Holy Rule for April 15
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St. Mary's Monastery
Apr 14, 2026, 5:43:11 PMApr 14
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Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
April 15, August 15, December 15
Chapter 61: How Pilgrim Monks Are To Be Received (1-5)
If a pilgrim monastic coming from a distant region wants to live as a guest of the monastery, let her be received for as long a time as she desires, provided she is content with the customs of the place as she finds them and does not disturb the monastery by superfluous demands, but is simply content with what she finds. If, however, she censures or points out anything reasonably and with the humility of charity, let the Abbess consider prudently whether perhaps it was for that very purpose that the Lord sent her.
If afterwards she should want to bind herself to stability, her wish should not be denied her, especially since there has been opportunity during her stay as a guest to discover her character.
REFLECTION
We can get so used to our lives that we are blind to areas that could be improved. We can get so used to doing things one way that anything better is beyond us. Our routines which become sacrosanct are often not all that holy!
An outsider's objective view can let us see a good deal about ourselves. Some things we may want to change, some we may realize are fine as they are. Either way, the visitor can be a reality check of great worth.
A Desert Father, Abba Arsenius, said that there is nothing so careful as a monk not living in his native land. That's very true for most of us, though part two of this chapter makes it clear that it's not true for everyone. When we visit, we want people to think the best of the home, the family, the land from which we came. It is this nobility of striving, this mindful courtesy that the Desert Father wished to praise. In fact, if I read it correctly, the implication was that it might even be better to be a monastic AWAY from one's native land for just those reasons.
There is something striking here. Remember how badly the gyrovagues and Sarabaites were painted in the types of monks? Well, these were the wandering ones, and St. Benedict knew very well that a pilgrim monk at the door could be one of these sorts. He doesn't even mention it. He wants them to have a chance to do better, to be healed by community. If they louse it up, fine, he's not going to lose a lot of sleep over it, but he does say they should be given a chance to stay. Given what the monastic world thought of gyrovagues and the like, that says a LOT for St. Benedict's tolerance and clemency.
Not all of us are in cloisters, but all of us encounter others. The people we meet may be gyrovagues and Sarabaites, but they may not, too. We have to give them a chance to prove or reveal themselves. This is true of anyone we encounter. Snap judgments are not wise, they cheat us out of many gifts. Be careful, but tread the middle way, always the middle way.
Another thing to watch is the fact that we often may take any suggestions as criticism and bristle at the very mention of them. Often, criticism may have been the last thing the speaker intended, genuine charity may have been the only concern. There may be times when God intends the use of a person as His instrument in a critique He deems worthy. All of these things must be considered. The person we regard as a meddling annoyance could sometimes be God's tender and loving gift to us!
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
April 15, August 15, December 15
Chapter 61: How Pilgrim Monks Are To Be Received (1-5)
If a pilgrim monastic coming from a distant region wants to live as a guest of the monastery, let her be received for as long a time as she desires, provided she is content with the customs of the place as she finds them and does not disturb the monastery by superfluous demands, but is simply content with what she finds. If, however, she censures or points out anything reasonably and with the humility of charity, let the Abbess consider prudently whether perhaps it was for that very purpose that the Lord sent her.
If afterwards she should want to bind herself to stability, her wish should not be denied her, especially since there has been opportunity during her stay as a guest to discover her character.
REFLECTION
We can get so used to our lives that we are blind to areas that could be improved. We can get so used to doing things one way that anything better is beyond us. Our routines which become sacrosanct are often not all that holy!
An outsider's objective view can let us see a good deal about ourselves. Some things we may want to change, some we may realize are fine as they are. Either way, the visitor can be a reality check of great worth.
A Desert Father, Abba Arsenius, said that there is nothing so careful as a monk not living in his native land. That's very true for most of us, though part two of this chapter makes it clear that it's not true for everyone. When we visit, we want people to think the best of the home, the family, the land from which we came. It is this nobility of striving, this mindful courtesy that the Desert Father wished to praise. In fact, if I read it correctly, the implication was that it might even be better to be a monastic AWAY from one's native land for just those reasons.
There is something striking here. Remember how badly the gyrovagues and Sarabaites were painted in the types of monks? Well, these were the wandering ones, and St. Benedict knew very well that a pilgrim monk at the door could be one of these sorts. He doesn't even mention it. He wants them to have a chance to do better, to be healed by community. If they louse it up, fine, he's not going to lose a lot of sleep over it, but he does say they should be given a chance to stay. Given what the monastic world thought of gyrovagues and the like, that says a LOT for St. Benedict's tolerance and clemency.
Not all of us are in cloisters, but all of us encounter others. The people we meet may be gyrovagues and Sarabaites, but they may not, too. We have to give them a chance to prove or reveal themselves. This is true of anyone we encounter. Snap judgments are not wise, they cheat us out of many gifts. Be careful, but tread the middle way, always the middle way.
Another thing to watch is the fact that we often may take any suggestions as criticism and bristle at the very mention of them. Often, criticism may have been the last thing the speaker intended, genuine charity may have been the only concern. There may be times when God intends the use of a person as His instrument in a critique He deems worthy. All of these things must be considered. The person we regard as a meddling annoyance could sometimes be God's tender and loving gift to us!
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
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