Why have a personal rule?

Someone wrote:

"I would guess that some people on this list follow a rule of life -by which
I mean a daily discipline, a routine of times for prayer, reading, work and
so on, that stands alongside their trying to live by the Rule of St Benedict.
No doubt there are also people who would find this impossible, or just not
for them. It would be interesting to hear from members of both points of view.

When I ponder on this, I think it's all about being attentive to how we
live and work, rather than just letting life happen to us. Although I would like
to be much more organised about my daily way of life, I have to confess I am
not! - just hoping to get round to it someday. Very likely some of this has
to do with apathy, but I am sure personality type comes into it too.
It may help many of us to discuss this."




What an interesting discussion this could be!! I look forward to what
others have to say.

I have a personal rule based on the Rule of St. Benedict If any wish to read it, it is one of the first posts to this blog. I am also going to be re-writing my Rule
over the next few months. The one I have has served my novitiate
well, but I feel it need re-working as I prepare for first vows.

So far though, it has been invaluable as a road map. In my novitiate,
I have been all over the place from slavishly following my rule to
treating it as an outline. Perhaps others with personal rules may
have had similar experiences. Right now, I think I would have to say
that I regard my rule as a yardstick by which to measure options.

One thing I have learned is that the rule is the means to an end. It
is not an end in and of itself. And that is why I am calling it a
yardstick at this time. For example only: There are many good and
worthy things out there in which i could be involved. But if I
compare these possibilities with my rule,. if I weigh in all the
factors of time, commitment etc that a possibility would require of me
with what it says in my rule, it is easier to say "no".

Any personal rule has to be based on personal vocation, on one's sense
of what it is specifically God calls one to do. I understand a rule
to be the framework which allows and supports one's obedient response
to God. Viewed in this way, having a rule forces me to say "no" to
some very excellent things, instead of allowing myself to keep my
options open.

I guess another metaphor would be train tracks. A train isn't going
to get anywhere unless it stays on it's tracks and look what happens
when it is derailed. So it is with us in our societies of many
options.

IMO personal rule asks us to select, choose and commit. A personal
rule asks us to do the hard work of identifying that to which God
calls us to. A personal rule offers us the stability to stick to the
conversion of life God calls us to with the identification of personal
vocation, in obedience to Him.