Monday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

Year of Saint Joseph

Year of the Family "Amoris Laetitia The Joy of Love"

National Back to School Month

Saints: Saint Margaret Clitherow, nee Middleton (1556-1586); Saint Anne Line, nee Heighan (1565?-1601); Saint Margaret Ward (-1588); Blessed Ghebre Michael (1790-1855); Saint Fiacre (7th century); Saint Edmund Arrowsmith (1585-1628)

Readings of the Day

RB: Ch 72 The Good Zeal of Monks

Mass: 1 Th 4:13-18; Resp Ps 96; Lk 4:16-30

For great is the Lord and highly to be praised; awesome is He, beyond all gods.

I have referred to Abbot Patrick Barry, OSB, of happy memory, a monk of Ampleforth, more than once. He called Chapter 72 of the Holy Rule of Saint Benedict, "the most beautiful chapter in the Rule of Benedict, possessing an appeal that is universal ..." He goes on to say, "It is about the fulfillment of our baptism, which unites us all 'who are in Christ Jesus.' It is about what our lives would be like-monastics, laity, clerics, bishops, priests, deacons, the poor, the rich, the strong, the weak, those who have power and station, and those who have none-if we followed Christ as we should." Furthermore, "As a vision, it is what Christianity is all about" (P. Barry, trans. and introduction, Saint Benedict's Rule, p. 36). I leave it to you to decide if Abbot Patrick knew what he was talking about, as I believe he certainly did. 😊

Just as there is a wicked zeal of bitterness which separates from God and leads to hell, so there is a good zeal which separates from evil and leads to God and everlasting life. This, then, is the good zeal which monks must foster with fervent love: They should each try to be the first to show respect to the other (Rm 12:10), supporting with the greatest patience one another's weaknesses of body and behavior, and earnestly competing in obedience to one another. No one is to purse what he judges better for himself, but instead, what he judges better for someone else. To their fellow monks they show the pure love of brothers; to God, loving fear; to their abbot, unfeigned and humble love. Let them prefer nothing whatever to Christ, and my he bring us all together to everlasting life.

(Rule of Saint Benedict, Ch 72)

SAINT MARGARET CLITHEROW,

SAINT ANNE LINE,

SAINT MARGARET WARD,

BLESSED GHEBRE MICHAEL,

SAINT FIACRE,

SAINT EDMUND ARROWSMITH,

SAINT JOSEPH,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Another awesome photo from the Ottos, this one of lovely reflections in Tenas Lakes, OR. 

© Gertrude Feick 2021