WCCM Oblate Blog: Reflections from Daily Reading of the Rule of St. Benedict

WCCM Benedictine Oblates are encouraged to read a designated portion of the Rule daily, and to write a brief, personal response. I hope that this blog will support our Oblate community in this practice. Please, keep blog entries brief and in a first-person ("I") voice. Refrain from discussing, offering an opinion, or commenting on other entries. Simply consider how a particular section of the Rule is speaking to you in your present circumstances.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Chapter 18: The order for reciting the psalms (paragraphs 5-6)

After all, we read that our holy Fathers had the energy to fulfil in one single day what we in our lukewarm devotion only aspire to complete in a whole week.

(From para. 6 of Ch. 18 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry OSB, 1997.)

I don't think that devotion, as St. Benedict speaks of it, is about spiritual athleticism. Rather, I think it's about an expanding experience of divine energy, and its ability to set our lives aflame.

2 comments:

val latonaOctober 26, 2012 at 5:09 AM
"Lukewarm", neither hot nor cold, describing food or energy or anything material is certainly unappealing. A lukewarm relationship between people is undesirable and is certainly a minimal one. In this year of Faith, increase my faith O, Lord in You. Turn up the heat in my meditation commitment, in my Love and service to you and to community.
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Roger SessionsOctober 26, 2012 at 7:10 AM
Benedict tells me that Spiritual Sloth is a sin. For me, spiritual sloth takes the form of being tempted away from my twice daily meditation. And yet, what am I tempted by? The most ridiculous trinkets. Often a mindless TV show. When I give in to spiritual sloth, I get a double whammy. Not only do I lose an opportunity to be with God, but I replace it by something that has negative spiritual value.
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