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.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Chapter 1: Four approaches to monastic life

[Anchorites] have learnt well from everyday experience with the support of many others in a community how to fight against the devil.

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

The anchorite way of life is a worthy one, in Benedict's eyes, because these monks have first been schooled in community. My "everyday experience" of a family brought together by God, is the means of learning how to overcome self-centeredness, and enter into true relationship with myself, with others, and with God.

1 comment:

val latonaJanuary 8, 2013 at 3:29 AM
It is necessary for me to live with a Rule and a practice and most importantly a community that help me to make contact with, to translate,and to make sense of the Holy in the now of everyday living. All of these elements help me find the way Home and hopefully show others the way also.
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