Reading for 01/09Ru/08

Today's reading from the Rule of St. Benedict http://www.osb.org/rb/

January 9, May 10, September 9
Chapter 2: What Kind of Person the Abbess Ought to Be

An Abbess who is worthy to be over a monastery
should always remember what she is called,
and live up to the name of Superior.
For she is believed to hold the place of Christ in the monastery,
being called by a name of His,
which is taken from the words of the Apostle:
"You have received a Spirit of adoption ...,
by virtue of which we cry, 'Abba -- Father'" (Rom. 8:15)!

Therefore the Abbess ought not to teach or ordain or command
anything which is against the Lord's precepts;
on the contrary,
her commands and her teaching
should be a leaven of divine justice
kneaded into the minds of her disciples.

Some thoughts:

What a standard: hold the place of Christ in the monastery. Would you want to have to measure up against that? Not I.

The thing is though, as Christians we are called to hold the place of Christ wherever we are. Whatever we do. Whatever we say. I can only rejoice that the Holy Spirit moved the authors of Scripture and Benedict to write as they have, because I surely do need their help.