Support them in it, send a card, make a phone call, or at the very least send them an email saying "Hey, thinking of you, and loving you."

God is Love. How easy it is to forget that. Benedict here is reminding us that God doesn't want us to work all the time, that we need to make certain days special, and always, give thanks to God for every moment we live.

Father's day has just passed. How many men are barely known by their children because all they do is work? It's a celebration set aside to celebrate a man, who far too often, the children don't even know. Benedict calls us to remember the Anniversaries of Saints, and the special days of our lives, our local Lay Cistercian groups, and all the people in our lives.

May God lead us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 17 June 2008

2008-06-17T07:08:00.002-04:00

Feb. 16 - June 17 - Oct. 17

Chapter 13. 12-14

Assuredly, the celebration of Lauds and Vespers must never pass by without the superior's reciting the entire Lord's Prayer at the end for all to hear, because thorns of contention are likely to spring up. Thus warned by the pledge they make to one another in the very words of this prayer: Forgive us as we forgive (Matt. 6:12), they may cleanse themselves of this kind of vice. At other celebrations, only the final part of the Lord's Prayer is said aloud, that all may reply: But deliver us from evil (Matt 6:13).

To be perfectly honest, I am angry today so this selection from the rule has immediately and personal application. "Forgive us as we forgive," today, shall be my motto. The reasons of my anger are not important, but the results of my anger could be very important IF I forget for one second "forgive as us as we forgive."

What about you? How good are you at handling your anger, and forgiving?
Since this is a daily reflection, I think I've said all that needs saying today. May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 15 & 16 June 2008

2008-06-16T06:36:00.002-04:00

Feb. 14 - June 15 - Oct 15

Chapter 12, The Celebration of the Solemnity of Lauds

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

February 15, June 16, October 16

Chapter 13: How the Morning Office Is to Be Said on Weekdays

On weekdays
the Morning Office shall be celebrated as follows.
Let Psalm 66 be said without an antiphon
and somewhat slowly,
as on Sunday,
in order that all may be in time for Psalm 50,
which is to be said with an antiphon.
After that let two other Psalms be said according to custom,
namely:
on Monday Psalms 5 and 35,
on Tuesday Psalms 42 and 56,
on Wednesday Psalms 63 and 64,
on Thursday Psalms 87 and 89,
on Friday Psalms 75 and 91,
and on Saturday Psalm 142 and the canticle from Deuteronomy,
which is to be divided into two sections
each terminated by a "Glory be to the Father."
But on the other days let there be a canticle from the Prophets,
each on its own day as chanted by the Roman Church.
Next follow the Psalms of praise,
then a lesson of the Apostle to be recited from memory,
the responsory, the Ambrosian hymn, the verse,
the canticle from the Gospel book,
the litany, and so the end.

The praise of God is serious business, as we have discussed before here, and Benedict leaves nothing to chance. Another aspect of these liturgical instructions is if it's once settled, then there's arguing about "I'd rather do Psalm 89 on Friday." Or, "I am not fed by Psalm 89, so we shall omit it altogether."

How to relate this to Lay Cistercian's living in the secular world? I think it must be related to as the as decisions that have come from the International Lay Encounter of 2008, the request for official recognition from the OCSO, and being prepared for what the OCSO may require of us.

As we all know, some of the rank and file of the order are not for us, and some are very much for us. When the assembled Abbots and Abbesses hear this request next year, they must take into consideration all of those monks and nuns for whom they are responsible, and the rather clear appearance of this Charism among the laity.

They may ask of us things that will irk some, anger a few, please many, and drive some away: all of that is left to the will of God and action of the Holy Spirit. But! We must abide by what they ask of us, because we have sat at the gate begging admittance. Now it will be up to us to bring ourselves into line with what they want. It will be up to us to accept that some of our local groups may have to change.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 14 June 2008

2008-06-14T06:04:00.003-04:00

Feb. 13 - June 14 - Oct. 14

Chapter 11: The Celebration of Vigils on Sunday

On Sunday the monks should arise earlier for Vigils. In 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, but "Glory be to the Father" is added only to the fourth. When the cantor begins it, all immediately rise in reverence.

After these readings the same order is repeated: six more psalms with a refrain as before, a versicle, then four more readings and their responsories, as above. Next, three canticles from the Prophets, chosen by the abbot, are said with an "alleluia" refrain. After a versicle and the abbot's blessing, four New Testament readings follow with their responsories, as above. After the fourth responsory, the abbot begins the hymn "We praise you, God." When that is finished, he reads from the Gospels while all the monks stand with respect and awe. At 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 begins.

This arrangement for Sunday Vigils should be followed at all times, summer and winter, unless -- God forbid -- the monks happen to arise too late. In that case, the readings or responsories will have to be shortened. Let 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.

It strikes me as funny that not only do they get up earlier on Sunday for Vigils, they have moderation in quantity. Moderation? Fourteen psalms and at least eight readings, with as many responsories, and canticles, and the Te Deum, and a gospel reading? Wow, aren't you glad you weren't a monk in Benedict's monastery!

It's easy to get caught up in the details of how many psalms, responsories, readings, etc., but to do that is to miss the entire point of the chapter. The work of God is serious business, and we must take great care to make certain that we approach it with due seriousness.

Nothing is more disconcerting than a disorganized Lauds or Vespers. It's almost always in an informal setting, and a lot of time wasted while the leader hurriedly turns pages in the book he/she should already have marked, and ready to go. If that is annoying in the informal setting, imagine it in the monastic setting. What if the next time you were at the Abbey of Gethsemani, expecting the usual orderly progression, and one side starts psalm 115 while the other side is singing 116?

As Lay Cistercian's we must be aware of the need for order in our lives, our prayers, our local communities, and in the wide world of International Lay Cistercian's. We have come to the point of asking the Abbots/Abbesses of the Order for some type of formal relationship between our Lay groups and their monastic communities. This is the time for preparedness, and order.

RB Reflections: 13 June 2008

2008-06-13T06:51:00.002-04:00

Feb. 12 - June 13 - Oct. 13

Chapter 10. The Arrangement of the Night Office in Summer

From Easter until the first of November, the winter arrangement for the number of psalms is followed. But 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. In 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.

How practical Benedict is! He knew that if the sun rose before the monks had a chance to get to the bathroom before they had to start Lauds, that he would have messy situation on his hands. Although, the image is kinda funny, that is not my intention. The point is, he is a practical man in everything he says in the rule.

This chapter shows that corners sometimes have to be cut in order to fulfill the real duty. In this case, the real duty is getting those fourteen psalms said while it was still night. To accomplish this he decided to cut the three readings down to one, and it was recited by heart! What a great knowledge of scripture Benedict expected from his monks. We have only to remember yesterday when he said if there is time after Vigils those who need to study the readings or the psalms should do so before Lauds.

The lesson for us as Lay Cistercian's might be that we too need to be practical in our arrangements, not only in our prayers, but also in the way we live day to day. We have said time and again that we are not wanna be monks, or wanna be nuns, so to be Cistercian, and true to our status as lay people, we must cut a corner or two ourselves. The circumstances of our lives -- again recalling Fr. Michael's formation paper -- must dictate not only our obedience, but how we conduct our prayer lives, as well.

