We could see it now, couldn't we? Sorry, Jim. No way. We'll see it if we find it at the radio clock. You'll listen to it. I'm going to listen to it now. It feels like it. The reading's locked. Yeah. Yeah. Thanks, Vinnie. Waiting for an opportunity, an opportune time rather, to finish the considerations about obedience. I think that tomorrow's Sunday, tomorrow's Gospel, gives us a wonderful light, and also the feast on the 15th of January. when we celebrate the Feast of St.

[01:03]

More. The obedience of creator victorious is the motto of that day. The obedient man sings the praises of victory, the hymn of victory. In tomorrow's Gospel we see the sun of God in his father's house or about his father's business. And then we see also the, say, the distance between the son's knowledge of the father's will and the son's wisdom there's teacher among the rabbis of Israel in the temple hence then the relative darkness of his earthly mother and his foster father and then we see how then the Son of God the eternal wisdom of God

[02:20]

voluntarily dissents and is subject to Joseph and Mary in their family life at Nazareth. So he, the eternal wisdom of God, becomes obedient evidently to simple people who have no ways and cannot be compared the degree of their personal wisdom to the wisdom of the Son. Nevertheless, for thirty years in hiddenness and humility, he lives under their concoct. So a wonderful picture of the one who leaves his father's house and becomes obedient even unto death. And it is this obedience unto death which the monks try to follow, and which they always consider as an essential part of every Christian perfection.

[03:33]

Now, we have considered before Chapter 5 the obediencia sine mora, obedience without delay. no external delay, so that the action should be in an immediate mystical contact with the order that is given, and no internal delay or internal aloofness. But just as the action joins the word of the order, so also should the heart join the will of the one who commands because in him and through him God commands God who is this Lord over our actions and the Lord over our heart so he can through his representative demand both

[04:39]

Now that is one aspect of the obedience and today I wanted to go to another one which is indicated in chapter 3 of the Holy Book. When in a monastery some important things have to be decided. So the topic of the obedience is now transferred, say, from the act of obedience, the execution of obedience, in absolute readiness of action and of heart, into the field of obedience. Where and which fields a monk has to be obedient,

[05:42]

and the kind of obedience which is demanded in various fields. And of that, the third chapter is the one and first outstanding example, the obedience which has to be given in important decisions which have to be made concerning the whole, say, course of the monastic life. the decisions of today, say, for receiving somebody into the community, or other important decisions concerning, for example, a new foundation, or concerning buildings, big investments, things of that sort. So then we have other fields of obedience, just to indicate that.

[06:45]

We have in the chapter 7, the fourth degree of humility, speaks about obedience in heart and things that are contrary to the wishes of the monk. and even maybe injuries or injustice done to him. Then we have in chapter 68 we have the obedience which the monk should give there where he is asked to do things that seem to him impossible. So there are various fields, say, of obedience, in which there is also, as you can see, an example in the chapters on Lent.

[07:46]

One would call that the obedience to the abbot as the spiritual father. where a careful balance, per se, of the required thing and also of the spontaneous offering of the monk is established, but always, again, under the obedience, the approval of the app. So there are various fields. There's the field of important decisions, in which the whole community is involved, the field of difficult things that seem to be hard to the monk, seem to be to him an injury, or things that are seen to him beyond his capacity, impossible things, or spiritual things as, for example, special sacrifices in the Lenten seasons, or this, or that,

[08:49]

things still are there in the Holy Rule, for example, the obedience and relation of the officials, the officials of the monastery to the abbot, the position of the prior, of the deans, and so on. So, let us take tonight the third chapter, then, on the abbot who calls the brethren into council. It's something important. has to be done in the monastery. Then the abbot should call the whole community together, and then he should explain what has to be discussed. And he should then listen to the Council of the Brethren, and then he should weigh what he has heard by himself, and then what he thinks best that he should do.

[09:51]

Then St. Benedict continues again and says, but we have said the abbot should call all of the members into council because the Lord very often reveals to the younger one what is better. Such an important sentence. So in this chapter we see that Saint Benedict first of all wants, and that is also the meaning of this council, first of all he wants an important decision in a, let us say, in a, you know, an important business, let us say. Important business has to be transacted, let us put it that way. The first thing that St. Benedict wants is what we ought to always emphasize in our little school, the seven points, that all the material should be gotten together.

