Jan 13 - Responsible For My Own Sins

Have pity on me, Lord, for I am weak; *
heal me, Lord, for my bones are racked.
Psalm 6:2

They should not gloss over the sins of those who err, but cut them out while they can, as soon as they sprout...
Benedict's Rule, 2:25 (Chittister, Pg 42-43)

There is no room in Benedictine spirituality, though, for bloodless relationships between people in authority and the people for whom they have responsibility.
Chittister, Pg 43-44

Who's sins am I looking at here? Mine. I have responsibility for myself first. I may be prioress or abbot, parent, or supervisor, even some combination of all of those, and be responsible for others. But...

To be responsible for others I must be responsible for myself. I cannot gloss over my sins when I err. And err I will. They sprout. They may even ooze, even out the same openings as the beauty I spoke of two days ago. While we are human, built in our Creator's image, we are only human.

For me I know I need to be in a place where I have active, warm, mutual, and robust relationships with others. Others that I allow to have authority. Join me.

A Note To Anyone Reading:

This entry is part of a series that is developing as I read The Rule of Benedict, A Spirituality for the 21st Century, Joan Chittister, Crossroads, 2010. I am offering this both to those at St. George's Episcopal Church, Arlington VA, that may be reading Ms. Chittister's book and to anyone that is interested.

Unless stated otherwise quotes from St. Benedict's Rule from the translation in this same book.
Psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer, The Episcopal Church, 1979 unless otherwise noted.

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