Rule of Benedict 51
April 23, 2010
Chapter 7: 39-43 continue Benedict’s understanding of how to climb the ladder of humility. He says:
And secure in their hope of the divine reward, they go forward with joy, saying: But in all these things we overcome, through the one who has loved us (Romans 8:37). And so in another place Scripture says: You have tested us, O God; you have tried us as silver is tried by fire; you have led us into the snare and laid tribulation on our backs (Psalm 66:10-11). And in order to show that we ought to be under a superior, it goes on to say: You have placed people over our heads (Psalm 66:12).
Moreover, fulfilling the precept of the Lord by patience in adversities and injuries, they who are struck on one cheek offer the other; to someone who takes away their coat they leave also their cloak; and being forced to walk one mile, they go two (Matthew 5:39-41). With Paul the Apostle they bear with false brothers, and bless those who curse them (2 Corinthians 11:26; 1 Corinthians 4:12).
Comment: This weaving of Scripture is typical in the Rule. God is no softie when it comes to our submission to him and to others. We Christians triumph over our enemies in the same way the apostles and Jesus did: by living in humility and submission to God and others. That’s the way of life with God and his followers. Teresa of Avila let her inner voice slip out: “If this is the way how you treat your friends, Lord, no wonder you have so few of them!” (Cited by Norvene Vest in Preferring Christ)
Prayer: Lord, humility is learned in humiliation. My choice is obey or to lift up my head. Teach me to obey that I may not sin against you. Lord, have mercy on me.
Rule Of Benedict 50
April 10, 2010
7 is the chapter the Rule elaborates on living humbly with God and others. Verses 35-38 address the fourth step on humility: quiet obedience and acceptance of life in spite of hardships.
The fourth step of humility is that if in this very obedience hard and contrary things, even injuries, are done to him, he embraces them patiently with silent acceptance, and does not grow weary to give in, as the Scripture says: He who perseveres to the end shall be saved (Matthew 10:22). And again: Let you heart take courage, and wait for the Lord (Psalm 27:14). And showing how the faithful ought to bear all things, however contradictory, for the Lord, [the Scripture] says in the person of the afflicted: For you we suffer death all day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter (Romans 8:36; Psalm 44:22).
Paul says in Philippians “do all things without grumbling”. I may grit my teeth and obey. I may obey dutifully but attitudinally inwardly be rebellious. I may think myself obedient when truly I’m indifferent.
Deep commitment to Christ is not obtained in life’s peaks but in the mire of life’s troughs. Our love is deepened in the troughs and our love motivates our going further along the road less traveled among many of us today: The Way of the Cross.
Prayer: Dare I ask you for perseverance and endurance? Shall I enter willingly into sufferings (mine and yours to complete), denial, and crucifixion? Is there no other way? Narrow is the way and few there be who find it. Lead me on this way though my ego be killed. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God who knows the way of grief and suffering, shame and abandonment, have mercy on me.
Rule of Benedict 49
April 7, 2010
Chapter seven is the longest chapter so far in the Rule of Saint Benedict. Today we look at verse 34. The divisions of the chapters I have been following come from a book I’ve referred to periodically called Preferring Christ by Norvene Vest and the translation of the Rule itself is done by Fr. Luke Dysinger, OSB (Order of Saint Benedict).
7:34 says: The third step of humility is that for the love of God a person submits himself to his superior in all obedience; imitating the Lord, of whom the apostle says: He was made obedient even to death (Phil 2:8).
Benedict here is direct as he has been all along. He has advocated that to live by the Rule around which a group may gather means to have a humble spirit. The first step in the ladder toward humility (the Ladder of Humility is attributed to Cassian from whom it is believed that Benedict borrowed it):
A person always keeps the fear of God before his eyes. We tend toward self-exaltation. Keeping our lives in the fear of the Lord moves us in the direction of humility.
The second step is not to love our own will (or kingdoms or actions). humility demands that we do not gratify the desires of the flesh but to trust in the Lord’s will and to live in a kingdom of his making, submitting to its actions and rules.
The third step, in verse 34 quoted above is to learn obedience to someone further along the Road less traveled. That’s what Benedict means by superior.
Comment: The third step on the Humility Ladder is hard to do. In the Christian tradition in which I live and work, we prize the individual’s right to live out her call as an individual. Often the way this works out borders on individualism, a plight seen in the Dream of many in the West. I am the captain of my ship, the master of my own destiny. Letting someone else direct my life, to whom I am responsible for the choices I make (beside God, that is) is not part of my tradition. Yet I see the benefit of humbly submitting to someone who is further along the Way.
