Posted on 07/10/2009 11:16:34 PM PDT by Salvation
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Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot
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Reading 1
Gn 49:29-32; 50:15-26a
Jacob gave his sons this charge:
"Since I am about to be taken to my people,
bury me with my fathers in the cave that lies
in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
the cave in the field of Machpelah,
facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan,
the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite
for a burial ground.
There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried,
and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah,
and there, too, I buried Leah–
the field and the cave in it
that had been purchased from the Hittites."
Now that their father was dead,
Joseph's brothers became fearful and thought,
"Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us
and now plans to pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!"
So they approached Joseph and said:
"Before your father died, he gave us these instructions:
'You shall say to Joseph, Jacob begs you
to forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers,
who treated you so cruelly.'
Please, therefore, forgive the crime that we,
the servants of your father's God, committed."
When they spoke these words to him, Joseph broke into tears.
Then his brothers proceeded to fling themselves down before him
and said, "Let us be your slaves!"
But Joseph replied to them:
"Have no fear. Can I take the place of God?
Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good,
to achieve his present end, the survival of many people.
Therefore have no fear.
I will provide for you and for your children."
By thus speaking kindly to them, he reassured them.
Joseph remained in Egypt, together with his father's family.
He lived a hundred and ten years.
He saw Ephraim's children to the third generation,
and the children of Manasseh's son Machir
were also born on Joseph's knees.
Joseph said to his brothers: "I am about to die.
God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land
that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
Then, putting the sons of Israel under oath, he continued,
"When God thus takes care of you,
you must bring my bones up with you from this place."
Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7
R. (see Psalm 69:33) Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!
Gospel
Mt 10:24-33
Jesus said to his Apostles:
"No disciple is above his teacher,
no slave above his master.
It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher,
for the slave that he become like his master.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more those of his household!
"Therefore do not be afraid of them.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father."
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Today's the Feast of St. Benedict
Applying St. Benedict's Rule to Fatherhood and Family Life - Using 6th-Century Wisdom Today
Saint Benedict-Abbot, Founder of Western Monasticism-480-550 AD
The Jubilee Medal of St. Benedict
Moritur et Ridet
Pope Notes His Goal for Year for Priests
On the Year for Priests
WHY A YEAR FOR PRIESTS?
Curé d'Ars: Model Priest [Year of the Priest]
ZENIT Launches Column on Priesthood
[Justin] Cardinal Rigali on the Year for Priests
Church Being Given Chance to Rediscover Priesthood [Year of the Priest]
Celebrating the Year of the Priesthood
St. John Vianney's Pastoral Plan
LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI PROCLAIMING A YEAR FOR PRIESTS [Catholic Caucus]
Year of the Priest Letter (Media immediately scrutinize its contents for controversy)
Year of the Priest [Catholic Caucus]
The Year for Priests [Catholic Caucus]
Year of the Priest Begins Friday
U.S. bishops launch website for Year for Priests
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
Chaplet of the Most Precious Blood
The Traditional Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Catholic Caucus)
Devotion to the Precious Blood
DOCTRINE OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,And More on the Precious Blood
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
NOTHING IS MORE POTENT AGAINST EVIL THAN PLEADING THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST
FORMER PENTECOSTAL RELATES MIRACLE THAT OCCURRED WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
St.Gaspar:Founder of the Society of the Precious Blood[AKA The Hammer of Freemasons]
Holy Father's Prayer Intentions For July 2009
General: That the Christians of the Middle East may live their faith in full freedom and be an instrument of peace and reconciliation.
Mission: That the Church may be the seed and nucleus of a humanity reconciled and reunited in God's one and only family, thanks to the testimony of all the faithful in every country in the world.
From: Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26a
The Death of Jacob
After the Death of Jacob
The Death of Joseph
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Commentary:
49:29-32. This repeats, in different words, the information given in 47:29-31, but
now with express reference to the life and burial of the previous patriarchs, Abra-
ham (cf. 23:1-20; 25:9) and Isaac (cf. 25:27-29). This is the only place where it
is mentioned that Abraham, Rebekah and Leah were buried here. The passage
acts as a reminder that they belong where their ancestors are, and that they
must return there. The scene is set for the theme of the book of Exodus. Verse
32 is missing from the Vulgate Latin version.
50:1-26. In this final chapter further stress is put on the greatness of the figure
of Jacob by the account of that great mourning (vv. 1-14); and the meaning is
clearly revealed of the entire story of Joseph and his brothers in the context of
God’s plans (vv. 15-26).
50:15-21. In spite of the marks of fraternity Joseph has shown his brothers, when
they lose their common father they also seem to lose their sense of fraternity.
