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Perhaps among the least palatable verses of the Rule are those of the sixth and seventh steps of humility. St. Benedict tells us, “The sixth step of humility is that a monk [be] content with the lowest and most menial treatment and [regard] himself as a poor and worthless workman in whatever task he is given” (RB 7:49). The seventh step may sound just as degrading; it stipulates that a person be “convinced that he is inferior to all and of less value, humbling himself and saying with the Prophet: ‘I am truly a worm, not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people’ (Ps 22:7)” (RB 7:52). How can such statements be reconciled with our Easter faith, which proclaims that we have been redeemed through the…

What impression do people generally have of monks – or other vowed religious? At least for Catholic Christians it is probably that those who profess religious vows are spiritually strong, and there may be some truth to that. In order to profess vows of obedience, stability, and conversatio morum (or the better known vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience), a person must have achieved a certain degree of spiritual maturity and the ability to make sacrifices of lesser things for a higher good – ultimately for God Himself. St. Benedict says in his final chapter of the Rule that those who observe the Rule “can show that we have some degree…

Perseverance is essential to any worthwhile endeavor. Every wholesome undertaking involves trials which tempt us to give up, and only the grace of perseverance will enable us to proceed on the chosen path despite the hardships. In his instructions concerning the reception of novices and the profession of vows (RB 58), St. Benedict says that newcomers must be tested to see if they have a genuine vocation (58: 1-2); a prospective monk must keep “knocking at the door” (58:3) and “[persist] in his request” to enter the novitiate. During that time of formation as a novice, the new monk must show forth “eagerness for … trials” (58:7) and “be clearly told all the hardships and difficulties that will lead him…

A paradoxical saying that often comes to my mind, attributed to G.K. Chesterton, is, “Everything worth doing is worth doing poorly.” It stands in sharp contrast with the seemingly opposite adage, “Everything worth doing is worth doing well.” Both are true in their proper contexts. Surely, Chesterton was not saying that we should be careless or slovenly in doing the tasks given to us. On the contrary, we should do our very best. However, even when we exert our maximum effort, the results (if we are honest about them) are still somehow flawed. If we have perfectionistic tendencies (as many people seem to have nowadays), then we rarely…

Our whole world has been in a crisis because of the coronavirus. In almost every country stringent measures have been imposed to limit the spread of the virus. Nonessential businesses have been closed; social contacts have been severely limited; travel has been restricted; and certain vulnerable populations, in addition to victims of the virus, have been quarantined. The Church, too, has imposed seemingly harsh remedies in order to counteract the virus and to comply with government regulations. Since mid-March almost all public Masses have been canceled; church organizations have had to cancel or postpone meetings; also, marriages, baptisms, confirmations, and first communions have been postponed; and even the Sacrament of Reconciliation has become almost unavailable. These measures have…

As many of you know, the St. Vincent monastic community is preparing to elect a new archabbot on May 11-14, and we monks expect and appreciate the prayers of the Oblate community. Therefore, it might be a fitting time for Oblates and monks alike to ponder what St. Benedict prescribes as the qualities of a good abbot. Last fall retired Abbot Jerome Kodell of Subiaco Abbey gave us monks some helpful advice about preparing to elect our future abbot, that is, as he said, to choose someone who is best qualified in God’s sight, as best as we can discern. Abbot Jerome commented that the heading for Chapter 2 of the Rule, “What…

God can teach us valuable lessons through the most ordinary incidents. Recently I picked up a piece of litter which had been a package for a snack. One of the captions on the bag read, “Make the world your playground. Follow your tart.” How depraved is that message, and how utterly accurate in reflecting the mentality of much of our society! Our media and many people tend to see the world as a “playground,” a place for pleasure, entertainment, and self-gratification. Many “lost souls” (who may think that what they are doing is perfectly normal) wander, externally and internally, from one worldly attraction to another…

This past July 22, the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, I found the reading for Vigils, an excerpt from Pope St. Gregory the Great, especially moving. Since as “hebd” (the leader of worship for the week) I was reading the passage aloud, I was able to absorb the author’s wisdom more effectively than usual. It concerned St. Mary Magdalene’s persistence in seeking the Lord Jesus after she had “lost” Him in death and then, again, through her experience of His absence from the empty tomb. St. Gregory comments, “She was still seeking the one she had not found, and while she sought she wept; burning with the fire of love, she longed for Him who she thought had been taken away. And so it happened…

I am beginning this article during the glorious Octave of Easter. Earlier this morning while some monks and seminarians (and perhaps some early-rising lay people) were in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, I noticed that the silence was almost continually broken by a chorus of chirping birds. I can only speak for myself, but it seemed that our prayer was not seriously disturbed by these jubilant sounds. The multitude of birds were praising God with the unique voices that He gave them; we in the chapel were trying to praise God by our silence. A lesson from this experience might be that we sometimes respond to God’s call in speech and song, and sometimes in silent adoration or silent listening. Whatever we do, we should be in accord with God’s will and give glory to God. St. Paul urges…

Several years ago upon returning from the March for Life, I realized that I needed a new winter coat. Fortunately, the weather in Washington, DC, had been mild, but nonetheless it had been frustrating to have my coat falling apart. The zipper had been irreparably broken for several years; then the snaps failed; then the velcro stopped sticking; and then, during the march, the plastic belt buckle would not fasten properly. By God’s grace a very similar coat appeared in the monastery’s “beggars’-bench” room within a short time. Indeed, I rejoiced at the undeserved gift. However, I soon discovered that the zipper of the new coat could be problematic. Whenever I tried to zip…