Although Benedict doesn't come right out and say it, he makes practical cuts for the summer months. Benedict is not paring down the office because it's too long for him, he pares it down so they can finish before sunrise, go to the bathroom, and still get to Lauds by the time the sun comes up. In the same way we must be practical in our lives as Lay Cistercian's. Balancing a life of prayer, contemplation, lectio divina, work, study, and conversion of manners (life), and still hold down a job, raise a family and obey the laws of the land -- is not an easy task. Sometimes cutting corners has to be done.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 12 June 2008

2008-06-12T07:33:00.003-04:00

Feb. 11 - June 12 - Oct. 12

In winter time as defined above,
there is first this verse to be said three times:
"O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare Your praise."
To it is added Psalm 3 and the "Glory be to the Father,"
and after that Psalm 94 to be chanted with an antiphon
or even chanted simply.
Let the Ambrosian hymn follow next,
and then six Psalms with antiphons.
When these are finished and the verse said,
let the Abbot give a blessing;
then, all being seated on the benches,
let three lessons be read from the book on the lectern
by the brethren in their turns,
and after each lesson let a responsory be chanted.
Two of the responsories are to be said
without a "Glory be to the Father"
but after the third lesson
let the chanter say the "Glory be to the Father,"
and as soon as he begins it let all rise from their seats
out of honor and reverence to the Holy Trinity.

The books to be read at the Night Office
shall be those of divine authorship,
of both the Old and the New Testament,
and also the explanations of them which have been made
by well known and orthodox Catholic Fathers.

After these three lessons with their responsories
let the remaining six Psalms follow,
to be chanted with "Alleluia."
After these shall follow the lesson from the Apostle,
to be recited by heart, the verse and the petition of the litany,
that is "Lord, have mercy on us."
And so let the Night Office come to an end.

Due to the fact that the amount of typing required to get this chapter into the email was something I couldn't face so early in the morning, I lifted it wholesale from the OSB.org website.

For someone like me who loves liturgical books, and rubrics in those books, this chapter is a treasure trove, a view into the liturgical life of the 6th Century. One thing is clear, they chanted fourteen psalms before daylight. Fourteen! Do you chant more than three in a single day?

I'm not making a comparison between us as Lay Cistercians in the early 21st Century and Benedict's community in the 6th. We are not in the same situation. Not even the Trappists have fourteen psalms at Vigils. What is clear, though, is that the Work of God was so important to Benedict that he left nothing to chance. That is the lesson for us today.

We must not leave our prayers to chance, we must approach them with the same reverence and clarity which Benedict used when he set out the numbers of psalms for his monks. Yesterday I wrote that the little hours during the day can be covered with a short Hail Mary, or Our Father, and I stand behind that, yet, our Lauds and Vespers must not be so lackadaisical.

From today's spectacular arrangement of Vigils, a feat we should admire considering he had very little in the way of references to guide him, let us take the lesson that the Work of God is serious business. The life given to God must be one that is serious in its prayers. God demands all of us, "our selves, souls and bodies," as the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, puts it. Or, as Frank Sinatra sang, "Why not take all of me?"

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 11 June 2008

2008-06-11T07:38:00.002-04:00

Feb. 10 - June 11 - Oct. 11

Chapter 8: The Divine Office at Night

During the winter season, that is, from the first of November until Easter, it seems reasonable to arise at the eighth hour of the night. By sleeping until a little past the middle of the night, the brothers can arise with their food fully digested. In the time remaining after Vigils, those who need to learn some of the psalter or readings should study them.

Between 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 of nature's needs. Then, at daybreak, Lauds should follow immediately.

At first glance this appears to be one of those "yeah, so what" readings. Certainly it's main concern is the hour of Vigils and what happens after Vigils. In the winter it will be dark longer so fill up the time with study of psalms and readings. In summer, the sun rises much earlier so make sure Vigils is done early enough so the monks can get to the bathroom before the sun rises and Lauds begins. The end. Right? Not quite. What is said above it certainly true, but there are other levels of meaning at work here, which I shall try to pick out without doing too much harm to the text.

First I'm going to lift a story of the desert Father's from Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB. which she herself lifted from the Philokalia.

Once upon a time the disciples asked Abba Agathon, "Amongst all good works, which is the virtue which requires the greatest effort?" Abba Agathon answered, "I think there is no labor greater than that of prayer to God. For every time we want to pray, our enemies, the demons, want to prevent us, for they know that it is only by turning us from prayer that they can hinder our journey. What ever good work a person undertakes, if they persevere in it, they will attain rest. But prayer is warfare to the last breath."

Prayer is warfare to the last breath. Hmmm. We will return to that thought later.

This chapter is devoted to the hour of Vigils. Before electricity people went to bed when it got dark. If you stayed up much past dark, you were using up valuable resources, such as candles, or lamp oil. If you went to bed at dark, you were going to wake up in the middle of the night, no two ways about it, unless you were one of those lucky few who can sleep fourteen hours at a time.

For us as Lay Cistercians, we are tempted to think, "well, I have to be at work in the morning so I'm not getting up at two or three in the morning for Vigils." Not only is it tempting, it's right to think that, because we are not called to be monks/nuns. We are called, however, to have Vigils, even if that means getting up an hour earlier than we want.

Now to the business of Abbot Agathon telling us that prayer is "warfare to the last breath." Undoubtedly, one of the main things that attracts Lay Cistercians is the fact that the monks/nuns break up the day with a relentless round of prayers. I have heard monks say that the moment you get something going in the groove, the bell rings and you have to stop and go to prayers. There is temptation then to skip the prayers, especially the little hours, and just go on with what you were doing.

Look at Abba Agathon again. "Every time we want to pray, our enemies, the demons, want to prevent us, for they know that it is only by turning us from prayer that they can hinder our journey." So we say, I can't afford to lose my sleep getting up earlier, or, I can't say the little hours in the middle of my work day.

Let me ask you? How long does it take to lean down and tie your shoe? We are taught that the desire to pray, is itself a prayer, so that in the time it takes to lean down and tie your shoe you can turn your mind to God for a moment, say a Hail Mary, or Our Father, and go right on with your work, without anyone knowing that you have done it.

May God bring us altogether to everlasting life. Amen.

RB Refelction: 10 June 2008

2008-06-10T07:33:00.002-04:00

Feb. 9 - June 10 - Oct. 10

The 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 at 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. Judging himself always guilty on account of his sins, he should consider that he is already at the fearful judgment, and 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). And with the Prophet: I am bowed down and humbled in every way (Ps. 37[38]:7-9; Ps. 118[119]: 107).

Now, therefore, after ascending all these steps of humility, the monk will quickly arrive at that perfect love of God which casts out fear (I John 4:18). through this love, all that he once performed with dread, he will now begin to observe without effort, as though naturally, from habit, no longer out of fear of hell, but out of love for Christ, good habit and delight in virtue. All this the Lord will by the Holy Spirit graciously manifest in his workman now cleansed of vices and sins.

We started Chapter 7 on May 26th, and finish it today, June 10. Benedict had a lot to say about humility. At the same time we have to say that we have a lot to learn about humility. I agree with Sr. Joan Chittister OSB, "bowing and scraping have long been out of style." We live in a culture where high flying pride seems to be the only acceptable behavior. We are told that without a somewhat excessive pride, we are not being true to ourselves.