They continue to see things from a very human perspective; whereas Joseph has
a more supernatural outlook, which also extends to his hope in the future (cf. v.
24). In this way the book of Genesis concludes its account of the origins of the
world, of mankind and of the people of God, leaving the way open to a new and
decisive intervention by God — the great deliverance from Egypt, which the book
of Exodus will recount.
50:22-26. The Lord has blessed Joseph with a long life and the joy of seeing his
great-grandchildren. Even as he dies, Joseph continues to think about his people,
whose destiny (he reminds them) is the fulfillment of the promise God made to
his ancestors. Joseph reaffirms that that promise will be kept, and he feels that
he has a part in it. Therefore, he makes them swear that his bones will be taken
up from Egypt to the promised land. And so the book of Genesis comes to an
end, by showing Joseph’s faith in the divine promises and inviting the reader, no
matter what happens, to keep alive his or her hope in God’s active help.
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Matthew 10:24-33
Jesus’ Instructions to the Apostles (Continuation)
[26] “So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or
hidden that will not be known. [27] What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light;
and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops. [28] And do not
fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear Him who can de-
stroy both soul and body in hell. [29] Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s will. [30] But
even the hairs of your head are all numbered. [31] Fear not, therefore; you are
of more value than many sparrows. [32] So every one who acknowledges Me
before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven; [33]
but whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father who is in
heaven.”
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Commentary:
24-25. Jesus uses these two proverbs to hint at the future that awaits His dis-
ciples: their greatest glory will consist in imitating the Master, being identified
with Him, even if this means being despised and persecuted as He was before
them: His example is what guides a Christian; as He Himself said, “I am the
Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6).
Beelzebul (cf. Luke 11:15) was the name of the idol of the ancient Philistine city
of Ekron. The Jews later used the word to describe the devil or the prince of de-
vils (cf. Matthew 12:24), and their hatred of Jesus led them to the extreme of ap-
plying it to Him.
To equip them for the persecution and misunderstanding which Christians will
suffer (John 15:18), Jesus encourages them by promising to stay close to them.
Towards the end of His life He will call them His friends (John 15:15) and little
children (John 13:33).
26-27. Jesus tells His disciples not to be afraid of calumny and detraction. A
day will come when everyone will come to know the whole truth about everyone
else, their real intentions, the true dispositions of their souls. In the meantime,
those who belong to God may be misrepresented by those who resort to lies,
out of malice or passion. These are the hidden things which will be made known.
Christ also tells the Apostles to speak out clearly. Jesus’ divine teaching me-
thod led Him to speak to the crowds in parables so that they came to discover
His true personality by easy stages. After the coming of the Holy Spirit (cf.
Acts 1:8), the Apostles would have to preach from the rooftops about what
Jesus had taught them.
We too have to make Christ’s doctrine known in its entirety, without any ambi-
guity, without being influenced by false prudence or fear of the consequences.
28. Using this and other Gospel texts (Matthew 5:22, 29; 18:9; Mark 9:43, 45,
47; Luke 12:5), the Church teaches that hell exists; there those who die in mor-
tal sin suffer eternal punishment (cf. “St. Pius V Catechism”, I, 6, 3), in a man-
ner not known to us in this life (cf. St. Teresa of Avila, “Life”, Chapter 32). See
notes on Luke 16:19-31.
Therefore, our Lord warns His disciples against false fear. We should not fear
those who can only kill the body. Only God can cast body and soul into hell.
Therefore God is the only one we should fear and respect; He is our Prince and
Supreme Judge—not men. The martyrs have obeyed this precept of the Lord in
the fullest way, well aware that eternal life is worth much more than earthly life.
29-31. An “as” (translated here as “penny”) was a small coin of very little value.
Christ uses it to illustrate how much God loves His creatures. As St. Jerome
says (”Comm. in Matth.”, 10:29-31): “If little birds, which are of such little value,
still come under the providence and care of God, how is it that you, who, given
the nature of your soul, are immortal, can fear that you are not looked after care-
fully by Him whom you respect as your Father?” Jesus again teaches us about
the fatherly providence of God, which He spoke about at length in the Sermon
on the Mount (cf. Matthew 6:19-34).
32-33. Here Jesus tells us that public confession of our faith in Him—whatever
the consequences—is an indispensable condition for eternal salvation. After the
Judgment, Christ will welcome those who have given testimony of their faith and
condemn those whom fear caused to be ashamed of Him (cf. Matthew 7:23; 25:
41; Revelation 21:8). The Church honors as “confessors” those Saints who have
not gone physical martyrdom but whose lives bore witness to the Catholic faith.
