Chapter 33: Personal possessions in the monastery
Those in monastic vows should not claim any property as their own exclusive possession - absolutely nothing at all, not even books and writing materials. After all they cannot count even their bodies and their wills as their own, consecrated, as they are, to the Lord.
(From Chapter 33 of Saint Benedict's Rule.)
(From Chapter 33 of Saint Benedict's Rule.)
After teaching me about the sacramental potential of created things, in two previous chapters, Benedict now wants to make sure that I don't grasp at created things, for the sake of constructing a false sense of self. Yet I'm still a creature myself, as he reminds me, with a body and a will. In my own creatureliness, I can live in a way that offers everything, including my selfless attention, to my Creator.
I think I own my stuff, but in reality, my stuff owns me. I can give myself to God, or to material possessions.
ReplyDeletePretty strong words used by Benedict, "this evil practice of private ownership must be uprooted and removed from the monastery." I cannot hide behind the fact that I don't live in one because Christ in Luke 14:33 tells me that in order to be a disciple of His I have to part with all of my possessions. I guess if I want to really see Him and my true self in relationship to Him, I can't let things get in the way. Meditation and the mantra help me to let go little by little of my grip on the material things of this world that I think are so necessary because my attention is on Christ,the Teacher within. That is where Benedict in his strong wisdom is leading me, always to Christ.
ReplyDeleteBenedict reminds us not to "claim" anything as my own. I may use some of my "stuff", but I never truly should aim to possess it. There's true freedom in that reality, it leads me into attachment free living.
ReplyDelete