So we have to ask, which self are we talking about? We all know there is a real self, and a false self. All Lay Cistercians should be striving to live in the real self. In seeking our real selves we do not hold an exaggerated opinion of our own value (now where have we heard that before!), nor do we have an masochistic humility masquerading as true humility before the Lord.

Think, though, of the monks and nuns we encounter at the monasteries of our association. Do they not mostly keep their eyes to themselves, not glancing hither and yon, and especially not devouring with the eyes an object of lust? Can you say the same for yourself? Sometimes I can say it, sometimes I can't. This struggle with humility, real humility and not the sadomasochism we find in the pre Council Church, is a struggle we will have for the rest of our lives.

Really, the whole chapter can be summed up as have faith, act in love, don't hold grudges, obey without grouching about it, don't get uppity about how important you are, and for heaven sake guard your thoughts! And again, Guard Your Thoughts!

I beg you, my regular readers, do not expect wisdom from every reflection I write. I do this as Obedience to God. Sometimes I might have something good to say, other times I may have absolutely nothing of worth to say. The bottom line, though, is that I will continue to daily grind out these reflections, so long as you promise to have patience with my limited intellect, and even more limited interpretive powers. This is my humility before you.

May God bring us altogether to ever lasting life. Amen.

RB Reflection: 9 & 10 June 2008

2008-06-09T06:59:00.002-04:00

Today is the Rule for Feb. 7 - June 8 - Oct. 8 and Feb. 8 - June 9 - Oct. 9

The 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)

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

I have to admit there are times when it appears that Benedict was one grouchy old man. As always though Benedict is hiding a greater truth that our 21st Century eyes have trouble seeing. Have you ever been in a situation where someone laughs at the misery of others? There is a television show called Cheaters. In that show they take a man or woman to catch their significant other in the act of "cheating." Is that funny?

Or the show COPS. We see a criminal trying to get away and sometimes his efforts are almost humorous, yet to laugh are we not laughing at the pain of others? Some people will say, "they deserve it for being so stupid, or being a crook and getting caught." I call it, and I believe Benedict would call it, making money off the pain of others so we can laugh at them.

We can see humor in life, but is there a single comedian out there who will not say that they laugh in order to survive? Laughter often covers a deep pain in the clowns life. The opera Pagliacci is a perfect example. The clown has discovered that his wife is cheating with another member of their traveling show. As he puts on his makeup he sings the famous aria Vesti la Giuba, that culminates in Ridi Pagliaccio, which means laugh clown, laugh, while your heart is breaking.

Member of the Lay Cistercians must never be guilty of the laughter that comes from ill will, or at the stupid criminal, or at the joke that hurts someone else. There is humor in life, plenty of humor that allows us to laugh at our own foibles, and even laugh with others at their foibles. Life is serious business, and sometimes the humor in life is the perfect antidote for pain and suffering. We must make sure that we are never laughing at someone elses pain, and suffering.

As I look over today's reflection I realize that I am clearly NOT a man of few words. hehe. May the Lord bring us all to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 7 June 2008

2008-06-07T08:45:00.002-04:00

RB 7.56-58

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

Well, there you have it. Is it any wonder then that at Gethsemani Abbey we are known as "those noisy Lay Cistercians?" I do not quote that in order to accuse anyone, but to show how far all of us are from keeping the Rule of Silence. Why? Because we are human beings who must face up to the fact that we talk too much.

The secular world views quiet people with suspicion. Sometimes it's justified, especially if that person is the lawyer representing you in court, and sits there silently instead of defending you "with a flood of words." Yet, a court room and a spiritual life are not the same thing.

We chose to become Lay Cistercians, in part, because of the value that the monks and nuns place on silence. We come seeking that silence for our own lives, to internalize it, so we can go back out into the secular world with a quiet inner self.

These steps of humility are getting harder and harder to do. I have been, and sometimes still am, a person of many words. Through the blessing of God I have found that those "many words" can flow out in writing more often than out of my mouth. I have also discovered that the silence of the monastery is like an embrace which I am loathe to leave.

But cheer up! On June 10th will be the last day of Chapter 7 on Humility, The Chapter That Never Seems to End. May He bring us all to everlasting life.

RB Reflections: 6 June 2008

2008-06-06T07:45:00.003-04:00

Chapter 7.55
Feb. 5 June 6 Oct. 6

The 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.

At first glance this verse doesn't seem to have much meat on the bone. After all, why join a monastery if you're not going to follow the rules of the house? Unfortunately, we know how when we first join a group we are avid about keeping every rule and obeying every statute. Then, the honeymoon ends and we start to grumble about this or that. It's too restrictive, or worse yet, that doesn't apply to me.

In the life long quest to give our lives to God, we are called continually out of ourselves and into a new life. I believe there is a greater application to the Lay Cistercian in the eighth step of humility than any verse thus far. The daily reports from Huerta, are showing that we are coming closer to a real structure for all Lay Cistercian Communities. Here's a quote.

The concerns expressed by some Lay Cistercian groups over the speed with which all of this "formality" and "structure" . . . It is an act of faith to set aside our fears and vote for the unknown.

It is also an act of humility and obedience to do so. We are all going to be called to practice humility, to stay with the group, and to be open to the changes that are coming. Benedict warns us in today's reading that going your own way and doing your own thing, is contrary to the ideal of community life. A monk does only what is endorsed by the common rule of the monastery. For some of us it will mean adopting ways that are strange to us, or making changes that irk us personally. Yet, humility calls us to hold fast to the rule of common life.

Even though we do not live a common life in the same house, we live a common life by our Rule of Life, and our devotion to the Rule. May He bring us all to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 5 June2008

2008-06-05T06:44:00.002-04:00

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

The very first thing we should do is remember, this is a step on the ladder of humility, not an outline for a sick sadomasochistic game with rules written by the Marquis de Sade. Those who have a poorly developed sense of self as a dearly beloved child of God may find this section of the rule feeds right into their already terrible self image. I pray that no reader of today's reflection will see it in that light.

Psalm 22 starts out with the famous "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why so far from my call for help, from my cries of anguish?" Clearly the psalmist feels abandoned. Perhaps Benedict is trying to look ahead to such moments when we feel abandoned and say, "if you keep your head screwed on straight, and remember that you are only a human, and not God, then when you do feel abandoned you'll already be in a good place to survive the feelings."

We certainly do not want to feel inferior. A lot of money is spent in the Psychologist office trying to not feel so inferior. So what is the point of today's reading?

It is that you are not any better then she is. He is not any better than I am. None of us are any better than the others. And, certainly, not one person in community is better than another.

Our culture says that you are worth more to society if you have more money, are a celebrity, possess many advanced degrees, or are a truly holy person. We as a society have allowed our self esteem to be determined by what we own, know, do, or a position in some class structure. That is utterly counter to the teachings of Christ, and Benedict makes that very clear in today's passage.

Lay Cistercians are called to remember this as well. If you are called upon to serve in some way the larger groups of Lay Cistercians, that does not make you of more value than the one who sits in the corner in silence. We must remember being of use, and being of value, are two different things. While s/he may be more useful than that other one, s/he is of no greater value than the other one.

So let's not confuse use and value to be the same thing. And may the Lord bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 4 June 2008

2008-06-04T06:22:00.002-04:00

Chapter 7 49-50

The sixth step of humility is that a monk is content with the lowest and most menial treatment, and regards himself as poor and worthless workman in the whatever task he is given, saying 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).