[11:01]

All the gifts that are in the community should be used. That's the great mission. That's an important mission of the Abbot. that no decision should be made without using all also natural possibilities to get the whole material on which the decision has to be based. So it is important that this Council of the Superior really fulfills its function. by giving the superior all the facts. That is a thing which very often we find lacking in a monastery. Even sometimes we find a wrong supernatural attitude from the part of the monks who think that, oh, if I explain, say, the reasons that I have for this or that too much, it seems that I'm pushing the superior too much.

[12:15]

Oh, he may resent it, or something like that. That is a wrong, wrong supernatural attitude. Important decisions in the field, let us say, of the facts have to be known in the field of business, should not be expected, you know, to drop down from heaven. No omniscience is asked, you know, of the superior, and no infallibility is asked of him at all, but all gifts should be used, and that is done in the counsel of the brethren. Therefore, not to as I say, by wrong supernatural attitude, which we find sometimes, to say, oh no, I won't tell him because otherwise it looks, you know, I want to push him or something like that. Or it looks as if I want to influence his judgment, or then I would insist to do so.

[13:23]

No. A monk should also explain what he has to say, also until he knows and sees that the superior has understood what he wanted. I think their insistence of that kind is absolutely in its place. Therefore, what I wanted to emphasize is that this council of the members of the community means an obligation for them to help We the Superior, but of course they cannot be of great help if they themselves do not really work at the problem which is in question. if they not themselves do everything possible to get all the facts. That's, for example, also the case here with us now in planning new ways.

[14:27]

Now, there, there. Absolutely real work is needed. One cannot only, I have said that so often, shoot out suggestions. That's not enough. But people have to sit down, especially those who are in charge of planning such a thing, and they have to get all the facts, and that is real work, and that is very difficult work. Now, Saint Benedict says that all should be asked, and in connection with that, in corroborating or basing a basis that statement on the Holy Spirit very often reveals to the younger one what is better. St. Benedict therefore absolutely takes that into consideration and accepts completely that possibility

[15:30]

that there may be better judgments in the community among the monks than the abbotess. The younger one may have a judgment which is better than that of the abbotess. So, therefore, that has to be very well considered, and St. Benedict says also that the abbot himself should have that inner attitude of really listening, of considering that possibility that the younger may know better what has to be done. Therefore he should not in any way consider himself infallible, and he should not follow his own ideas in an arrogant or presumptuous spirit, certainly not. But, then, St. Benedict also emphasizes, as you know, in that this better judgment that the younger one may have should be then presented, first of all, in all humility and subjection.

[16:48]

Therefore, this better judgment should not become an instrument in the hands of the devil to destroy the basic attitude of humility and of obedience in the soul of the community or of the younger one who presents his opinion. He should be free from presumption and he should not defend his opinion in a stubborn way. So we see right away that the meaning of this third chapter is not to set any limits to the obedience of the disciple. The Council of the Brethren, as we have said that so often, is not a parliament But it means that also the counsel which is given, is given in the spirit of obedience, but in a constructive spirit, which does not divide and destroy the unity of the monastic

[18:14]

And the important principle that St. Benedict follows in the third chapter is that although a younger one may really have, let us say, the better idea, that certainly is a possibility, nevertheless, it is up to the abbot to decide, to make the decision. so the execution what has to be done that decision of what has to be done is clearly left to the abbot so that all may obey and nobody in the monastery should obey the will of his own heart he should not and the council of the brethren is not an arena in which battles are being fought, arguments are being carried on, neither inside the monastery nor outside the monastery, should anyone of the monks try to push through his own opinion.

[19:29]

The execution, the decision of what has to be done is not left to the individual monk. The individual monk has the obligation even to tell, to explain what he thinks is the better thing to do. But the decision, what has to be done, the execution is not up to him. Therefore, after the decision has been taken, then the monk certainly should not go on and try to get his way, either by persuading others to join his opinion, or by going outside the monastery and criticizing the superior outside the monastery. So all that, because all that destroys clearly the spirit of humility and of obedience.