Humility must move from the inward aspects of our lives (pride, fear of God, desiring the will of God) to outward expressions such as surrendering to the direction of another person of God’s choosing who may input into my life, and may encourage further obedience along the journey of faith in God.
Prayer: Dear God, help me to be willing, as I listen to those who are further along the life everlasting, to be obedient to the unmistaken voice of God. Help me to be humble and search out someone who may listen to your movement in my life and to do as he advises. Lord, have mercy, and guide me, and enable me to be obedient to those who have known true obedience through humility.
Benedict’s Rule 48
April 3, 2010
Chapter 7:31-33. Previously Benedict had said that the first step of humility is that our existence is always lived in the presence of God. This ever present God is our motivation to overcome evil desires that tempt us to live according to our will. So Benedict’s logic here is don’t love your own will. Here’s how he puts it:
The second step of humility is that a person does not love his own will, nor delights in gratifying his own desires; but carries out in his deeds that saying of the Lord: I came not to do my own will, but the will of the one who sent me (John 6:38). And again it is written: Self-will deserves punishment, but necessity wins a crown.”
Comments: The training of the will to die is slow work.It’s constant work. We can’t help but will; will what is good and will what is bad; will with right motives, or with wrong motives; will that is self-protective and will that is others empowering. Benedict, in answering life questions defaults to Jesus and Scripture. He saw no better way. Christians still see no better way. There is none. Jesus offer us nurture that is heavenly as we trust him and feed on him and eat his book. He also desires very much that we imitate him. He did not do his own will (it was not his will to be shamed, humiliated, suffer ignominy, or die. It was his Father’s will. He lived God’s actions in his life; he lived the kingdom of God. So his promise is that in imitation we would succeed as he did. Do the will of my father, he says.
A disciple is not above his teacher, but when the disciple is fully formed, he will be like his teacher. My spiritual formation is undertaken by none other that the Spirit of God. Learning to relinquish my will for that of the Other is imperative. How I make this my own may be different than how others do it. For me, it is the constant observation of Jesus in his love of his Father and the people around him. It’s dependence on the grace (enabling) of God to help me do what I am not able to do in my own will. One of the hardest things in life is to discern whose will governs our actions. When my heart is being shaped by Jesus through intimacy with him in prayer and eating his Word, I am very much aware that my actions are imitative of His. When I’m feeding on my own self-will and the will of the World, my actions are imitative of the world. This is axiomatic in the Christian life.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me. I am ever so tempted to do it my own way when your way is always better, holy, edifying, God-honoring. I repent of my self-willful self and bow humbly before the Lord of my life. Amen.
Rule of Benedict 47
March 30, 2010
Chapter 7:23-30 continues on the theme of humility.
And in regard to the desires of the flesh, we must believe that God is always present to us, as the prophet says to the Lord: O lord, all my desire is before (Ps 38:10). Let us be on our guard then against evil desires, since death has its seat close to the entrance of delight; thus the Scripture commands us saying: Do not go after your desires (Sir 18:30 Here Benedict is quoting from the Apocrypha believing it is Scripture, not a belief held by Christians of all traditions). Since, therefore, the eyes of the Lord behold good and evil (Prov 15:3); and the lord is ever looking down from heaven upon the children of humans, to see who has understanding or is seeking God (Ps 14:2); and since the works of our hands are reported to God, our Maker and Creator, night and day by the angels appointed to watch over us; we must be always on the watch, brothers, lest, as the prophet says in the psalm, God should see us at any time fall into evil and become unprofitable (Ps 14:3); and lest, though God spare us now because he is merciful and expects our conversion, God should say to us hereafter: THese things you did and I remained silent (Psalm 49:21).
Comment: If our lives are open books before the Lord our God, why are we so bold as to sin? The desire for forbidden delight seems to trump even the all seeing eyes of the Lord. Benedict’s warning to be diligent against evil desires because of the death they bring. Of course not all desire is evil. But given free rein to our desires will land us in hot water. In order to deal with these desires we must place along side of them the greater to live in the fear of the Lord (to live the love likfe with God). It is not enough to destroy evil. We must fill the vacuum with good.
Prayer: Dear God, we affirm that you are good. In your goodness, even when our desires are bent toward evil, show us the way of escape that we may be able to endure and overcome. Amen! Christ, have mercy!
Rule of Benedict 46
March 29, 2010
7:14-22 continue the discussion on humility, the subject of the whole chapter.
