Care of Goods

“…regard all utensils and goods of the monastery as sacred vessels of the altar.” RB 31

Benedict directs this statement to the monastic in charge of the community’s temporal goods, however, it is a practice the entire community embraces. The kind of stewardship Benedict expects is far beyond our present-day “throwaway” mindset.

Throughout the Rule, Benedict expects his followers to do even the smallest deed well and mindfully. Special care is to be taken with material goods, utensils and tools are to be inventoried regularly and amends are to be made if something is broken through carelessness or neglect.

If Benedict expects this kind of care for worldly goods, how much more he must expect us to care for one another!

Sr. Christine, OSB

Appropriate Discipline

Parents understand that each child is individual and responds differently to various forms of discipline. With some reasoning might work, with others a reward system works best, and for others a time out system is necessary. The same is true in any form of community, whether a family, a classroom or a business.

In setting up his community Benedict was aware of this need for individualization also. In Chapter 30, he advises that care should be taken to use the appropriate means to modify behavior in each situation. Benedict is very aware of the differences in personalities and approaches.

Sr. Catherine, OSB

Returning Three Times

Benedict understands that it is not always easy to make a committment. Sometimes a committment needs to grow on you, in a sense.

In Chapter 29 of the Rule, Benedict allows for a person to leave and ask for readmission into community as many as three times. He seems to understand that sometimes there might still be issues from the past that need to be resolved or that there might be obstacles to true growth. Benedict also realized that at some point a committment of some sort must be made--thus the limit on number of entrances to community.

Sr. Catherine

Praying for Those in Need

Benedict considers prayer to be a "last resort" type of remedy for the erring. After the community has tried reasoning with the person, public sanctions, and separation from community, then the entire community is invited to pray for the person.

On one level it seems somewhat backward to use prayer as a last resort, yet I am reminded of the many times when prayer does seem to be the last place I turn to once I have exhausted all of the other remedies available to me. Maybe Benedict is telling us that once we have tried everything in our power to remedy the situation...then the one thing left (actually the best thing) is to place the person or situation in God's hands.

Sr. Catherine, OSB

A Wise Companion

I am reminded of the saying: "Misery loves company." when I read Chapter 27 of the Rule.

Once a person's behavior has caused separation from the community, it is very easy to either fall into deep dispair about the situation or to become even more defiant and try to find allies within the community...causing greater division. What Benedict suggests is for the superior to allow one person to encourage the wayward back into the community. Care must be taken that this is not going to be a misery party. Therefore, the companion must have an adequate amount of maturity not to become part of the problem.

This companion or senpectae is to act as a truth teller to the wayward. We all need people in our lives that care about us enough and that know us well enough to be able to challenge us into growth. I am fortunate to have many friends that have done that for me in my life. The truth tellers in our lives are our truest friends.

May I always be willing to hear and open to the truth presented to me by those wiser than me.

Sr. Catherine

In Memory of Those Who Have Gone Before

Sr. Assumpta

Sr. Mary Stephen

Sr. Mary Ellen

Sr. Imelda

Sr. Joachim

Sr. Louise
Sr. Mary Louis

Sr. Mary Esther

Sr. Fabian

Srs. Emily, Mary Ellen, Isabelle

Sr. Emily

Sr. Cornelia

We remember those who have gone before us during the month of November. One of the great things about community is that the women who have preceded us both into our community and into eternal life are part of our history, part of our heritage, part of who we are today whether we knew them personally or not. Their story gets mixed with our life and our stories and they all become one whole.

When someone dies in our community, we have the tradition of having an evening of sharing about the person, shortly after the funeral. It is a time to celebrate their life among us, their quirks, the joy they brought us, and sometimes even the pain and sorrow they brought. For me that is one of the best parts of growing in community because I get to experience our Sisters as others have known them at other times.

May the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.

You can still send us the names of your beloved dead to be placed before the altar during the month of November. Address: Sr. Christine Ereiser, OSB, 2200 South Lewis Ave., Tulsa, OK 74114.

Sr. Catherine

More Serious Faults

Benedict believed in tough love as part of his code of discipline.

If I am being so disruptive and misguided in my behavior that it starts impacting the prayer and common life of the community, family or workplace, then it might be time to separate me entirely from the environment both for my own good and for the good of others.

In Chapter 25, Benedict does not only say that I should be separated but also that no one should speak or get close to me. In a sense, Benedict considers the inappropriate actions like a contagious disease that everyone needs to stay away from before the whole group becomes diseased.

Sr. Catherine. OSB