[20:31]

We see there, I think in this chapter also, maybe one can enlarge it in that direction, that the, now how can we say it, a positive or or constructive criticism certainly is possible. Positive, constructive criticism. It's interesting to see that, and you know that probably, that, for example, St. Basil, in his, in both his rules, insists on that, counts on that, that, for example, he says that if a superior is in error in a certain thing, then he should be warned by the brethren, but he should be warned preferably by senior brothers, who have the necessary weight and authority. Therefore, if something has to be corrected, also in the, say, the behavior of the superior,

[21:42]

in certain, the way in which he does certain things. Then, if there is something that has to be corrected, then we serve, as St. Basil says, we serve the community if we tell it. And that also is very salutary and very useful. Because if the superior is being told, then the superior also, Saint Basil continues, has himself a possibility of clearing up false suspicions, which very easily may arise in a monastic one. Because if he is being told about something, then he can clarify it. his position, and then, as St.

[22:46]

Balthus says, then in that case also the monks have the possibility and have the obligation to stop their criticism. So that is a possibility which, to my mind, absolutely should be followed. If somebody thinks, you know, that he has serious reason for criticism, he should not think, oh my, I can't tell. because then this and this may happen, and so on, and maybe he comes back at me somehow, you know, or something like that. That is not free. One should risk it, you see. One should risk that. And one shouldn't, if he has in part a Christi, you know, he thinks, my, I have the obligation, I think then that should be corrected. And I know from others, you know, this and this.

[23:47]

gives this impression and causes these and these difficulties and so on, so then for heaven's sake tell Superior, you know, and stick your neck out, so to speak, and leave the rest then to the Holy Spirit. I mean the decapitation. St. Benedict in his rule, if you read the rule of St. Benedict, I mean, one has to read the chapter on the abbot, the two chapters on the abbot, or read chapter 27. St. Benedict absolutely accounts with the possibility that the abbot and superior may develop into a tyrant or tyrannous, or that also that he should take the chapter on the prior, for example. St. Benedict tells the abbot, you know, he should be very careful that his absence would not be influenced by jealousy.

[24:51]

So, I mean, the abbot, St. Benedict, never considers the abbot a, let's say, infallible being, you know. Certainly not, but also as a human being. And therefore it seems to me also that it is absolutely in the spirit of the rule if there are certain things, you know, which require a correction, require an admonition, then that admonition should be given. But it should be given in the spirit of humility, it should be given in a good zeal. not in the bitter sea. That means not with stubbornness, not out of a party spirit, and not out of presumption. Because that, of course, immediately has the opposite reaction. Mercyful Jews, the opposite reaction. Why? If something is said, you know, in real humility, then, in Pater Christi, and confident of the hope of the Holy Spirit, one should also, you see, one should always count on that.

[26:04]

I find that so often, you know, that we are tempted Sometimes, you know, to take things, for example, also in our relation with others, only consider our own action without considering Christ's action in the soul to whom we speak. Even sometimes we, in reflecting, now what should we tell and how should we act, sometimes a certain timidity can be seen, that we not only do not take Christ's action in the soul of the other one into consideration, but on the contrary, we focus on certain human limitations that we have noticed in the other one, and we count on human reactions from the other side.

[27:07]

And that very often prevents us, for example, in mutual correction and mutual obedience, as we have said before. So often people say, oh no, I can't correct this brother because if I know that, I would resent it if I would tell him. Now that's a very wrong principle. It's an absolute human principle. It's human pseudo-prudence. It is not corresponding to the whole spirit as contrary to the spirit of the monastic life. If we tell, if we as instruments of Christ's peace, I'll say again, animated by good zeal, tells something to another brother, then we have to count on, and we have to pray for it, that Christ works in the other one.

[28:12]

For example, spiritual direction. How can you do any spiritual direction? If you try, if you think, you have to push him into every single action that he has to do. That's absolutely impossible. Spiritual erection is a midwife's work in that way. It helps that Christ may be born and that Christ takes over in the other one. So that's an important thing. You have to also, if you think, you know, in all seriousness and in all honest conviction that you have to tell and call the attention of the superior to something in this positive, constructive criticism, then don't refrain on the ground, or it may hurt his feelings, or he may get all disconcerted, or he may lose all his assurance.

