Holy Rule for May 1
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St. Mary's Monastery
Apr 30, 2026, 5:23:09 PMApr 30
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Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
May 1, August 31, December 31
Chapter 73: On the Fact That the Full Observance of Justice Is Not Established in This Rule
Now we have written this Rule in order that by its observance in monasteries we may show that we have attained some degree of virtue and the rudiments of the religious life. But for those who would hasten to the perfection of that life there are the teaching of the Holy Fathers, the observance of which leads to the height of perfection. For what page or what utterance of the divinely inspired books of the Old and New Testaments is not a most unerring rule for human life? Or what book of the Holy Catholic Fathers does not loudly proclaim how we may come by a straight course to our Creator? Then the Conferences and the Institutes and the Lives of the Fathers, as also the Rule of our Holy Father Basil - what else are they but tools of virtue for right-living and obedient monks? But for us who are lazy and ill-living and negligent they are a source of shame and confusion.
Whoever you are, therefore, who are hastening to the heavenly homeland, fulfill with the help of Christ this minimum Rule which we have written for beginners; and then at length under God's protection you will attain to the loftier heights of doctrine and virtue which we have mentioned above.
REFLECTION
How great must our God be! I have never known anyone who kept all of the Holy Rule perfectly, but I have known some that I thought were great saints, very observant monastics. St. Benedict is clearly telling us that God is ever more - infinitely more! - than we may attain by observing this beginners' Rule.
God is so vast and beyond us, we are always taking the tumbling first steps of toddlers towards Him, but He is always holding on and beaming with the pride and love of a parent guiding those steps. Our Holy Rule is filled with awesome things, yet it is only the "rudiments" of the spiritual life! Ours is the "minimum" Rule, the least Rule for rank beginners! Nothing but basics here... But ah, the loftier heights to which those basics can lead!
"Whoever you are, therefore, who are hastening to the heavenly homeland..." That "whoever" is the true object of all this heartfelt tenderness of Saint Benedict, the one for whom he wrote! He only made one qualifier, that of "hastening to the heavenly homeland." It seems that some of our decisions about who matters and who does not have employed a somewhat more restrictive standard than that of our holy Father Benedict... and to our peril.
"Whoever you are..." I don't care who you are or how much I disagree with you, whether I nearly hate your positions or love them blindly, it is you I am called to love, to honor to respect, to cherish as a fellow monastic traveler. You.
The important thing is not opinion or observance or concepts or tempests in teacups. The important thing is you. Whoever you are. Every time I fail that, I have to get up, apologize and start over. Maybe not right from square one each time, but again each time. If I ever stop doing those things, I have stopped being a Benedictine.
Whoever you are, but it's not just me that has to embrace that. You do, too. We all do. We ourselves are the only ones we can insist upon reforming, the only ones we can make change. That might be good to keep in mind, whoever you are.
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
May 1, August 31, December 31
Chapter 73: On the Fact That the Full Observance of Justice Is Not Established in This Rule
Now we have written this Rule in order that by its observance in monasteries we may show that we have attained some degree of virtue and the rudiments of the religious life. But for those who would hasten to the perfection of that life there are the teaching of the Holy Fathers, the observance of which leads to the height of perfection. For what page or what utterance of the divinely inspired books of the Old and New Testaments is not a most unerring rule for human life? Or what book of the Holy Catholic Fathers does not loudly proclaim how we may come by a straight course to our Creator? Then the Conferences and the Institutes and the Lives of the Fathers, as also the Rule of our Holy Father Basil - what else are they but tools of virtue for right-living and obedient monks? But for us who are lazy and ill-living and negligent they are a source of shame and confusion.
Whoever you are, therefore, who are hastening to the heavenly homeland, fulfill with the help of Christ this minimum Rule which we have written for beginners; and then at length under God's protection you will attain to the loftier heights of doctrine and virtue which we have mentioned above.
REFLECTION
How great must our God be! I have never known anyone who kept all of the Holy Rule perfectly, but I have known some that I thought were great saints, very observant monastics. St. Benedict is clearly telling us that God is ever more - infinitely more! - than we may attain by observing this beginners' Rule.
God is so vast and beyond us, we are always taking the tumbling first steps of toddlers towards Him, but He is always holding on and beaming with the pride and love of a parent guiding those steps. Our Holy Rule is filled with awesome things, yet it is only the "rudiments" of the spiritual life! Ours is the "minimum" Rule, the least Rule for rank beginners! Nothing but basics here... But ah, the loftier heights to which those basics can lead!
"Whoever you are, therefore, who are hastening to the heavenly homeland..." That "whoever" is the true object of all this heartfelt tenderness of Saint Benedict, the one for whom he wrote! He only made one qualifier, that of "hastening to the heavenly homeland." It seems that some of our decisions about who matters and who does not have employed a somewhat more restrictive standard than that of our holy Father Benedict... and to our peril.
"Whoever you are..." I don't care who you are or how much I disagree with you, whether I nearly hate your positions or love them blindly, it is you I am called to love, to honor to respect, to cherish as a fellow monastic traveler. You.
The important thing is not opinion or observance or concepts or tempests in teacups. The important thing is you. Whoever you are. Every time I fail that, I have to get up, apologize and start over. Maybe not right from square one each time, but again each time. If I ever stop doing those things, I have stopped being a Benedictine.
Whoever you are, but it's not just me that has to embrace that. You do, too. We all do. We ourselves are the only ones we can insist upon reforming, the only ones we can make change. That might be good to keep in mind, whoever you are.
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
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