A Challenge is Identified
My quest started in our last Chapter. Amma lamented that her efforts to nip her grumbling yielded no positive results. “When I start to grumble about someone or something,” she confessed, “the grumbling takes off into an ever-growing mental litany of complaints and internal sputtering.” She asked for our prayers and any suggestions that we could offer.
I shared all this with my canine friend Peanut a few days later when we were having lunch together at The Mew and Bark Diner. (I had gotten permission from Amma for this outing.)
Resident Novice Michael James
At left, Peanut
Peanut gave a thoughtful look and nodded, her big eyes looking sad. “Why do we grumble?” she asked thoughtfully. “It gets us nowhere. Any momentary satisfaction evaporates into a disgruntled heart and negative attitude.”
I nodded in agreement.
“Michael James,” Peanut asked, “What does St. Benedict says about grumbling?”
St. Benedict, the Rule and Grumbling
I was pleased that Peanut asked this excellent question. As a novice I did my best to answer her inquiry.
“Great question, Peanut. Benedict can be most understanding and charitable toward the fragility and weaknesses of human nature. But he does not tolerate grumbling or, put another way, murmuring.
“He cautions against grumbling about a lot of different things: an unwanted task (5.14,17), other people (4.49), and the clothing the monastic wears which wouldn’t be of the best material (55.7). He also forbids grumbling about the amount of wine they received (40.8-9), about not getting what someone else gets (34.6-7), and about the community and the way it operates.” [1] SBT, 82
“What I have understood so far from reading the Rule and Br. Ricky’s lectures is that grumbling puts relationships and community at risk. Grumbling destroys peace with others and peace within ourselves. Most egregious, grumbling separates us from God.”
Noting Peanut’s concerned look, I then stressed Benedict’s understanding and compassion for our feline and human foibles. “As a quick aside, knowing the dangers of grumbling to the spiritual quest, Benedict does all he can to make grumbling unnecessary. We can save for another mew and bark.”
I concluded with a feline smile at Peanut who looked so interested. A quick thought came into my mind that Peanut might want to become a novice and learn more. Purrrrrr.
Br. Sylvester Furless, OSB-F, has not heeded Abbot Benedict’s injunction against grumbling. God forbid!
Our Personal Grumbling
Peanut then shared, “I get impatient and grumble when my human doesn’t take me out for a walk. I grumble, too, because one of my humans is in school away from home. I miss her!”
“I hear you Peanut, I mewed. “In the Cloister you’ll hear frequent grumbling and hissing about our inconsistent breakfast times – 4:30 one morning, 5:45 the next and occasionally 6:30, or God forbid, to use a phrase used by Benedict when he REALLY was against something, 7:00! I’ve heard Br. Ricky murmur about Sr. Espy and her unpredictable behavior., too. Even good-hearted Sr. Nikki grumbles when Amma forbids her licking empty cat food cans. Let’s brainstorm more reasons for grumbling, Peanut.”
We came up with a quick list of why we and humans grumble.
We want things to happen a certain way – our way
We want things to happen at a certain time – our time
We don’t like or approve of what someone does or doesn’t do, especially if this happens repeatedly
We grumble about others who bother us
We grumble about all we must do
We grumble that we have no time for what we really want to do
We grumble when others bark, mew or talk too much
We grumble about the weather, about politics, our churches, and even about ourselves
Illus. Grumbling
Antidotes to Grumbling
I made a suggestion. “I think we could go on for a long time naming things that we grumble about. Let’s come up with some ways that, once we notice a grumble, we can nip it in the bud, right then and there.”
Our image for Patience, one of the four areas identified by Worldwide Novices
where their humans need “a tune-up.”
Patience
Glancing up from pondering the list I pawed on a napkin, Peanut reflected, “You know, it takes a lot of patience to not grumble.” “And patience is very difficult to conjure up,” I offered. “Patience is one of the areas where the Worldwide Novices felt that their humans needed help. Several novices wanted to find ways to help their human be more patient.”
Peanut nodded. “If we were more patient, I know that we would grumble less. Why? We would realize that we aren’t in the center of the universe. We’d step back knowing that there may be other ways of doing things. We would honor God’s timing in all of life and accept that timing.”
