Benedictine Continues...

As a Benedictine oblate inquirer I continue to pursue this spirituality. For lack of a better word, I’ve been working on my oblate to do list. Really, it’s a guide of elements to ponder how to include in my life. To begin with, I’ve been easing into it. After all, Benedictine spirituality is very much about moderation in all things.

I’ve written about including a regular practice of prayer suitable to my life and faith. I look forward to these times to just be with the Holy as the holy speaks through Scripture, Psalms, and poetry. Last night I let The Writer’s Almanac start my evening prayer. The poem, Tuesday 9:00AM, was very thought-provoking and can be found at http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2011/01/25/.

Now, I am pondering the next element on my guide: Continue ongoing formation in Benedictine spirituality. I’ve been reading several books on this topic, all of them good. However, they all require work of self-examination. This is not meant to be the unexamined life.

Joan Chittister’s The Rule of Benedict: A spirituality for the 21st century is proving to be a very meaningful daily venture into this life. The book is a wonderfully inclusive language version of The Rule of Benedict to be read on a daily basis with commentary by Sister Joan. In small bites. It’s not a replacement for the other books but it’s a bit of the Holy right at the end of the day, something to sleep on, something to wake up with the next morning. There are no specific activities required but the words do linger with me into the next day.

Last night’s reading was on humility. I don’t tend to think I need a lot of work with humility but probably I need more than I think. As these words linger with me into today I think about how lack of humility might get in the way in my interactions with others and I listen in my heart for the Holy to speak.