Moses proclaimed the Lord’s
teaching to the people of Israel. The entire account is found in Leviticus 19.
One thing he said was, “Be holy, for, I, the Lord your God, am holy.”
And Saint Benedict taught: “Do
not aspire to be called holy before you really are, but first be holy that you
may more truly be called so.” (Rule of
Saint Benedict 4:62)
But what does it mean to be
holy? To answer this question for myself, I look to my fellow monks to which of
them I would call “holy,” and to identify what it is about them that makes them
so. I’ll tell you what I discovered, but please realize that these are only my
assessments, and as such, they are imperfect and incomplete. But for what it is
worth, this is what I have noticed in the monks I truly call holy:
·
a constant and cheerful readiness to help others
in any way possible, usually without even being asked;
·
extraordinary patience in bearing the
infirmities and indignities of old age;
·
from them “never is heard a discouraging word”;
rather they often have things to say that lift up the spirits of the rest of us;
·
great love for the Scriptures and spiritual
writings; it is obvious that they have spent a life-time absorbing the texts
and the wisdom from their own lectio
divina;
·
complete respect and love for the Abbot and his
teachings;
·
moderation in all things;
·
modest speech yet also an obvious cheerfulness
most of the time if not all;
·
actively practicing the corporal and spiritual
works of mercy;
·
ability to see beneath the habits and
weakness of their confreres to the pain they carry around. Because of this they
are very patient and understanding and concerned for their brothers’
consolation and healing.
Perhaps you, too, would like to
take some time observing the qualities and actions of those people you consider
to be holy, and to make a list them. Observation like this gives us something
to aim for in our own lives and struggles. More about holiness next time.
God bless you!
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