To Learn what has been Learned before Us

"It is better to ask the way ten times than to take the wrong road once," a Jewish proverb reads. The eighth degree of humility tells us to stay in the stream of life, to learn from what has been learned before us, to value the truths taught by others, to seek out wisdom and enshrine it in our hearts. The eighth degree of humility tells us to attach ourselves to teachers so that we do not make the mistake of becoming our own blind guides.

It is so simple to become a law unto ourselves. The problem with it is that it leaves us little chance to be carried by others. It takes a great deal of time to learn all the secrets of life by ourselves. It makes it impossible for us to come to know what our own lights have no power to signal. It leaves us dumb, undeveloped and awash in a naked arrogance that blocks our minds, cripples our souls and makes us unfit for the relationships that should enrich us beyond our merit and despite our limitations.   Sr. Joan   

Sister Joan's commentary today speaks to each of us--listen.  Imagine what life would be like if we too were to but

"...learn what has been learned before us, to value the truths taught by others, to seek out wisdom and enshrine it in our hearts."

Listen, learn, and grow.... 

Our living communities have a great deal to teach us. All we need is respect for experience and the comforting kind of faith that it takes to do what we cannot now see to be valuable, but presume to be holy because we see the holiness that it has produced in those who have gone before us in the family and the church.

How much He cares....

Thou seest, not only the stains and scars of past sins, but the mutilations, the deep cavities, the chronic disorders which they have left in my soul. Thou sees the innumerable living sins… living in their power and presence, their guilt, and their penalties, which close me.... Yet Thou comest. Thou seest most perfectly....  Yet thou comest. 

                                                   John Henry Newman

His death calls our attention to the state of man,

then and most assuredly today.  Awake sinner and walk 

with Him as your guide, today and every day to come. 

St. Benedict of Nursia

Produced by the Word on Fire Institute.

May we never forget.....

If we want to grow in and with the living Christ, we are called to remember... 

The first step of humility, then, is that we keep "the reverence of God always before our eyes (Ps 36:2)" and never forget it. We must constantly remember everything God has commanded, keeping in mind that all who despise God will burn in hell for their sins, and all who reverence God have everlasting life awaiting them. While we guard ourselves at every moment from sins and vices of thought or tongue, of hand or foot, of self-will or bodily desire, let us recall that we are always seen by God in the heavens, that our actions everywhere are in God's sight and are reported by angels at every hour.

Humility

As we start anew this month on our journey through Benedictine Humility--I invite you to recall Sister Joan's commentary at the close of Chapter 46 where she reminds us: 

• if we choose spiritual people for our friends and our leaders,
• if we respect our elders for their wisdom,
• if we want growth rather than comfort,
• if we rip away the masks that hide us, and we're willing to have our bleeding selves, cauterized by the light of spiritual leadership and the heat of holy friendships,

we would...come to the humility that brings us real peace.

"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power."  Tao Te Ching

Benedictine spirituality asks for both. May your journey through this reading of Chapter 7 bring you renewed strength and courage as you travel the way.

 

Whom shall we love….

 

Norman Rockwell, 1961

Pray for our country....

Norman Rockwell, in 1961, offered us a vision of humanity’s shared dignity: men, women, and children of every nation, faith, and complexion gathered under the golden words of the Gospel’s Golden Rule. That canvas spoke not just of America, but of God’s dream for humanity: that we might look into each other’s eyes and see not threat or stranger, but brother and sister. It was painted during the Cold War, the Civil Rights movement, and the uneasy dawn of global consciousness. It was aspirational—a reminder of who we might be, not who we were.

If the Creator—by whatever name invoked in our different traditions—were to look upon America today, I believe He/She would see a people both blessed beyond measure and broken by their own choices:

• Blessed, because we still carry extraordinary freedom, creativity, resources, and the ability to speak, gather, and worship. These are gifts entrusted to us, not earned by us.

• Broken, because division, anger, suspicion, and greed have crept into our common life. Many see neighbors not as fellow children of God, but as enemies. Our politics often reward outrage more than compassion. We live in an age of abundance, yet millions go hungry or are crushed under debt. The Creator must surely weep that after so many years, we still struggle with racism, violence, and indifference.

The eyes of the painting—serious, compassionate, longing—ask us whether we have grown closer to the dream Rockwell imagined, or drifted further.

