Chapter 21: The deans of the monastery
If any of the deans are affected by some breath of pride which lays them open to adverse criticism, they should be corrected once or twice or even three times.
(From para. 2 of Ch. 21 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry OSB, 1997.)
The image of breath is more likely to evoke for me the Holy Spirit, rather than pride. But the use of the term "breath of pride" reminds me that selfishness can insinuate its way into absolutely anything, contorting what should be service, into power over others.
Many of us are not chosen to be deans of monasteries. What is in this chapter for me then? It is the urging to live a "holy life". I have Benedict's whole rule to reflect on how to do that but especially his word to "listen" and to "attend" with the "ear of (my) your heart." It is the habit of meditation that leads me into attentive listening and then opens the door to practicing the Benedictine values of a holy life particular to my age and stage of life.
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