Benedict must have had real trouble with his monks back in the 6th Century, especially those from upper classes, having to do manual labor, much less beside monks from the lower classes...No, let us forget the 6th Century and consider the person with many post-graduate degrees who joins a monastery and promptly finds themself digging a hole in the ground...No, forget that too.

Let us consider the Lay Cistercian, again holder of exalted degrees, or perhaps just lots of money, whom upon joining cannot imagine why on earth they are overlooked for the highest positions. Perhaps they think (thinking? didn't we talk about that yesterday?) "I am much too good to just be a member of this group. Why, some of these people don't even have a degree, and I'm sure that one over there is flat broke. No, I am much too good for this."

Good grief! Is it possible that today's lesson has to be built on top of yesterday's? You must guard your mind and heart in order to be able to be happy with the lowest and most menial of tasks? It seems the answer is yes. We develop a too high opinion of ourselves first in our minds. Our thoughts make us see ourselves as so much more than we really are. A humble person might be told all day long how wonderful they are, but in their heart, the humble person realizes that s/he is a sinful creature.

Are we as Lay Cistercians able to apply the same strict mind-watching to our view of who we are as Lay Cistercians? Can we be happy as a group with menial tasks in the Kingdom of God? Can we be happy as a group with, or even without, the approval of the monks or the Order they represent? We are not without comfort even if we should be the lowest of the low, for the final phrase of today's reading says yet I am with you always. Amen.

RB Reflection: 3 June 2008

2008-06-03T07:20:00.002-04:00

RB 7.44-48

The 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. Concerning this, Scripture exhorts us: Make known your way to the Lord and hope in him (Ps 36[37]:5). And again, Confess to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy is forever (Ps 105[106]:1;Ps 177[118]:1). So too the Prophet: To you I have acknowledged my offense; my faults i have not concealed. I have said: Against myself I will report my faults to the Lord, and you have forgiving the wickedness of my heart (Ps. 31[32]:5).

Confession. It's good for the soul, they say. More than that, it is a Sacrament. The interest I find in this passage is how Benedict isn't speaking about confessing that we stole something, or smacked some other brother in the head (no matter how much we think he had it coming), but to confess sinful thoughts entering the heart. Sinful thoughts entering the heart?

In the fifth step of humility Benedict passes right over the theft, or the actual smacking of said brother/sister in the head, and goes to the moment we first conceived of the theft, or the smacking. To steal, you have to make a plan. To determine to smack someone in the head, you have to harbor anger in your heart. So instead of waiting until we have stolen or hit a brother/sister, we should root the sin out by confessing it when it enters our minds.

Wow. Most people would say that it isn't sin until you put it into practice. But as Lay Cistercians we are not most people; we are a people called by a charism, who are commanded by the Rule we claim to follow, to guard our thoughts. Again, Fr. Michael Cassagram's statement comes to mind. "The job of the monk is to stand at the door of the heart and watch thoughts as they arise: are they from God, or are they from the Evil One?"

As the Lay Encounter continues in Spain, and we read the daily reports, it might be tempting for one reason or another to find a seed of anger about how something was decided. Fine, so long as we let that seed pass right on by and not take root in our hearts. All the ancient mystics right up to the present day have in one voice said "Guard your minds, control your thoughts, don't entertain evil fantasies or make plans for revenge. Don't even let revenge enter your thoughts."

That is going to be harder for some of us than for others. I used to be/am a, person who reacted before thinking. That is my personal sin. I struggle with it still. Sometimes I am successful against it, other times it pops right out before I even have a chance to realize it's coming. Still, it is no excuse, and an even stronger reason for me to guard my thoughts.

Protect the mind, don't let the sun set on your anger, there is a string of pithy epithets I could use now to explain this point in nauseating detail, but I have a feeling you...yes, you, already know what secret and sinful thoughts you need to confess.

May the Lord bring us altogether to everlasting life.

RB Reflection: 2 June 2008

2008-06-02T07:10:00.001-04:00

Chapter 7 35-43

The fourth step of humility is that in this obedience under difficult, unfavorable, or even unjust conditions, his heart quietly embraces suffering, and endures it without weakening, or seeking escape. For Scripture has it: Anyone who perseveres to the end will be saved (Matt. 10:22), and again, Be brave of heart and rely on the Lord (Ps. 26[27]:14). Another 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. 8:26; Ps 43[44]:22). They 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). Elsewhere 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 place afflictions on our backs (Ps 65[66]:10-11). Then, to show that we ought to be under a superior, it adds; You have placed men over our heads (Ps. 65[66]:12).

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

Usually Benedict uses scripture in remarkable ways, however I can't help but think that his use of Psalm 66:12 is actually supposed to show that we are supposed to be under a superior. But, who am I to quibble with St. Benedict. Therefore, I accept his word as truth, just as this lengthy section of the Rule today is teaching us to do.

Sometimes to actually get at Benedict and what he says, you have to remove the scripture quotes, which is what I propose to do.

1. The fourth step of humility is that in this obedience under difficult, unfavorable, or even unjust conditions, his heart quietly embraces suffering, and endures it without weakening, or seeking escape. This is a very difficult thing to do. How many of us will endure unjust conditions even for a moment? And even fewer will embrace suffering without seeking escape. What a tremendous challenge this proposes for us as Lay Cistercians! If we feel slighted by one of the monks at our monastery of association, then we just wilt away, and sometimes not show up again. Or the same applies in the local groups, if one member hurts the feelings of another,the injured party may just quietly disappear.

But that is not what Benedict tells us to do. We are to continue our obedience (showing up for our meetings, and being obedient to the needs of charity) even when it's difficult, unfavorable, and unjust. He also tells us don't gripe about it, either, embrace the suffering without weakening or seeking escape. Is that making a villain out of the victim? No, it is saying stand up, pull up your drawers and take it like a person who has enough faith to go down a road full of potholes. Life is not fair, and even superiors aren't always fair. One thing I've learned from the Trappists: do your work and don't whine.

2. The faithful must endure everything, even contradiction, for the Lord's sake. Isn't this a continuation of the above, just written in a different key? Of course, this is contrary to the world and the workplace, where we are not only unlikely to "take it laying down," we're sometimes actively encouraged to "pay them back." Do I even need to point out the full evil of such actions? The endurance of contradiction is without doubt the hardest thing for me, because not much annoys me more than contradictory instructions. Yet, Benedict tells me to endure it for the Lord's sake! Wow, when I learn to do that -- or you learn to to that -- we will all go directly to heaven.

3. They are so confident in their expectation of reward from God that they continue joyfully. Here we go, the pat on the back that we've been looking for. The only problem is the pat on the back isn't going to come from a "superior" or even someone in our local group, it has to come from our own "expectation of reward from God." That is very challenging to people: work without expectation of reward. That's rather like saying do this job but I'm not paying you for it, you just do it for the satisfaction of a job well done. "Oh, and by the way, do it joyfully!" I will dare to add a little scripture to Benedict's heavy use, "Rejoice in the Lord always."

This could apply right now to the different directions that Lay Cistercians feel pulled, by their local community, their monastery, and the order itself. Others may tell us, you're doing it all wrong, this is how we do it at "our monastery." As if any one of us has the right to say how this group or that group should be organized, who they should or should not accept, etc., yet in Spain at this very moment our representatives are working toward something that can unify us in some way beyond saying, we live by the Cistercian Charism. And, if the OCSO should suddenly decide, we've had enough of you, buzz off, then we'd have to do it, and do it joyfully.

