Holy Rule for December 29
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St. Mary's Monastery
Dec 28, 2025, 4:49:02 PM12/28/25
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Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
April 29, August 29, December 29
Chapter 71: That the Brethren Be Obedient to One Another
Not only is the boon of obedience to be shown by all to the Abbot, but the brethren are also to obey one another, knowing that by this road of obedience they are going to God. Giving priority, therefore, to the commands of the Abbot and of the Superior appointed by him (to which we allow no private orders to be preferred), for the rest let all the juniors obey their seniors with all charity and solicitude. But if anyone is found contentious, let him be corrected.
And if any brother, for however small a cause, is corrected in any way by the Abbot or by any of his Superiors, or if he faintly perceives that the mind of any Superior is angered or moved against him, however little, let him at once, without delay, prostrate himself on the ground at his feet and lie there making satisfaction until that emotion is quieted with a blessing. But if anyone should disdain to do this, let him undergo corporal punishment or, if he is stubborn, let him be expelled.
REFLECTION
OK, now we're getting into radical. Any human group, from the military to a kindergarten at recess expects one to obey the leader. But each other? Give me a break! How many jobs would you have quit if you had to obey all of your co-workers?
Well, giving a break is exactly what is intended here. The Kingdom of God, to which the Holy Rule seeks to guide us, is ruled by love. The Kingdom of God strives for peace and serenity. The quickest way to soften an environment and let peace flourish is to keep people more or less happy, and the quickest way to do that is to give in to their wishes whenever morally possible, to put oneself second and others first.
Now we're getting to the heroic stuff. There are ulterior benefits to obeying the boss, but another peer? What's the big deal there? The big deal is love, the big deal is forgetfulness of self, the big deal is the abdication of control issues.
Rather than worry about the pathetic controlling types, who can make life so unpleasant for those they live with, why not just pray for them and focus on changing ourselves? We can be part of the solution. We can go out of our way to make life easier for each other. We can pray for those who don't.
A horrible truth of monastic life is that if one waits for everyone to get perfect (according, of course, to one's own standards!) the result will be futile and frustrated stagnation. Community we may be, but all on the same page we shall never be till heaven, and maybe not even there!
It's a snap to be an annoying curmudgeon. Anyone can pull that off with no effort at all. Lots of folks do, all the time! The harvest, however, is isolation and loneliness, which result in bitterness that only fuels the vicious cycle.
In contrast, it is a bit difficult at first to be easy, but it is also addictive when done right! One will soon be hunting for ways to be easy, because every drop of fresh water makes the ocean a tiny bit less salty, as St. Teresa of Calcutta used to say. The harvest, too, is far more precious: a growing warmth that makes one ever more gentle, more open, more loving and glad to be so. The harvest is joy and love, not the lie of possession and bitterness. It attracts, rather than repels others.
Cultivate among your peers an attitude of nearly total indifference to needless detail, rather like the old peace poster that said: "What if they gave a war and no one came?". Another handy rule of thumb is to let nothing upset you if it does not offend God.
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
April 29, August 29, December 29
Chapter 71: That the Brethren Be Obedient to One Another
Not only is the boon of obedience to be shown by all to the Abbot, but the brethren are also to obey one another, knowing that by this road of obedience they are going to God. Giving priority, therefore, to the commands of the Abbot and of the Superior appointed by him (to which we allow no private orders to be preferred), for the rest let all the juniors obey their seniors with all charity and solicitude. But if anyone is found contentious, let him be corrected.
And if any brother, for however small a cause, is corrected in any way by the Abbot or by any of his Superiors, or if he faintly perceives that the mind of any Superior is angered or moved against him, however little, let him at once, without delay, prostrate himself on the ground at his feet and lie there making satisfaction until that emotion is quieted with a blessing. But if anyone should disdain to do this, let him undergo corporal punishment or, if he is stubborn, let him be expelled.
REFLECTION
OK, now we're getting into radical. Any human group, from the military to a kindergarten at recess expects one to obey the leader. But each other? Give me a break! How many jobs would you have quit if you had to obey all of your co-workers?
Well, giving a break is exactly what is intended here. The Kingdom of God, to which the Holy Rule seeks to guide us, is ruled by love. The Kingdom of God strives for peace and serenity. The quickest way to soften an environment and let peace flourish is to keep people more or less happy, and the quickest way to do that is to give in to their wishes whenever morally possible, to put oneself second and others first.
Now we're getting to the heroic stuff. There are ulterior benefits to obeying the boss, but another peer? What's the big deal there? The big deal is love, the big deal is forgetfulness of self, the big deal is the abdication of control issues.
Rather than worry about the pathetic controlling types, who can make life so unpleasant for those they live with, why not just pray for them and focus on changing ourselves? We can be part of the solution. We can go out of our way to make life easier for each other. We can pray for those who don't.
A horrible truth of monastic life is that if one waits for everyone to get perfect (according, of course, to one's own standards!) the result will be futile and frustrated stagnation. Community we may be, but all on the same page we shall never be till heaven, and maybe not even there!
It's a snap to be an annoying curmudgeon. Anyone can pull that off with no effort at all. Lots of folks do, all the time! The harvest, however, is isolation and loneliness, which result in bitterness that only fuels the vicious cycle.
In contrast, it is a bit difficult at first to be easy, but it is also addictive when done right! One will soon be hunting for ways to be easy, because every drop of fresh water makes the ocean a tiny bit less salty, as St. Teresa of Calcutta used to say. The harvest, too, is far more precious: a growing warmth that makes one ever more gentle, more open, more loving and glad to be so. The harvest is joy and love, not the lie of possession and bitterness. It attracts, rather than repels others.
Cultivate among your peers an attitude of nearly total indifference to needless detail, rather like the old peace poster that said: "What if they gave a war and no one came?". Another handy rule of thumb is to let nothing upset you if it does not offend God.
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
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