III Listening to a Common Rule: The Sounds of Silence “First offer them the milk of simpler teaching, as the Apostle recommends, so that gradually, as they grow strong on the food of God’s Word, they are capable of receiving more elaborate instructions and of carrying out the higher commandment of God.” -From the monastic Rule of St. Aidan “The soul must be submitted to the rule of the mind, the mind to Christ, and thereby the whole being is submitted through Christ to God the Father.” -St. John Scotus Eriugena This is the Rule of our Order. A Rule is a measuring rod, a standard against which we check our progress, a map showing us the route toward our chosen goal. A Rule is not rules: the governance of some bureaucracy, another person’s program for our lives, laws and demands laid upon us from outside ourselves. 2. Knowing the persons we want to be, knowing the life of love with others we want to give birth to, we joyfully accept this Rule as a tool for creating a right spirit within ourselves. In freedom we accept its restrictions, so we may grow in discipline; in love we accept its precepts, that we may bring healing to a lonely and troubled world; in hope we accept its call, “Ever onward, ever upward,” to yet unknown regions of love and community. 3. In the spirit of poverty we make no exclusive claims to this, our Rule, but offer it to any who choose to follow it. In the spirit of chastity we live according to its injunctions to love all persons whom we meet. In the spirit of obedience, we follow it even when difficult, pursuing with integrity our particular way of achieving our goal. 4. We can not hear God’s voice if we do not listen, and we can not listen if we are never quiet. The religious tradition gives us a great gift: silence. This silence can be God’s healing balm for our poor souls battered by noise and hurry and all the many voices claiming our attention. Into this silence God’s voice is planted; within this silence true prayer blooms; out of this silence comes God’s word for us to speak. 5. And so all houses of this Order shall be committed to fostering silence, providing daily periods of silence and an atmosphere of quiet. And to preserve the stillness of the house and the quiet of our souls, as charity requires, we don’t talk from room to room, much less shout to get attention. 6. Yet because our noisy souls will require still more silence, let each member of the community, on the advice of his or her spiritual director, go into the desert of solitude, for some time each year. And at such a time as it becomes possible, some houses of this community will be set aside to provide for this solitude. 7. All of this is not intended to impose rules upon an already busy schedule, but to give a “nuptial visit” with Christ. As the new bride and groom hurry to their bridal chamber to share their love and joy as deeply and intimately as possible, even so do we run to Jesus, and speak our love to him, and he to us. 8. But ours is not a silent life: our way of life is in community and relationships. Our need for silence leads us into solitude, but out of solitude we return to healthy human relationships in Christ. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Cor. 3:4-6 (NRSV) He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 (RSV) For God alone my soul in silence waits; from him comes my salvation. Ps. 62:1 From the heart of the tempest Yahweh gave Job his answer. He said: “Who is this obscuring my designs with his empty-headed words?” Brace yourself like a fighter; now it is my turn to ask questions and yours to inform me. Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations? Tell me, since you are so well informed! . . .Job replied to Yahweh: “My words have been frivolous: what can I reply? I had better lay my finger on my lips. I have spoken once; I will not speak again; more than once; I will add nothing.” Job 38:1-4; 40:3-5 (JB)
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 17:04:11 +0000
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