Reading From the Rule

The first link at the right will take you to today's reading from the Rule of St. Benedict!

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Keep your mind in the game

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One of the side effects of having an aneurysm burst in my occipital lobe was I saw double.   As the blood cleared from my brain, however, this passed.  The occipital lobe serves to interpret the data coming through from the eyes.  Damage to this portion of the brain means that the brain will not decode properly or will not receive the images from the eyes.  No connection to the brain, damaged sight or even blindness.

Sometimes we pray like that.  The voice speaks the words, but the words don’t connect to the brain. We sing; we recite the prayers.  However, no connection is made in the brain, in the soul; we are not listening; we are deaf to the word.

“Let us consider, then, how we ought to sing psalms in such a way that are minds are in harmony with our voices.” (RSB 19)

The discipline of the psalmody is not to be faithful to the routine: to read the right psalm on the right day at the right time.  The discipline is to be present in mind and spirit to each word of the prayer, to be truly “reverent.” 

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