\u201cListen carefully, my child, to the master\u2019s instructions,\nand attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from a father who\nloves you; welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So begins The Rule of\nSaint Benedict<\/em>, one of the most enduring spiritual works of all time.\nConsisting merely of a prologue and 73 paragraphs, it is filled with spiritual\nand practical wisdom, and a keen insight into human nature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It has been refreshing for me to hear from the Rule<\/em> again, drip by drip, during these three months of Sabbath renewal, here in the midst of a community of twenty Benedictine monks. Each evening at the end of supper we listen to a few lines of Benedict\u2019s instructions before closing in prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regardless of our calling in life, the threefold Benedictine\nvow of obedience, stability, and conversion of life bears lessons we can all\nlearn from. During this installment, I will reflect on obedience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obedience is ultimately a matter of obeying God the Father, in imitation of Jesus, who said, \u201cI have come not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me\u201d (John 6:38). Christ\u2019s obedience involved a total self-emptying, freely and wholeheartedly laying down his life in sacrifice. Monastic life allows obedience and self-emptying to take on a visible form. The monks vow obedience to their abbot (a name meaning \u201cfather\u201d) and habitually submit their own will to the will of the abbot and of their elder monks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benedict has no illusions of abbots being perfect; rather,\nhe is aware that often they are awful. Many of the instructions of the Rule<\/em> are directed at the abbot and the\ngrave responsibility that he bears. If there are problems or toxic dynamics in\nthe life of the monastery, they are ultimately his fault \u2013 unless he has truly\nbeen just and loving and the faults are ultimately due to the obstinacy of the\nunwilling followers. He plays the role of Christ within the community, first\nand foremost by his example and then by his exercise of authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benedict is clear about this Christ-like authority not being\none of power or control, but one of humility \u2013 including attentive listening\nand consulting. The abbot is not to make major decisions without pulling\ntogether other monks and listening deeply to what they have to say. He bears\nthe ultimate responsibility for the final decision, but not before listening\nwith an open mind and heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As one who has often borne the burden of authority amidst multiple seasons of disorienting change and turmoil, I can relate. Sometimes I don\u2019t like listening to truths that expose my failures or invite me to pour more of my already depleted energy into a problem. Other times I have put off making the right decision out of fear of domineering or manipulative people, leaving the righteous ones to suffer in silence. Still other times it is tempting to avoid making decisions and over-consult \u2013 hoping someone will \u201cjust tell me what to do\u201d and rescue me from my responsibility. When we leaders (whether parents, bosses, pastors, or bishops) abdicate our authority, it is often more damaging than when we abuse our position of power. Either way, Benedict repeatedly reminds the abbot that he will give an accounting to Jesus on the Day of Judgment, when our full story will be told by the all-seeing God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may be surprised that I am spending so much time talking\nabout the duties of those in authority, but it is essential to see obedience in\nthe context of healthy and holy relationships, not within the context of power\nor exertion of will. Too many Christians have only known \u201cauthority\u201d as an\nabuse of power or an abdication of responsibility. They haven\u2019t experienced\nenough of the real thing \u2013 with the result that many today (including many\nex-Christians) are only suspicious of authority. We need to take their pain\nseriously and listen to their stories \u2013 admitting fault and humbly repairing as\njustice calls for. AND we can model authentic authority and obedience, and the\nfreedom they bring. Obedience is wonderfully freeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obedience, lived well, directly overturns the strongholds of\nthe evil one. He tempts Adam and Eve \u2013 and each of us \u2013 to replace the words\n\u201cthy will be done\u201d with \u201cMY will be done!\u201d In our pride and self-protection, in\nour fears and insecurities, in our shame and isolation, we resist the intimacy\ninvolved in freely submitting to another\u2019s will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benedict describes the good fruit the grows in the heart of monks\nas a result of their obedience: \u201cThey no longer live by their own judgment,\ngiving into their whims and appetites; rather they walk according to another\u2019s\ndecisions and directions.\u201d Benedict\u2019s understanding is that those who can obey\nand submit to an imperfect human being will be more free in submitting to a\nperfect and loving Father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obedience balances individual and communal needs, reflecting the truth that we are not isolated individuals each doing whatever we feel like, but all interconnected in relationships and called to love and serve one another. There are times in a monastery when an individual and talented monk is asked to give up his own personal dreams in order to fill a role needed by the rest of the community. The same often holds true in married life, in the workplace, or in the diocesan priesthood. In the Rule<\/em>, these kinds of decisions aren\u2019t to be made lightly by the abbot, but only through dialogue and consultation. Hopefully in a happy marriage, in a healthy work environment, or in a healthy bishop-priest relationship, there is a similar dialogue and consultation when challenging decisions need to be made, allowing freedom to move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The church bells fill the Benedictine day with moments of obedience. The bells ring, and the obedient monk promptly rises from bed. The bells ring, and the obedient monk promptly lays down his work project and heads to the chapel to pray. But isn\u2019t it interesting that the bells are rung more than once each time? \u00a0There is always the ideal of a prompt and joyful obedience that immediately springs forth, combined with a realistic accommodation for human weakness and real-life circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pride is the ancient sin of the devil and of our first\nparents. Each of us daily is tempted to cry out, \u201cMy will be done!\u201d in a\nhundred different ways. Obedience chips away at our pride and selfishness and\nteaches us to love and serve others, freely, not because \u201cI have to.\u201d It looks\ndifferent for the monk, the employee, the spouse, or the priest. But we all are\ncalled to Christ-like authority and Christ-like obedience in healthy and holy\nrelationships. How do you allow obedience to set you free in your daily life?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cListen carefully, my child, to the master\u2019s instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from a father who loves you; welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice.\u201d So begins The Rule of Saint Benedict, one of the most enduring spiritual works of all time. Consisting merely of … <\/p>\n