+ Please pray the Divine Mercy will shine upon all those who have taken their own lives. +
Chapter 33: Whether Monks Ought to Have Anything of Their Own
Mar. 11 - July 11 - Nov. 10
This vice especially is to be cut out of the monastery by the roots. Let no one presume to give or receive anything without the Abbot's leave, or to have anything as his own-- anything whatever, whether book or tablets or pen or whatever it may be-- since they are not permitted to have even their bodies or wills at their own disposal; but for all their necessities let them look to the Father of the monastery. And let it be unlawful to have anything which the Abbot has not given or allowed. Let all things be common to all, as it is written (Acts 4:32), and let no one say or assume that anything is his own. But if anyone is caught indulging in this most wicked vice, let him be admonished once and a second time. If he fails to amend, let him undergo punishment.
A FEW THOUGHTS
As I quoted the other day, "Wantin' ain't needin!" Monastics with a good Abbot/ess may not have much of a problem with excessive consumerism although pride of ownership could possibly still become a problem. But it is the "excess" implied in both this instruction and in the Black Letter that is a little troublesome for me. Exactly how much can a soul use or waste before she/he becomes "excessive"?
I know a very saintly monk who spent a long time gazing at his towel
and thinking, "I'd like to have a new one". It wasn't a rag of a towel. No indeed, it showed a little wear but was certainly serviceable. But he'd had that particular towel for such a very long time! It had certainly fulfilled it duty well but the fact was that he had just grown tired of looking at that same old towel.
As he gazed at the towel hanging there, he was undecided exactly what he should do....so, as was his habit, he prayed about it. He thought and he prayed.... he thought and he prayed... and as he prayed he looked at the towel. The more he prayed and the more he thought, the more guilty he began to feel about the "wanting" of a new towel. "After all", he reasoned, "Some people have no towel at all! How selfish of me!"
Much to his credit he never progressed to the point of actually asking for a new towel because he said he finally realized, "It really is still a perfectly good towel and probably has a lot of service left in it. How greedy and silly of me to want a new one when so many have so little."
Isn't that beautiful! And every word is true. Now that is what anti-consumerism is all about. I like to think I do my part to be a faithful steward of God's stuff but if I had one tenth of that good monk's attitude I'd be a contented soul. We must all beware of the pride of ownership.
Granted Oblates must have stewardship over the things necessary to
get to work, clothe our families, provide nutritious food and all the
stuff we need to live in the world. But we are called to be *in* the
world not *of* the world. Serve and worship God or mammon; we can't
do both! Jesus told us that, Beloveds!
See... I don't think it's just being a little more careful with the water or the gas (both kinds) or the electricity or all the hundred and one disposable goods we use every day.
It's not starting from 100 and reducing by one or two. It's the attitude of starting from zero and keeping the count as close to zero as possible that I'm speaking of.
Perhaps Oblates, "living away from home", can't be quite that minimalist but you get the idea. It's all in the attitude and the commitment. Personally I think the idea of two pair of trousers our good Brother Jerome mentioned is right on the money and I did it myself for a very long time. The I cut the the choice in half..... sort of. I still have two pair of trousers. I have a black pair of trousers and I have... another black pair of trousers. I have more shirts than I have trousers though! They run the color spectrum from black to.....well, black.
I wasn't always like that. I had the closet packed at one time but, thank God, He blessed me with an appreciation for the "less is more" attitude quite some time ago. As far as clothes go, anyway. I would never deprive my wife or family of anything they think is necessary but, for myself, I keep life as simple as I can.
Well, I'm going to Mass now....time to change clothes....this is the week for my black trousers and shirt.
Showing posts with label poverty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poverty. Show all posts
Monday, November 9, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Bearing Wrongs Patiently
When I came home after a busy day I received a note saying that I had to finish cleaning my bathroom and doing something with the clutter in front of the desk. I was almost as mad as a hornet!!! My room had to reach a certain standard in order for me to be allowed to stay at my friend's for the night. That's what was really bothering me!
I really think it's wrong to punish someone for having a problem he/she can't control or is doing the best they can with. And I've been really trying but did take some time out to do something.
I almost wrote a grievance (a complaint) about this but thought I'd talk to my case manager-the one who wrote the note-since this was kind of a "first offense" and also I received another note about a necessary ANNUAL smoke alarm inspection in every room of the building which has one. So they said our rooms had to be neat for the inspection. My smoke alarm isn't far from the chairs or clutter in front of my desks-so they will need room to do their work without tripping over my stuff or breaking an ankle.
I felt like I needed to talk to Father right away even if it's not a dire emergency. If I discuss issues that are weighing on me like this I usually don't call them at home or on their cell phones; I usually would talk to them before of after Mass or in the confessional.
