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.

Friday, September 1, 2017

Prologue to The Rule (paragraphs 1-2)

Listen, child of God, to the guidance of your teacher. Attend to the message you hear and make sure that it pierces to your heart, so that you may accept with willing freedom and fulfil by the way you live the directions that come from your loving Father. (From para. 1 of Prologue to The Rule of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1973.)

I stand waiting to be delivered into a new phase of my life, and the words "child of God" don't strike me with the sentimentality that they sometimes do. Experiencing a kind of womb-like quickening, I emerge with all the vulnerability and strength freedom gives me. I welcome the loving guidance of my Inner Teacher.

2 comments:

Melanie CondesSeptember 1, 2017 at 8:14 AM
I began one important aspect of my journey here on Earth with the prayer, "Oh Lord if this work that I think is good will bring you greater glory, I commit it to you for your perfection and purification. Amen."
ReplyDelete
Replies
UnknownSeptember 1, 2017 at 8:32 PM
Benedict clarifies my journey with the Trinity, and with others: Listen, attend to, hear, accept, fulfill, live.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment