10 October
Chapter 7:62-70
Regla de Sant Benet
The Ladder to Perfect Love. The twelve steps of humility culminate in a horizon of love and freedom: reaching that charity which casts out fear and conforms us to Jesus Christ. This journey does not aim to earn God's favor by being perfect. On the contrary, it shows how the heart is progressively transformed through inner work, daily fidelity, and God's help. Fulfilling the demands of the Gospel ceases to be a burden imposed by fear and becomes a natural habit born of love for Christ and a delight in virtue. Thus, God becomes ever more present in the monk's unified and peaceful heart.
62 The twelfth step of humility is reached when a monk not only has humility in his heart, but also shows it in his exterior presence to all who see him; 63 that is, whether at the Divine Office, in the oratory, in the monastery, in the garden, on a journey, in the field, or anywhere else, whether sitting, walking, or standing, he always keeps his head bowed and his eyes cast down upon the ground. 64 Accounting himself at all times guilty of his sins, he considers himself already present before the awesome judgment, 65 constantly repeating in his heart what the publican in the Gospel said with eyes fixed on the ground: "Lord, sinner that I am, I am not worthy to lift my eyes to heaven"; 66 and also with the prophet: "I am utterly bowed down and humbled." 67 Having climbed all these steps of humility, the monk will quickly arrive at that love of God which, being perfect, casts out fear; 68 through which he will begin to observe without any effort, as if naturally and by habit, all that he previously kept not without dread, 69 no longer out of fear of hell, but for love of Christ, out of good habit, and out of delight in virtue. 70 All this the Lord will deign to manifest through the Holy Spirit in his worker, cleansed of vices and sins.
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[titol] => Chapter 7:62-70
[entradeta] => 62 The twelfth step of humility is reached when a monk not only has humility in his heart, but also shows it in his exterior presence to all who see him; 63 that is, whether at the Divine Office, in the oratory, in the monastery, in the garden, on a journey, in the field, or anywhere else, whether sitting, walking, or standing, he always keeps his head bowed and his eyes cast down upon the ground. 64 Accounting himself at all times guilty of his sins, he considers himself already present before the awesome judgment, 65 constantly repeating in his heart what the publican in the Gospel said with eyes fixed on the ground: "Lord, sinner that I am, I am not worthy to lift my eyes to heaven"; 66 and also with the prophet: "I am utterly bowed down and humbled." 67 Having climbed all these steps of humility, the monk will quickly arrive at that love of God which, being perfect, casts out fear; 68 through which he will begin to observe without any effort, as if naturally and by habit, all that he previously kept not without dread, 69 no longer out of fear of hell, but for love of Christ, out of good habit, and out of delight in virtue. 70 All this the Lord will deign to manifest through the Holy Spirit in his worker, cleansed of vices and sins.
[cos] => The Ladder to Perfect Love. The twelve steps of humility culminate in a horizon of love and freedom: reaching that charity which casts out fear and conforms us to Jesus Christ. This journey does not aim to earn God's favor by being perfect. On the contrary, it shows how the heart is progressively transformed through inner work, daily fidelity, and God's help. Fulfilling the demands of the Gospel ceases to be a burden imposed by fear and becomes a natural habit born of love for Christ and a delight in virtue. Thus, God becomes ever more present in the monk's unified and peaceful heart.
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[mes] => 10
[dia] => 10
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