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, June 21, 2019

Chapter 17: The number of psalms to be sung at the hours

We have already set out the order of the psalms for Vigils and for Lauds. Now let us look at the order of the psalms for the rest of the Hours. (From para. 1 of Ch. 17 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry OSB, 1997.)

Benedict's guidelines for fidelity, order, and thoroughness in the singing of the psalms seem to me to be in same spirit as saying the mantra faithfully, twice daily, from the beginning to the end of meditation. In both cases, I see a discipline and a challenge to maintain a continuous turning towards God. Where does my mind go when it wanders throughout the day? The practice of meditation suggests to me that it's not so important where my wandering mind goes, as to gently bring it back into the presence of God.

1 comment:

Wally SaundersJune 21, 2019 at 4:59 AM
Order my day, Abba, so that I can be, at every precious moment, that channel of your love, peace, hope, pardon, faith and joy that Francis of Assisi prayed for.
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