Chapter 72: The good spirit which should inspire monastic life
By following this path they try to be first to show respect to one another with the greatest patience in tolerating weaknesses of body or character. (From Ch. 72 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)
Why can it be so hard to tolerate weakness of body or character -- those of others or my own, as well? Impatience is the ego jumping in, I suppose, trying to build itself up by putting others down, or trying to gain attention for its own pitiful state. And so it seems to me that impatience is the opposite of love. Love expands the space between my impatient reaction and my heart, making room for the patient gaze of love.
“Let them bear their infirmities, whether of body or mind, with the utmost patience . . .” says the Rule today. Not easy to accept my chronic back pain nor my Lumosity “brain performance” scores, realities of aging. But, meditation roots me in you, Abba, in this present moment where I blossom in your garden of love. And love casts out all fear and, once more, leads me to the peace that passes all understanding.
ReplyDeleteWhat strikes me most about this sentence from the Rule is the great humility required to be the "first to show respect to one another." Especially in the business world, being the first to speak in negotiations, the first to apologize, etc., is eschewed in favor of dominating the other. Again St. Benedict reveals the wisdom that turns our worldly ways upside-down.
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