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.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Chapter 65: The prior or prioress of the monastery (paragraph 1)

There have been instances when some of these officials have conceived out of an evil spirit of self-importance that they also are superiors and for that reasons have assumed the powers of a tyrant, so that they encourage scandalous divisions in the community. (From para. 1 of Ch. 65 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)

My ego, liking to be "official", has conceived a spirit of self-importance and has divided more than integrated my being. The mantra brings me into the presence of true integration, true authority.

1 comment:

Melanie CondesDecember 22, 2013 at 5:41 PM
In the "market place" the position of leadership is oftentimes ruled by the ego, by pride, by self-importance. But with Jesus, the position of leadership is a place, a space of compassionate love and humble service. So I would want to learn Jesus' style. How? By sitting with Him ... during meditation.
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