Chapter 31: The qualities required by the cellarer (paragraphs 2-3)
Among the most important qualities the cellarer needs to cultivate is humility and the ability to give a pleasant answer even when a request must be refused. Remember how scripture says that a kindly word is of greater value that a gift, however precious. (From para. 2 of Ch. 31 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)
St. Benedict teaches me that the key to service is being kind. Kindness I recognize as a fruit of the Spirit, a fruit of meditation. Kindness has the power to realize the hearts of giver and receiver.
" . . . sometimes it takes enormous patience to deal with some stubborn, awkward person in community. But St. Benedict doesn't just tell us to tolerate, . . . put up with them. What he says is, find Christ in them and finding Him, worship Him." (John Main, "Community of Love" p77.) What a challenge for the cellarer as well as for me in my daily dealings with my family and local and ecclesial communities!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many possibilities of giving a kindly word I have every day and how many of them I do not live out?
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