Calvin – My Promise for 2025
What prevents me from preferring nothing whatever to Christ?
My housemate Mandu gets in the way of my preferring Christ. I don’t like it when Mandu tries to lick my ear and when he takes pets away from me. I hiss and the grumble which distracts me from my lectio and my study of the Rule.
Practices from the Rule to help me craft my promise:
“This, then, is the good zeal which members must foster with fervent love: They should each try to be the first to show respect to the other (Rom 12:10), supporting with the greatest patience one another’s weaknesses of body or behavior, and earnestly competing in obedience to one another.” RB 72.3-6
“The younger monastics [Mandu], then, must respect their elders [Calvin], and the elders must love their juniors. When they address one another, no one should be allowed to do so simply by name: rather, the elders call the younger “sister” or “brother” and the younger members call their elders “nonna” or “nonnus” which is translated as “venerable one.” RB 63.10-12
My 2025 Promise:
I will do my best to respect Mandu and will be more patient with her. Also, as top cat Br. Ricky said I was to be like a superior in the monastery. So I also promise to share with her the two Rule verses that I found. Together perhaps we can form a more peaceful community.
What my human needs to learn to help her prefer nothing whatever to Christ:
I think that my human needs to learn more about the Rule and to understand how it might fit into her life.
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
“What is more delightful than this voice of the Holy One calling to us? See how God’s love shows us the way of life.” Prologue 19-20
“Do not be daunted immediately by fear and run away from the road that leads to salvation. It is bound to be narrow at the outset. But as we progress in this way of life and in faith, we shall run on the path of God’s commandments, our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love.” Prologue 48-49
My Human’s 2025 Promise:
Calvin asks you to join him and craft your own 2025 Promise.