Yesterday we were reminded that the work required to become a Benedictine is the work of a lifetime—a lifetime of living until, imperceptibly, we find ourselves changed into what we sought. Do not underestimate this statement. Read it mindfully. Read every word and phrase, for it builds upon itself.
Benedict continues with a call that we hold tightly to the roots of our faith—the inheritance of the past. What is the richness that first drew us to this life? Is it a search for certainty? Or is it something deeper?
Sister Joan does a beautiful job of focusing our attention on Benedict's call to the foundations of community: fidelity to the monastic way of life and obedience. Sanctification becomes the fruit of this new way of thinking and living. It requires a total openness to the constantly emerging challenges of the God-life.
We must live into each of these demands, allowing them to mold, polish, and temper us until we become a people who see the world through eyes informed and softened by the Gospel.
Benedictine spirituality allows the heart to embrace the world with courage, encouraging it with words of love that nourish it and help it grow in faith.
In time, we become increasingly aware of the changing feelings of each day, yet remain bound to the commitments of a lifetime.
A lifetime that begins anew each morning. We must decide what we are all about.
We—you and I—with each new day, re-commiting ourselves to serving God and the world.
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