Like a Parent to the Whole Community

As cellarer of the monastery, there should be chosen from the community someone who is wise, mature in conduct, temporate, not an excessive eater, not proud, excitable, offensive, dilatory or wasteful, but God-fearing, and like a father to the whole community. RB80.31.1-2

He is believed to hole the place of Christ in the monastery, since he is addressed by a title of Christ, as the Apostle indicates: You have received the spirit of adoption of sons by which we exclaim, abba, father (Rom 8.15). RB80.2.2-3

Benedict stipulates that both the superior and the cellarer (the person in charge of stocking the storeroom) are to act as a parent to the community. This is not to suggest that the leader and the house manager are to treat the rest as small children or infants but rather to assert that those who are given a place of leadership should be concerned for the welfare of the group and the individuals as a parent would. They are to remember that they are called to "servant leadership".

Whenever I am given a place of authority, I need to keep in mind that I am asked to be a leader not a tyrant or a dictator. I am to take Christ as my model for leadership. He was a leader who literally laid down his life for his followers. Am I willing to do the same even in a small degree?

Sr. Catherine, OSB