[29:20]

That's all. You see, then you do not take into consideration that Christ works in the other one. And that Christ really works in the other one, the more you trust that Christ will work in the other one. The less you trust Christ in the other one, the more you minimize, you know, the power of the Holy Spirit, the more you sink into completely natural conservations. And then you could be, instead of breaking the chains, you get more involved in them. And you get more and less and less, you know, really get back magnanimity and that real courage that you should have and everyone should have in the Holy Spirit. So that is the principles that St. Benedict gives there. Where something important has to be decided in the monastery, the abbot should invite all to discuss, to give their advice in the

[30:34]

But the abbot should also, he has the right to say what he wants to be advised on. Following the principle that the monk should, in that way, not simply, I mean on his own presumptive initiative, try to push the abbot into this or that, But the initiative of asking should come from the average. He decides, you know, what problems have to be discussed in the community. But then if that's the topic is set, you know, is indicated the agenda being put for the community, then also all should really cooperate. And nobody should be influenced by any other motive than by the Holy Spirit that works in him and that speaks to him and in whom he trusts, regardless of seniority or any such, how can we say, technical distinctions.

[31:51]

But then if this advice is being given, then in a spirit which does not break the general spirit of obedience, because that certainly is, the vow of obedience is there, that vow of obedience absolutely asks, you know, for a constant response from the part of the monk. If an opinion that one thinks is the better one is not followed by the abbot, then, of course, one, the monk, is not asked then to say, oh no, the abbot doesn't take my suggestion, so what I suggested was wrong. That, of course, is not us. I mean, that, what we call Sacrificium Intellectusa, it has the Gymnasium in Hannover, that was always with great Gustob, you know, told us the sum total of the wisdom and tyrannical spirit of the

[33:11]

Roman Catholic Church, that obedience consists in the sacrificium intellectus, especially asked of every Jesuit. Sacrificium intellectus, I mean what we call intellectual obedience, intellectual obedience. That has always been a mystery to me, that intellectual obedience, because it's absolutely evident for anybody who has ever studied scholastic philosophy that our judgments depend on objective evidence. This objective evidence that we have at our disposal may not always be complete, but certainly that is the cause of our judgments. So that, let us say, the light of our own judgment We don't have to give that up. We cannot give that up, it seems to me. We cannot give that up. We don't have to give up the light of our church.

[34:13]

But on the other hand, you know, and that is then also described so beautifully in chapter 68, It's not demanded of the monk that he should undergo this kind of twisted reasoning, you say, and say, now the average exists, therefore I was wrong, you see, or I should resign this, I mean, deny the evidence I have. I think it's not in the power of our will. But it is in the power of our will, of course, you know, that we first of all are always ready to count on that possibility that the evidence we have may still not be the last word. In many cases it's absolutely evident that the abbot through his position as superior must be counted on

[35:17]

as having certain evidences that the individual monk does not have, that is absolutely certain. And therefore the individual monk should count on that. But of course this evidence, this additional evidence that the abbot has, you know, does not help the individual monk in his own judgment. And then the other possibility there, of course, is too that this evidence which the monk has and the judgment which he has, the light that he has, he does not have to give that up, but St. Benedict asks him that he should be in his inner heart persuaded he should sheathe, St.

[36:20]

Benedict is the word that he uses in chapter 68, he may be sure that if he obeys, it does not do any spiritual harm. That is what is important here. See, that is not the abbot. It's impossible, you know, to ask of a monk that if the abbot asks something of him that he doesn't see. And by the mere command he certainly sees it. That is not. That shira is not meant here. No, but he should know in faith. His faith should teach him. that the abbot is the representative of Christ. If he obeys the abbot, he obeys Christ. In faith, he obeys Christ, so that this obedience that he gives to the abbot in a field and in a case where his own judgment differs from that of the abbot,

[37:26]

that this obedience cannot do any harm to his soul. That obedience is in obedience to salvation, not to condemnation. That he should know, but his evidence he cannot change. His judgment as such he does not have to change. But he should then also, in a case like this, and I call that, you know, following the abbot even in darkness. What I meant was just this, you know, that the abbot proposes something, he makes a decision, the monk thinks, oh, the decision should be different, or the decision has this and this, this and this thing against it, and so on. But then, if this evidence is not in the monk, you know, that If he follows them in darkness, that means without this evidence, while the light of his judgment shows us something else, he cannot go on.

[38:32]

Never has anyone ever been condemned on account of obedience. But disobedience, of course, is a very risky thing. That is absolutely evident. So even if this disobedience is based on good reasons, as long as it is not a thing, of course, against God's commandments, that is, again, something completely different. The obedience in darkness has even a special merit, no doubt. I think St. Benedict absolutely emphasizes that, that the monk walks according to somebody else's judgment. He does not say that that judgment is in itself always and automatically the better one.

