Thank you very much. at a ready response from a part of the community where the thoughts expect there, evidently. We have to look into that and develop that a little further down here. The monaptic life, the thing which, you know, the spirit reads as the way he wants.

[01:09]

But when that's declined, it's always been in the church, and it's one of the reasons for the, what's it called, for the exemption. So there is, and there has to be, because it's more real and larger. elasticity. Unfortunately, that has been, in the course of the centuries, it has been lost to an extent. The fact that this elasticity has been lost, that will try to promote the stability of the monastic life by strict constitution, by the broad authority of a stronger organization.

[02:17]

We can see that in the Middle Ages, in the early Middle Ages, as well as in the whole movement. was a strong tendency to counter the danger of disintegration. You know, the fact that every community, when it is standing on its own, it presents a certain danger. There's no doubt about it. But today, of course, we have to take that very much into consideration when St. Benedict founded his monastery, and that was at a time when the contact, the connection between various monasteries was, of course, very difficult, especially there where any longer distances were involved.

[03:27]

very difficult to keep in contact over any distance, so that the monastery really was much more left to itself and its own resources. Of course, in our days, that is compensated for by a completely different relation over space in our days. For example, if you take an organization like that of the Little Brothers of Jesus there, one can say at first glance, it seems to be a kind of revival of the genus, what I call them, terror, right, of the third chapter of the rule, because there are two by two, maybe three, But, of course, we have to take it to consideration first that in an organization like this, there are six years there for everyone, where there is a real strong spiritual teaching is given to everyone, and that is a central place.

[04:54]

John Walters was at the time, I was at Bendix, Technically, nearly impossible. Of course, in our days, it is. And then, of course, the contact between all these groups, today by mail as well as by traveling, is, of course, a much easier one. Therefore, the dangers to a certain extent are being obviated there by means, modern means of technical means of communication. And for that, we should apply that to the idea of the monastic life. Monastic life simply is a life which opens itself to many various forms, you know, for example, there must of course be, for example, in a congregation, there must be

[05:57]

a basic disagreement about certain things that we really consider as essential to what we call the contemplative approach to monasticism, making indifference to the active way of living. There must be, in those things, there must be an agreement. But then the way and the variations in which that is lived complicates, there then the latitude comes in. And that would, of course, I think that would have really very great It just follows that idea and gets, let us say, it's beyond the idea of a congregation always as an imitation, an exact imitation of the mother house.

[07:13]

We would get beyond that. I think it would just be a breakthrough into a new dimension, can we say? I say that because what there takes place on the level of a monastic congregation, of a group of monasteries, this kind of competitive spirit between monasteries could be. It doesn't look, you know, at the other one immediately as a black sheep because one turns around white, you know, instead of left, you know, and the other one is left or something like that. The other one makes a frustration and the other one has done this and the other has done this and the other has done all the whole monastic work to people.

[08:21]

really, you see, be overcome. I would say that another condition, you know, too, for such a thing is that that is the reason why I always empathize too much, you know, for our whole life, the school, as a way, a concrete way of constantly training oneself in our reaction, through the peace of Christ, into that latitude that we say in the school, we serve him with all our good, all the good school. These two things are there in the school, absolutely essential. Everybody has to go, and it is said here, you know, with regard to the abbot, in the chapter that we were just reading.

[09:28]

That, why dost thou repeat my commandment by rote, and boast of my covenant with thee? You know, that attitude of, you know, you don't. For thou hast hated to amend thy life, and hast cast my words behind thee. And here would this be disciplina. And it would this be disciplina. America wrote for every Montclair, his point, the salient point, you know. We all, nobody likes that disciplina, you know. Nobody likes this to put reading himself under the yoke, you know. And to go, for example, with... I had that experience too often. People are out of the school and say, no, in certain conditions, situations, for example, where you have evidently, you are disturbed, you have lost the beat of crime, you must go and do certain little steps.

[10:32]

And those steps simply have to be trained. Get away from this improvisation, from this always kind of improvising on your first reaction. Go into your depth, go into that inner haven, that Christ, the heart of our Lord, offers to you at every moment, and it is open at every moment, if you only turn to it. I must say, I mean, ridiculous to speak about it, and to recall from the two, personal experiences, but I must say that during the year, you know, to really practice, one can, you will realize it, it doesn't look from one day to the other, but you realize it in the course of years, really something happens, something happens.

[11:35]

The grace of the Lord leads you into the land of freedom. But there's more room for expansion. And that's something which is important, I mean, for the individual. For example here, we leave the narrowness, you know, which comes to easily be, and it's really a characteristic mark of the unredeemed life, of course. It's always narrow. One is that, you know, it's indicated in the word, thou sawest the speck of dust in thy brother's eye, and did not see the beam in thy own. That is typical, you know, as soon as you move, as anybody, as we move, on the line of, let's say, our natural perfectionism, see?

[12:36]

You will always do this. You'll see the speck of dust in your body. And you don't see the beam in your arm. And what is the result? The result is that you are captive, you know, that you are caught. And therefore you never doubt that the more you go on that line, the more people you pass out, you know, and want to get rid of this, and want to get rid of that, and want to You know, and the circle of perfection narrows down more and more and more. And that is not the meaning also of the monastic life. You know, if you, for example, read, it's another thing I would like to call your attention to in this paragraph that we just read, you know, the abbot is there admonished, you know, to... Rule is disciples of the two core teachings, displaying all goodness and holiness by deeds and by words, by deeds rather than by words.

