Benedictine at Work

I continue to explore Benedictine spirituality in my life. I qualify this with the phrase ‘in my life’ because it’s not enough merely to explore on an intellectual level. It needs applied into my day-to-day life. Here the challenge begins.

Work is central to the Benedictine life. On first glance, that’s easy for sisters and brothers in a monastery and ordained clergy but what about the rest of us? My 9-5 (actually 7:30-4:00) job is far removed from such Godly work. Or is it?

I work for a not-for-profit hospital as a reimbursement analyst. Actually, my work is about as Godly as it gets: we provide healing to those in our community. I review and analyze how we could improve our billing practices to increase our reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid so we can continue to provide healing in our community.

We bind up the wounded. We heal the sick. We comfort the hurting. I shouldn’t take this lightly.

Thus, this spreadsheet is not a work list to work through this week; it is the healing work I am called to do. Debating this service with Medicaid is not such a nuisance; it’s a bit of wrestling with ‘Satan in the wilderness’ but it is healing work and I must overcome this bureaucratic adversary. I should greet complicated and time-consuming work: healing is complicated and time-consuming work.

I will continue to look and see how I am doing God’s work. I imagine it could even change how I go about my day. Will it change how I start and end my day when my inbox is full of healing God called me to and my outbox is full of healing I did today. Yes, it feels much different.

So, how do you do God’s work?

Oblate Inquirer

Sunday was my first oblate gathering at Our Lady of Grace Monastery. Sort of like “groupies” of a monastery, oblates are Christian laypersons who promise to live Benedictine spirituality in their lives, affiliated with a particulate Benedictine monastic community. I am drawn to this spirituality.

My first exposure to Benedictine spirituality was in the movie Dead Man Walking. I was so drawn to the spirituality of Sister Helen Prejean that I remarked at the time I wanted to be a nun. Friends pointed out the obvious obstacles: I’m not a woman and I’m not Roman Catholic. Who knew there was a way around all of this.

As an oblate I’m expected to engage in a regular practice of prayer suitable to my life and faith. This has already been an adventure. Over the past couple months I have been researching various online morning and evening prayers.

Instead of making requests, this prayer is a time to be with the Holy—dwelling in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life, beholding the sweetness of Yahweh. I always like the New Jerusalem Bible use of Yahweh but I particularly like this use of “sweetness” where most other translations use “beauty.” While the day is still young and just before the day ends, I step aside and be with the Holy. And behold.

If you’re interested, I will write more about Benedictine oblate spirituality.

Three of my favorite online daily prayer resources:

http://sacredspace.ie/
http://cptryon.org/caritas/index2.html
http://www.loyolapress.com/3-minute-retreats-daily-online-prayer.htm

I especially appreciate their inclusive, and rather expansive, language, along with their reflections on Scripture.