Chapter 29: The readmission of any who leave the monastery
Anyone who is guilty of serious wrong by the personal decision to leave the monastery but then asks to be received back again must first of all promise full reparation for leaving the monastery. That will be enough, but it must be in the lowest place as a test of humility.
(From Chapter 29 of Saint Benedict's Rule.)
(From Chapter 29 of Saint Benedict's Rule.)
The discipline of meditation has taught me, over time, to accept my own "false starts", in fact, not to even label them as false starts. To label my undisciplined attempts of meditation as false starts is to overlook the lessons in self-knowledge they contain. Because I can always begin again -- do begin again every time I meditate -- I learn to accept myself, without judgment, and rest in the presence of God.
"And if he should leave again,
ReplyDeletelet him be taken back again,
and so a third time;
but he should understand that after this
all way of return is denied him."
At some point, despite all of my best efforts, I must just let go.