"A
Question of Value"
A
Reflection on the Rule of St. Benedict continued
The Kingdom of God has
the highest value
There’s no doubt that for a true Christian, the kingdom
of God is the most valuable thing that one can possess;
there is no doubt that experiencing God’s presence and
will in our lives is worth any whatever we are able to
offer in exchange. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus
tells two short parables about what two people were
willing to give in order to possess God’s kingdom: a
person searching for buried treasure sells everything he
has in order to buy the field where the treasure is
buried; and a merchant discovers a pearl of great price
and gives all his possessions in exchange for it.
Based on the way Jesus presents these stories, we notice
that neither of these people is coerced to behave this
way. Neither is forced to give up their
possessions or sell his or her property, but rather they
are inspired by the joy of having something that to them
is more highly valued, a true treasure; and in return
for that treasure, no price is too great to pay.
St.
Bene
dict’s
Rule is a guide to hidden value
You might say that the Rule of
our Holy Father St. Benedict is kind of guide to finding
and obtaining the treasure of God’s kingdom. St.
Benedict’s Rule identifies Christ as our true King and
it invites those who are willing, to serve him without
reserve. Some aspects of God’s kingdom that we
discover in the Rule are as follows:
- The virtue of
humility, which teaches us the truth about ourselves
and our utter dependence on God’s love. And as
we embrace humility, we find ourselves living more
and more completely for God’s kingdom rather than
our own.
- The practice of
obedience, that willingness to hear God’s word from
whatever source it emanates and to respond to that
word; to let God’s word rule our lives is another
expression of his kingdom.
-
The gift of
hospitality, through which we learn to see and
welcome Christ in the other, be they friend or
stranger. And in welcoming Christ, we welcome
the kingdom that Christ was sent to establish.
These are just a few of the
treasures of God’s Kingdom that St. Benedict brings to
light for us in the Rule. We could mention dozens
of other examples from the Rule and we are confident
that when any of these actions or attitudes is present,
the kingdom of God is also present; we are confident
that whenever we apply St. Benedict’s teaching in our
lives we are bringing into God’s Kingdom more completely
into our world, for we are truly following the true
King, Christ the Lord.
.