The Rule of St. Benedict: Chapter 58 part 2

The ceremony here is much like the ceremony of a marriage in which one's identity shifts before God and the community--what used to be many is now one.  Ceremonies surrounding sacramental mysteries are full of rich imagery and ritual that are meant to convey outwardly, in a physical way, that an unseen reality, an "inward grace," is at play. In a wedding, the inward grace is the mystical union of two souls in Christ.  In a profession rite, the inward grace is one soul's mystical union with the community in Christ.  And as anyone who has taken vows knows, such unseen realities require persistent effort and intention if they are to manifest in the relational dynamics we inhabit.

Those who have been present when The Community of St. Mary of the Annunciation has undergone our Rites of Profession have witnessed us taking the vows from this passage in the Rule.  We profess the vows of stability, conversion (reformation of life), and obedience as Benedictine canons.  Together we seek to manifest through our faithful prayers and practice a relational dynamic that reflects the inward grace we enacted in ceremony.  Our prayer is that the Spirit of Christ and of his blessed Mother may be ever more palpable in our midst for the sake of the world.

Br. Chad-Joseph

The Feast of St. Claire, Abbess

The Rule of St. Benedict: Chapter 58 part 1

As foreign as this passage sounds to modern ears, I find great comfort in its description of the long, slow, deliberate process by which one comes into the community. It is the polar opposite of a tent meeting revival in which life-changing decisions are supposed to be made once and for all in an instant of skillfully generated religious sentiment.  Such revival-inspired spirituality is psychologically naïve and creates problems of identity and belonging such as those I experienced during my childhood alongside my earnest evangelical peers:  

"Did I really mean it when I went forward to accept Jesus Christ as my personal Savior?"  

"I don't feel saved, maybe I didn't mean it."  

"If I were really saved, I wouldn't be struggling with these sinful thoughts; I better go forward and pray 'the prayer' again."  

These quotes are not exaggerated for effect or a caricature of a stereotype.  They are windows into the mindset of a religious culture predicated upon the offer of a wholesale change of life in one fateful moment of earnest believing.

Our Father Benedict holds no such illusions about the psychological realities we face as human beings. Real transformation occurs over the course of a lifetime, and even the decision to be formed cannot be entered into on impulse.  We must know exactly what we are getting ourselves into before we are allowed to promise our always and forever.

Br. Chad-Joseph

The Rule of St. Benedict: Chapter 58 pt. 2


The ceremony here is much like the ceremony of a marriage in which one's identity shifts before God and the community--what used to be many is now one.  Ceremonies surrounding sacramental mysteries are full of rich imagery and ritual that are meant to convey outwardly, in a physical way, that an unseen reality, an "inward grace," is at play. In a wedding, the inward grace is the mystical union of two souls in Christ.  In a profession rite, the inward grace is one soul's mystical union with the community in Christ.  And as anyone who has taken vows knows, such unseen realities require persistent effort and intention if they are to manifest in the relational dynamics we inhabit.

Those who have been present at St. Augustine's when The Community of St. Mary of the Annunciation has undergone our Rites of Profession have witnessed us taking the vows from this passage in the Rule.  We profess the vows of stability, conversion (reformation of life), and obedience as Benedictine canons.  Along with our oblates and friends we comprise The Community of St. Mary of the Annunciation and together seek to manifest through our faithful prayers and practice a relational dynamic that reflects the inward grace we enacted in ceremony.  I ask your prayers for our community and for those in various stages of approach, whether we are knocking on the proverbial door or staying in the guest quarters.  May the Spirit of Christ and of his blessed Mother be ever more palpable in our midst.

Br. Chad-Joseph

The Rule of St. Benedict: Chapter 58 pt. 1


As foreign as this passage sounds to modern ears, I find great comfort in its description of the long, slow, deliberate process by which one comes into the community. It's the polar opposite of a tent meeting revival in which life-changing decisions are supposed to be made once and for all in an instant of skillfully generated religious sentiment.  Such revival-inspired spirituality is psychologically naïve and creates problems of identity and belonging such as those I experienced during my childhood alongside my earnest evangelical peers.  "Did I really mean it when I went forward to accept Jesus Christ as my personal Savior?"  "I don't feel saved, maybe I didn't mean it."  "If I were really saved, I wouldn't be struggling with these sinful thoughts; I better go forward and pray 'the prayer' again."  These quotes are not exaggerated or a caricature of a stereotype.  They are a window into the mindset of a religious culture predicated upon the offer of a wholesale change of life in one fateful moment of earnest believing.

Our Father Benedict holds no such illusions about the psychological realities we face as human beings. Real transformation occurs over the course of a lifetime, and even the decision to be formed cannot be entered into on impulse.  We must know exactly what we are getting ourselves into before we are allowed to promise our always and forever.

Br. Chad-Joseph