The Rule is the guiding document that guides the life of Benedictines: monks and oblates. I hope to offer a brief monthly reflection on little sections of the Rule. Let’s get on the road and follow Benedict.

Prologue Verses 1-2 

Commentary

The Rule’s opening statement tenderly portrays the filial and paternal relationship we share with God. The reader, addressed as ‘son,’ is not just a passive recipient but an active participant in this relationship. The ‘loving father’ gently calls the reader to heed the heart’s call, not as a command, but as a loving plea to return to God, willingly and faithfully. This active role of the reader is crucial in the Rule, as it invites us to refocus on God’s all-loving and all-encompassing presence in our lives. 

Once we rehearse our listening, we can be attentive to his voice. How do we listen? We listen with joy. First, we listen to Jesus, who forever lives in our hearts. As we listen to his promptings, we listen to others in need. As we listen to the needs, we listen to ourselves in how we can best respond with what we can give and do for Jesus and others. This is listening in joy: Jesus, Others, Yourself. 

The labor of obedience takes work! When we fail, we get up and do it again. We examine our conscience, run to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and throw ourselves into the arms of a loving God. This return to God is practiced every day. We have been claimed by our baptism, which is our first conversion, and rooted in our baptism, we practice the constant metanoia to God, which is the constant 180-degree turn from sin to mercy. 

Prayer

All loving God, ignite my heart with love and joy as I recommit to follow you with Saint Benedict as my guide. Jesus, you live in my heart. Set my heart aflame for the love of you as I reawaken my senses to your loving presence. I say with the psalmist, “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you” (Psalm 16:1). Amen.