[13:46]

And then comes the important sentence which draws so much light on what St. Benedict really had in mind with this monastic community. To intelligent disciples, let him expound the law of commandment in words. but to those of harder power and ruder mind. Let him soak forth the divine precept by his example. So it isn't the case that the community that Saint Benedict has in mind is a group, you know, of, let us say, intellectual people, of people who, let us say, move as if they were born, you know, or they are, on a certain level of But it is rather a mixed and motley crowd. It's really true. But of course, why? In some way or two, because the whole church is that way.

[14:49]

The church never works in the crowd as an alien. Wherever that came up, the church has always been known. We are for everybody. We are here, too, as sinners. We are there as sinners. And still belong to the church. It's quite all the other day. It's very true. One should be very, very careful in interpreting the word holy church. What constitutes the holiness of the church? the sacraments, the holiness of the first. That means, first of all, an objective holiness of the presence of fire. But then if you take men, what is the important thing, you know, for example, for the Christian?

[15:52]

I'm just reading now a very interesting document It's a book that a Catholic has written and published of Gerwig Harman, you know, who was Harman, I thought it came from Königsberg. And he might be, you know, a very, very sort of, had a great influence. We have a volume of his thing here, of the Greek and German. But he was, you know, at the time of Kant, in the time of the 18th century, you know, he was a valley. influential man, really, but if you look at it, you know, how, you know, what was really its, its, let's say, its sanctity. It was that absolute inner trust in the Lord's mercy. And that, of course, what I think is true, that is the interesting thing.

[16:53]

We read that. Whoever held them, don't refer them in that way. I'm always tempted to consider the vow of the convertium morum, the convertium morum. I hope we can talk about that later on, about the meaning of that vow. It is there that do change your mind, because the kingdom of God is at hand. what the change of mind is the essential thing. But this change of mind is a change which takes place in the interior, in the heart of everyone. That the monk, you know, consider forever, for example, he is gifted, because what he said here about seeing the speaker after in the other one and overlooking the being in your own eyes, of course, not holding the danger for the habit. What's the danger for everything individual, not?

[17:57]

You realize that. But what opens, you know, the, let's say, the access to the inner, the largeness, is, of course, the person, who am I? When everyone leaks, he takes, you know, any other one. The first reaction, who am I? And that is what creates unity in a monastery. This thing. Who am I? And then in that attitude, carry one another's burdens. Carry one another's burdens. And then contribute into your prayer, for example, and also to carry another one. And that is that he says, I mean, he doesn't have It's a warm, smooth, you know, group of smoothly running people before he died.

[18:59]

But he had some real, I mean, big problems in his community, I'm absolutely sure. But he didn't consider me for that man as lost people. And that's what I would so much, you know, if we have that largeness, of one monastery towards the other, let us say, in that inner understanding, and that in the observance, and in a way in which complete way with the monastic life and the monastic protection, let us say, is lived in one place. Let us have that same largeness also among ourselves. And let us then really help one another in that field and recognize that for every month, the first thing is this, who am I?

[19:59]

That's the important principle. If there is what opens up the mercy of Christ, the blessing that comes from afar, it also then opens up the access to one another. That's what I... You know, we do an hour or two, we like the author in that way. It was a great joy to me, really. Yesterday, for example, we had this little chapter of course, and we spoke about some problems just in this regard. It's all important for our life. And then Christopher got the chance, you know, to... And later on, you know, several other people came to me and said, oh, I'm so little boy, and I didn't get the chance, you know, to put my little thing. Oh, man, one with this and another with that.

[21:02]

That's the solution. That's the one I have to do. If we live on that level, nobody can do anything to us. But man, we really are, they must. Not the attainment of certain high mountains of perfection that one can put his finger on and say, there it is. The perfection of the monk is a hidden one. It's more on the level of repentance, of humility. There is the level, the real level of it. There is the kingdom. And therefore, the chapter of thought is such an important thing. And I wish that in our life that would come about if whoever, for example, knows that he's overlooking, and it's usually that way, if I still may add that without getting on your nerves.

[22:09]

I know it's always a question of time in the morning. You see, you can usually make the observation. When you look at the other one, you usually make the observation that man or monk or any human being is most, let us say, susceptible or sensitive. to the imperfections of the other, you see, where somehow he himself, you know, is imperfectly. I mean, in the very field which he himself needs a conversion, there he is apt to be much more severe and intolerant with the other. Discipline or an observation. If somebody reacts strongly against a certain, let's say,

[23:11]

fault any other one. Maybe you'll sit there, as we say in German, in a glass house where you shouldn't throw any stone. Our Lord says, who is without sin, throw the first stone. Remember? It's already feared, you know, one after the other, left the fear. So therefore, I say these things because I think the be there, to enter into that monastic latitude between one of them and the latitude within one community. It is important more than any kind of external observation, observance, at any point of observation, is the inner, that inner humility, who am I? And that's a mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

[24:15]

That is then the way to freedom, and that's also the way into a free area. And there, I'm sure that, let's say, beyond that narrow entrance, then there is then the beautiful orchard and paradise and Eden, you know, of true fraternity.

[24:39]

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