Sublime

whatever authority we hold, we hold it for the good of the entire group, not for our own sense of self.

those who hold authority in a community are not to be above the group, they are to be the centers of it, the norm of it, the movers of it. They themselves are to mirror its values. Their job is not simply to give orders. Their job is to live out the ideals.

the message of Benedictine spirituality is a consistent one: live life normally, live life thoughtfully, live life profoundly, live life well.

In monastic spirituality, then, leadership is not intent on making things right; leadership is intent on making life right.

The call to contemplation here is the call not simply to see Christ in the other but to treat the other as Christ. Benedict calls us first to justice: love God, love the other, do no harm to anyone.

Joy is the reward, really, of seeking to give joy to others. When you show compassion, when you show caring, when you show love to others, do things for others, in a wonderful way you have a deep joy that you can get in no other way. You can’t buy it with money. You can be the richest person on Earth, but if you care only about yourself, I can bet

Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires. —LAO-TZU