The important thing, and it is what Benedict warns of, is the monastic vice of acedia. Apathetic is the word in English, but the Latin word is acediosus [1]. The monk has lost the zeal that is looked for in the new man coming to the monastery [2]. The man truly seeks God and lives out that seeking of God with zeal for the work of God; zeal for being a man of obedience; and, the man has zeal (embraces) the humble way of life. Zeal gives energy to the life.
The challenge here is in living the balance that Benedict brings to monastic life. This balance is why the Rule has worked for hundreds of years. It is the balance of keeping alive the ideal, but lovingly embracing the real. It is working practically to bring forth the fullness of the ideal. Benedict is very practical. He fully accepts that in his community are different kinds of weaknesses. Yet, he has the ideal there, too, with practical ways to move forward.
We need to keep the ideal clear in our own life-as an individual and as community. That is the purpose of our lectio (spiritual reading). Also, the ideal is kept clear through fraternal example and the encouragement given to each other.
We are the greatest thing in creation. We are the very image of God called into being. Even in this life-in transfiguring Taboric moments-we can experience the fullness of sharing in the divine life and joy [3]. But we are being led to the ultimate fullness of that sharing in eternal life. We are moving towards that eternal joy.
While our life is being filled with the joy of the divine life, at the same time we are the poor, weak, stupid sinners who need to struggle practically with ourselves and community. This is why we have community guidelines-to support us as a community as we walk towards this divine life.
It is a real challenge of the life, to keep in balance the ideal with the real. If we give up the ideal then that is acedia, and life goes nowhere. We just settle down in the real mess that we are. If we do not really accept the real and cling to some ideal, then we are being unrealistic and will burn out quickly. It is this question of keeping the ideal fully alive as individuals and as community, but at the same time lovingly embracing the real in ourselves and in our brethren and lovingly move together to the fullness of eternal joy.
NOTES
1. RB 48:18.
2. See RB chapter 58, “The Procedure for Receiving Brothers.”
3. The Transfiguration of Jesus, Mt. 17:1-8 and Mk 9:9-13.
© Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery, 2006