Although every Christian should be ready to die for his faith, most Christians are
called to be confessors of the faith.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
| First reading | Genesis 49:29-33,50:15-26 © |
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Jacob gave his sons these instructions, ‘I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me near my fathers, in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave in the field at Machpelah, opposite Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a burial-plot. There Abraham was buried and his wife Sarah. There Isaac was buried and his wife Rebekah. There I buried Leah. I mean the field and the cave in it that were bought from the sons of Heth.’
When Jacob had finished giving his instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, and breathing his last was gathered to his people.
Seeing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, ‘What if Joseph intends to treat us as enemies and repay us in full for all the wrong we did him?’ So they sent this message to Joseph: ‘Before your father died he gave us this order: “You must say to Joseph: Oh forgive your brothers their crime and their sin and all the wrong they did you.” Now therefore, we beg you, forgive the crime of the servants of your father’s God.’ Joseph wept at the message they sent to him.
His brothers came themselves and fell down before him. ‘We present ourselves before you’ they said ‘as your slaves.’ But Joseph answered them, ‘Do not be afraid; is it for me to put myself in God’s place? The evil you planned to do me has by God’s design been turned to good, that he might bring about, as indeed he has, the deliverance of a numerous people. So you need not be afraid; I myself will provide for you and your dependants.’ In this way he reassured them with words that touched their hearts.
So Joseph stayed in Egypt with his father’s family; and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years. Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children, as also the children of Machir, Manasseh’s son, who were born on Joseph’s lap. At length Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am about to die; but God will be sure to remember you kindly and take you back from this country to the land that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ And Joseph made Israel’s sons swear an oath, ‘When God remembers you with kindness be sure to take my bones from here.’
Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten; they embalmed him and laid him in his coffin in Egypt.
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| Psalm or canticle: Psalm 104:1-4,6-7 |
| Gospel | Matthew 10:24-33 © |
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Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘The disciple is not superior to his teacher, nor the slave to his master. It is enough for the disciple that he should grow to be like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, what will they not say of his household?
‘Do not be afraid of them therefore. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.
‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.
‘So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.’
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| Saturday, July 11, 2009 St. Benedict, Abbot (Memorial) |
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. |
Do any freeper Bible scholars know whether this point has been decided upon by the Church?
"He sanctified him through his faith and meekness." Moses is the real subject of this verse, but today I think it can be applied very well to Saint Benedict. Filled as he was with the spirit of all the saints, he must be considered much more to have not a little of the spirit of Moses. For if the Lord drew from the spirit of Moses and inspired with it every one of the supporting band of elders who shared his ministry, how much more must it rest on him who more truly fulfilled on a more spiritual level the fullness of his whole ministry? Moses was the leader of those making their way out of Egypt; Benedict of those turning their backs on the world. They have both given a law. But the one was the minister of the letter that kills, the other, of the spirit that gives life. Moses, owing to the hardness of the hearts of the Jews, apart from a few guides to behavior, left no prescriptions adequate to the task of justification; Benedict however has handed on the uique purity of the Gospel teaching and the smplicity of its way of life. So many of the things about which Moses writes are difficult to understand, impossible or useless to perform. Benedict on the other hand wrote a most excellent Rule of life remarkable both for the lucidity of its style and for its discretion. finally although Moses was the leader of the children of Israel when they left the land of Egypt he did not lead them into their promised resting-place; whereas our leader, like the standard-bearer of the army of monks, has today gone before us along the straight path, the path stretching eastwards, into the kingdom of heaven. Therefore it is not absurd to consider his merits equal to those of Moses, whose ministry he is found even to have surpassed.
Blessed Guerric of Igny
Thanks so much!
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 135 (136) |
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| A paschal hymn |
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The Lord alone performs great wonders: his mercy lasts for ever.
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Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his love is for ever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his love is for ever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his love is for ever.
He alone works wonders,
for his love is for ever.
In his wisdom he made the heavens,
for his love is for ever.
He set the Earth upon the waters,
for his love is for ever.
He created the great lights,
for his love is for ever.
The sun, to rule over the day,
for his love is for ever.
The moon and stars, to rule over the night,
for his love is for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
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The Lord alone performs great wonders: his mercy lasts for ever.
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| Psalm 135 (136) |
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With a strong hand and an outstretched arm he led Israel out from the midst of Egypt.
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He struck down the first-born of Egypt,
for his love is for ever.
He led Israel out from their midst,
for his love is for ever.
With a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his love is for ever.
He divided the Red Sea in two,
for his love is for ever.
He led Israel out through the sea,
for his love is for ever.
He overthrew Pharaoh and his army,
for his love is for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
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With a strong hand and an outstretched arm he led Israel out from the midst of Egypt.
