Holy Rule for February 19
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St. Mary's Monastery
Feb 18, 2026, 5:52:45 PM (2 days ago) Feb 18
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Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
February 19, June 20, October 20
Chapter 16: How the Work of God Is to Be Performed During the Day
"Seven times in the day," says the Prophet, "I have rendered praise to You" (Ps.118:164). Now that sacred number of seven will be fulfilled by us if we perform the Offices of our service at the time of the Morning Office, of Prime, of Terce, of Sext, of None, of Vespers and of Compline, since it was of these day Hours that he said, "Seven times in the day I have rendered praise to You." For as to the Night Office the same Prophet says, "In the middle of the night I arose to glorify You" (Ps. 118:62). Let us therefore bring our tribute of praise to our Creator "for the judgments of His justice" (Ps. 118:164) at these times: the Morning Office, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline; and in the night let us arise to glorify Him.
REFLECTION
Tucked neatly into all this business of naming and counting the Hours of the Divine Office comes the actual reason we go to choir or say the Office alone. It is "our tribute of praise to our Creator 'for the judgments of His justice' "
OK, tribute, praise, glorify, all those things are familiar enough to us, but the zinger here is "for the judgments of His justice." Whoops! A lot fall out on that one! Whether we realize it or not, the reason we praise God as Benedictines is to thank Him for ALL His decisions in regard to us. That isn't easy, but it is terribly valid and terribly necessary.
We thank God-admittedly sometimes with gritted teeth-for all the things that did and DIDN'T work out the way we wanted them, for every acceptance and every rejection that brought us to be as we find ourselves today, in His arms. The jobs we didn't get, the great loves which were not reciprocal, the course we flunked, the kids that went wrong, the illness that dogs us, the spouse we should never have gone out with twice, the unwanted pregnancy, EVERYTHING that has shaped our lives and persons is something we thank God for in the Office, everything He either permitted to happen or willed for us.
I mention only the difficult things, because anybody can be thankful that the apparently GOOD stuff worked out. I am not saying all the bad stuff is God's fault, or that it's our own fault, but ALL of it is turned to GOOD by God, He alone can do that, and that is worth singing about! All of it! If we look back honestly, we can see the hand of His goodness in the darkest times, we can see it in NOT having our way; we can see it in everything.
Since the way God turns all to good is a mystery we shall never know fully in this life, we cannot adequately say much of anything but thanks and praise, the stammered joy of someone who has received a really great gift and is astounded at such generosity. Thanks, God. And hey, You really DID know what You were doing all along, didn't You?
Truly, truly, God's will *IS* best! And all is mercy and grace!!!
A final word about the "seven times daily" part; many regret that they cannot do the whole Office. Indeed, few Oblates in the world have lives that can easily accommodate that. Start with small steps. Believe me, if one just makes a point of recalling Jesus' presence in our hearts and souls seven times a day that is a firm and wondrous beginning! Doesn't take long and fits any schedule. Try it and I think you will see what I mean, as well as a change in yourself.
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
February 19, June 20, October 20
Chapter 16: How the Work of God Is to Be Performed During the Day
"Seven times in the day," says the Prophet, "I have rendered praise to You" (Ps.118:164). Now that sacred number of seven will be fulfilled by us if we perform the Offices of our service at the time of the Morning Office, of Prime, of Terce, of Sext, of None, of Vespers and of Compline, since it was of these day Hours that he said, "Seven times in the day I have rendered praise to You." For as to the Night Office the same Prophet says, "In the middle of the night I arose to glorify You" (Ps. 118:62). Let us therefore bring our tribute of praise to our Creator "for the judgments of His justice" (Ps. 118:164) at these times: the Morning Office, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline; and in the night let us arise to glorify Him.
REFLECTION
Tucked neatly into all this business of naming and counting the Hours of the Divine Office comes the actual reason we go to choir or say the Office alone. It is "our tribute of praise to our Creator 'for the judgments of His justice' "
OK, tribute, praise, glorify, all those things are familiar enough to us, but the zinger here is "for the judgments of His justice." Whoops! A lot fall out on that one! Whether we realize it or not, the reason we praise God as Benedictines is to thank Him for ALL His decisions in regard to us. That isn't easy, but it is terribly valid and terribly necessary.
We thank God-admittedly sometimes with gritted teeth-for all the things that did and DIDN'T work out the way we wanted them, for every acceptance and every rejection that brought us to be as we find ourselves today, in His arms. The jobs we didn't get, the great loves which were not reciprocal, the course we flunked, the kids that went wrong, the illness that dogs us, the spouse we should never have gone out with twice, the unwanted pregnancy, EVERYTHING that has shaped our lives and persons is something we thank God for in the Office, everything He either permitted to happen or willed for us.
I mention only the difficult things, because anybody can be thankful that the apparently GOOD stuff worked out. I am not saying all the bad stuff is God's fault, or that it's our own fault, but ALL of it is turned to GOOD by God, He alone can do that, and that is worth singing about! All of it! If we look back honestly, we can see the hand of His goodness in the darkest times, we can see it in NOT having our way; we can see it in everything.
Since the way God turns all to good is a mystery we shall never know fully in this life, we cannot adequately say much of anything but thanks and praise, the stammered joy of someone who has received a really great gift and is astounded at such generosity. Thanks, God. And hey, You really DID know what You were doing all along, didn't You?
Truly, truly, God's will *IS* best! And all is mercy and grace!!!
A final word about the "seven times daily" part; many regret that they cannot do the whole Office. Indeed, few Oblates in the world have lives that can easily accommodate that. Start with small steps. Believe me, if one just makes a point of recalling Jesus' presence in our hearts and souls seven times a day that is a firm and wondrous beginning! Doesn't take long and fits any schedule. Try it and I think you will see what I mean, as well as a change in yourself.
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
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