So I called him at the number I have for him on my cell phone-probably his cell phone. I told him that I'm terrible at bearing wrongs patiently-one of the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy and had less than a saintly attitude toward this kind of treatment.
He did ask me if the rent is reasonable and I told him that they base it on income like a housing authority apartment. He even asked me if I thought of moving and I said yes, but I really don't like living alone and don't know who'd let me live with them. And I'd like to live close to St. Patrick's so I can keep going to the Latin Mass.
He did encourage me and helped me not to feel like such a bad person and we both agreed other people, even seminarians and Sisters, can be a challenge to live with. Probably why it would be hard to find a place to live with others unless I got married or committed to an institution.
He's been quite a comfort and a blessing to me and sounds very cheerful even over the phone and behind the screen in the confessional. I wish I could be that cheerful, but I still have "more issues than TV Guide" and complain too much. This includes being penalized for being a very disorganized and tired packrat who has very little space to keep her belongings.
Father asked me if I had an "altar" in my room or some special place to pray or at least a statue of a patron Saint. I said I don't have the space for the altar, but I do have a statue of the Blessed Virgin with a Miraculous Medal on each side of her.
Saint Anthony of Padua is a favorite Saint of mine because he's the finder of lost things, St. Francis of Assisi another one because I admire him for giving away his possessions to the poor and living a life of poverty (as well as his love of animals) and St. Dymphna for being the Saint for mental and nervous conditions-which is what seems to be getting me in trouble-with the clutter and a lot of behavioral and emotional issues-including the stress that this situation causes me. So I may have at least these four Saints on my personal altar whenever I find room for one.
Father said he had to get off the phone, but he and I prayed the Magnificat, three Hail Marys, and another prayer-part of it in English and part of it in Latin, before getting off the phone.
Since I'm feeling a need to spend as much time as possible on this room I may not have much time to post on this blog. So I may have to post every other day-including the lessons on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit-Whose guidance I can really use at this time.
I really think it's wrong to punish someone for having a problem he/she can't control or is doing the best they can with. And I've been really trying but did take some time out to do something.
I almost wrote a grievance (a complaint) about this but thought I'd talk to my case manager-the one who wrote the note-since this was kind of a "first offense" and also I received another note about a necessary ANNUAL smoke alarm inspection in every room of the building which has one. So they said our rooms had to be neat for the inspection. My smoke alarm isn't far from the chairs or clutter in front of my desks-so they will need room to do their work without tripping over my stuff or breaking an ankle.
I felt like I needed to talk to Father right away even if it's not a dire emergency. If I discuss issues that are weighing on me like this I usually don't call them at home or on their cell phones; I usually would talk to them before of after Mass or in the confessional.
So I called him at the number I have for him on my cell phone-probably his cell phone. I told him that I'm terrible at bearing wrongs patiently-one of the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy and had less than a saintly attitude toward this kind of treatment.
He did ask me if the rent is reasonable and I told him that they base it on income like a housing authority apartment. He even asked me if I thought of moving and I said yes, but I really don't like living alone and don't know who'd let me live with them. And I'd like to live close to St. Patrick's so I can keep going to the Latin Mass.
He did encourage me and helped me not to feel like such a bad person and we both agreed other people, even seminarians and Sisters, can be a challenge to live with. Probably why it would be hard to find a place to live with others unless I got married or committed to an institution.
He's been quite a comfort and a blessing to me and sounds very cheerful even over the phone and behind the screen in the confessional. I wish I could be that cheerful, but I still have "more issues than TV Guide" and complain too much. This includes being penalized for being a very disorganized and tired packrat who has very little space to keep her belongings.
Father asked me if I had an "altar" in my room or some special place to pray or at least a statue of a patron Saint. I said I don't have the space for the altar, but I do have a statue of the Blessed Virgin with a Miraculous Medal on each side of her.
Saint Anthony of Padua is a favorite Saint of mine because he's the finder of lost things, St. Francis of Assisi another one because I admire him for giving away his possessions to the poor and living a life of poverty (as well as his love of animals) and St. Dymphna for being the Saint for mental and nervous conditions-which is what seems to be getting me in trouble-with the clutter and a lot of behavioral and emotional issues-including the stress that this situation causes me. So I may have at least these four Saints on my personal altar whenever I find room for one.
Father said he had to get off the phone, but he and I prayed the Magnificat, three Hail Marys, and another prayer-part of it in English and part of it in Latin, before getting off the phone.
Since I'm feeling a need to spend as much time as possible on this room I may not have much time to post on this blog. So I may have to post every other day-including the lessons on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit-Whose guidance I can really use at this time.
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