In the first chapter we have a beautiful example where we put the spirit first, seeking first the link of God and justice. And also again, especially when we feel there were the material and the spiritual. enter into the horizon. If you know very well, you ought to know that, of course. Nowadays, speaking of electrical material, I thought the situation was really something which took much greater attention than it took probably during that time when this war was raged.

[01:06]

If you remember and are familiar with that, you still, in all these persons, Our present system, let's say the capitalistic system, deals in a much more extensive way with the problems of money, which has taken a much greater place. And also the whole question of the economy, of the monastic life, Now the semi-economic basis of the monastic life is today a very important one and a very difficult one to solve. One great basic advice, the direction I think that it gives here, keep in these two things the hierarchy of value.

[02:13]

Don't start with the financial problem as the terminals are called, but start with the spiritual problem. That's of course evident from the part of monastic life. I mean, what is monastic life if it right from the start would simply capitulate They are to be determined and allow themselves to be determined by material considerations. We must, in the general conception of the monastic life, keep that clear, that we are there. The monastic life makes only sense within the whole of the Church. If this hierarchy of value that the spirit is first, the kingdom of God is first, then that is freedom.

[03:18]

I mean, we have in the church, we have different degrees of, let's say, being, you know, different degrees of, you know, being bound to the the workings of the world. One can say that, for example, the ordinary administration of the church, for example, the parish life, the service of the souls in the world, simply by its very nature, demands a greater attention and a greater care also for the, let's say, consideration of the material. Imagine the buildings that are necessary to put up, let's say, so that they take the congregation.

[04:21]

So that they, today in our days, the schools think of the tremendous effort that's been made, first by this church here in the United States, first in facing the simple necessity of building churches, And no period in history has known a greater expansion than the church in the United States during these last decades, in the beginning of church. And the other enormous effort that is being made in the building of schools to take care of this tremendous problem of the education of a Catholic education. So there we can see then, naturally, that the care for the administration, of course, demands a much greater place. One may ask oneself if the present, let's say, set-up in which, for example, the priest, you know, takes over all these functions, if that is really

[05:36]

a wise one that is waiting, that has believed the last solution, the best solution of the problem. In any case, at the present moment, it is the only possible solution. That's true. But of course, the whole question of the diaconate comes in, in the hierarchy of the church, There we have simply the difference between the bishop as the priest and as the head of the diocese and its helpers, the priests, and then of course the diaconate. So there the deacons are really those who take care, in the first century especially, but also later, of the material needs of the faithful and Maybe that also in connection with the council, the order and the specific task of the diaconate comes again more into the fore.

[06:40]

He also made some kind of a feeling that maybe in this material task there was a delegation to members of the laity. as I say, the all-Catholic absolute appeal. Or maybe nowadays, our possibilities are of greater delicacy, because it's already in the acts of the apostles. So, when we may be free to preach the word of God, others are all day to serve the table. That was the early apostolic principle. That's of course a very... But, I mean, in the hierarchy of the Church, The workings of the church, the ordinary administration of souls, one clearly sees that there has to be a general integration and a special place has to be given to the necessities and needs of an ordinary administration on a large scale.

[07:42]

But of course, when you come into the monastic life, in the whole monastic movement, And to look at it all the way it originated, the way it is here, especially in the rule, the monastic order simply has and makes things in the church only and in so far as it presents and is, lives. freedom and detachment of the Holy Spirit. That, of course, does not mean that a monastery should be administrated in a disorderly and subversive way. That is, of course, not possible, and the present church legislation should not get that. is, of course, today much more definite, much more stringent in these things, and imposes certain obligations upon a monastery.

[08:43]

For example, in this whole question, monastery cannot become an abbey if you take the abbey as, let us say, as a kind of mark of final approval on the part of the church for a monastery, which to a certain extent it has. But, of course, we cannot become happy if, as one says, one cannot show to the ecclesiastical authorities, the higher authorities, that the financial basis, you know, is secure. for a community, because only then one can really take the responsibility for the members, and only then also the certain external security is needed to also create and to foster the liberty of the Holy Spirit to a certain measure of financial security is necessary.

