Holy Rule for January 31
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St. Mary's Monastery
Jan 30, 2026, 4:46:38 PMJan 30
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Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
January 31, June 1, October 1
Chapter 7: On Humility (34)
The third degree of humility is that a person for love of God submit himself to his Superior in all obedience, imitating the Lord, of whom the Apostle says, "He became obedient even unto death."
REFLECTION
The Holy Rule is all about love. That's what we can so often miss. One obeys out of love, love of God.
If we are acting on solely human considerations, there is no human being on earth whose tool kit is so complete that one could joyously follow and obey them without any reserve or hesitation, not one. But we aren't doing it for human reasons: we are obeying for God.
We do it for love, not for wisdom. We do it for love, not for taste or class or savoir faire. We do it for love, not because the superior is brilliant or right or gifted in any way. We don't do it because of the superior at all, if we are going about things the right way. We do it for love, for love of God.
Anything less than love of God as a motive will fall flat on its face, and sooner rather than later! It never takes long. Life itself, within the cloister or without, is full of so much purblind stupidity and outright rubbish that nothing could sustain one other than love of God.
The will of God sometimes comes through to us in spite of others, not because they are wise or stupid, right or wrong, but because of love, God's love for us. Some people in authority advance the will of God for reasons that have little or nothing to do with God!
They may do it unwittingly, they may do it cruelly or wrong-headedly, but that hardly matters: the will of God comes through. I think there is a mystical point where the love and will of God for one cannot ultimately be thwarted, where it is actually advanced by humans who have not a clue what they are doing. Even some actively opposed to His will nevertheless advance it without a clue. God can use anything, even His opponents, to do good for those who love Him, who trust Him and let Him act in their souls.
We do it for love, and that love will shield us, regardless, in the armor of His will. We must only trust Him, trust His Divine Mercy, always trust! Jesus, I trust in You!
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
January 31, June 1, October 1
Chapter 7: On Humility (34)
The third degree of humility is that a person for love of God submit himself to his Superior in all obedience, imitating the Lord, of whom the Apostle says, "He became obedient even unto death."
REFLECTION
The Holy Rule is all about love. That's what we can so often miss. One obeys out of love, love of God.
If we are acting on solely human considerations, there is no human being on earth whose tool kit is so complete that one could joyously follow and obey them without any reserve or hesitation, not one. But we aren't doing it for human reasons: we are obeying for God.
We do it for love, not for wisdom. We do it for love, not for taste or class or savoir faire. We do it for love, not because the superior is brilliant or right or gifted in any way. We don't do it because of the superior at all, if we are going about things the right way. We do it for love, for love of God.
Anything less than love of God as a motive will fall flat on its face, and sooner rather than later! It never takes long. Life itself, within the cloister or without, is full of so much purblind stupidity and outright rubbish that nothing could sustain one other than love of God.
The will of God sometimes comes through to us in spite of others, not because they are wise or stupid, right or wrong, but because of love, God's love for us. Some people in authority advance the will of God for reasons that have little or nothing to do with God!
They may do it unwittingly, they may do it cruelly or wrong-headedly, but that hardly matters: the will of God comes through. I think there is a mystical point where the love and will of God for one cannot ultimately be thwarted, where it is actually advanced by humans who have not a clue what they are doing. Even some actively opposed to His will nevertheless advance it without a clue. God can use anything, even His opponents, to do good for those who love Him, who trust Him and let Him act in their souls.
We do it for love, and that love will shield us, regardless, in the armor of His will. We must only trust Him, trust His Divine Mercy, always trust! Jesus, I trust in You!
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
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