Living in community

One of the biggest gifts I have been given by my brothers at New Norcia is access to their Reading Room. One book I have recently borrowed is “Engaging Benedict: What the Rule can teach us today” by Laura Swan.

Here an excerpt read recently at the community.

Good Monastics value the greater good of the community: actively seeking to build and protect the members as well as the community as a whole. The health and well being of each individual member strengthens the whole. It takes healthy members to make a health community. There is always a delicate balance between personal needs and the needs of community that create and perpetuates a healthy, forward moving atmosphere.

Benedict’s good monastic yearns to develop the fine skills of building loving, trusting, and enriching relationships, especially with those people we ae not naturally attracted to. The community member does not need to argue, but trusts the process of community living or community discernment. With open, honest relationships there is no room for gossip, grumbling and the formation of political camps.

The good monastic is a deep listener. This kind of listening encompasses the fullness of our being. True listening involves an active response. It is listening into being. Deep listening is fed and supported by quality silence. Silence supports our growth in self-awareness, discernment, and simple confidence in ourselves. We come to know ourselves primarily in our silence and solitude. The monastic heart makes careful use of words; words can give life or destroy it through our anger, jealousy or vindictiveness. Words are used carefully in support of the relationships.

The good monastics prayer is passionate and sincere, simple and to the point. The monastic heart is immersed in prayer in a total wayof life. Gentle compassionate prayer cultivates and sustains a yearning for prayer.

And so goes on this wonderful wisdom. If only we could live this out …