You must relieve the lot of the poor, clothe the naked, visit the sick (Matthew 25:36), and bury the dead. Go to help the troubled and console the sorrowing. (Rule of St. Benedict 4. 14-19) There’s all the trouble in the world, and there’s what you can do about it. Not much. You don’t know the …
Tag Archives: Christian
Curb Your Urge
For this reason Scripture warns us, Pursue not your lusts Sirach 18:30. (Rule of St. Benedict 7.25) We live in a culture where it’s supposed to be fun to let yourself go. People announce that they’re about to let themselves go, and then they do it. Not only do they not feel shame: they expect you …
Fix The Physical
Treasure chastity. (Rule of St. Benedict 4. 64) The obvious difference between a rule written for monks and a rule for married couples is that whereas monks take a vow of celibacy, married couples take a vow of sex. A Christian marriage requires sex with the same person until death. Not continuously, of course. It’s …
Hold Yourself Together
You must not be proud, nor be given to wine Titus 1:7; 1 Timothy 3:3. Refrain from too much eating or sleeping, and from laziness Romans 12:11. Do not grumble or speak ill of others. (Rule of St. Benedict 4. 34-40) Hold yourself together. You let yourself go when you begin to imagine yourself superior to other people. Or maybe you …
Housewife Manifesto
Housewife Definition And finally, never lose hope in God’s mercy. (Rule of St. Benedict 4. 74-77) Despair is a housewife with a televisionpeering through channels at the world passing her by.She seeks hope, but what a difficult decisionto turn off the screen and go sing a lullaby. So, what do you do all day, Ms. …
Friendly Faces Feel
Have a great horror of hell. Yearn for everlasting life with holy desire. Day by day remind yourself that you are going to die.… Do not love immoderate or boisterous laughter. (Rule of St. Benedict 4. 45-54) There are those who remind you that you’re going to die, and encourage you to think about eternity. …
Wholly Holy And Hale
Do not aspire to be called holy before you really are, but first be holy that you may more truly be called so. Live by God’s commandments every day. (Rule of St. Benedict 4. 62-63) Of all the archaic vocabulary words that have become vestigial, holy has to be the most vacuous. We have no …
Bless Those Who Blast You
If people curse you, do not curse them back but bless them instead. (Rule of St. Benedict 4. 32) Sadly, the right to retaliate is not an inalienable right. It may be necessary to fight your enemies and to defeat them, for the sake of the common good. But the Christian must not inflict harm merely …
Hallow Your Speech Or Hollow Your Home
Rid your heart of all deceit. Never give a hollow greeting of peace or turn away when someone needs your love. Bind yourself to no oath lest it prove false, but speak the truth with heart and tongue. (Rule of St. Benedict 4. 24-28) Do not lie to your children. What about Santa Claus and …
King Once And King To Be
It is love that impels them to pursue everlasting life; therefore, they are eager to take the narrow road of which the Lord says: Narrow is the road that leads to life Matthew 7:14. (Rule of St. Benedict 5.10-11) When my son was not yet six years old, he asked me at Christmas: “How can God be …