Picking Up Where We Left Off with The Rule of St. Benedict

Today we circle back to the Rule of St. Benedict. We've analyzed and discussed this remarkable work many times in the past. Most recently, we returned to it for a particular reason: to help ground us in solid principles and practices in the midst of the problems and distraction that continue to hound many of us. The source: the C-Virus Mess that originally descended on us in March of 2020 and has recently picked up steam.

We'll call our efforts going forward our "Stability Project."

The origin of our current problems and distraction was, of course, the lock-down of our economy which crippled and even tanked many businesses - mostly smaller enterprises. As a small business owner, I kept my nose to the grindstone and have managed to keep the wheels of commerce turning so far. Others have not been so fortunate. I know many who lost their jobs, others who had to completely change where and how they worked - some of which proved to be mightily stressful.

Of course, all wasn't bad. Some of us who began working from home didn't mind it at all, even liked it after a period of adjustment. And if you worked for a big business, you may have seen your company prosper as small business competition collapsed leaving the pickings ripe and easy for the big guys for many reasons we won't go into here.

Then, not so long ago, "they" (our fearless government leaders and their minions) told us they saw light at the tend of the tunnel. Lock-downs eased a bit as "The Vaccine" appeared out of nowhere to "save the day." In some ways, things have indeed loosened up a bit. But much of the improvement - such as it is - has been accompanied by the new "mandate" and "passport" culture that's grown by leaps and bounds with the relentless promotion that urges everyone - EVERYONE - to get jabbed.

We've talked about all this in some detail already in the past. At this point, my experience has been a mixed bag of good and bad. Again, the business has survived. But with the new mandates kicking in, we're now facing and sharing worries and a level of anxiety caused by decisions now facing many of our family, friends, neighbors, and clients. The small business I now run exclusively from home provides some space to avoid most of the inconvenience, restrictions and pressure of the full-court press to get jabbed (even those who've already got immunity from having had COVID). But many others cannot and my dealings with them keeps me in the middle of the pressure cooker. In the end, there's no escape.

Whatever the situation each of us finds ourselves in, if we're working we've got to attend to the tasks that fill our plate each day. We must, despite the distractions, the pressure, and the anxiety that comes with all that, do the best we can in our daily work. Ultimately, even as storms rage about us, we want to continue to work for the greater glory of God.

Right now, that can be a real challenge. Example: the push and pull of "Should I take the shot or not?" Facing the threat of losing your job if you don't, opposed by weighing the risks that come with being injected, risks which may far outweigh any benefit. Even those of us not in the crossfires may find ourselves called upon to support in some way those who are. Whatever our personal circumstances, we could use something to steady us. Sure, an adult beverage at the end of the day may help us relax for a few minutes. But the next day finds us in the fray all over again. Temporary relief never brings stability.

With all that in mind, we turn to one solid source of stability: the Rule of St. Benedict. In "normal" times, the Rule can serve as a source of stability to help us keep our spiritual life and our work life in sync. Having studied and incorporated some of the principles and practices that St. Benedict outlines in this masterwork into my business, that effort has really served to guide and ground my daily routine in ora et labora - prayer and work. As we noted a couple of weeks ago, St. Benedict wrote his rule and founded his monasteries as the Roman Empire was collapsing around him. I don't know whether our current circumstances can match the chaos and dangers of the unraveling of centuries of relative peace and order that once characterized ancient Rome. But there's certainly a sense that things are indeed unraveling around us. And I don't see the degree or speed of that unraveling easing anytime soon.

So now let's continue what we began a few weeks ago. We began at the beginning of the Rule. We covered the Prologue where St. Benedict makes clear why he wrote this Rule. He explains who it will benefit. While he focuses on his monks, living in a monastery, any of us who desire to be close to Our Lord can use the Rule as sure guide to assist our efforts. In coming posts, we'll take the lessons St. Benedict provides in the Rule in the order they're written, with a special focus on enhancing the stability we need to face the world as we now know it.