Also, for those interested in lay Benedictine spirituality for the 21st century, there is a great retreat coming up in Dallas:
17thAnnual Dallas Benedictine Experience
The Catholic Conference Center, Dallas, Texas
The 17th annual multi-denominational Dallas Benedictine Experiencewill take place at The Catholic Conference and Formation Center in Dallas, Texas from Wednesday, June 25 through Saturday, June 28, 2014.
This monastic experience is presented by The Friends of St. Benedict, Washington, D.C. and is open to men and women, laity and clergy of all denominations. Participants will live on the campus of the center for four days, forming a temporary monastic community to experience the balanced way of life of The Rule of St. Benedict as it divides each day into private and group prayer, study, work, and monastic silence. Four Benedictine Offices (Lauds, Sext, Vespers, and Compline) will be chanted each day in English in Gregorian chant.
For further information, please e-mail dallasbenedictine@yahoo.com or call 214-339-8483.
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January 4, May 5, September 4
Prologue (continued)
Having our loins girded, therefore,
with faith and the performance of good works (Eph. 6:14),
let us walk in His paths
by the guidance of the Gospel,
that we may deserve to see Him
who has called us to His kingdom (1 Thess. 2:12).
For if we wish to dwell in the tent of that kingdom,
we must run to it by good deeds
or we shall never reach it.
But let us ask the Lord, with the Prophet,
"Lord, who shall dwell in Your tent,
or who shall rest upon Your holy mountain" (Ps. 14:1)?
After this question,
let us listen to the Lord
as He answers and shows us the way to that tent, saying,
"The one Who walks without stain and practices justice;
who speaks truth from his heart;
who has not used his tongue for deceit;
who has done no evil to his neighbor;
who has given no place to slander against his neighbor."
This is the one who,
under any temptation from the malicious devil,
has brought him to naught (Ps. 14:4)
by casting him and his temptation from the sight of his heart;
and who has laid hold of his thoughts
while they were still young
and dashed them against Christ (Ps. 136:9).
It is they who,
fearing the Lord (Ps. 14:4),
do not pride themselves on their good observance;
but,
convinced that the good which is in them
cannot come from themselves and must be from the Lord,
glorify the Lord's work in them (Ps. 14:4),
using the words of the Prophet,
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to Your name give the glory" (Ps. 113, 2nd part:1).
Thus also the Apostle Paul
attributed nothing of the success of his preaching to himself,
but said,
"By the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10).
And again he says,
"He who glories, let him glory in the Lord" (2 Cor. 10:17).
REFLECTION
Very briefly, there is an excellent theology of works and faith here.
We need to recognize that there is no good in our works that is not of God, of
the saving act of Jesus. We also need to hear that
works are important means of showing God how much we love Him and
believe in Him. Works are the logical result of faith. We all
need faith and no one is anything at all in terms of good without
God, without Christ's perfect sacrifice.
Our Baptism allows us to do good, because it incorporates (literally
"in-bodies" us!) into God. In His Mystical Body, we receive the boon of the
ability to do good.
We can get so accustomed to this that we can forget that without Him we
could do absolutely nothing of any worth whatever. That is why it is so very
important to make the Morning Offering, to tie our own poor works, prayers,
joys and sufferings to those of Christ and the Cross. Plunged into Jesus,
they become tools of infinite merit and worth!
So yes, we must do good works, but, "Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to Your name give the glory!" Works and faith are not the Western
thought dichotomy of "yes and no" of, "either or," but the Zen mind
of "both and." Without God, neither works nor ourselves have any
meaning at all. With God, both are enriched, but only because of Him.
Love and prayers,
Jerome,OSB
http://www.stmarysmonastery.org
Petersham, MA
Prologue Part V
Having our loins girded, therefore,
with faith and the performance of good works (Eph. 6:14),
let us walk in His paths
by the guidance of the Gospel,
that we may deserve to see Him
who has called us to His kingdom (1 Thess. 2:12).
For if we wish to dwell in the tent of that kingdom,
we must run to it by good deeds
or we shall never reach it.
But let us ask the Lord, with the Prophet,
"Lord, who shall dwell in Your tent,
or who shall rest upon Your holy mountain" (Ps. 14:1)?
After this question,
let us listen to the Lord
as He answers and shows us the way to that tent, saying,
"The one Who walks without stain and practices justice;
who speaks truth from his heart;
who has not used his tongue for deceit;
who has done no evil to his neighbor;
who has given no place to slander against his neighbor."
This is the one who,
under any temptation from the malicious devil,
has brought him to naught (Ps. 14:4)
by casting him and his temptation from the sight of his heart;
and who has laid hold of his thoughts
while they were still young
and dashed them against Christ (Ps. 136:9).
It is they who,
fearing the Lord (Ps. 14:4),
do not pride themselves on their good observance;
but,
convinced that the good which is in them
cannot come from themselves and must be from the Lord,
glorify the Lord's work in them (Ps. 14:4),
using the words of the Prophet,
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to Your name give the glory" (Ps. 113, 2nd part:1).
Thus also the Apostle Paul
attributed nothing of the success of his preaching to himself,
but said,
"By the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10).
And again he says,
"He who glories, let him glory in the Lord" (2 Cor. 10:17).
REFLECTION
Very briefly, there is an excellent theology of works and faith here.
We need to recognize that there is no good in our works that is not of God, of
the saving act of Jesus. We also need to hear that
works are important means of showing God how much we love Him and
believe in Him. Works are the logical result of faith. We all
need faith and no one is anything at all in terms of good without
God, without Christ's perfect sacrifice.
Our Baptism allows us to do good, because it incorporates (literally
"in-bodies" us!) into God. In His Mystical Body, we receive the boon of the
ability to do good.
We can get so accustomed to this that we can forget that without Him we
could do absolutely nothing of any worth whatever. That is why it is so very
important to make the Morning Offering, to tie our own poor works, prayers,
joys and sufferings to those of Christ and the Cross. Plunged into Jesus,
they become tools of infinite merit and worth!
So yes, we must do good works, but, "Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to Your name give the glory!" Works and faith are not the Western
thought dichotomy of "yes and no" of, "either or," but the Zen mind
of "both and." Without God, neither works nor ourselves have any
meaning at all. With God, both are enriched, but only because of Him.
Love and prayers,
Jerome,OSB
http://www.stmarysmonastery.org
Petersham, MA
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