I met with my Benedictine monk at one pm today. I slept in late and skipped church (doesn’t bode well) because I got in late from my cos’s wedding. And after a leisurely morning of journaling and coffee, I managed to be late. I dashed up the stairs to the monastery where he sat serenely in a rocking chair.
We chatted as we travelled to the parlor; I’m not sure if monastaries have “parlors”. The monastary is huge and museum/boarding schoolish yet homey. I felt comfortable plopping down in the fancy chair.
He asked me to tell him about myself. I rambled and he asked questions in order to map out my basic history. I talked about not being able to hear God– and that it may be because I’m resisting what he’s telling me. And, I’m frustrated and discouraged because of the ongoing employment fiasco, which is ultimately a question of identity. I gushed, and he actively listened.
The brother is most pragmatic. I was waxing on all abstract and he would gently reel me in. He gave me a daily assignment and I report back next Saturday.
This afternoon as I was doing my lectio divina– words DID stick out. I read Peter’s instruction in Acts: “Change your life” to the people’s question of how to respond to hearing about Jesus. The brother’s practical, mundane, common-sensical advice fit this. He said we are called to be Christ like; this is our goal above all else.
There are two practical things I’m going to do this week. I’m going to try to ingrain these things as habit. We’ll see. It’s as he said, “Baby steps. Just baby steps.”
