Trouble – My Promise for 2025

What prevents me from preferring nothing whatever to Christ?

I absolutely detest riding in the car and being stuffed into the confining pet carrier.  These odious things make me hiss, holler, and grumble.  My desire to prefer Christ flies out the car window

Practices from the Rule to help me craft my promise:

“The fourth step of humility is that in this obedience under difficult, unfavorable, or even unjust conditions, our hearts quietly embrace suffering and endure it without weakening or seeking escape. For scripture has it: Anyone who perseveres to the end will be saved (Matt 10:22), and again, Be brave of heart and rely on God” (Ps 27:14).  RB 7.35-37

“First and foremost, there must be no word or sign of the evil of grumbling, no manifestation of it for any reason at all.”  RB 34.6

“Place your hope in God alone.”  RB 4.41

My 2025 Promise:

Whenever I am put in the  cat carrier, I will pray that God help me endure the confinement.  Whenever I ride in the car I will persevere in prayer and try to see where God is present, even in the odious situation.  I will do my best not to grumble.

What my human needs to learn to help her prefer nothing whatever to Christ:

Patience

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 second step of humility is that we love not our own will nor take pleasure in the satisfaction of our desires; rather we shall imitate by our actions that saying of Christ’s: I have come not to do my own will, but the will of the One who sent me” (John 6:38).  RB 7.31-32

“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

My Human’s 2025 Promise:

Trouble asks you to join him and craft your own 2025 Promise.

 

To reach a downloadable document to help you craft your Promise for 2025: