Outsides/Insides

When people come to the monastery, Pre-Covid times, they come for religious services and are impressed by the monks, singing and praying in choir.  They enjoy talking to us after the time in Chapel.  We are very impressive on the outside.  But the Benedictine Rule is not to develop social skills with people we see for a moment, or to make us look holy to others.  The rule is for our insides, or else we join the world of religious hypocrites of which there are a few.  Just because we look like we are walking the walk and talking the talk does not mean that we are automatically transformed within.  That takes a lot of work that the public never sees.  We have to learn to get along, respect, and be open to people we see continually, one another in the monastery.  We all have shortcomings that you do not see.  We have to learn to love the imperfect person who messes up our plans for the day.  We have to learn to let go of our plans as if they were a holy rule.  We have to learn to live in the moment without resentments or future think.  We have to learn to practice prayer from the heart.  You too have to learn to get beyond looking good on the outsides or in manner with people you pass by or with whom you have brief encounters that do not mess with your agenda.  Putting on the right clothes and fixing our face seems hard I know, but it is a lot easier to do than the inside work of the heart.