Chapter 7: The value of humility (paragraph 9)
The third step of humility is to submit oneself out of love of God to whatever obedience under a superior may require of us; it is the example of the Lord himself that we follow in this way, as we know from St Paul's words: he was made obedient even unto death. (Para. 9 of Ch. 7 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)
Such total obedience can be hard for me to understand, or apply, as I don't live directly under a "superior". But I can understand living in loving responsiveness to the Spirit of God that animates all creatures, all creation.
This humility stuff is hard! In my busy, daily life as a father, husband and employee, I have many "superiors" requiring my "obedience" to meet their needs. St. Benedict's counsel helps me handle these demands by reminding me that through deep listening to the voice of Christ in others, I can (make some progress towards) leaving self behind and responding to others from the true self, the indwelling Spirit.
ReplyDeleteI see humility as the release of Ego. A challenge for me.
ReplyDelete"Selfless attention to the other who is Christ" is a line from one of John Main's taped talks that sticks with me. All the ego qualities strong or weak, (such as timidity, fear, courage, conceit),that I may apply to myself at the moment when facing another person need to disappear. Through difficult circumstances (as well as peaceful), the mantra is the prayer that can strenthen my resolve to see Christ in the other.
ReplyDelete