In the hundreds of years since their development, the rules of Saints Augustine, Benedict, and Francis have ordered and oriented the lives of monks, sisters and lay people across the globe. Their emphasis on daily ritual, manageable though virtuous behaviors and everyday actions appeal to anyone seeking a deeper spiritual life, a time-tested order for cultivating meaning in the day-to-day rhythm of life, and guidance on prioritizing the things that matter most.
There is a human desire for rhythm and routine in a tumultuous world. Monastic rules can help us practice the rhythm and routine that we seek.
Prayer isn’t an instant fix, but it changes those who pray for the better.
Although the words themselves remain static and unchanging, God speaks in new ways to each generation and each individual as they read the ancient text. Writing in the Bible—whether that’s underlining words, drawing question marks or exclamation points in the margins, or scrawling notes in the white space—is one way to “carefully investigate” the word of God and to encounter the living Spirit within it.
An increased demand for lay ministers means some are burning the candle at both ends.
Being humbled is both a reminder that life isn’t meant to be lived tit for tat and an invitation to give to others that which they have not necessarily earned.
Our faith shouldn’t be relegated to following a set of rules.
To learn prayers by heart is to ensure they are there when you need God the most.
No matter the particular names you choose, the core message of the Trinity remains unchanging.
