Friday, May 06, 2005

RB Prologue 35

"With this conclusion, the Lord waits for us daily to translate into action, as we shoul, his holy teachings."
The monastic tradition has a great emphasis on daily conversion. St. Antony the Great said that we should begin each day as if it were the first day of our conversion to Christ. St. Benedict asks his monks to open every day with Psalm 95: "O that today you would listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts!" Too often we see our reception of the sacraments or of our religious vows as an arrival, the goal of our life's pilgrimage. Just today, a woman at our bank teased another teller who had called me 'brother' instead of 'father'. "He worked hard for that title!" she said. Yes, it is hard work studying for the priesthood. But it is harder work being a saint, and this is the work of every Christian. It is hard work because the world is relentless in its efforts to distract us from God. God, of course, is even more relentless, but He is also gentler and allows us the opportunity to decide for Him again and again. He could bully us into being His followers, but He does not want craven servants, but friends and fellow workers. Every day that I say 'yes!' is a day closer to sainthood. Every day that I forget, get distracted, think to myself 'tomorrow I shall begin to be holy' is another opportunity lost.
Do not be afraid to be holy!
I offer my prayers for all who read these posts.
In Jesus Christ,
Fr. Peter

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If I, who seem to be your right hand and am called Presbyter and seem to
preach the Word of God, If I do something against the discipline of the Church
and the Rule of the Gospel so that I become a scandal to you, The Church, then
may the whole Church, in unanimous resolve, cut me, its right hand, off, and
throw me away.


Origen of Alexandria
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