Bear – My Promise for 2025
What prevents me from preferring nothing whatever to Christ?
I don’t want to be so sure of myself that I forget God. Self-confidence can lead us down that path. We prefer our own insights and direction over seeking these from God.
Practices from the Rule to help me craft my promise:
“The first step of humility, then, is that we keep the reverence of God always before our eyes (Ps 36:2) and never forget it.” RB 7.10
“The eighth step of humility is that we do only what is endorsed by the common rule of the monastery and the example set by the prioress or abbot.” RB 7.55
“Renounce yourself in order to follow Christ (Matt 16:24; Luke 9:23).” RB 4.10
My 2025 Promise:
I will do a special study of the Ladder of Humility in Chapter 7 – Humility. I will try hard to replace pride with humility, i.e., a realistic view of who I am. Benedict says that “the ladder erected is our life on earth, and if we humble our hearts God will raise it to heaven.” RB 7.8 God will help me raise my heart to preferring nothing whatever to Christ.
What my human needs to learn to help her prefer nothing whatever to Christ:
Wow….she needs to learn patience and acceptance above all.
Practices from the Rule to help my human craft her promise:
“Listen carefully, my child, to my instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from one who loves you; welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice.” Prologue 1
“Never swerving from God’s instructions, then, but faithfully observing God’s teaching in the monastery until death, we shall through patience share in the sufferings of Christ that we may deserve also to share in the eternal presence.” Prologue 50
“Renounce yourself in order to follow Christ” (Matt 16:24; Luke 9:23). RB 4.10
“Place your hope in God alone.” RB 4.41
My Human’s 2025 Promise:
Bear asks you to join him and craft your own 2025 Promise.