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
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