Tuesday, February 9, 2010

February 10 – Exquisite Care . . . Of Us!




The shelves in bookstores today groan with the weight of volumes dedicated solely to “self care.” Self diagnosis, self instruction, self help . . . it certainly does appear that post modern men and women want to “be all they can be” in or out of the Army. Perhaps people just want to find out who they are!

Within the scope of the Benedictine vows . . . stability, conversion of manners, and obedience . . . is to be found all of the self realization one could ever crave! Let’s take a look, as the monastics of Cor Unum.

Can we, like monastics all over the earth, take the concept, “it’s not about you” to the divine degree? To the best of the ability and vocation and grace of the Abbess, the house, and each Sister, the purpose of every hour in the Abbey is to make life all about God. Meanwhile, as that ministry toward heaven rolls on through time, each Sister matters vitally to the community, because the work of which she is a part is accounted to be the most important on earth.

Can we do that? For ourselves? With our own lives?

Do we have a vocation? Marriage certainly fits that bill, and parenthood does, too. Is there “vocational” worship outside houses of religion?

It could be said that monastic living is a combined determination to obey the commandment of the Son of God concerning His Father. “THOU SHALT love the Lord thy God…”

If we have learned at home and at church to practice Godly responses in time of trial, such as forgiveness, generosity, prayer, and honesty, we have done well. If we have learned to implement those practices for the sake of the love God, we are well on our way.

God looks upon the heart, and He will always see the measure of our love. The hard-fought decision to forgive is a greater “work” by far than weeks of preparation to perform a Christmas concert full of worshipful music or a commitment to a deeper prayer life. The monastic soul knows a heavenly discontent ... she wants BOTH! Every day. For as long as she lives.

So do we.

"Though None Go With Me"
photo by Kerry

2 comments:

  1. You are so right. The easiest way to avoid disappointment and being discontent is to give our expectations to the Lord. Just think how well we would all get along if we only made that one change. It's when we think life is about us that we encounter so many problems.

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  2. Patty ... TERRIFIC OBSERVATION ON YOUR PART!

    I have seen in striking clarity that one thing monastics don't get to be, bigger than that they don't get to be "in the world," is DISAPPOINTED. There is not an inch of space for it, as one can easily imagine.

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