‘(The abbot) most so arrange everything that the strong have something to yearn for and the weak have nothing to run from.’
Ch 64, The Election of an Abbot
If I had to choose just one sentence from the Rule, I think this would be it. Benedict treads a careful, clear-sighted and loving path in his chapters on the abbot. He sketches in the person of the abbot a figure who is Christ-like in all that he does. Benedict is clearly influenced by the desert tradition and its legendary tales of asceticism, but he is careful to provide a balance. In reality every monastic knows the times when they are strong and their heart is full of yearning. More importantly, every monastic knows too the times of weakness and situations from which they would rather run. What is hopeful for me in the quotation is that the abbot has oversight over all of this.
As the years go on, I find myself thankful for the things in monastic life that I can do with ease. I am aware that I have gained stamina in some areas. But equally, there are things that will always be hard. Community life is such that with our combined strengths and weaknesses, somehow, we can make it work. It’s love that holds the whole of our lives together.
How do you hear this quotation from the Rule?
What hope does it offer you?
Image: Turvey Abbey
Garden produce planted and harvested by Sr Benedict. This picture is from a few years ago. We especially enjoy the tomatoes and find the transition back to shop bought tomatoes quite hard.