Reading for Jan 3, 2008

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

January 3, May 4, September 3
Prologue

And the Lord, seeking his laborer
in the multitude to whom He thus cries out,
says again,
"Who is the one who will have life,
and desires to see good days" (Ps. 33:13)?
And if, hearing Him, you answer,
"I am the one,"
God says to you,
"If you will have true and everlasting life,
keep your tongue from evil
and your lips that they speak no guile.
Turn away from evil and do good;
seek after peace and pursue it" (Ps. 33:14-15).
And when you have done these things,
My eyes shall be upon you
and My ears open to your prayers;
and before you call upon Me,
I will say to you,
'Behold, here I am'" (Ps. 33:16; Is. 65:24; 58:9).

What can be sweeter to us, dear ones,
than this voice of the Lord inviting us?
Behold, in His loving kindness
the Lord shows us the way of life.

Some thoughts;

Can we all hear how much the Lord wants us? Are we willing to risk having our false perceptions of God transformed by His revelation to us of His true nature?

We are to keep out tongues and lips from evil. The issue is not what we might do, see, read or hear. The issue is what comes out of us, what passes through our lips. The issue at this moment is what we might say. Seems to me the implication is that the proof that we have turned from evil is in what we say.

Of course, later on in the Rule, Benedict does turn his attention to thoughts and deeds. But just for today, let's think about what sorts of things pass through our lips.