Holy Rule for January 30
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St. Mary's Monastery
Jan 29, 2026, 5:31:03 PMJan 29
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Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
January 30, May 31, September 30
Chapter 7: On Humility (31-33)
The second degree of humility is that a person love not his own will nor take pleasure in satisfying his desires, but model his actions on the saying of the Lord, "I have come not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38). It is written also, "Self-will has its punishment, but constraint wins a crown."
REFLECTION
OK, who doesn't love their own will, or take pleasure in satisfying their desires? Who doesn't love the dearest things they own and treasure? For a healthy person, all of these are very normal loves. For some of us, one or another of these loves can be very much part of our vocation. The key is to keep them ordered, in line and yes, balanced!
The means to this step is neither to go overboard hunting for things we hate to afflict ourselves with nor to insist on our own way at all costs. The real meaning here is found in the statement that Christ came not to do His own will, but the will of His Father, even in Gethsemane, even on the Cross.
Alas, sometimes our own will DOES win: why else would we be struggling along the monastic way all our lives? Unlike Jesus, we are not sinless, we are able to sin and often do so all too gladly! We must daily- even minute to minute- turn from the bad in our own wills. It is an ongoing fight, but that is what conversatio morum means, the commitment to live monastically, to reform our lives monastically. As Benedictines we will- indeed, must- always be straining against the negative goad, always be seeking the place of greater light and good.
The will of God is frequently very hard to see. For some of us, at some times, it seems downright impossible to see. There will always be times when we must trundle along blindly, without our senses to reassure us. That is why trust is such an integral part of our monastic struggle. At those times, the only way haltingly forward is to embrace the blinding darkness before us and firmly, trustingly
clutch the merciful hand of Christ. Jesus, I trust in You!
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
January 30, May 31, September 30
Chapter 7: On Humility (31-33)
The second degree of humility is that a person love not his own will nor take pleasure in satisfying his desires, but model his actions on the saying of the Lord, "I have come not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38). It is written also, "Self-will has its punishment, but constraint wins a crown."
REFLECTION
OK, who doesn't love their own will, or take pleasure in satisfying their desires? Who doesn't love the dearest things they own and treasure? For a healthy person, all of these are very normal loves. For some of us, one or another of these loves can be very much part of our vocation. The key is to keep them ordered, in line and yes, balanced!
The means to this step is neither to go overboard hunting for things we hate to afflict ourselves with nor to insist on our own way at all costs. The real meaning here is found in the statement that Christ came not to do His own will, but the will of His Father, even in Gethsemane, even on the Cross.
Alas, sometimes our own will DOES win: why else would we be struggling along the monastic way all our lives? Unlike Jesus, we are not sinless, we are able to sin and often do so all too gladly! We must daily- even minute to minute- turn from the bad in our own wills. It is an ongoing fight, but that is what conversatio morum means, the commitment to live monastically, to reform our lives monastically. As Benedictines we will- indeed, must- always be straining against the negative goad, always be seeking the place of greater light and good.
The will of God is frequently very hard to see. For some of us, at some times, it seems downright impossible to see. There will always be times when we must trundle along blindly, without our senses to reassure us. That is why trust is such an integral part of our monastic struggle. At those times, the only way haltingly forward is to embrace the blinding darkness before us and firmly, trustingly
clutch the merciful hand of Christ. Jesus, I trust in You!
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
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