Prologue to The Rule (paragraph 5)
And so to prepare ourselves for the journey before us let us renew our faith and set ourselves high standards by which to lead our lives. [...] Such a follower of Christ lives in reverence of him and does not take the credit for a good life but believing that all the good we do comes from the Lord, gives him the credit and thanksgiving for what his gift brings about in our hearts. (From para. 5 of The Prologue to The Rule of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)
I often remember Fr John's description of a monk as "organizing life around an utterly clear priority". In my life, that utterly clear priority is the practice of meditation, Fr John has also reminded me that meditation isn't "my" meditation but an opening to the stream of love that flows between the Son and the Father. This immersiveness of meditation can lead to a way of living that expresses God's purpose.
I often remember Fr John's description of a monk as "organizing life around an utterly clear priority". In my life, that utterly clear priority is the practice of meditation, Fr John has also reminded me that meditation isn't "my" meditation but an opening to the stream of love that flows between the Son and the Father. This immersiveness of meditation can lead to a way of living that expresses God's purpose.
“By the grace of God I am what I am,” Benedict and Paul remind me today, Abba. Meditation keeps me connected with your grace and with you. It makes me invulnerable, reminds me that there’s nothing that may come up today that you and I cannot face together.
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