Feast of St Benedict

 Benedict's Rule was a humane development of Rules already in existence. In it he truly sought to put down "nothing harsh, nothing burdensome." Today's section of chapter 33 of the Rule of St Benedict focuses on private possessions. The monk depends entirely on what the Abbot/Abbess allows (another section of the daily reading from the Rule makes it clear that the Abbot/Abbess is to make sure their subjects have what they need!) Everything in the monastery is held in common, as was the case in the early Church described in Acts. Today, in a world where consumerism means borrowing from the future of those who follow us, and robbing the very life of the planet, this lesson is one we can all benefit from. 

Taking this in a different direction, the lesson I have been trying to learn this year, and really over the past two years is how to let go of a faith community I deeply valued. Ironically, it is not the letting go that is hardest for me in this, but rather, finding ways to both hold onto what is essential and to empower that for others. One does not simply cut oneself off from a living faith community, particularly when that community itself is suffering from disruption, malfeasance, and the like and is seeking to find ways to continue on in some continuity with the way God has called and constituted them for many years. It has been a challenging two years for all of us. Slowly we are finding ways to do the will of God and to do this together in new and compelling ways. We are learning that we continue to live in the household of God even as our faith community shifts, dissolves, reforms, and reaffirms itself in new ways. The loss remains painful, but we are God's Church and will continue in his Spirit. To some extent, Benedictine Oblate, Rachel M Srubas reflects on the necessary attitude we all need to cultivate, living as we do in the household of God:

UNLEARNING POSSESSION

Neither deprivation nor excess,
poverty nor privilege,
in your household.
Even the sheets on "my" bed,
the water flowing from the shower head,
belong to us all and to none of us
but you, who entrust everything to our use.

When I was a toddler,
I seized on the covetous power
of "mine."
But faithfulness requires the slow
unlearning of possession:
to do more than say to a neighbor,
"what's mine is yours."
Remind me what's "mine"
is on loan from you,
and teach me to practice sacred economics:
meeting needs, breaking even, making do.

From, Oblation, Meditations of St Benedict's Rule

My prayers for and very best wishes to my Sisters and Brothers in the Benedictine family on this Feast (Memorial) of St Benedict! Special greetings to the Benedictine Sisters at Transfiguration Monastery, the Camaldolese monks at (and all oblates of) Incarnation Monastery in Berkeley and New Camaldoli in Big Sur, the Sisters of Social Service (Encino and LA) --- my first connection with Benedictinism, and the Trappistine Sisters at Redwoods Monastery in Whitethorn, CA. Happy celebrating today and all good wishes for the coming year!