Enclosure and Stability in Community

At the end of the listing of the Tools for Good Works (RB 4), St. Benedict tells us that the place where these tools which are enumerated are used is in the enclosure of the monastery and in stability in community.  These are the training grounds for the use of these tools....tools of charity, of compassion, of forgiveness, of patience, just to name a few of the tools listed.

I love St. Joseph Monastery (my Monastery) and my community. When I travel I am usually ready to come back home within a few days and get homesick quite easily.  I am always grateful to return and carry our community in my heart even when I am at a distance.  Yet, there are times when the enclosure and the stability spoken of here seems a little less than appealing.

So, why does Benedict seem to consider enclosure and stability so vital to these tools and practices?

1. For Practice: Some of these tools do not come naturally to me, for me some of these skills are going to require prolonged practice and very conscious effort.  I need the assurance that even when I am learning these life lessons and might not always get things perfectly there will be a group there still waiting for me as I progress along this life.
2. For Encouragement:  There are going to be tough hours, days or weeks along the path when I would much rather give up than keep working with these tools.  I need a supportive network of friends and peers that will help me keep going when quitting seems like a good idea.
3. For Role Models:  I learn best by example.  I need folks in my life who have gone through some of the challenges I encounter before me. I need their insight, wisdom and presence along the way.

We all need a supportive communitythrough which to learn essential life lessons.  I am grateful for those who are models of life for me and strive to be a good model for others.

How am I being called to be a model for others today?

Sr. Catherine, OSB