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| Psalm 135 (136) |
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Give thanks to the Lord of heaven: he has rescued us from our enemies.
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He led his people through the wilderness,
for his love is for ever.
He struck down great kings,
for his love is for ever.
Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his love is for ever.
And Og, the king of Bashan,
for his love is for ever.
He gave their land to his people,
for his love is for ever.
A heritage for Israel his servant,
for his love is for ever.
He remembered us in our affliction,
for his love is for ever.
He rescued us from our enemies,
for his love is for ever.
He gives food to all creatures that live,
for his love is for ever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his love is for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
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Give thanks to the Lord of heaven: he has rescued us from our enemies.
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Lord, show me your ways,
– and teach me your paths.
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| Reading | Ecclesiasticus 47:14-31 © |
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A wise son succeeded David,
who lived spaciously, thanks to him.
Solomon reigned in a time of peace,
and God gave him peace all round
so that he could raise a house to his name
and prepare an everlasting sanctuary.
How wise you were in your youth,
brimming over with understanding like a river!
Your mind ranged the earth,
you filled it with mysterious sayings.
Your name reached the distant islands,
and you were loved for your peace.
Your songs, your proverbs, your sayings
and your retorts made you the wonder of the world.
In the name of the Lord God,
of him who is called the God of Israel,
you amassed gold like so much tin,
and made silver as common as lead.
You abandoned your body to women,
you became the slave of your appetites.
You stained your honour,
you profaned your stock,
so bringing wrath on your children
and grief on your posterity:
the sovereignty was split in two,
from Ephraim arose a rebel kingdom.
But the Lord would not go back on his mercy,
or undo any of his words,
he would not obliterate the issue of his elect,
nor destroy the stock of the man who loved him;
and so he granted a remnant to Jacob,
and to David a root springing from him.
Solomon rested with his ancestors,
leaving one of his stock as his successor,
the stupidest member of the nation,
brainless Rehoboam, whose policy drove the nation to rebel.
Next, Jeroboam son of Nebat, who made Israel sin,
and set Ephraim on the way of evil;
from then on their sins multiplied so excessively
as to drive them out of their country;
for they tried out every kind of wickedness,
until vengeance overtook them.
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| Reading | From the Rule of Benedict, abbot |
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| Put Christ before everything | |
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Whenever you begin any good work you should first of all make a most pressing appeal to Christ our Lord to bring it to perfection; that he, who has honoured us by counting us among his children, may never be grieved by our evil deeds. For we must always serve him with the good things he has given us in such a way that he may never – as an angry father disinherits his sons or even like a master who inspires fear – grow impatient with our sins and consign us to everlasting punishment, like wicked servants who would not follow him to glory.
So we should at long last rouse ourselves, prompted by the words of Scripture: Now is the time for us to rise from sleep. Our eyes should be open to the God-given light, and we should listen in wonderment to the message of the divine voice as it daily cries out: Today, if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts; and again: If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. And what does the Spirit say? Come my sons, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Hurry, while you have the light of life, so that death’s darkness may not overtake you.
And the Lord as he seeks the one who will do his work among the throng of people to whom he makes that appeal, says again: Which of you wants to live to the full; who loves long life and the enjoyment of prosperity? And, if when you hear this you say, I do, God says to you: If you desire true and everlasting life, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceit; turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. And when you have done these things my eyes will be upon you and my ears will be attentive to your prayers; and before you call upon my name I shall say to you: Behold, I am here. What could be more delightful, dearest brothers, than the voice of our Lord’s invitation to us? In his loving kindness he reveals to us the way of life.
And so, girded with faith and the performance of good works, let us follow in his paths by the guidance of the Gospel; then we shall deserve to see him who has called us into his kingdom. If we wish to attain a dwelling-place in his kingdom we shall not reach it unless we hasten there by our good deeds.
Just as there exists an evil fervour, a bitter spirit, which divides us from God and leads us to hell, so there is a good fervour which sets us apart from evil inclinations and leads us toward God and eternal life. Monks should put this fervour into practice with an overflowing love: that is, they should surpass each other in mutual esteem, accept their weaknesses, either of body or of behaviour, with the utmost patience; and vie with each other in acceding to requests. No one should follow what he considers to be good for himself, but rather what seems good for another. They should display brotherly love in a chaste manner; fear God in a spirit of love; revere their abbot with a genuine and submissive affection. Let them put Christ before all else; and may he lead us all to everlasting life.
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| Concluding Prayer |
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O God, the world had fallen flat in the dust but your Son’s humility stood it upright once more.
Fill your faithful people with a holy joy:
take those whom you have torn away from slavery to sin
and make them rejoice eternally.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.
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