[39:34]

No, he says clearly the Holy Spirit may reveal to the younger one what is better. So he takes that as a possibility that the younger monk may have the better judgment than the abbot has. But if he then accepts the decision and follows it, no harm for his soul can follow from it. That's absolutely sure. And so he can therefore, as St. Benedict says in the chapter 68, in hope, real trust in God's help and out of love of God he can and should take upon himself and what is asked of him. So I think that is clear what is meant in this connection. You also see that that is absolutely required. No unity in a monastery is possible without following those principles.

[40:40]

If somebody, you know, would simply say here in this matter, I evidently have the better judgment, Therefore, if the Abbot doesn't see it, I just ask the Abbot, you know, not, you know, that I resign. He shouldn't ask me to do what I cannot in any way. I mean, it's not compatible with my conviction in this field. If that would be imagined, every practical problem that comes up, important practical problem, have a thousand different possible solutions. And you know that also from practice, absolutely evident, if a monastic community, you know, would constantly go on arguing, arguing, arguing, you see, it would never come to an end. It's absolutely impossible. It has to find a little seed to make up one's mind, you know. The abbots say, now this is it.

[41:42]

And then, for the sake of unity of spirit and of humility, all join in and take that line and say, no, that's the line that we take. And there are three individuals don't agree with it. This is what we are going to do. It simply has to be done. And very often, you know, the So the judgment of the average may appear, and there may be certain cases and situations where his judgment evidently is the less good one. But that then shouldn't it shouldn't cause the monk to say, oh my superior is also only a man, he can interfere, therefore I don't give a darn what he tells me. Something like that. If that monk would do that, then he doesn't belong to the community.

[42:43]

He has no supernatural spirit. Absolutely not. Therefore, sometimes the judgment of the abbot, you know, shows human limitations. For what reason? Why does God permit that? That the monk may make that wonderful step from his own evidence into the realm of faith. Because if monks have an abbot who is being followed and being obeyed, because he is so extremely sensible, and because he's always right, and it always shows that he has the better judgment. Then the monks may think, oh my yes, I mean he knows all those things so well, he's such a wonderful feeling for everything, you know, I just, what he says is right, I follow it. But that really is not, you know, obedience.

[43:46]

Because what the people then do is that they really follow their own judgment. Because they think, my, the abbot is such a sensible man. And he knows so many things, and he has such a talent, you know, in every field, administration, economy, whatever there is, smugness, you know, whatever he says is fine, we know it. That is no obedience. That was the great, if I may say so, was in some way, was the great danger in somebody like Albert Edelfons. He was such a respected, you know, and such a man that nobody really had the feeling that he was ever following something that wasn't his own conviction. I mean natural conviction. Maybe that's a little exaggerated. There were situations which were difficult. But nevertheless, I say, you know, the danger is there.

[44:51]

But it's a very, let us say, wise, very efficient man. Just looks through the thing just like that pen, you know, like a knife, you know, through a cable. Then monks, you know, simply follow. Yes, he knows it much better. But you see, it remains in the realm of nature. and what one follows, is one follows the Abbot because he has that judge probably what I would judge, you know, he judges, so he judges for me but on a natural plane and that is not what the rule and what is important in the monastic life and that is not what obedience really wants, you know, all these wonderful tales of the early monasticism, you know, where the monks have to The abbot, you know, tells them, now you water this stick, you know, that I put in the desert sand, you know. You water that, you know. And then the wonderful tale, that after two years that stick, you know, grows into a tree and brings fruit, and then the fruit is being distributed to all the monks, and they all taste from it, and it's absolutely marvelous, you know.

[46:01]

And then I explain to them, that are the fruits of obedience. Now, I mean, that's all that has all its deep meaning, you see, but it shows, you know, that the obedience is absolutely not always, you know, just obedience because, you know, that is certainly the better judgment, I mean, in the, you know, in conviction of everybody. Sometimes the situation simply arises that one follows a judgment which one thinks is faulty, you see. but one follows it and God permits it and God invites us to follow it, to make that step, you know, that we don't follow the abbot because we see ourselves, as it were, you know, working in him to perfection, but because we make that step, you know, into a completely new realm, the realm of supernatural faith and hope and charity. Me and CJ are on the other side of the hospital trail.

[47:08]

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