Before yesterday, spoke a little about the dreams for the future. I must say that this conference, and I'm so glad to be part of it, That's a very responsible part of the Negrosari community. The thought expressed there, evidently, is the one we have to look into that and develop that a little further. You know, the monastic life is a thing in which now the spirit leads us where and the way we want.

[01:08]

The monastic life has always been within the church and it's one of the reasons for the, for the extension. So there is, and has to be, a little more freedom, larger. certain elasticity. Unfortunately, there has been, in the course of centuries, it has been lost to a certain extent. What has been the fact that this elasticity has been lost, that I will try to promote the, let's say, the stability of the monastic life by strict constitution, by the bond of authority, of homo-organization.

[02:16]

We can see that in the Middle Ages, in the early Middle Ages, in the Screening, as well as in the whole where there was a strong tendency to counteract the danger of disintegration. You know, the fact that every community that is on and standing on its own is, of course, it presents a certain danger, there's no doubt about it, of cultural past, But today also we have to take that, I think, very much into consideration. It was there in 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.

[03:26]

very difficult to keep in contact over any distance, so that the monastery really was much more left to itself and on resources. Of course, in other days, that is that is compensated for by a completely different relation over space in our day. For example, if you take an organization like that of the Little Brothers of Jesus, that is their, one can say at first glance, a little minus. It seems to be a kind of revival of the genus Monopolo there, Heraclitus, of the third chapter of the rule, because there are two by two, maybe three, that's poor.

[04:28]

When it comes to poor, then there's probably But, of course, we have to take into consideration first that in an organization like this, where there are 60 years there for everyone, where there is a real strong, solid spiritual teaching that is given to everyone, and that is a central place. So, of course, with the design I was inventing, it was even technically impossible. what 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 movement. Therefore, the dangers to a certain extent are being obviated there by means, rather means, of technical means of communication. And about that we should apply that to the idea of the monastic life.

[05:35]

Monastic life implies a life which opens itself to many barriers that we think of, regardless of the year, There must, of course, be, for example, in a congregation, there must be a basic disagreement. A basic disagreement, you know, about the, you know, things that we really consider as essential. Now, let us say, to constitute what we call the contemplative approach to monasticism, way of living. There must be those things, there must be the greener. But then the way and the variations in which that is lived at the concrete plates, there then the latitude comes in.

[06:46]

And that would, of course, I think that would have really very great advantages in one follows of that idea and gets, let us say, beyond the idea of a congregation, always an imitation, an exact imitation of the mother house. We would get beyond that, and it would just be a breakthrough into a new dimension, can I say that because what there takes place on the level of a monastic congregation, of a group of monasteries, where this kind of, I would say,

[07:46]

It doesn't look, you know, at the other one immediately as a black sheet because one turns around and the white, you know, instead of lead, you know, and the other one is lead or something like that. One makes a prostration and the other just, one is doing this and the other is not. all the whole monastic work had to teach. If that would really, you see, be overcome, I would say that another condition, you know, to pursue such a thing is not, that is, that's the reason why I always emphasize too much, you know, also for our whole life, the school, as a way, a concrete way of constantly training oneself in one's inner reaction to the peace of Christ.

[08:55]

Enter into that latitude, as we say, we served Him with all our good, with all the little These two things are there in the school, absolutely essential. Everybody has to go, as it is said here, you know, in the Consular with regard to the abbot, in the chapter that we were just reading, that why does thou repeat my commandments by road and boast of my covenant with thee? That attitude of externalistic, you know, ridicule is on there, but you don't. For thou hast hated to amend thy life, and hast cast thy worth behind it. And here, for this he disciplined them. For this he disciplined them. That is, of course, for every monk, there is a point, a salient point, you know.

[10:01]

We all, nobody likes that discipliner. What we denied was to put really an edge under the yoke. And to go, for example, I had that experience so often, one speaks, you know, of the school and say, you know, you were in certain situations, for example, where you have evidently, you are disturbed, you have lost the people, you must go and do certain little steps. 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 come to it.

[11:02]

Must say, I mean, it's ridiculous to speak about any other cause of the two in the personal experience, but I must say that during the years, you know, to really track this, one can, you realize it, it doesn't work from one day to the other, but you realize it in the course of years, really something happens. The dear grace of the Lord leads you into the land of freedom. But there is more room for expansion. And that is something which is important, I mean, for the individual. For example, here, the narrowness, you know, which can so easily be and is really a characteristic mark of the unredeemed life, of course, is always now.

[12:07]

One is that, you know, it's indicated in this verse, Thou sawest the speck of dust in my brother's eyes, and didst not see the beam in my own. That is, typically, you know, as soon as you move, as anybody, as we move, on the line of of our natural perfectionism. You will always do this. You see the speck of dust in your body and you don't intervene at all. And what is the result? The result is that you are captive. You are caught. And therefore you narrow down. And the more you go on that line The more people you cast out, you know, and want to get rid of this, want to get rid of that, and want to, you know, and the circle of perfection narrows down more and more and more.

