Each month, I reflect on a small portion of the Rule of Saint Benedict. May the Rule shape our hearts in following Jesus.
Prologue Verses 3-7
| This message of mine is for you, then, if you are ready to give up your own will, once and for all, and armed with the strong and noble weapons of obedience to do battle for the true King, Christ the Lord. First of all, every time you begin a good work, you must pray to him most earnestly to bring it to perfection. In his goodness, he has already counted us as his sons, and therefore we should never grieve him by our evil actions. With his good gifts which are in us, we must obey him at all times that he may never become the angry father who disinherits his sons, nor the dread lord, enraged by our sins, who punishes us forever as worthless servants for refusing to follow him to glory. |
Commentary
Saint Benedict puts before us two options: be a child of a loving father or the knowingly worthless servant of a regretful Master. As a child of God, God gives us all we need to serve him faithfully. To attain these gifts, we must fight. The way we fight is through the daily decisions of daily life. We need to decide to commit to prayer, which nourishes our communion with God. We have the opportunity at every moment to choose God. Virtue grows in us when we form a dedicated prayer life. We need virtue because it becomes the habitual attitude needed in the spiritual life.
Saint Ignatius of Antioch exhorted Polycarp not to be overwhelmed by the world and its false teachers. Polycarp was to “remain firm, like the anvil under the hammer. The good athlete must take punishment in order to win. And above all we must bear with everything for God, so that he in turn may bear with us.” This message is for us as well. Choose to fight the good fight at all times. Be aware of God’s loving presence in every situation.
Prayer
Patient and all-loving God, form my heart after yours and “do not cast me away from your presence nor deprive me of your holy spirit. Give me again the joy of your help; with a spirit of fervor sustain me …” (Psalm 51). Amen.
Enlarge my heart 
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