4. In truth, those who are patient amid hardships and unjust treatment are fulfilling the Lord's command. Well, after everything else we come to this. This must have been the thoughts of the martyrs as well, as they were led off to die. For people like me, who grew up in the Theater, who are used to confrontation between conductor and stage director, where tempers flare, and then embraces follow, this is a hard lesson to learn. But praise be to God, I am learning this day by day with the help and prayers of my local Lay Cistercian community, the monks who pray for me, and set such good examples (sometimes), and the witness of countless nuns and monks throughout the ages.

RB Reflection: 1 June 2008

2008-06-01T06:52:00.002-04:00

The third step of humility is that a man/woman 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)

This has got to be the shortest daily section of the rule -- one complete sentence. What it tells us is completely out of proportion to its shortness. Build a skyscraper with a shovel, is also a short sentence with an huge implication.

Have you got such obedience in you? Hard as I try, I know that I do not. Sometimes we are brought face to face with the fact that we are only human beings, and as such, we will fail from time to time. Clearly Benedict knew this as well, because much of this chapter has been consistently pounding the lessons into us, don't grumble, do what you're told cheerfully, etc., but people do grumble, and they do not do what they are told cheerfully. At least, not all the time.

This simple step of obedience is probably the hardest thing we will ever have to face in our spiritual life. It makes us ask, to whom are we obedient? As if we could escape such an uncompromising demand. And the answer is, to God, and as Fr. Michael put it in his formation paper, obedient to the need of the moment.

While the Lay Encounter is going on in Spain, we need to prepared to be obedient to whatever comes out of those meetings. We need to prepared to be obedient to the Order from which comes our Charism to Cistercian spirituality. We need to be obedient to our rule of prayer, the rule of life, the laws of the nation, and the law of Love.

So we might say that our obedience comes from being ready to respond to the needs of the moment, and the law of Love. Love will keep us obedient, if we let it. Love triumphs over law. (James 2:13)

RB Reflection: 31 May 2008

2008-05-31T06:17:00.003-04:00

The second step of humility is that a man loves not his own will nor takes pleasure in the satisfaction of his desires; rather 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). Similarly we read, "Consent merits punishment; constraint wins a crown."

Today's selection from the rule is very short, but not as short as the reading for tomorrow. We must not let the shortness fool us into thinking it's easily read and done with. I cannot speak for everyone, but I know that I do love my own will, and I do enjoy satisfaction of my desires. That places me in direct opposition to the words of Jesus quoted in the passage. "I have come not to do my own will. . . ."

If by some miracle of grace I am able to realize ahead of time that I am about to do my own will in direct opposition to the will of God, then there is a fifty/fifty chance I might change my mind and do what God wants, instead of what I want. Fifty/fifty is not obedience to the will of God. It is better than the ninety/ten chance that I would do my own will in direct disobedience of God, which is where I started.

The point isn't that I am a bad boy, although I can be, but that we all act in ways that our better selves know is most certainly not the will of God. And when it comes to desires! Oi Vey! I long to do not my own will but the "will of the one who sent me," but I fail at that with alarming regularity. Throughout my life I have dropped one rebellious practice after another, consciously trying to bring myself closer to the will of God. I suspect much the same is true you, the reader.

Today the Lay Encounter in Spain begins. I read the house reports today and have to say, we are the most disorganized bunch of people on the face of the earth, yet one thing stands out very clearly -- we cannot live without the strength we find in the Cistercian charism. Beside that reality, organization is entirely secondary.

As LCG we need to find out why it is that people feel connected to the Abbey of Gethsemani when there is another Abbey nearer to them, by hundreds of miles. There is a deep and profound need buried in that question. What causes a person to drive past one Cistercian Abbey to come to Gethsemani? Why have we grown to such huge numbers? What does this mean for us? What obedience does that call from us?

In light of today's rule we have to remember humility, and to not take too much pride in how our groups have grown to surpass almost all the other groups. That would be our fastest road to hell, if we started thinking that way. No matter what the reason is that causes people to drive nearly a thousand miles and past another Abbey just to come to Gethsemani, we must remember to do the will of the one who sent us, and sent them, as well.

Let us explore that question in greater detail as a body. We must delve deeply into the reasons; the call that is experienced to one particular Abbey over another.

RB Reflection: 30 May 2008

2008-05-30T08:55:00.002-04:00

We must then be on guard against any base desire, because death is stationed near the gateway of pleasure. For this reason Scripture warns us, Pursue not your lusts (Sir. 18:30).
Accordingly, if the eyes of the Lord are watching the good and the wicked (Prov. 15:3), if at all times the Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see whether any understand and seek God (Ps. 14:2); and if every day the angels assigned to us report our deeds to the Lord day and night, then, brothers/sisters, 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). After sparing us for a while because hs is a loving father who waits for us to improve, he may tell us later, This you did, and I said nothing (Ps. 49[50]:21).

Ok, I have to admit that when I read this the first forty times I couldn't make heads or tails out of some dark ages mish mash theology about angels telling on us at all times. And where he gets the death is stationed near the doors of pleasure, I have no idea.

Lucky for us that I cheated, otherwise the above paragraph would be all there is for today's reflection. What I did was go to see what S. Joan Chittister OSB, had to say on the subject. Basically, that God asks for all of us. It reminds me of the Frank Sinatra song "All of me, why don't you just take all of me," because a commitment to God is a commitment to the life that God calls us to live.

We know God doesn't want us running about getting into orgies, or using people for any reason, sexual or otherwise. We must never put anything above God. And I think that is what Benedict is trying to say here. We must remember that Benedict lived in the Dark Ages, and that there were many superstitious believes, not to mention outright heresies going on at the time, and that what is now Italy was basically nothing but a war zone, he was trying to tell us simply to forget all this feasting and orgies and raping, and messing around, and get it straight -- God is all in all.

.

RB Reflection: 29 May 2008

2008-05-29T06:37:00.003-04:00

Chapter 7: 19-23

Truly, we are forbidden to do out own will, for Scripture tells us: Turn away from your desiers (Sir 18:30). And in the Prayer too we ask God that his will be done in us (Matt 6:10). We 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). Moreover, we fear what is said of those who ignore this: They are corrupt and have become depraved in their desires (Ps. 13[14]:1). As 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.

"We are rightly taught not to do our own will." What a valuable lesson this is in today's world where doing one's own will is precisely what we do, and teach others to do. In a world of throw away marriages, and genocides (oh, you object to the comparison?) and of the essential snobbery that is so easy for religious people to show to those they perceive as less religious than themselves, Benedict gives us that caution.

"We are rightly taught not to do our own will." So much time, and energy, and blood, has been wasted on our demanding that "our church is the only church," or going after gays, abortion, conservatives, or liberals; Latin Mass, or Vernacular Mass, that we have trampled down the body of Christ until it is almost completely flat. We have to have it our way.

"We are rightly taught not to do our own will." Very soon the Lay Encounter will occur in Spain. As Lay Cistercians we are challenged not to do our own will, but to embody the values and spirituality of the Cistercian Charism to the world. That cannot be done if we are doing our own will. It is a fact that every Lay Cistercian has their own view of what is the best way for things to proceed in Spain, in the Church, and in the world. But! "We are rightly taught not to do our own will."

