RB Reflection: 20 May 2008

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."