“So let us faithfully use the good things God has given us, so that He will never, as a Father who is angered by our rejection, cast us out of His family. Nor, as our Lord, provoked by the evil we choose, hand us over to everlasting punishment as unfaithful servants who refused to follow Him into glory.”
— Prologue
“In His goodness, God has already welcomed us as His children. Therefore, we should take care not to grieve Him by the way we live.” – Prologue
Benedict now gives us another reason to take the Christian life seriously. God has already welcomed us as His children.
“First of all, whatever good work you begin, ask God with sincere and earnest prayer to bring it to completion.”
Last week we reflected on Benedict’s words, “This message is now for you.”
This week we come to what follows. Benedict asks us to take up “the strong and noble weapons of obedience.”
It is striking language.
“This message is now for you, if you are willing to surrender your own will and take up the strong and noble weapons of obedience, to do battle for Christ the Lord, the true King.”
– The Rule of St Benedict, Prologue
“Listen carefully, my son, to the guidance of your master. Open not only your ears but your heart. Receive these words willingly and put them into practice with faithfulness. In doing so, through the hard but life-giving work of obedience, you will return to the One from whom you have wandered through the neglect of disobedience.”
The Rule of St Benedict, Prologue 1
“Listen carefully, my son, to the guidance of your master. Open not only your ears but your heart. Receive these words willingly and put them into practice with faithfulness. In doing so, through the hard but life-giving work of obedience, you will return to the One from whom you have wandered through the neglect of disobedience.”
The Rule of St Benedict, Prologue 1
“Listen carefully, my son, to the guidance of your master. Open not only your ears but your heart. Receive these words willingly and put them into practice with faithfulness. In doing so, through the hard but life-giving work of obedience, you will return to the One from whom you have wandered through the neglect of disobedience.”
The Rule of St Benedict, Prologue 1
The Jesus Prayer is a simple prayer
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
The tradition of the Jesus Prayer goes back to the “prayer of the mind,” recommended by the ancient monks of the Egyptian desert.
Lectio Divina, Latin for divine reading, is an ancient practice designed to immerse us in Scripture. Lectio Divina involves reading a text from Scripture multiple times and allowing the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to God’s message.