Chapter 31: The qualities required by the cellarer (paragraph 1)

If one of the community comes with an unreasonable request, the cellarer should, in refusing what is asked, be careful not to give the impression of personal rejection and so hurt the petitioner's feelings. (From para. 1 of Ch. 31 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry OSB, 1997.)

Kindness softens and opens hearts, and I should give it away freely, in spite of whatever other limitations I have.