Every time is a favorable for growing in good zeal. One might even say that maintaining good zeal is a way to express perseverance in the love of God and of neighbor, which forms the very core of Christian life. Good zeal, as monks and Oblates know, is the topic of Chapter 72 of the Rule of St. Benedict, in which it is the penultimate chapter, preceding the epilogue. As such, good zeal sums up all the virtuous practices of Benedictine life. Some months ago another Director of Oblates contacted me about the topic of good zeal. He was preparing to lead a retreat on good zeal…

Some years ago a very gifted monk from another abbey who was studying at our seminary often uttered the exclamation, “Praise God!” For example, if someone complimented him for something that he had done well, he may have said, “Thank you,” but his most memorable response was, “Praise God, praise God!” It took me a while to get used to that response and to recognize its value. It reminded me of my association with a charismatic prayer group from 1975 to 1977, in which many of the members frequently said, “Praise God!” I admired…

We as the Church recently celebrated the foundation of our Christian faith in the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. It was out of love that Christ suffered and died for us, even “while we were still sinners” (Rom 5:8). It was out of love that Christ rose from the dead to open the way to eternal life for those who believe. The Christian life is rooted in love. Therefore, of course, monastic life and Oblate life are also rooted in love. The basic command from Our Lord to love God and our neighbor (Mt 22:40 and Gal 5:14) appear as the first two of St. Benedict’s tools of good works (RB 4: 1-2). In his book Seventy-Four Tools for Good Living (Liturgical Press, 2014), Fr. Michael Casey, O.C.S.O., comments that…

In the recesses of our hearts we all long for deeper conversion and freedom from slavery to sin, which hinders us from fulfilling the purpose for which we were created: to receive God’s infinite love and to show forth His love to others. On the morning of this past Christmas Eve, which fell on a Sunday, I celebrated two Masses at the parish assigned to me. Although I had heard confessions the previous afternoon at the scheduled time, one parishioner asked before the second Mass if I were going to hear confessions that day. I responded that I would gladly hear his confession after the Mass. During the Mass the thought occurred to me that other people might also want the Sacrament of Reconciliation before the Christmas liturgies; so, near the end of Mass, I made an announcement about my…

In several passages of the Holy Rule, St. Benedict expresses a longing for ideals in the past which were not fulfilled in his day. Regarding the Divine Office, he states, “We read, after all, that our holy Fathers, energetic as they were, did all this [praying the full psalter] in a single day. Let us hope that we, lukewarm as we are, can achieve it in a whole week” (RB 18:25). In regulating the drinking of wine, St. Benedict asserts, “We read that monks should not drink wine at all, but since the monks of our day cannot be convinced of this, let us at least agree to drink moderately, and not to the point of excess” (40:6). Writing about manual labor, St. Benedict insists that his monks…

Peace is a gift and a virtue that we naturally seek. In the deepest recesses of our hearts, we desire peace within ourselves, peace with other people, and peace among the nations of the world. At Vespers each evening we monks pray for peace in the world and for an end of violence and terrorism, far from the goal though our planet may be. The 1981 edition of Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary offers the following definitions of peace: (1) “a state of tranquility or quiet,” (2) “freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts and emotions,” (3) “harmony in personal relations,” or (4) “mutual concord…

Saint Paul urges us boldly, “”If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:1-3). Yes, in baptism (and every time we receive the Holy Eucharist) we have died to sin and to self-seeking, and we have risen to new life in Christ and with Christ. Of course, we are still dragged down by desires that come from our “old selves,” but we must persistently “die” to those parts of us so that our whole being may more and more become a yearning for God and our will a joyful surrender…

The Advent and Christmas seasons, together lasting some six weeks, have passed by rather quickly. The once beautiful poinsettias have mostly wilted and been removed. The trees and decorations have been taken down. As we grow older, we may experience the sameness of it all: another Advent of preparation (perhaps with some genuine hopeful expectation), another Christmas of festive celebrations, another transition back to Ordinary Time, with a sense that Lent will arrive soon. In our monastic community we have had more or less the same schedule, the same arrangement of liturgies, and the same liturgical music for a number of years; so there has been a sense of strong continuity for the Advent and Christmas celebrations. To have this dependable regularity from year to year…

The collect (opening prayer) for Mass for the 28th Week of Ordinary Time reads, “May Your grace, O Lord, we pray, at all times go before us and follow after and make us always determined to carry out good works.” (The words at all times and always are especially important!) It is easy to ignore such prayers at Mass; they pass by quickly and are not always pronounced distinctly by the celebrant. Furthermore, we ourselves are often not focused enough for the prayers to penetrate our minds. These prayers, however, have profound lessons for us; in fact, they are meant to teach us to live as we pray. In any case, of course, God’s grace is always before us and after..

More and more, I find myself dreading certain deadlines. Perhaps my dislike is connected with aging and not wishing to feel overwhelmed (as I often do), with wanting to work at my own pace, and with worry that focus on one task leads me to neglect other important tasks. Surely, there is also an element of rebelliousness in all this; a part of me simply wants to do what I feel like doing rather than to respond to external demands (and ultimately what God is asking of me). However you or I may feel, deadlines are a necessary part of life on earth. Notices for parish bulletins and newspapers must…