The response to God's word is telling

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First comes the word of God that addresses me, touches me, calls me into question, wounds and judges me, but also heals and frees me. Both prayer and silence can only be an answer to God's word and may not precede it.

Thus Benedict requires that prayer should be frequent, but short. In it the monastic is to respond to the word of God and express his or her readiness to follow God's demands with deeds. Thus we find in Benedict's Rule no teaching on mystical prayer, but very sober instruction to open one's daily life to God again and again in every situation.

What is crucial is not our doing, but living before God, in God's presence, listening to God's word that addresses us and shows us the way. In prayer the monastic responds that she or he has heard God's word and is now ready to follow it.

Benedict of Nursia His Message for Today
Anselm Grun OSB

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Paul A. Zalonski is from New Haven, CT. He is a member of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation, a Catholic ecclesial movement and an Oblate of Saint Benedict. Contact Paul at paulzalonski[at]yahoo.com.

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This page contains a single entry by Paul Zalonski published on September 27, 2009 8:02 AM.

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