[09:51]

And that, of course, one has to take to bear in mind, is simply required by the law of the Church. So, in that way, we cannot simply go into dreams and just be unrealistic about things. We have to secure that inner or external stability. which goes together with the, and is healed, as it were, by the inner spirit. But of course, I'm always thinking, for example, of our beginnings here, you know, yeah. On Wednesday, I mean, I say that. The first big, I mean, really, decision for us to make in the beginning was when the monastic life started, to say now, the first objection also, which we meant to, because this is a practical country, as you know, and people consider, of course, practical possibilities,

[11:00]

First question was always, but how are you going to make ends meet? If you don't have a school, or if you don't have a marriage. Of course, I mean, if you understand it, I don't mean that as a criticism, you know, of the existing religious life and all the orders in this country or other happen, you know, but it is absolutely evident that we, you know, the principle, inner principle, which one starts, in our days, a new foundation in a monastic line, you know, should not be dictated right from the beginning up. If we don't do this, we cannot exist. We cannot make anything.

[12:01]

Because then one really one puts up a barrier to the Spirit. So we should always be generously grateful to Divine Providence that it was possible for us to start a monastic life which is, let's say, interiorly free. I think we feel, and the members of the community those who live the life here, and also our young and junior, those who are novices, and those in triangular vows, because they experience and they know what it means that you have that inner freedom to give themselves and to give a great amount of time to the spiritual thing, in that inner liberty and leisure, and also in the whole building up of the community, the fact that

[13:11]

Then we are not bound, you know, by an external work and the need of providing priests for parishes, or providing teachers for schools. Of course, Gilzah said it's not only a negative thing and keeping the word out, but it's the means of letting the spirit in and of giving room to the spirit. and therefore live a life in which every member of the community is invited, is here, into the riches of Christ. That is really what is needed today, and that is what makes sense for the monastic life. If we start on another principle, then of course people can rightly ask, not all, not all. Why? Well, that far, why don't you simply join the diocese and be just the priest and all the priests?

[14:16]

Why that exempt? Why are you separated? Why are you not simply joining then the ranks of that army on which the bishop is standing? Well, it's true. And therefore let us give thanks, I mean, what was always to take into conservation historical circumstances. And the historical circumstances simply are there, and they are a reality of the poor religious life as it exists here in this country. Most of the orders came here at a time when this country was a mission country. And therefore, their beginnings were very much determined by the necessity of optimism. But you cannot, of course, you can't see in the whole development of capitalist monarchism, the image got. You can't see that the fact that from the very beginning the Trappists were the only ones who did not give in to that, let us say, temptation, but simply stuck to their guns right from the beginning.

[15:28]

I mean, guns. And there was a long period of suffering That is, then, where the grain has to be put into the ground, and then it dies. And a long period, of course, of relatively being unknown, until then, in God's time, certainly there it is. Time has become ripe, and then, suddenly, then, the eyes of the entire country turn to it, and locations flock to it. There one can see, one can see also that in this example a tremendous amount of monastic idea as such in these other days. Therefore I think we should, in this chapter of course, we have it that pagan conservation,

[16:30]

We are not going to go to the United States. I don't have much of a temptation. not just the other name. That connects our administration, and I wanted to maybe explain that, you know, to be noticed the order of the founder of Gregory's way, you know, the idea, I said, takes the place, you know, that in What I wanted to say is this, that I think we stick to our custom that we always have that. I mean, how Gregory's case during his absence, you know, after he was kept free, you know, and that is surprisingly evident, which is fine, you know, and so on, that we do keep that.

[17:39]

But the distinction, I mean, the taking function, Yeah, I mean, first of all, it's the senior counselor, you know, who automatically takes the place, you know. For example, if I had a great-grandchild, you know, with gaps in the book, you know, the senior counselor is then the head of the house and takes the place, you know. But then, when the senior is in the house and in the office, in the divine office, that means he intones, and also in the predatory, he intones the prayers, that is known to the wife. No matter if you are raving about it, you know. But if he is a priest or not,

[18:40]

the senior counselor thinks it takes the place. But at the end, if the senior counselor is not present, then the counselor next in line takes the But for the commission in the house, the function of the commission and so on, are given by the senior councillor, and also the touring choir that is right in the refectory, and one of the offices and so on. And then the second counselor, and then the third counselor, and you see they take the plates and autograph the seat down.

[19:38]

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