In the coming days, let us pray night and day for the Lay Encounter.

RB Reflection: 28 May 2008

2008-05-28T07:32:00.003-04:00

Jan. 27-May 28-Sept. 27

Let 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. The 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); again he says: The Lord knows the thoughts of men (Ps 93[94]:11); likewise, From afar you know my thoughts (Ps 138[139]:3); and, The thought of man shall give you praise (Ps 75[76]:11). That 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).

"You can run but you can't hide." How useful a phrase that is, "you can run but you can't hide," when it comes to our life with God. It hearkens back to a few days ago where the rule discussed going about your duties with a cheerful heart, and not being a grouch harboring resentment. At that time the phrase I used was, "fake it till you make it."

A person who is paranoid would really hate today's reading, especially with Angels reporting on you every hour. Whether that is the case or not, it certainly does give us pause to think about how we do sin in our thoughts, and how those same thoughts sometimes cause us to go one step further, and sin in the deed.

The whole thing can be summed up as guarding the thoughts, or the old time term, Nepsis. It is guarding our thoughts as a spiritual practice. As Lay Cistercians living in the secular world, nepsis is of primary importance for us. It is a part of the asceticism, which is part of the Cistercian Charism that we seek to follow. Today's section of the rule speaks specifically to that need to watch our thoughts.

Fr. Michael Cassagram tells the Novices at Gethsemani that the "job of the monk is to stand at the door of his heart and watch his thoughts, and determine are they from God or from the Evil One." Can we do any better, or any more than that?

RB Reflection: 26 & 27 May 2008

2008-05-27T07:24:00.002-04:00

Chapter 7: On Humility

Holy Scripture, brethren, cries out to us, saying,
"Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled,
and he who humbles himself shall be exalted" (Luke 14:11).
In saying this it shows us
that all exaltation is a kind of pride,
against which the Prophet proves himself to be on guard
when he says,
"Lord, my heart is not exalted,
nor are mine eyes lifted up;
neither have I walked in great matters,
nor in wonders above me."
But how has he acted?
"Rather have I been of humble mind
than exalting myself;
as a weaned child on its mother's breast,
so You solace my soul" (Ps. 130:1-2).

Hence, brethren,
if we wish to reach the very highest point of humility
and to arrive speedily at that heavenly exaltation
to which ascent is made through the humility of this present life,
we must
by our ascending actions
erect the ladder Jacob saw in his dream,
on which Angels appeared to him descending and ascending.
By that descent and ascent
we must surely understand nothing else than this,
that we descend by self-exaltation and ascend by humility.
And the ladder thus set up is our life in the would,
which the Lord raises up to heaven if our heart is humbled.
For we call our body and soul the sides of the ladder,
and into these sides our divine vocation has inserted
the different steps of humility and discipline we must climb.
The first degree of humility, then,
is that a person keep the fear of God before his eyes
and beware of ever forgetting it.
Let him be ever mindful of all that God has commanded;
let his thoughts constantly recur
to the hell-fire which will burn for their sins
those who despise God,
and to the life everlasting which is prepared
for those who fear Him.
Let him keep himself at every moment from sins and vices,
whether of the mind, the tongue, the hands, the feet,
or the self-will,
and check also the desires of the flesh.

Now we begin to climb the ladder of humility. For those of you with literal eyes, you will notice that I copied this chapter lock, stock, and barrel from the OSB website. "We descend by self-exaltation, and ascend by humility." Now whether that phrase came from the Rule of the Master, of from Benedict himself, matters not a bit. And it is the phrase we shall focus on today.

As Lay Cistercians we are called to live by this "little Rule for beginners," and incorporate it into our own Rule of Life. A wide diversity exists amongst the various groups in the United States, as well as international groups. Diversity of practice is no sin, for we have our share of the charism as it manifests itself in each local group. We are united by the Charism, but are not made of one practice by the Charism.

No, what unites us all is the Rule of Benedict. What we receive from the Cistercian Charism is unique to each group. Groups are made up of people, separated by geographic distance. No two groups will ever be the same. But! We are all one with the Abbey of Gethsemani, and not divided up into many smaller Lay Abbeys.

So what do the two paragraphs above have to do with anything? "We descend by self-exaltation, and ascend by humility." The moment one group self exalts above the others and starts demanding conformity, we can be sure the group is descending the ladder of humility. This has not happened, nor do I believe that it will ever happen. This Charism is so strong that it unites the most conservative Catholic with the most liberal Episcopalian. Nothing else can do that, except the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is notorious in its own diversity.

As we grow, and as we seek acceptance by the OCSO, we shall have to present some type of organization. A large body of people who are unorganized are not a community of faith, they are, at best, a bunch of New Age hippies. So we must be careful as we go through the process of change that the Chrism is calling us to do, so that we remain on the ladder of humility always rising by our humility, and never, or at least seldom, falling by our self-exaltation.

RB Reflection: 25 May 2008

2008-05-26T08:13:00.001-04:00

I would like to apologize for the lack of a reflection on Sunday the 25th, but it was the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. I was blessed to be at the monastery for the Mass and for the Forty Hours Devotion, that is still going on. Much of my day was taken up be two very long sessions before the Sacrament. And so, no discussion of the rule was sent out. My apologies, but I am only human. Tomorrow, Chapter 7, Humility, will have a discussion of two days worth of readings. Chapter 7 1-9 and then 10-12.

May 25
Chapter 6: Restraint of Speech

Let 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 humbled, and I refrained even from good words (Ps 38[39]:2-3). Here the prophet indicates that there are times when good words are to be left unsaid out of esteem for silence.

There are times when good words are to be left unsaid? Surely Benedict can't be serious? What about those good words that help to build up the Body of Christ, or the good words we need to say to someone who is in pain, or ....or....or? "Out of esteem for silence." That changes everything. Funny enough, on the first reading of this section all I saw was good words left unsaid. Out of esteem for silence removes the seemingly disregard for giving comfort and friendship to others. How is it then that good words, even for the sake of silence, should not be said?

For all the more reason, then, should evil speech be curbed so that punishment for sin may be avoided. Indeed, 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, because it is written: In a flood of words you will not avoid sin (Prov 10:19); and elsewhere, The tongue holds the key to life and death (Prov. 10:19). Speaking and teaching are the master's task; the disciple is to be silent and listen.

Therefore, any requests to a superior should be made with all humility and respectful submission. We 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.

So then it is in the monastery that we are to refrain from speech for the sake of speech, out of respect for silence. Every Cistercian monastery has places of silence. They even post signs saying, "this area is silent." Do we respect it? Do you?

In the world, where the Lay Cistercian must live we are bombarded all day long with words and more words. Half of those words we hear, and half that we speak, are just to hear the sound of our own voice, or to spread some news we've heard, but have no proof of it's truth. It is so easy to slip into gossip that we must guard against it day and night. When the subject is someone we don't particularly like, then we glory to hear stories of their failures and humiliations. In this case, Benedict's words are all the more compelling for us. We must refrain form too much chatter for the sake of chatter, lest it become evil speech.

In the world where we live, our words fulfill a different function. As employees, and employers, words are the main form of communication. And we should remember that just because we don't say something nasty, or hurtful, just by having felt that nasty speech which would have hurt, we are just as guilty as if we spoke them aloud. Benedict is calling us to a change of heart! A change of life in a world where nothing is sacred, certainly not our brothers and sisters on earth.

