This article first appeared in Our Sunday Visitor magazine. Subscribe to receive the monthly magazine here.
For a culture that thinks it loves freedom, the modern zeitgeist is oddly appreciative of those who have achieved great things through discipline and sacrifice. Think Olympic athletes, bestselling authors or anyone who was once considered an underdog. We love to see the fruits of others’ labor, to marvel at what is possible through focus on a goal and a carefully ordered life, especially when we can’t imagine having the perseverance to sustain such an ordered life ourselves.
What the mainstream often misses is that human efforts only go so far; truly beautiful accomplishments are not the fruit of human will, but of such a will aligned with God’s. The saints roundly fit this description — in particular, St. Benedict of Nursia, founder of the Benedictine Order and the father of Western monasticism.
From humility to holiness
Although he reluctantly submitted to the role of abbot, Benedict is best known for the rule he wrote for his monks to follow. He prescribed a balance of prayer, work and study intended to guide a soul to grow in humility and obedience, and thus holiness. Firmly rooted in Scripture, St. Benedict’s writing has been in use in monasteries and among lay people (known as oblates) for more than 1,500 years. Many outside the order are familiar with the Benedictine motto, ora et labora, which translates to “pray and work.”
Extraordinary things happen in well-ordered lives where instant gratification is put off to achieve a worthier goal. In a way, Christ alludes to this when he tells his disciples that those who are humbled will be exalted. We cannot mistake this teaching to mean the individual will be glorified in himself. Better, those who humble themselves in this world can look forward to exalting the Lord and sharing his glory in the next.
From obedience to freedom
Most of us are not called to be Olympic athletes or bestselling authors or to otherwise achieve headline-worthy feats. Still, we must practice discipline and sacrifice, and not just during Lent and Advent, but every day. St. Benedict understood this well: Obedience, even in the small things, is a requirement of the spiritual life. In being obedient to the Lord’s voice, we decrease and he increases, as we learn from St. John the Baptist. And as paradoxical as it seems, obedience leads to true freedom, to Christ.
When we subject our days to an intentional rhythm, we make space for God to move in our lives. We make room for him in our hearts. When we deny ourselves, we honor Jesus, who in his great love and mercy gave his life for us.
