But now that I've been thinking about the nature of the reading of the Word of God, some passages cannot come in on all of them, but perhaps one of the other things, but when we spoke about this Lord, thinking of seeing the, the other one, I was not a good being in one's home. And then one, an old man, can't read, wrote down some quotations from that, which are now one of the economic habits that worked for all of us in that. And I said, you know, I actually should follow that little tip of the school or have in mind that little word, you know, as soon as we get critical towards one or the other, first off, always to say, who am I?

[01:21]

That's the way in which to bear if we are irritated by something or we are brought up by some imperfections or faults that we see. always to return into the peace of Christ as the Christian who am I, and the quotation from the invitation of Christ, where it puts, you who will and straightly ways its own doings, is not likely to judge anything about another harshly. The inward man sets the care of himself before all other care, and he who turns his attention diligently to himself is easily silent about others.

[02:24]

He will never be inward and devout unless you keep silent about others and keep an eye especially on your own self. You can turn your eyes on yourself and beware judging the actions of others. Judging others, a man troubles himself to no purpose, is frequently mistaken and easily thus erroneous. But in judging and analyzing himself, he always labors truthfully. And God has so many things that we may learn to bear each other's burden. For none is faultless, none without a burden, none sufficient to himself, none wise enough in himself, But you must bear with each other, comfort each other, help each other, and advise each other.

[03:30]

So that so in harmony with the whole idea of the world, and the earth, and the sky, [...] and the sky, and the sky, and the sky, and the sky, and [...] the sky, and the sky, and the have a much impact on the faith of the angry weak. God will let him not make any distinction of persons in the monastery, not have love one more than another, unless he finds him better in good works and obedience. that not a free-born monk be put before one that ought a slave, unless there's some other reasonable ground for him.

[04:30]

But if the abbot for just reason couldn't fix so to do, let him fix anyone's order as he will, otherwise let him keep their due place. Because whether slaves or free men, we are all one in Christ. and have to serve alike in the army of the same Lord. For there is no respect for persons with God. In this regard only are we distinguished in a sight if we be thought better than others in good works and humility. Therefore let the Abitur equal off to all, and let the same discipline be imposed on all in accordance with their desire. Now we know from our daily experience how difficult it is for human beings, and we always remain human beings, to enter

[05:35]

into the Spirit. On the other hand, it is absolutely fundamental. It's, well, ever a Holy Spirit of Christ, I mean that, you know, it refers to that what the Christians of old called the third generation. You know, it's this aspiring to a higher synthesis, to a higher level, beyond the The pagan one of idolatry and of the cultivation, idolatry and adoration of one's own person, and that means also of one's own vices. And then the other one, the Jewish level, where the letter of the law is being followed, and where there then comes the great danger of parodies in power. I am holier Then now, there are these two, we call it in the Christians, you know, the Holy Spirit should, of course, reverse another base of living together, not the basis of human respect as in

[06:55]

pagan civilization, or also as in Judaism, where the excellence in works becomes a kind of a mark of social distinction, as in the case of the Pharisees. They are the real supporters of the their nation and then you take the first places. So those two things we have to avoid. We have to avoid the simple natural human respect, what we call the political approach. And we have to avoid the other one, and for the sake of both those things, we have to interfere with the rule of the Holy Spirit in our own hearts and in our relation with others.

[08:01]

In the Holy Spirit first there is no order of birth, I mean the natural order in that way is not and does not set any claim for any superiority, neither of birth nor of soul, but they are mere natural talents. In a monastery as such, as far as the spiritual community is concerned, we are all equal in the Holy Spirit, or then different in the Holy Spirit according to the way in which we open ourselves to it and in the way in which we respond to it, in which we are formed by the Holy Spirit. And that is the whole monastic attempt. Of course, as you see right away, it's not a matter of mechanical equality.

[09:06]

Quantitative equality. Not the same as the égalité, the equality of the French Revolution. And therefore we cannot do that, you know, in the monastic community life. It's impossible that every member can follow, you see, and fulfill the same exalted function. But there must be different functions, and these different functions must then, in the Holy Spirit, that means in the spirit of obedience, must be accepted, and in the spirit of selfless love, in which one puts the good of the community before one's own good. And that is, of course, a thing which is a difficult thing to follow, but, you know, that we try to do that here in a special way, also in a way that, for example, we don't follow, I mean, the usual distinction that those who have an education take it for granted.

