Angelo – My Promise for 2025
What prevents me from preferring nothing whatever to Christ?
I joined the Feline Cloister to learn how to be an agent of change in my community of gatti randagi (stray cats) here in Castlemola, Sicily. It’ not been easy. I get discouraged because changes in how we treat one another is happening way too slowly. I want change to happen on my timeline.
Practices from the Rule to help me craft my promise:
“Place your hope in God alone.” RB 4.41
“First of all, every time you begin a good work, you must pray to God most earnestly to bring it to perfection.” Prologue 4
“That [the abbot and prioress] may not plead lack of resources [or progress] as an excuse, they are to remember what is written: Seek first the reign and justice of God, and all these things will be given you as well (Matt 6:33). RB 2.35
My 2025 Promise:
I will remember that change happens in God’s time and not mine. I will trust in God, do what I can to support God’s plan, and be intentional about my own relationship with God.
What my human needs to learn to help her prefer nothing whatever to Christ:
To be patient in conversations, patient with herself, patient in frustrating circumstances and patient with others.
Practices from the Rule to help my human craft her promise:
“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
“The fourth step of humility is to go even further than this [Steps 2 and 3] by readily accepting in patient and silent endurance, without any thought of giving up or avoiding the issue, any hard and demanding things that may come our way…We are encouraged to such patience by the words of scripture: Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved (Matt 10:22) . And again there is the saying of the psalm: Be steadfast of heart and trust in the Lord.” (Ps 27:14)
RB 7.35-37 trans Patrick Barry
“Place your hope in God alone.” RB 4.41