Can we be humble enough to ask for help?

Humility is the only path back. We must admit:

• We cannot fix this by clever policies alone.

• We cannot heal by shouting louder than the other side.

• We cannot find peace until we are willing to kneel—each in our own way of prayer, silence, or surrender—and confess that we have fallen short.

Humility is not weakness. It is the courage to say: 

We need help. We need grace. 

We need wisdom greater than our own.

We stand again before Rockwell’s vision, sixty-four years later. The world is watching whether we can live into the words: 

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 

This is not sentiment—it is the Creator’s law written in every faith tradition: in Torah, in the words of Jesus, in the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), in the wisdom of the Buddha, in the counsel of the Bhagavad Gita.

Let us begin with small steps:

• See the humanity of the neighbor with whom you disagree
• Choose kindness when cruelty is easier
• Teach children not just to succeed, but to serve
• Pray—not only for your family—but for the stranger

If enough of us do this, then perhaps in another sixty-four years, a new artist might paint not just the dream, but the reality of a nation—and a world—that finally took the Golden Rule seriously.

Chapter 4: The Tools of Good Works

There are many moments when each of us feel as if we are resting in the arms of our Lord, and listening as He talkes to us as a loving parent. I believe Chapter 4 of the Rule of Benedict and Sister Joan Chittister's commentary are one of those precious moments.

I invite you to read this chapter in the deepest meditative, contemplative and reflective way that only you and your heart can describe. His voice echoes on every page as Benedict speaks to his monastics 1,400 year ago and Sister Joan to each of us now in the 21st-century. All three love us dearly and want only the best for each of us.

Amen

For the Thoughtful Believer

For the thoughtful believer, there is nothing more certain than the reality of uncertainty, nothing more natural than doubt, which is perhaps thirty seconds younger than faith itself.

Light can neither emanate from, nor enter into, a closed mind. And so, for all its limitations, reason--the weighing of evidence, the assessment of likelihood, the capacity to shift ones opinions in light of thought and of experience--remains essential. Without reason, we cannot appreciate complexity; without appreciating complexity, we cannot rightly appreciate the majesty and mystery of God; and without rightly appreciating the majesty and mystery of God, we foreclose the possibility of the miraculous and the redemptive.

Jon Meacham, The Hope of Glory

Place of Purpose

Sr. Joan speaks of place of purpose.  Here are a few thoughts to consider as you meditate on her writings for September 1.

Vocational/Calling Dimension.  In the classical sense, a place of purpose is where one’s calling (or vocation) aligns with the needs of the world. Theologian Frederick Buechner put it as “the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep hunger.” Here, purpose is not just about what brings satisfaction, but how it serves or contributes to something larger than oneself.

Existential Dimension.  From an existential viewpoint, an individual’s place of purpose is the spot where meaning is chosen and affirmed. It is not assigned externally, but discovered and lived into through reflection, freedom, and responsibility. It may shift across life stages but is grounded in authenticity—living true to one’s deepest convictions.

 Communal Dimension.  Purpose is rarely solitary. A person’s place of purpose can be described as the intersection between personal identity and the community’s recognition of that identity. In this sense, one’s purpose “takes place” not in isolation, but in relationship—with family, friends, colleagues, or a faith community.

 Benedictine/Spiritual Dimension.  Drawing from Benedictine thought (which you’ve explored deeply), place of purpose resonates with stability of heart. It is not so much a geographic “where” as a spiritual rootedness: a way of being fully present, committed, and obedient (in the sense of listening with the ear of the heart) to God, to others, and to one’s rule of life. Purpose then becomes inseparable from fidelity to a rhythm of prayer, work, and community.

 Practical/Everyday Dimension.  On a simpler, day-to-day level, one’s place of purpose is where talents, values, and passions converge with real opportunities. It is where the question “What am I good at?” meets “What matters to me?” and “Where can I make a difference?” This might look like teaching, creating, serving, or even simply being a faithful presence in the lives of others.

Life is a way of walking through the universe whole and holy. 

Sr. Joan Chittister

 

 

Thought for the Day

The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting.  

It has been found difficult; and left untried. 

G. K. Chesterton

Every time you begin a good work....

Saint Benedict reminds us today that every time we begin a good work, we must pray to God most earnestly to bring it to perfection. 

Why would we not want His aid?