Chapter 49: How Lent should be observed in the monastery
There can be no doubt that monastic life should always have a Lenten character about it, but there are not many today who have the strength for that. Therefore we urge that all in the monastery during these holy days of Lent should look carefully at the integrity of their lives and get rid in this holy season of any thoughtless compromises which may have crept in at other times. (From para. 1 of Ch. 49 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)
I can replace thoughtless compromises with a thoughtful, heartfelt Yes! to whatever surprising and perhaps even painful ways grace touches my life. To do this, I need to nurture discipline and attention.
“Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner”—the prayer of the tax collector that Jesus approved. A few days ago Pope Francis was seen kneeling at the feet of an ordinary priest to confess his sins. How these examples gladden my heart in the face of my sins and character defects. How imperfectly I fulfill my Lenten and Oblate commitments! But what lifts me up is the joy of knowing how you love and embrace me, Abba, my Father, just as I can love and embrace my mischievous little grandsons.
ReplyDeleteIn today's reflection of Fr. Laurence, he mentioned that "a monk's life is a continuous lent." I actually love the idea of living like a monk in the marketplace. The question for me now is, can I bear the life of lent on a daily basis? My answer is a big yes:-) by the grace of God!
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