[10:22]

that they alone will be full monks, that they alone will become priests, and that others who don't have the same, say, background or social distinction or social possibilities, however you may call it, would be, for that matter, then relegated to a kind of evidently interior class. But of course, if we do that, that is only one step, and it is still, in some way, it's an organizational step. If it is not this kind of order, as we try to establish it here in our community, it's not, let's say, taken up deeply as a matter of sanctification, as a matter of the spirit, But if we only consider the matter of politics, you know, then of course it is wrong.

[11:23]

Then those who stay on the outside, and there are those, as you know, on the outside, who say, oh my, this is just this kind of modern socialist business. socially. And that, of course, is not the case. And that would be, of course, if we do it simply as an adaptation to the spirit of the age. But, of course, that's not the case. We don't do it. We do it, why? Because we want to realize the inner equality in the Holy Spirit, not to put any natural barriers to the full role of the Holy Spirit. But of course that also requires that of those who are in the community and live a community life, it requires of them

[12:35]

that they don't in any way feel that they are aware of the danger, you know, to consider this thing again as a political thing, and as a matter of natural or human respect. And that would be wrong, because then again, you know, the old thing may all come up again. And people may say, oh yes, of course, there are things They are the professors, you know, and they are the ones who teach, and then they do the study, you know, and then they are the others who are slaves day by day in the inferior tasks, you know. That, of course, is again, you know, it's a political approach. It's only them with the other another denominator.

[13:37]

And that's not the meaning. But we must, you know, therefore also in the monastery have a general spirit of deep inner acceptance and realizing that before God it is not what we always say what we do that is important, but how we do it. That is the important thing. So what we do has to be different. The natural talents and gifts are different. And not everybody, but if then somebody, for example, has the gifts and serves the community, by and through the studies, and those who do not, for example, work day and year, or the tasks, the daily tasks that are They prescribed for a home or kitchen, whatever it is. They should realize that and they should see that in the Holy Spirit what is important is the inner conformity to Christ, to fulfill the will of Christ, do the will of the Father.

[14:51]

And in the degree in which one does it, And, of course, that determines whether we get our happiness, we get our peace, and the whole success of the work that we do. Therefore, let us not consider any jobs as a matter of distinction, whatever it is. Let us not consider them or use them in any way as a thing that is our work. and that we have to control, or anything like that, you know, but it's always in that spirit, deep inner spirit of service, as everyone does, for this good, you know, for the whole. That is the true equality of the Holy Spirit. And it is also this way, if an average, superior community, Is that spirit really alive in everyone?

[15:56]

So that he has the feeling, oh, I can go right into that. And of course, we always follow that right to explain. just to get, as we say, to get all the material together. I think, you know, that this is for me very difficult, for reasons and for that all, but which will always be there, you know, in this whole business, you know, of our religion, to the abbot, to the representative of Christ, one should always avoid, you know, the naturalistic attitude and the erroneous supra-naturalism. Both are really wrong. One should follow the monastic tradition, as we have it here in the book, where this possibility is absolutely granted to everybody, and also asked of the abbot. he should do everything he does, he should do cum concilio, with counsel.

[17:02]

So, in that way, that is, of course, it's clear and it's granted to everyone. But then the habit has the feeling, you see, that now everybody is interiorly that teeth and has the larger aim to follow the Holy Spirit as it is manifested to him, you know, through the whole body of communion which he lives and through the superior then and that is, of course, a tremendous step, you know, of the Lord because you can imagine that, of course, for the habit is difficult to I think it's more difficult, you know, for a rehabber to do things, you know, to ordain things where he needs all kinds of knowledge, he needs all kinds of sensitivity. That is a great enough, you know, a great enough difficulty.

[18:08]

Or maybe a greater difficulty than kind of give favors to the favor. So let us cooperate in this so important point, in that interior supernatural spiritual way. So that we can have a great deal of peace over the truthfulness of our monastic life.

[18:39]

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