2008-05-24T07:19:00.002-04:00

This very obedience, however, will be acceptable to God and agreeable to men only if compliance with what is commanded is not cringing of sluggish or half-hearted, but free from any grumbling or any reaction of unwillingness. For the obedience shown to superiors is given to God, as he himself said: Whoever listens to you, listens to me (Luke 10:16). Furthermore, the disciples' obedience must be given gladly, for God loves a cheerful give. If a disciple obeys grudgingly and grumbles, no only aloud but also in his heart, then, 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. He will have no reward for service of this king; on the contrary, he will incur punishment for grumbling, unless he changes for the better and makes amends.

Well! Is that a challenge or what? Not only are we to obey, we are to obey with a cheerful heart! Even if we don't like it, and say nothing to anyone else, we are still called on the carpet by the rule because we are grumbling in our hearts. It reminds us that God sees the heart, and therefore, sees the grumbling as well.

It calls to mind though the parable about the two sons, one is asked to go into the fields and says he will, but does not. The other son says no way, but eventually does go into the field and does the work his father asked him to do. We know Jesus favored the son who said NO, but went and did it anyway. I think there is a safe comparison here between the monk/nun/lay who says "of course I will do that" while thinking a wide variety of spiteful things they can do to make their obedience an act of passive aggression. Then the monk/nun/lay who says no, but then takes a change of heart and obeys after all.

What Benedict is trying to teach us is to bring our will in line with the will of the Superior, and by doing that, in line with the will of God. Or, let your yes really be yes, and not some passive aggressive exercise in oneupmanship. Now, as Lay Cistercians this passage can apply to us just as much as to the monk/nun. It applies at the local level of our personal community, and at the larger level of the LCG, and even at international level, as well.

Someone said once, "fake it till you make it." There is truth in that. When I was in college as an adult, and the younger students would say I can't get excited about this class, I would tell them to fake it till you make it. Decide that you are interested, no matter what, and before very long, you are interested! In spite of yourself. The same should apply to the monk, the nun, and the Lay Cistercian.

When we were asked to write papers in response to the questions given us by the International Committee, how many of us really sat down and wrote what we were asked to write? I can tell you from experience, not very many. In the light of today's reading, shouldn't that shame us? It is no good being wrapped up in "me" and "my views," because we are not alone in this charism. It is well known I oppose too much organization, but if the Charism is calling us to put some organization into things, then who am "I" to say no?

How do you resist?

RB Reflection: 23 May 2008

2008-05-23T07:13:00.002-04:00

The first step of humility is unhesitating obedience, which comes naturally to those who cherish Christ above all. Because of the holy service they have professed, or because of dread of hell and for the glory of everlasting life, they carry out the superior's order as promptly as if the command came from God himself. The Lord says of [men] like this: No sooner did he hear than he obeyed me (Ps 17[18]:45); again, he tells teachers: Whoever listens to you, listens to me (Luke 10:16). Such people as these immediately put aside their own concerns, abandon their own will, and 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. Almost 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.

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

The idea of obedience is spelled out here in great detail. In other words, if the Abbot stands as Christ in the community, obeying the abbot is the same as obeying Christ. This is a powerful statement, both for the one giving the order and the one obeying it.

I heard a story once about a woman who was sending money to a TV evangelist, and when told that the evangelist was using her money for his own ends, she said, "I gave the money to God." That illustrates a type of obedience that makes sense. If you have an abbot who is giving questionable orders, but you obey them anyway, have you sinned by being obedient?

As Lay Cistercians we are all called to a similar obedience. Fr. Michael Cassagram has put it this way "by becoming obedient to the demands of the moment, whether these come from family, work, the needs of others. . . ." The following is a longer quote from Fr. Michael's paper, Toward the Formation of LCG Members.

Obedience to God is often mediated through another human being in the mysterious design of grace. Without this, as one sees even in the very early desert fathers/ mothers, the inner transformation cannot take place. Often it is a simple matter of humility, of learning to surrender one's own will so that God's may be accomplished. Accountability is a major step toward spiritual maturity.

RB Reflection: 22 May 2008

2008-05-22T08:12:00.002-04:00

Chapter 4: What Are the Instruments of Good Works

62. To fulfill God's commandments daily in one's deeds.
63. To love chastity.
64. To hate no one.
65. Not to be jealous, not to harbor envy.
66. Not to love contention.
67. To beware of haughtiness.
68. And to respect the seniors.
69. To love the juniors.
70. To pray for one's enemies in the love of Christ.
71. To make peace with one's adversary before the sun sets.
72. And never to despair of God's mercy.

These, then, are the tools of the spiritual craft.
If we employ them unceasingly day and night,
and return them on the Day of Judgment,
our compensation from the Lord
will be that wage He has promised:
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
what God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor. 2:9).

Now the workshop
in which we shall diligently execute all these tasks
is the enclosure of the monastery
and stability in the community.

This ends lengthy Chapter 4 of the Rule. There is a plethora of items we could focus on today, considering it's a list of Christian values that are more or less difficult for each of us to carry out; yet we'll not be spending time with those. No, today's focus is on the last paragraph. The last two lines leap out as us almost like an accusation, as if to say, "you Lay Cistercians are frauds." Hey, not so fast there, Benedict-like accuser. What about Benedictine Oblates? They keep the rule and they don't live in the enclosure of the monastery.

I'm making a case out of this because some people are so literal minded that those lines could prevent them from taking a next step into any type of lay association. In the context of Lay Cistercian living we must keep in mind that our local lay community is the enclosure. What happens in our local enclosure, stays in our enclosure, if you will forgive the pun on the Las Vegas commercial. Yet it is true. In each local community we share some of the deepest parts of our selves, and our lives, things not meant to be spread about to the outside world.

Each of the tools that have been listed over the last three days prepare us for the meeting of our confrères, as the Trappists say, and that we, as well as they, are able to call us to account for good deeds, and our bad deeds. I know that in my local lay community we have discussed how we are not a support group, or a therapy group, we are a group of people committed to a life grounded in the values of the Cistercians and the Rule. When we cross lines, it is we ourselves who must pull one another back and say, "no, that breaks the rule."

More than a hundred people feel called to be Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani Abbey, and for them in their local community, even if it is by phone, must live out the Charism as it has been handed down to us by the witness of the Monastic community of the Abbey. That is our stability.

RB Reflections, Guest Commentator, Barry Cappleman

2008-05-21T07:03:00.002-04:00

May 21, 2008 RB 4.44-61

Chapter 4: What Are the Instruments of Good Works

44. To fear the Day of Judgment.
45. To be in dread of hell.
46. To desire eternal life with all the passion of the spirit.
47. To keep death daily before one's eyes.
48. To keep constant guard over the actions of one's life.
49. To know for certain that God sees one everywhere.
50. When evil thoughts come into one's heart, to dash them against Christ immediately.
51. And to manifest them to one's spiritual mother.
52. To guard one's tongue against evil and depraved speech.
53. Not to love much talking.
54. Not to speak useless words or words that move to laughter.
55. Not to love much or boisterous laughter.
56. To listen willingly to holy reading.
57. To devote oneself frequently to prayer.
58. Daily in one's prayers, with tears and sighs, to confess one's past sins to God, and to amend them for the future.
59. Not to fulfill the desires of the flesh; to hate one's own will.
60. To obey in all things the commands of the Abbess, even though she herself (which God forbid) should act otherwise, mindful of the Lord's precept, "Do what they say, but not what they do."
61. Not to wish to be called holy before one is holy; but first to be holy, that one may be truly so called.

