RB Reflection: 9 July 2008

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.