tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12629468.post4276287559938590540..comments2023-05-12T04:28:28.504-05:00Comments on Daily Bread: Autonomy and Freedom, Part 2Prior Peter, OSBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04955043134006446842noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12629468.post-17613414489144965472008-05-19T13:24:00.000-05:002008-05-19T13:24:00.000-05:00Fr. Peter,As a man deeply drawn to the lay-monasti...Fr. Peter,<BR/><BR/>As a man deeply drawn to the lay-monastic life, I find your questioner's statement puzzling.<BR/><BR/>Connie wrote:<BR/><I>It is very difficult for me to live in duality, i.e. a secular "life" with a job and its responsibilities and only time for God sandwiched in between.</I><BR/><BR/>This seems a 'modern' view of life as being separated into secular and spiritual components. The Rule, written before this split, seems to take great pains to emphasize the harmony and continuity between the <I>Opus Dei</I> and the daily work.<BR/><BR/>I think this is the beauty of the Rule that the work of prayer, the care of tools/clothing, the toil involved in the meeting of day-to-day life are all of equal value in bringing glory to God. The "responsibilities of a secular" job are not eliminated but are replaced by the responsibilities of a "secular" craft (be it making caskets or running a Bed and Breakfast).<BR/><BR/>Too few Christians see "secular life" as part of the Redemptive work we are called to--we feel that if we want to pursue the deeper things of God, we need to withdraw from the world and enter a religious vocation. This is to the world's loss, IMO.<BR/><BR/>Certainly, there is a great need for more people to be drawn to the religious vocations but not because they feel like they can't adequately pursue God due to secular responsibilities but rather that they see no other plausible future based their life's trajectory.Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15551331996392135589noreply@blogger.com