[13:13]

And that is not the meaning 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 I feature, great, you know, the abbot is there admonished, you know, to rule his disciples with a twofold teaching, displaying all goodness and holiness by deeds and by word, by deeds rather than by word. And then comes the important sentiment which throws so much light on what Saint Benedict really had in mind with this monastic community. To intelligent disciples, let him expound the law of man and thing-world. But to those of harder heart and ruder mind, let him choke forth the divine priestess by his example. So it isn't the case that the community that St.

[14:19]

Fennig has in mind is a group, you know, of, let us say, intellectual or people who let us say more as if they were born, you know, or they are, on a certain level of perfection. But it is rather a mixed and motley crowd. But of course, why? In some way or other, because the whole church is that way. The church never works as an and never works in the car as an elite. Whenever that came up, the church always denied. No, we are for everybody. We are here too as sinners. We are there as sinners. And still belong to the church. It was pointed out the other day, it's very true. One should be very careful in interpreting the word holy church.

[15:25]

What constitutes the holiness of the church? As the Octatus of Miletus says, the sacraments constitute the holiness of the church. That means it's first of all an objective holiness of the presence of Christ. But then if you take the disciples, if you take men, what is the importance thing, you know. For example, for the Christian, I'm just reading now a very interesting, I must say, a document of, it's a book a Catholic has written and published of Georg Hamann, you know, who was Hamann, I think, or Königsberg, and he was, you know, there in those days, had a great influence. We have a volume of his things here. Germans. But he was, you know, at the time of Kant, in the time of the 18th century, you know, he was a very influential man, really.

[16:30]

But if you look at it, you know, how, you know, what, what was really his, let's say, his identity? It was that absolute inauthenticity in the Lord's mercy. And then, of course, what I think is worth That is the interesting thing. We read that. Whoever has involved effort in that way also, I'm always tempted to consider the vow of the conspiracial moral, the conspiracial moral. Hope we can talk about that later on, about the meaning of that vow. Conspiracial moral, it is 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 inner, interiorly, in the heart of everyone.

[17:36]

that the long general context of whenever, for example, he is tempted, because what is said here about thinking the speaker of dust in the other morning and overlooking the being in your own eyes, of course, not only the danger for the ambit, but the danger for everything, the individual and what you realize. But what opens, you know, the access to the inner largeness That's of course the personal, who am I? When everyone meets a defection or 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 burden. Carry one another's burden. And then contribute to your prayer, for example, and also to carry the other one.

[18:45]

And that is what he is saying. Then he says, I mean, he doesn't have, let's say, one smooth, you know, group of smoothly running people before his eyes. But he has some real, I mean, big problems. but he didn't consider them as lost cases. And that is what I was so much in awe of. If we have that largeness of one monastery over the other, let us say, in that inner understanding, and that in the observer, and in the way in which, concrete way in which the monastic life and the monastic perfection, let us say the thing, is lived in one place. Let us have that theme larger also among ourselves. And let us then really help one another in that, in that deal, and recognize that for every body

[19:55]

First thing is this, who am I? That's the important question. And then it opens up the mercy of Christ, the blessing that comes from his Father, and it also then opens up the access to us one another. And that's what I hope, you know, we do, and I was so delighted also in that way, it was a great joy to me really. Yesterday, for example, we had this little chapter of Paul's, and we spoke about some problems just in this regard, which are important for our life, and then Christopher got a heavy chance, you know, to using several hours to learn them. Later on, you know, several other people came to me and said, oh, I'm so disappointed I didn't get the chance, you know, to put my little bit into it.

[20:59]

Or that one was this and the other was that. But that, that's the solution. That's the one I think. If you live on that level, then nobody can do anything to us. Then we really are demolished. 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. On the level of repentance, and of penance, and of humility, there is the level, the real level of perfection. There is the kingdom. That is also, therefore, so that the chapter of Paul is such an important thing. And I wish that in our life that would come about. Whoever, for example, knows that he, overlooking, and it's usually that way, but I still may add that without getting on your nerves.

[22:08]

I know it's always a question of time, the time in the world. We see you can usually, you make the observation, when you look at, you know, the other one, you usually make the observation that the man or monk or any human being is mostly to say susceptible or sensitive to the imperfections of the other, you see, but somehow he himself is imperfect. I mean, in the very field in which he himself needs the conversion, there he is apt to be much more severe and intolerant with the other. It depends on observation. If somebody reacts strongly against a certain interface,

[23:10]

Fault in the other one. Usually, why? Maybe you sit there, as we say in Germany, in a glass house, where you shouldn't throw any stones. Our Lord then, through His without sin, threw the first stone. And then all disappeared, one after the other, left the field. So therefore, I say this, because I think we will to enter into that monastic latitude between monasteries, and the latitude within one community. It is important, more than any kind of external observation, observance, any kind of observance, it's the inner humility, who am I? And that thing, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa, that is then the way into freedom, and that's also the way into a real challenge.

[24:22]

And there I'm sure that, let us say, beyond that narrow and infant, then there is then the beautiful orchard and paradise and heathen, you know, of true fraternity.

[24:39]

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