Chapter 36: The care of the sick in the monastery
The care of those who are sick in the community is an absolute priority, which must rank before every other requirement, so that there may be no doubt that it is Christ who is truly served in them.
(From para. 1 of Ch. 36 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry OSB, 1997.)
This morning my mind searches for a larger meaning for the term "sick", to encompass personal weakness of all sorts. I think that one of the fruits of meditation is to learn to lovingly recognize weakness, in myself and in others. Also, I understand that, in the Spirit, weakness can become solid ground for selflessness to take root and grow.
Joan Chittister today reminds me what the rabbis say, "The purpose of maintaining the body in good health is to make it possible for you to acquire wisdom." At 81, with my aging bones and head, I sometimes wonder "Why am I still around? What am I good for?," and so on. How wonderful to be reminded that each healthy day on the planet, Abba, you give me to enable me to acquire wisdom, to enjoy my pilgrimage, to become all that you want me to be.
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