More and more people from all walks of life and religious traditions are finding that the new monasticism provides for way of living more prayerfully, intentionally, mindfully, more socially conscious and in a more contemplative way, adopting a modern adaptation to the Rule of St. Benedict. My own spiritual life has benefitted intensely in the daily reading of the Rule and in its contemplative practices.
There are many good, contemporary versions of the Rule with commentary. One of the best is The Rule of Benedict: A Spirituality for the 21st Century by Joan Chittistter. Her book and Br. Jerome's daily commentary in yahoo groups are two that I read and meditate on daily. You can find and subscribe to Br. Jerome's text and commentary by googling yahoo+groups+rule of Benedict+brother Jerome, or some such. In the interim I will be re-posting here some of his reflections so that readers not familiar with the Rule can get the feel of it.
April 10, August 10, December 10
Chapter 57: On the Artisans of the Monastery
If there are artisans in the monastery,
let them practice their crafts with all humility,
provided the Abbot has given permission.
But if any one of them becomes conceited
over his skill in his craft,
because he seems to be conferring a benefit on the monastery,
let him be taken from his craft
and no longer exercise it unless,
after he has humbled himself,
the Abbot again gives him permission.
If any of the work of the craftsmen is to be sold,
those responsible for the sale
must not dare to practice any fraud.
Let them always remember Ananias and Saphira,
who incurred bodily death (Acts 5:1-11),
lest they and all who perpetrate fraud
in monastery affairs
suffer spiritual death.
And in the prices let not the sin of avarice creep in,
but let the goods always be sold a little cheaper
than they can be sold by people in the world,
"that in all things God may be glorified" (1 Peter 4:11).
REFLECTION
One of my favorite quotes from G. K. Chesterton is: "The artistic
temperament is a disease which afflicts amateurs." Amen!!!
The true artist is marked by humility, not because of low self-
esteem, but because of a healthy dose of reality, a firm conviction
that one's gift has been given by God and given with an eye to the
service of all. Christian art, in any form, has no meaning at all
outside of the glory of God and the betterment of the community.
For an artisan to become proud about this would be as ludicrous as for a
priest to be proud of his ability to consecrate, or a lay person proud
of their ability to baptize. Sorry, folks! Doesn't come from us.
Comes from God and we have to always remember our own littleness in
receiving such wonders.
A wrong attitude towards one's gift can quickly turn what God
intended to be a boon to the Christian community into a very large
and unmanageable human cross. Unfortunately, this sort of cross is
not rare. Prima donnas of either gender are all too numerous!
Art matters in communities, it must be treasured and held dear, because
it is a gift from a loving God. But art must always and
everywhere matter less than the people performing or enjoying it. The
brothers and sisters come first, and they do so from a theological imperative
of charity, much, much more intense than any human reason concept of art
or canon of aesthetics. Dump on your brother or sister in the name of art and
the result for the one dumping is pathetic, indeed.
Furthermore, in one sense, the artist must matter least of all, must disappear
behind the gift, must not insist on being thrust into a foreground spotlight.
When a person does liturgy correctly, they vanish behind
the veil of vesture and rubric. They become icon bearers and what is seen is no
longer Pat or Jason, but acolyte and priest. It ought to be so with
artists, but it ought to be so with any gift or skill God has
graciously given us. "He must increase, I must decrease..."
As soon as we forget that, our gift becomes a weight dragging us
downwards to potentially ultimate loss, rather than helping us to
ascend the heights. Good superiors can see this and stop it, but not all
superiors have that knack! Let us pray that our gifts will always be focused
by the wise and loving hand of some realist, to whom God has given
the gift of loving truthfulness!
Chapter 57: On the Artisans of the Monastery
If there are artisans in the monastery,
let them practice their crafts with all humility,
provided the Abbot has given permission.
But if any one of them becomes conceited
over his skill in his craft,
because he seems to be conferring a benefit on the monastery,
let him be taken from his craft
and no longer exercise it unless,
after he has humbled himself,
the Abbot again gives him permission.
If any of the work of the craftsmen is to be sold,
those responsible for the sale
must not dare to practice any fraud.
Let them always remember Ananias and Saphira,
who incurred bodily death (Acts 5:1-11),
lest they and all who perpetrate fraud
in monastery affairs
suffer spiritual death.
And in the prices let not the sin of avarice creep in,
but let the goods always be sold a little cheaper
than they can be sold by people in the world,
"that in all things God may be glorified" (1 Peter 4:11).
REFLECTION
One of my favorite quotes from G. K. Chesterton is: "The artistic
temperament is a disease which afflicts amateurs." Amen!!!
The true artist is marked by humility, not because of low self-
esteem, but because of a healthy dose of reality, a firm conviction
that one's gift has been given by God and given with an eye to the
service of all. Christian art, in any form, has no meaning at all
outside of the glory of God and the betterment of the community.
For an artisan to become proud about this would be as ludicrous as for a
priest to be proud of his ability to consecrate, or a lay person proud
of their ability to baptize. Sorry, folks! Doesn't come from us.
Comes from God and we have to always remember our own littleness in
receiving such wonders.
A wrong attitude towards one's gift can quickly turn what God
intended to be a boon to the Christian community into a very large
and unmanageable human cross. Unfortunately, this sort of cross is
not rare. Prima donnas of either gender are all too numerous!
Art matters in communities, it must be treasured and held dear, because
it is a gift from a loving God. But art must always and
everywhere matter less than the people performing or enjoying it. The
brothers and sisters come first, and they do so from a theological imperative
of charity, much, much more intense than any human reason concept of art
or canon of aesthetics. Dump on your brother or sister in the name of art and
the result for the one dumping is pathetic, indeed.
Furthermore, in one sense, the artist must matter least of all, must disappear
behind the gift, must not insist on being thrust into a foreground spotlight.
When a person does liturgy correctly, they vanish behind
the veil of vesture and rubric. They become icon bearers and what is seen is no
longer Pat or Jason, but acolyte and priest. It ought to be so with
artists, but it ought to be so with any gift or skill God has
graciously given us. "He must increase, I must decrease..."
As soon as we forget that, our gift becomes a weight dragging us
downwards to potentially ultimate loss, rather than helping us to
ascend the heights. Good superiors can see this and stop it, but not all
superiors have that knack! Let us pray that our gifts will always be focused
by the wise and loving hand of some realist, to whom God has given
the gift of loving truthfulness!
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