This the prophet tells us, when he shows how God is ever present to our thoughts, saying God searches the heart and the mind (Ps 7:10). And again: The Lord knows the thoughts of men, that they are empty (Ps 94:11). And God also says: You have understood my thoughts from afar (Ps 139:3); and the though of man shall confess to you (Ps 76:11). In order, therefore, that he may be on his guard against evil thoughts, let the humbler brother always say in his heart: Then shall I be without stain before God, if I have kept myself from my sin (Ps 18:24).
We are indeed, forbidden to do our own wil by Scripture, which says to us: Turn away from you own will (Sir 18:30 Here Benedict is quoting from the Apocrypha believing it is Scripture, not a belief held by Christians of all tribes). And so too beg of God in prayer that God’s will may be done in us. Rightly there fore are we taught not to do our own will, if we listen to the warning of Scripture: THere are ways which to people seem right, but the results of them lead to the depths of hell (Prov 16:25); or again, when we tremble at what is said of the careless: They are corrupt and have become abominable in their pleasures (Ps 14:1).
Wow! Here, Benedict does not leave any room for compromise on the will of God. What God says and what God does is his will. What I say and what I do is my will. Our behavior determines what will dominates our lives. If God’s actions are our actions, humility governs them. If our will governs our actions, pride is knocking at the door and humility flees.
Doing what is right in our own eyes is a huge issue in Christendom today. Doing what is right in my neighbor’s eyes is just as huge. We get our cues from others or from ourselves. Not often do I still hear of brothers and sisters waiting on the Lord to follow his will.
Has pride, self-confidence replaced humility and dependence on the Lord? Thinking a little about how decisions are made in your own life, in your own church, does Benedict, yea indeed does Scripture have cause for concern?
Prayer: O God, forgive me when I followed my own will knowing perfectly well that yours is being shafted. Lord, have mercy. Amen
C.S. Lewis
March 28, 2010
March 28 reading in A Year with C.S Lewis
Title: Point of Contact
We must not hink Prise is something God forbids because he is offended at it, or that Humility is something he demands as due to His own dignity–as if God himself was proud. He is He isn’t in the least worried about His dignity. HTe point is, He wants you to know Him: wants to give you Himself. And He and you are two things of such a kind that if you really get into any kind of touch with Him you will, in fact, be humble–delightedly humble, feeling the infinite relief of having once got rid of all the silly nonsense about your own dignity which has made you restless an unhappy all your life. He is trying to make you humble in order to make this moment possible: trying to take off a lot of silly, fancy-dress in which we have all go ourselves up and are strutting about like the little idiots we are. I wish I had got a bit further with humility myself: If I had, I could probably tell you more about the relief, the comfort, of taking the fancy-dress off–getting rid of the false self, with all its ‘look at me’ and ‘Aren’t I a good boy?’ and all it posing and posturing. To get even near it, even for a moment, is like a drink of cold water to a man in a desert. From Mere Christianity
Rule of Benedict 45
March 28, 2010
Benedict continues dealing with humility in verses 9-13 of Chapter 7 of his rule. Previously he spoke of Jacob’s ladder. He continues on the same theme.
The sides of the same ladder we understand to be our body and soul, in which the call of God has placed various steps of humility or discipline, which we must ascend. The first step of humility, then, is that a person always keeps the fear of God before his eyes (Ps 36:2), avoiding forgetfulness: that he is ever mindful of all that God has commanded; that those who despise God will be consumed in hell for their sins; and that he always considers that life everlasting is prepared for those who fear God. And keeping himself at all times from sin and vice, whether of thoughts, tongue, eyes, hands, feet, or his own will, let him thus hasten to cast away the desires of the flesh. Let him consider that he is always beheld from heaven by God, and that his actions are everywhere seen by the eye of the Divine Majesty, and are every hour reported to God by the angels.
Two thoughts: one, humility is not a passive stance. We can do something to humble ourselves before almighty God by living in awe of God, not forgetting his ways, not giving free will to our sinful nature. Two, that our lives are open books, lived in the presence of God. We can hide nothing, not with figs, not with twigs, not with brick or mortar, not with denial. The Divine Majesty pays attention to our lives. We give account. We live in the company of angels, open to the cosmos to see. What we do in the dark, is revealed in the light. Not for condemnation but for mercy.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me. I desire to climb this ladder of humility but with God’s enabling. The upward mobility that I seek is from an external show of humility to the internal height of self-denial, and holy self-love. I desire to live by the fear of the Lord as guide and I desire to live in obedience so that the crown of righteousness I receive from your hand can be placed at your feet: “Lord you showed mercy. I give back to you the gift of humility.”
