Feb 13 - Enjoying the Journey

Those who are planted in the house of he Lord *
shall flourish in the courts of our God;
Psalm 92:12

On Sunday the community should arise earlier for Vigils.
Benedict's Rule 11:1 (Chittister, Pg. 107)

...prayer is not to be a series of mindless mechanics in life. Prayer is the development of an attitude of mind that is concentrated and contemplative.
Chittister, Pg. 108

Sister Joan reminds us we need to take time out each week, time for "setting our sights above the daily, for restating the basics, for giving meaning to the rest of the week..." For me it is not missing the individual Sunday that hurts, it is the break in the habit that I feel. Regular prayer holds me when I do miss a Sunday and keeps me wanting to not miss a Sunday.

My prayer life, and my recent re-commitment to daily reading from the Psalms, Benedict's Rule, and Sister Joan's reflections are nurturing my participation both in my faith and in family and work. While my calling(s) remain unchanged (Spiritual development, my wife and family, my work, my church/oblate communities) I find a bit more brightness in all of them now.

As Benedict outlines, this is a school where we can develop to be more what God is calling us to be, to become more like Christ. The reward, as I keep to the basics of prayer, reading, and reflection, is I occasionally see flashes of something just beyond my reach, just beyond my view. I think finally I am beginning to let go of the frustration of not seeing "the goal" clearly and simply enjoying the journey.

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, OSB, Crossroads, 2010. I am offering this both to those at St. George's Episcopal Church, Arlington VA, that may be reading this book and to anyone that is interested.

Unless stated otherwise quotes from St. Benedict's Rule are 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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