Echoes from the Bell Tower

I rarely get sick, but when I do I try to make the most of it. Being sick demands that I clear my calendar and avoid sharing my germs with others, which frees up time to reflect and pray more deeply while sequestered in the solitude of my monastery room.

Today my thoughts turn to my Benedictine vow of stability. Benedictine monks make a commitment to root our lives in a particular community – for me, that’s this monastic community of Saint Meinrad.

Part of belonging to a community requires that I learn to rely on others, we don’t “go it alone”. The monastic vow of stability demands that I learn to rely on others to assist me in various ways – both spiritually and bodily – practicing a kind of interdependence. I rely on the common witness and prayer of my brothers to strengthen me spiritually. At times, I lean on my community to carry me when I am emotionally down, when I am ill, or feeling weak spiritually. For this to work, I too must be a reliable brother and show up for prayer, be willing to care for my brothers who are sick or feeling down, to assist and pitch in when a brother needs help.

Being ill presently, I have had to rely on my brothers to take my place serving in various assignments – these tasks vary week-to-week, but some of them include serving as cantor at prayer, as table reader at meals, or presiding at Mass. These are just some of the ways we serve in community, there are many others.

Every time I'm sick, I'm reminded that I don't have to carry everything myself. My brothers consistently step up when I'm unable to, and I am so grateful for the care they show. We are a community that looks after one another, and part of our vocation is learning to accept that care as one of the ways God chooses to care for us. For some of us who cling to our independence, this can be difficult.

Being sick is an opportunity for me to hear God’s voice reminding me of the extraordinary value of belonging to a community. And since Jesus has revealed God to be a Divine Community (Trinity) of Persons, it’s another way of knowing what it’s like to be made “like God” – continually loving and being loved by a loving communion of persons. As Thanksgiving approaches, let us be grateful for God’s many graces and, above all, for the gift of others. Cheers!