Lord Jesus, have mercy. Amen.
Rule of Benedict 44
August 31, 2009
Chapter 7:1-8 of the Rule of Benedict speaks to humility, the virtue we all need to check our pride and to be Christlike.
The Holy Scripture cries out to us, brothers, saying: Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and one who humbles himself shall be exalted (Luke 14:11; 18:14). In saying this, it teaches us that all exaltation is a kind of pride, against which the prophet shows himself to be on his guard when he says: Lord, my heart is not exalted nor my eyes lifted up; nor have I walked in great things, nor in wonders above me (Ps 131:1). And why? If I did not think humbly, but exalted my soul; then like a child that is weaned from its mother–so you would treat my soul (Ps 131-2).
Therefore, brothers, if we wish to arrive at the highest point of humility, and speedily reach the heavenly exaltation to which we can only ascend by the humility of this present life, we must by our ever-ascending actions erect a ladder like the one which Jacob beheld in his dream, by which the angels appeared to him descending and ascending. This descent and ascent signifies nothing else than that we descent by exaltation and ascend by humility. And the ladder thus erected in our life in the world, which, if the heart is humbled, is lifted up by the Lord of heaven.
Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up. Let’s face the reality. We don’t descend naturally. We tend to desire to ascend to God’s position. That’s of course a dead end (pun intended). To the position of others? Ah, there’s the rub. You accomplished this, I accomplished that. And my that is better than your this.
Only those who come to the end of themselves pursue humility. It dawns on them one day that the Holy Spirit is winning; he has them pinned down, and the power to self-exaltation dies on the heap of pride. There is growth in humility. Once the Holy Spirit intensifies the squeezing of pride from us, we come along and participate in the process. But we must do it indirectly. To seek humility directly is a non-sequitur.
In confession, in solitude, in silence, in fasting, in service, in worship, and by other means of grace, we come to the end of our exalted, ascending selves. By these means of grace, we discover that humility surreptitiously edges it way into our soul, driving away pride out one inch at a time.
Descending is a non-stop activity of the Holy Spirit who is always at work in us, who are apprentices in living Christ in this world.
Prayer: Lord, who am I that you are mindful of me? That you take note of me? You made me. I did not make myself. You knitted me together. I am not self-knitted. I honor you. I seek your mercy when humility lacks in me. Amen. Christ, have mercy.
Benedict’s Rule 43
August 19, 2009
Chapter 7 is about that other virtue in Benedictine monasticism: Humility. Chapter 5 was about Obedience, chapter 6 about silence.
Verses 1-8 say this about humility:
The Holy Scripture cries out to us, brothers, saying: Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and one who humbles himself shall be exalted (Luke 4:11; 18:14). In saying this, it teaches us that all exaltation is a kind of pride, against which the prophet shows himself to be on his guard when he says: Lord. my heart is not exalted nor my eyes lifted up; nor have I walked in great things, nor in wonders above me (Ps 131:1). And why? If I did not think humbly, but exalted my soul; then like a child that is weaned from its mother–so you would treat my soul.
Therefore, brothers, if we wish to arrive at the highest point of humility, and speedily reach that heavenly exaltation to which we can only ascend by the humility of this present life, we must by our ever-ascending actions erect a ladder like the one which Jacob beheld in his dream, by which the angels appeared to him descending and ascending. This descent and ascent signifies nothing else than that we descend by exaltation and ascend by humility. And the ladder thus erected is our life in the world, which, if the heart is humbled, is lifted up by the Lord to heaven.
Pretty biblical if you ask me. This is a good starting point when speaking about such issues as concern our postures in life and in relationships.
Self-exaltation, or “look-at-me-ism” is standard around us. I used to hear this from a minister friend: “if you don’t toot your own horn, no one else is going to.” That was not good advice. Benedict, like Christ, his master, believes that the Christian way is the humble way. Not shunning big, glitzy, noticeable things is the self-ascending way. It earns us the reward which God promised: hay and stubble.
Pharisaic self-righteousness is good for no one. Its pleasures are deceptive, its benefits fleeting. Humility, if sought, must be sought indirectly. As many virtues in the Christian life, such as hope in adversity, faith, and love of our enemies, humility is acquired as a grace or gift from God. It comes to us when we engage in the means of grace: Solitude, silence, service, fasting, Scripture memory, etc… Soon these means of grace do their work in us transforming our desire for self-exaltation into humble submission, the clay that Christ uses to God-exaltation in us. It also comes as situations, placed in our lives by God, shape our hearts on the path to humility.
