Listening in the Way of St. Benedict

At St. John’s University in Collegeville, where I am attending a Monastic Institute, a striking statue depicts a young St. Benedict listening intently, quill and papers in hand, as he prepares to write his rule. In the way of statues, he is there every time I pass by, a faithful and steadfast listening presence. All Benedictines know that “Listen” is the first word of the Rule, but do we consider that Benedict wrote from experience--that he, too, had to listen for God’s voice and discern how to live a Gospel life in the midst of his chaotic culture?

Sr. Joan Chittister has noted that Benedict lived in a time of rigid rules, great poverty, and deep hardship, but instead of developing a spirituality of asceticism in keeping with the spiritual tenor of his age, he instead wrote a “little rule” about how to live a life open to God and to others. We are now living at a time with its own challenges, including a growing disparity between rich and poor, the suffering of huge numbers of refugees, the degradation of earth because of human exploitation, and changing human boundaries, relationships, and approach to life as a result of the internet and other rapidly evolving technologies. How are we called to live a Gospel life in the face of these issues?

The fruit of Pope Francis’ listening and experience of economic depressions and environmental degradation in his home country of Argentina led to his encyclical Laudato Si. In this document he points to our growing understanding that all beings are connected; consequently, we need to resume our God-given role to be stewards of earth and live simpler lives so that other beings may have access to the resources they need to be productive and healthy and live with dignity. St. Benedict’s “little rule” gives us the tools to answer this call, if we pause to prayerfully consider how humility, stability, moderation, and right relationship can guide us in our response to these challenges. We may be holding an electronic device in our hand instead of a quill, but the need to take time apart to listen intently and contemplate what we hear is as true for us as it was for St. Benedict in 500 AD.