What listening does

Chapter 71 of the Rule of St Benedict, heard rightly, requires a well-developed, well-formed understanding of obedience, one that hearkens back to the very first word of the Rule—“listen”—and that has been tempered by seventy chapters’ worth of growth in humble, holy, confident learning.

For that is what obedience is, listening, discerning and acting upon what one hears, through the motive power of love. If the previous seventy chapters have left any doubt St Benedict makes clear in this chapter that obedience is a mutual exercise. We listen to God, we listen to each other, and to what the Spirit is saying to this little monastic church, from the least one in the community to the abbot.

If the community is weak and sick with a deficient sense of obedience, the instructions of this chapter will inspire fear, revulsion and impatience. When community relationships are suffering, this is a good opportunity for the exercise of a personal examen—where is there a lack of gentleness and empathy, a lack of listening? The mutual self-knowledge gained will set the community back on the way to health.

If the community is growing in the love that builds humble confidence, heals pride and vainglory and casts out fear, the good zeal of monks will complement with mutual respect the mutual love that is developing in the community through its practice of listening humbly to each other.

Recent Issues

February 2024

January 2024

December 2023

November 2023

October 2023

July 2023

May 2023

January 2023

December 2022

October 2022

September 2022

July 2022

May 2022

April 2022

March 2022

January 2022

December 2021

November 2021

October 2021

June 2021

May 2021

April 2021

February 2021

January 2021

December 2020

October 2020

September 2020

August 2020

July 2020

June 2020

May 2020

April 2020

March 2020

February 2020

January 2020

December 2019

November 2019

October 2019

September 2019

August 2019

July 2019

May 2019

April 2019

March 2019

January 2019

December 2018

November 2018

October 2018

September 2018

August 2018

July 2018

June 2018

May 2018

April 2018

March 2018

February 2018

January 2018

December 2017

November 2017

October 2017

September 2017

June 2017

May 2017

April 2017

March 2017

February 2017

January 2017

December 2016

November 2016

October 2016

September 2016

August 2016

July 2016

June 2016

May 2016

April 2016

March 2016

February 2016

January 2016

December 2015

November 2015

October 2015

September 2015

August 2015

July 2015

June 2015

May 2015