Chapter 62: The priests of the monastery

When ordained a monk must be careful to avoid a spirit of self-importance or pride and he must avoid taking on himself any duties to which the abbot has not assigned him. 

(From para. 1 of Ch. 62 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry OSB, 1997.)

As I watch my children grow towards adulthood, I'm realizing that my discernment about not "taking on duties" plays an important role in my support of them. Out of a sense of self-importance, I could continue to direct their lives in ways which they must now assume, in order to grow. We grow together, my children and I, and meditation, I trust, gives me the wisdom to see this.