Echoes from the Bell Tower

“The brothers should serve one another.”
Rule of Saint Benedict 35:1

This simple line is the first verse of chapter 35 of the Rule about the how the monks are each to take their turn (if able) to serve at meals for the community. It reflects a principle that lies at the heart of our way of life as Benedictine monks – we serve one another, mutually, and without expecting reward.

I was inspired to reflect on this principle just now when I was reading some email exchanges from some of my fellow monks about the need for a “sub”. It came from a brother who is not feeling well. His cold is getting worse and he would like to do the responsible thing – the loving thing! – and remove himself from the possibility of exposing others to his cold virus! He was assigned for a couple of service jobs in our dining room and the church, and he was canvassing the community for any who’d be willing to substitute for him for the remainder of the week (we are assigned these household and church duties on a weekly basis). I was so inspired by the genuineness of the request and the generosity of the responses he got. I saw the responses because the monks who responded to his email hit “reply all” – anyway, it made me feel good to belong to a community like ours. The responses were generous and not “negotiated” ones. In other words, they didn’t involve any “quid pro quo”, nothing like: “Sure, I’ll help you out, but would you do this for me …”. None of that.

In his Rule, St. Benedict makes it clear that we must be zealous to “bear one another’s weaknesses of body or behavior with the utmost patience” (RB 72:5). In this case, the brother who is suffering a cold is dealing with an ordinary bodily weakness and the brothers who step forward to help him to “bear his burden of service” were demonstrating the good zeal that St. Benedict teaches, “separates from evil and leads to God and eternal life.” It’s so simple, but it does take a generous heart, ready to serve “without counting the cost” or expecting anything in return, as Jesus teaches us in his gospel. No negotiation required – just a simple yes, I’ll help … period!

That’s good zeal! That’s the lubrication that makes a community a family and enables the family to operate smoothly – in other words, it builds up what Benedict calls harmony. Thanks brothers, you inspire me to be a better monk every day!