“Great point, Peanut,” I responded with a sigh. “Thinking and acting as if the world revolves around us, is certainly a growing edge for us felines in the Cloister. The nature of a feline IS to expect what we want when we want it and that humans should jump to meet the need.“
Peanut gave a canine chuckle. “Us dogs are more laid back. We want to please.” In a teasing mood, I rolled my eyes. Another chuckle from Peanut.
Prayer can help us nip grumbling when grumbling begins
Prayer
Peanut continued with her ideas. “One of the things I have heard you mew about in the Rule is the instruction from the Prologue that prayer should precede any good work.”
Nodding, I mewed the verse from memory.
“First of all, every time you begin a good work, you must pray to God most earnestly to bring it to perfection.” Prologue 4
“This is not a prayer of perfectionism. An alternative translation is to ‘bring it to completion’; to allow God to work through us towards God’s plan, which may very well be different from our own.” Sky, 6
“Nipping grumbling in the bud is certainly a good work,” Peanut noted. “So, prayer is very important to help us turn away from grumbling.”
“Since it is difficult to conjure up patience, prayer can help us turn towards God instead,” I offered. “As we catch ourselves grumbling, praying would at the very least give us something else to think about rather than how annoyed we are.” Peanut gave another canine chuckle at that observation.
“We can offer understanding
instead of a grumble,”
mews Novice Michael James
Understanding
“Great point, my friend.” Peanut said as she gave my paw an appreciative pat. “Another thought. I think that we can offer understanding in lieu of a grumble. Understanding helps us open our hearts to the person or situation. Understanding can open our hearts to ourselves, too, if we are grumbling about ourselves.”
In silence we mulled this over. We decided that understanding is connected to humility. Humility enables us to see our place in the world – that we aren’t the center, God is. We have clarity about our strengths and weaknesses. We recognize that we do not necessarily have the final answer and have plenty to learn.
“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
An Acronym is Born!
We had finished our lunch and dessert arrived – crunchy cat treats for me, a frosted canine cookie for Peanut.
After a few crunches I shared a concern. “I think we have come up with three good ways to nip grumbling in the bud. Patience to trust and accept God’s plan, prayer to rely on God’s help, and understanding to open our hearts. My concern is this. Amma is a lover of acronyms for Benedictine Practices to help her and us more easily practice what we need to learn to do. We need to come up with an acronym.”
I took a bite of crunchy treat. Peanut enjoyed more of her frosted canine cookie.
Suddenly there was a large, excited bark followed by a howl, which made the other diners, feline and canine, turn and stare at us.
Peanut barked with glee, “I’ve got it! PUP!! Prayer, Understanding, and Patience to nip grumbling in the bud.
P – Prayer
U- Understanding
P – Patience
PUP!! We gave each other a high-five.
Illus. Feline and Canine in High-Five mode
Image from https://www.warrenphotographic.co.uk/
(Amma working on permission via email)
Prayer
Understanding
Patience
The Feline Cloister Weighs In on “PUP”
In the next Chapter I shared the practice of “PUP” with the Feline Cloister members and Resident Novices. Amma was delighted. All gave a thumbs up except for Sr. Espy. With a disgusted hiss she exclaimed, “PUP! No way! I prefer CATS!” She then loudly meowed the translation of her acronym.
Sr Espy asserts
her “Feline Rights”
“CATS”
C – Cats
A – Are
T – Tops
S – So we can grumble!
“I’m a cat,” hisses Gertrude.
“Therefore, I can grumble.”
Br. Ricky dropped his little green pencil, then turned to Amma to see her reaction. “Sr. Espy,” Amma said quietly, “let’s chat after Chapter.” Reluctantly Sr. Espy mewed her consent.
Closing Thought
That’s our antidote to grumbling. I sure hope that you will try it out.
PUP
Prayer helps us turn to God. We become available to God’s grace and guidance.
Understanding helps us open our hearts to the individual or situation.
Patience helps us move through the challenge with a more peaceful heart.
Prayer
Understanding
Patience
I drew up a Novice Activity for you. Click on the link below to reach the activity. It’s been great being with you. And keep up those novices studies!
Your friend,
Michael James
Resident Novice
P.S. I didn’t share my quick thought about having Peanut become a member of the Worldwide Novices. I’ll mew that over. Then talk to Br. Ricky. Maybe there can be a special category for non-felines.