Holy Rule for July 30
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St. Mary's Monastery
Jul 29, 2025, 5:54:28 PM7/29/25
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Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
March 30, July 30, November 29
Chapter 48: On the Daily Manual Labor (22-25)
On Sundays, let all occupy themselves in reading, except those who have been appointed to various duties. But if anyone should be so negligent and shiftless that she will not or cannot study or read, let her be given some work to do so that she will not be idle. Weak or sickly sisters should be assigned a task or craft of such a nature as to keep them from idleness and at the same time not to overburden them or drive them away with excessive toil. Their weakness must be taken into consideration by the Abbess.
REFLECTION
Work in the corporate world is, for the most part, governed by two principles: profit and profit. Sigh... Work in the monastery is very different at its roots. Monastics work out of communal need and to avoid idleness.
One reason so many Oblates are frustrated in trying to apply too much of the Holy Rule to their lives in the world is that it simply will not fit. Not only is the rationale of monastic labor radically different, but so is its schedule. Contemplative monasteries usually have about 20-25 hours of work per week, not 40. That may sound quite easy, until one considers the fact that about 5 hours a day are spent in choir and a few hours in lectio and private prayer. That's roughly 47 hours a week right there; add 20 to that and you get a 67 hour week. No, it is not all unbelievably hard and yes, you do get to work at home, but not on your own schedule.
Parents who work - even many who stay at home - have often put in a lot more than 67 hours a week; a sick child will instantly guarantee that they put in a few more, too! It is not humanly possible to add the whole of the Rule to such a life, because what would need trimming would be the duties of parenting and marriage, which have priority and must not be neglected.
Even active monasteries have to trim and rearrange the Rule's program to make room for their apostolic endeavors. Anyone who has taught can tell you that it is NOT a 20 hour a week job. The same goes for hospital work, and teaching and nursing are two of the most usual works in which our monasteries are engaged.
Don't try to make the demands of your secular life seem less than those of monasteries themselves. They aren't. They are often your first vocation, your "day job", if you will. Like it or not, for most Oblates, our Benedictine calling is in addition to some other vocation. Both must always be respected, if anything has to suffer, the primary vocation comes first. (Hence the name!)
By now I think most of you know me well enough to realize that I spend the great bulk of my time and effort trying to explain to you how the Holy Rule IS applicable to daily life anywhere. This is one time, however - and there are sure to be others - when I have to tell you that it is NOT applicable fully.
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
March 30, July 30, November 29
Chapter 48: On the Daily Manual Labor (22-25)
On Sundays, let all occupy themselves in reading, except those who have been appointed to various duties. But if anyone should be so negligent and shiftless that she will not or cannot study or read, let her be given some work to do so that she will not be idle. Weak or sickly sisters should be assigned a task or craft of such a nature as to keep them from idleness and at the same time not to overburden them or drive them away with excessive toil. Their weakness must be taken into consideration by the Abbess.
REFLECTION
Work in the corporate world is, for the most part, governed by two principles: profit and profit. Sigh... Work in the monastery is very different at its roots. Monastics work out of communal need and to avoid idleness.
One reason so many Oblates are frustrated in trying to apply too much of the Holy Rule to their lives in the world is that it simply will not fit. Not only is the rationale of monastic labor radically different, but so is its schedule. Contemplative monasteries usually have about 20-25 hours of work per week, not 40. That may sound quite easy, until one considers the fact that about 5 hours a day are spent in choir and a few hours in lectio and private prayer. That's roughly 47 hours a week right there; add 20 to that and you get a 67 hour week. No, it is not all unbelievably hard and yes, you do get to work at home, but not on your own schedule.
Parents who work - even many who stay at home - have often put in a lot more than 67 hours a week; a sick child will instantly guarantee that they put in a few more, too! It is not humanly possible to add the whole of the Rule to such a life, because what would need trimming would be the duties of parenting and marriage, which have priority and must not be neglected.
Even active monasteries have to trim and rearrange the Rule's program to make room for their apostolic endeavors. Anyone who has taught can tell you that it is NOT a 20 hour a week job. The same goes for hospital work, and teaching and nursing are two of the most usual works in which our monasteries are engaged.
Don't try to make the demands of your secular life seem less than those of monasteries themselves. They aren't. They are often your first vocation, your "day job", if you will. Like it or not, for most Oblates, our Benedictine calling is in addition to some other vocation. Both must always be respected, if anything has to suffer, the primary vocation comes first. (Hence the name!)
By now I think most of you know me well enough to realize that I spend the great bulk of my time and effort trying to explain to you how the Holy Rule IS applicable to daily life anywhere. This is one time, however - and there are sure to be others - when I have to tell you that it is NOT applicable fully.
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
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