Rule of Benedict 39
August 6, 2009
Preferring Christ, a Devotional Commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict by Norvene Vest, is an inspiring book. It has inspired me to read the Rule, and to consider what it might teach me. Her comments are not a big part of mine though at times they do inspire some thoughts. When the thoughts are hers I give proper credit. Vest uses the translation of Fr. Luke Dysinger, OSB, as her text.
Chapter 5 is 19 verses. Today I quote verses 1-9, which address the virtue of obedience.
The first step of humility is obedience without delay. This becomes those who hold nothing dearer to them than Christ, and who on account of the holy servitude which they have taken upon them, and for fear of hell, and for the glory of everlasting life, as soon as anything is ordered by the superior, just as if it had been commanded by God himself, are unable to bear delay in doing it. It is of these that the Lord says: upon hearing me with his ear he has obeyed me (Ps 18:44). And again, to teachers he says: he who hears you hears me (Luke 10:16).
Such as these, therefore, leaving immediately all that is their concern, and forsaking their own will, with their hands disengaged and leaving unfinished what they were about, with the ready step of obedience, follow by their deed the voice of the one who commands. And so, as it were at the same instant, the bidding of the master and the perfect work of the disciple are together more perfectly fulfilled in the swiftness of the fear of God.
What is Benedict intending with this exhortation to obedience? This may be helpful. The Latin for obedience as Benedict would have been familiar with is used to describe hearing or listening with the intention to do what is heard. Benedict is not encouraging blind obedience to another human being. What needs to be understood here is that Benedict encourages obedience to the words of Christ and holding nothing dearer than Christ as encouraged and exhorted by the abbot.
When Jesus first encountered his disciples, we are surprissed to see that the first thing he required of them, even before believing in him, was their obedience. Faith will come later, after obedience. The invitation of Jesus is first an invitation to obedience. That initial obedience can only happen when humility kicks in as the Holy Spirit enables us and awakens us to the identity of the “Inviter.”
Prayer: Father, let my first response be obedience to any command I hear from you and from my brothers and sisters in Christ to obey you. Help me to be humble in order to obey and in obeying helping me to live by faith. Amen. Christ, have mercy.
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