Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Saint Mel (d. 488)
First Friday of the Month

Readings of the Day
RB: Ch 7:59
Mass: Sir 47:2-11; Resp Ps 18; Mk 6:14-29

The Lord live! And blessed be my Rock!

HEART OF JESUS, OF INFINITE MAJESTY,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

Welcome to the First Friday of the Month and another glorious day at Redwoods. 

Today's focus is on the Holy Rule as kind of preparation for Monday, February 10, and the celebration of Saint Scholastica. She and her twin St Benedict are called the holy twins! 

We are in the midst of Ch 7, on humility and the longest chapter in the Holy Rule. Yesterday we were on the ninth step of humility, today the tenth. I leave the two steps for your reflection and relevancy in a world bombarded by noise and words, too many of which are hateful and defamatory. The translation here is by Fr Patrick Barry, OSB, of happy memory. And the one used by the thriving Manquehue Apostolic Movement in Chile, who, among other things, are great students of and witnesses to the Holy Rule.

The ninth step of humility leads us to refrain from unnecessary speech and to guard our silence by not speaking until we are addressed. That is what scripture recommends with these sayings: Anyone who is forever chattering will not escape sin and there is another saying from a psalm: One who never stops talking loses the right way in life.

The tenth step of humility teaches us not be given to empty laughter on every least occasion because: A fool's voice is forever raised in laughter.

(RB 7:56-59)

One addition to the tenth step. Empty laughter and maintaining a sense of humor are not the same. Here with a little help from Basil Hume, advice not lost at home, work, school, or any place where humans gather.

Be cheerful. Do not get upset by small things. And do not ever think that a monk should be serious-well, he must be serious, but must never lose his sense of humour-and if you have not got one, then acquire one. A sense of humour is part of humility. It means you do not take yourself too seriously and that you do not get things that go on in monastic life out of proportion: be able to smile at us and at yourselves. That is most important.

(Basil Hume, 1968)

SAINT MEL,

PRAY FOR US.

© Gertrude Feick 2020