There is a saying in our society: “Give credit where credit is due.” Frankly, I do not think we mean it, because we don’t give credit where credit is due. For instance, we often don’t thank God for the good things and often blame God for the bad things. Clearly, the Bible teaches, “all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17).

I think it is beyond time that the human race admits that it is we who have caused the woes of the world. The saying, “We have met the enemy and the enemy is us” is so very true.

Thus in giving credit where credit is due, we need to confess our sins and weep over our sins, because sin always leaves a destructive mark on someone or something. St Benedict gives some helpful dos and don’ts in this particular passage, which would behoove us to pay close attention to. These dos and don’ts can help us with our relationships with God and to have healthy, constructive relationships with others.

We also need to remember that one day we will all die. For me, that is an awesome thought. We don’t know when we will die, so we must always be ready to die. I suppose it will be nice if people who remember me have good things to say at my funeral. But if one thinks about it, what good will that do us?! We are not there, we are dead!!!!

What really matters is what God will say to us. Hebrews 9:27 reads, “Just as it is appointed that human beings die once, after this the judgment.” By God’s grace, and only by God’s grace, I believe I will hear God say to me that my name “is found in the book of life” (Revelation 3:5) and “come thy good and faithful servant.” Everything else said about me in the long run is meaningless.

A good reminder to us all is that only what God in Christ has done and what we have done in the name of Jesus will last forever. (Matthew 25:31ff).

RB Reflection: 20 May 2008

2008-05-20T07:02:00.003-04:00

Chapter 4: What Are the Instruments of Good Works

22. Not to give way to anger.
23. Not to nurse a grudge.
24. Not to entertain deceit in one's heart.
25. Not to give a false peace.
26. Not to forsake charity.
27. Not to swear, for fear of perjuring oneself.
28. To utter truth from heart and mouth.
29. Not to return evil for evil.
30. To do no wrong to anyone, and to bear patiently wrongs done to oneself.
31. To love one's enemies.
32. Not to curse those who curse us, but rather to bless them.
33. To bear persecution for justice' sake.
34. Not to be proud.
35. Not addicted to wine.
36. Not a great eater.
37. Not drowsy.
38. Not lazy.
39. Not a grumbler.
40. Not a detractor.
41. To put one's hope in God.
42. To attribute to God, and not to self, whatever good one sees in oneself.
43. But to recognize always that the evil is one's own doing, and to impute it to oneself.

This is quite a list of items worthy of our study. I mentioned once to Br. Thaddeus from Gethsemani, that one thing I'd learned from the Trappists was to do your work and don't whine. He smiled and added, and don't complain. It seems from the list that makes up today's reading from the Rule that Benedict had the same thing in mind.

Leaving aside modern psychology as it might apply to the last two statements, I think it's safe to say that each verse of today's reading applies to all family life, or, all life in common. Unless you are an only child, you've heard most of today's reading told to you by your parents when you were at war with a sibling. So it should not surprise us to hear that these are instruments of good works applied to the spiritual life.

How often has any of us considered that the simple rules of getting along are spiritual rules as well? Let's look at how all of this affects us as Lay Cistercian's. As the Charism calls more and more people to it, we are challenged with creating a structure that is capable of dealing with such large numbers of people. We are thrown together with those whom we did not choose to be our friends, and would not have chosen had not God put us together in community, but here we are and the more there are, the greater the number of opinions.

As people who live in the secular world we are used to asserting our opinions and thoughts in our jobs, our social life, even in our home life. As Lay Cistercian's our opinions matter, but usually only when we are asked for that opinion.

A personal example. I oppose too much organization of the Lay Cistercian's, but the fact of the matter is that the growth in numbers all over the world is calling for some kind of organization around which we can build a common life. I view each individual community to be a daughter house, and not merely an extension of the monastery of our association. While I may not be alone in that view, I must accept that the Lay Cistercian Charism is a living thing, and my personal viewpoint is not necessarily the direction which the Holy Spirit wishes the Charism to move.

If I promoted my opinion regardless of anyone and everyone, then I would be guilty of breaking a great many of the things in the list of today's reading. We are called to live as people in the world, but not of the world. The Lay Cistercian's are not Lay Cistercian's Inc., so we are not free to arrange it as we see fit, we must let the Holy Spirit arrange things as the Holy Spirit sees fit.

A last thought: if the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance are ever going to take us seriously, we cannot present ourselves as a bunch of aging hippies who despise organization. We must present to the Order, which we love, a purpose, a structure, in short, a plan where we can clearly show that not only have we responded to the Charism, but we have taken the steps necessary to be considered an organization of people, internationally, who have rules, and diversity, and are centered in the same life, that those in the cloisters consider theirs alone. May the Holy Spirit guide us all to the righteousness in the eyes of God.

"This God of ours is a saving God."

2008-05-19T09:36:00.002-04:00

RB Reflection: 19 May 2008

First of all, love the Lord God with your whole heart, your whole soul and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:37-39; Mark 12:30-31; Luke 10:27). Then the following: You are not to kill, not to commit adultery; you are not to steal, nor to covet (Rom. 13:9); you are not to bear false witness (Matt 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20). You must honor everyone (I Pet. 2:17), and never do to another what you do not want done to yourself (Tob 4:16; Matt 7:12; Luke 6:31).

Renounce yourself in order to follow Christ (Matt 16:24; Luke 9:23); discipline your body (I Cor. 9:27); do not pamper yourself, but love fasting. You must relieve the lot of the poor, clothe the naked, visit the sick (Matt 25:36), and bury the dead. Go to help the troubled and console the sorrowing.

Your way of acting should be different from the world's way; the love of Christ must come before all else.

That is quite a list of commands I find it very hard to comment upon. The first and greatest commandment, as the Book of Common Prayer says, is followed by the statement, "and the second is like unto it," Love your neighbor as yourself.

The list of scriptures which Benedict strings together here form an overview of the entire Christian Religion. Renounce yourself; honor everyone; do unto others; discipline your body; all of these lead to the first words that come from Benedict: "do not pamper yourself, but love fasting." It's the final sentence which sums up all the scripture quotes and shows Benedict as he is. "Your way of acting should be different from the world's way; the love of Christ must come before all else."

What does this say to us as Lay Cistercians? Every single thing listed above is basic Christianity, so what are we to learn specifically from this? I think it is the final sentence, we should act like Christians because the love of Christ must come before all else.

Does the love of Christ come before all else in your life as a Lay Cistercian? This is a call to examine our motives, our reasons for the things we do in day to day life. Why did we join the Lay Cistercians? How do we let the love of Christ come before all else? Do we even think about the Love the Christ in our day to day actions?

There will be no answers from me on this, only questions, things to ponder for each of us in the depths of our own hearts. This chapter is titled The Tools of Good Works. Are you equipped with those tools? Am I? Is it even possible have such tools firmly in our grip? This will require each one of us to discern in deep prayer how close, or how far we are to the simple list of scripture quotes.