Lord, have mercy and enable us by your grace to do what you were able to do should you be in our place. We affirm with you that the humble way is the way of life in your kingdom. We come to you, heavy with burdens to receive from you humility of heart. Holy Spirit, thanks for undertaking the death of my ego to replace it with your very self. I pray your work will be complete in me.
Running on Empty
July 16, 2009
Learning to Run on Empty
Last month I wrote about pride and asked myself “why am I at times like this?” This month, I want to offer a cure: The Antidote to pride is humility, or poverty of spirit. Other biblical words are also synonymous with humility: meekness, submissiveness, and lowliness. A song in the 70s speaks about running on empty. Empty of a false self is a good way of describing humility. So is this you? Is it becoming you? Is humility the condition of my soul?
For Monica Baldwin, “What makes humility so desirable is the marvelous thing it does to us; it creates in us a capacity for the closest possible intimacy with God.”
Declared by Einstein as the greatest scientific mind, Sir Isaac Newton said: “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” May his tribe increase in the scientific community.
“Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.” It took Saint Augustine, who said this, over a decade to arrive at a humble stance before his Maker.
Aspiring to a humble life is worthy of all the effort we can put into it. Ask the world and it will tell you in so many ways the humble get nowhere. Make your mark on the world, step over anyone in your path, and get to the top at all cost. And when you do… Few are they out there in “Egypt Land,” who say: “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Perhaps we shouldn’t expect it when even in “Beulah Land” humility is easily forgotten.
In the church… our mandate is humility. In our Life Manual our best models and highest instructions are humble people and lowliness. Numbers 12:3 says “Moses was very humble.” Honor, wisdom, grace, fairness, honoring others, greatness, victory, and other attributes worthy of Christ’s kingdom citizens come fast upon the heels of poverty of spirit (peruse these Scriptures and follow references in your study Bible: Proverbs 15:33; Colossians 3:12 1 Peter 5:5; Philippians 2:3; 2 Chronicles 12:6, 30:11; Matthew 18:4; James 4:10; Micah 6:8; Zechariah 9:9). False humility is possible (is it ever; I know it by personal acquaintance, see Colossians 2:23).
The humble in spirit don’t need to worry about the wrong thoughts of others, the morality that others live by. Their main concern is their own attitudes toward God, others, and all living things. Humility comes from seeing ourselves properly, that is, truthfully, realistically, honestly, without any guile or pretense. The humble know they have gifts, abilities, strengths, and worth. They also know that all they have can be developed further (Jeff Cook, The Seven Deadly Sins).
The humble minimize or eliminate comparative living. They know and appreciate and praise others’ gifts, abilities be they few or many. They do not compete to outdo others to shine in the eyes of all. They may set as a goal to outdo the whole world in well doing but only to please the Master with whom they walk humbly. They come along side others and throw what weight they have to make them even look better than they by encouraging and edifying them. When others succeed the humble rejoice. When others fail they shed tears of sorrow in sympathy. They offer help.
How do you get it? How do you learn to run on self-empty? Because it does not come naturally to us, humility is a learned attitude and behavior. Jesus was humble and meek (Matthew 11:19). “I love this about you Jesus. How did you do it? Did you willpower your way into being humble?” “The will has no power, my child.” Did you hole up somewhere until it came to you?” “If you hole up it will certainly not come to you.” “Did you seek humility?” “It would not be humility if you sought it in your own strength.”
“How then?” Jesus answered: “Get a vision of my life, purify your intention, and learn the means I used to do life with God. Look at my life carefully. I fasted in humility before the grand will of God. I prayed constantly. I watched to see where my Father was working and worked at the same things and in the same way he works. I took long walks alone into the wilderness as often as possible just to be alone and quiet and to sort out my motives. I studied the Scriptures to learn from others. I memorized much of them so that the same Holy Spirit who gave them shaped my heart. By them I grew in wisdom. Because of them, I learned to be obedient to the end. I marinated in them day and night, taking them into my heart, mind, soul, and body. I served. I worshiped. I sacrificed. I gave my all to all. I ran on empty even of my own rights to run on full (Philippians 2:1-11).” “I see, said I. I will go and do likewise, Good and Faithful Servant.”
Walking with the Master is the humble way. It is the way of poverty of spirit, the condition of our hearts as we are brought into life in the kingdom of God. Amen. Lord, have mercy.
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