Holy Rule for February 8
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St. Mary's Monastery
Feb 7, 2026, 5:46:06 PM (13 days ago) Feb 7
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Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
February 8, June 9, October 9
Chapter 7: On Humility (60-61)
The eleventh degree of humility is that when a monk speaks he do so gently and without laughter, humbly and seriously, in few and sensible words, and that he be not noisy in his speech. It is written, "A wise man is known by the fewness of his words" (Sextus, Enchidirion, 134 or 145).
REFLECTION
I read this one and cringe, largely because I fail it so much. Part of my loudness is being 40% deaf, and while I try to control my levels of speech, I sometimes forget. That, however, in no way absolves me from the wise man and fewness of words part, nor does it cover the flaws of my tendency to make a big splash nearly every time I'm entering the pool. Face it, beloveds, for those at poolside dining on dry snacks like potato chips, those big splashes can get very old, very fast!
I'm speaking of my own failure here, but I imagine some of it may apply to others' lives, too. So many wasted words, and at such volume! What is their purpose, what insecurities do they cover? How many times do I speak as if on stage and why? To show that I am cool or a big shot or clever or funny? All those things are ultimately lies and the person I may be trying most to convince is my pathetically false self.
How many times do I call it teasing when another is really hurt? How many times do I go over the top and not even notice, because my focus is really on myself? Even if I am only futilely trying to overcome my own boredom by creating some excitement, the message reads frighteningly clear: I am more important, I am a big deal, I matter more than the people or silences that make me uncomfortable. None of that is true in the sense I am modeling it. None. So why do I bother? Why do any of us? These are tough and excellent questions!
The twofold key is charity and balance. There have been times when I have seen a person- even been a person- who monopolized a conversation. There have been other times when I have longed for someone to do so. It requires that mindfulness born of love and balance to truthfully ascertain whether a situation would profit more from our silence or our speaking.
But the key here is "profit more" and the recipients in mind must be others, not just ourselves. Buffoonery can certainly annoy, but silence can also sometimes hurt: this person doesn't care about me at all, it's like I didn't even exist. Somewhere between the extremes lies love, folks, and that is our precarious goal.
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
February 8, June 9, October 9
Chapter 7: On Humility (60-61)
The eleventh degree of humility is that when a monk speaks he do so gently and without laughter, humbly and seriously, in few and sensible words, and that he be not noisy in his speech. It is written, "A wise man is known by the fewness of his words" (Sextus, Enchidirion, 134 or 145).
REFLECTION
I read this one and cringe, largely because I fail it so much. Part of my loudness is being 40% deaf, and while I try to control my levels of speech, I sometimes forget. That, however, in no way absolves me from the wise man and fewness of words part, nor does it cover the flaws of my tendency to make a big splash nearly every time I'm entering the pool. Face it, beloveds, for those at poolside dining on dry snacks like potato chips, those big splashes can get very old, very fast!
I'm speaking of my own failure here, but I imagine some of it may apply to others' lives, too. So many wasted words, and at such volume! What is their purpose, what insecurities do they cover? How many times do I speak as if on stage and why? To show that I am cool or a big shot or clever or funny? All those things are ultimately lies and the person I may be trying most to convince is my pathetically false self.
How many times do I call it teasing when another is really hurt? How many times do I go over the top and not even notice, because my focus is really on myself? Even if I am only futilely trying to overcome my own boredom by creating some excitement, the message reads frighteningly clear: I am more important, I am a big deal, I matter more than the people or silences that make me uncomfortable. None of that is true in the sense I am modeling it. None. So why do I bother? Why do any of us? These are tough and excellent questions!
The twofold key is charity and balance. There have been times when I have seen a person- even been a person- who monopolized a conversation. There have been other times when I have longed for someone to do so. It requires that mindfulness born of love and balance to truthfully ascertain whether a situation would profit more from our silence or our speaking.
But the key here is "profit more" and the recipients in mind must be others, not just ourselves. Buffoonery can certainly annoy, but silence can also sometimes hurt: this person doesn't care about me at all, it's like I didn't even exist. Somewhere between the extremes lies love, folks, and that is our precarious goal.
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
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