I think we are all fairly familiar with the fact that monks and nuns take religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. “The vows are regarded as the individual’s free response to a call by God to follow Jesus Christ more closely under the action of the Holy Spirit in a particular form of religious living.” 1 I’m not sure if it’s common knowledge that the Benedictines take a fourth vow, the vow of stability.
A few years ago, one of the ladies in our online Sirach Bible study posted a picture today with these words, “What does a Thesaurus have for breakfast? A synonym roll!”
That funny Meme grabbed my attention because I love my Thesaurus! As I was inspired to consider this post, I, of course, searched the Thesaurus for the word, “stability.” Here are some of the synonyms: balance, security, strength, support, backbone, constancy, dependability, determination, durability, endurance, permanence, perseverance, solidness, steadfastness, steadiness (my 2018 word of the year)…to name a few {ahem} I told you, I love my Thesaurus.
Stability is a much a needed virtue today isn’t? Of course, when I hear that we need more stability in our world, my thoughts immediately go to marriage, but also employment–both from the employer side of things and the employee. Friendships, patriotism, and this one blessed earthly life, in general, all require the virtue of stability.
Don’t you feel like we’re kind of wandering as a society? When we aren’t fighting everything and everyone that is. The spiritual aspect of this not being our home aside, we’re so transitory. I think more often than not, we move to follow or chase away a “feeling” and we do it with such habit that many of us don’t even realize we’re chasing the shadow of happiness while contentment, joy, and peace are what we’re really after. And those aren’t found on the run.
By the distinctive Benedictine vow of stability, St. Benedict recognized the humble truth that “home is where the heart is.” The heart singly and solely dedicated to God will not wander from where she has been called to pursue Him. A soul rooted in stability will not seek escape, moderation, or even another place where she judges there is a better form of life. She will devote herself to the task at hand in the place where God has led her. Even if obedience may send a sister beyond the geographical bounds of the monastery, she promises faithfully to observe the law of God in the monastic institute by her vows until death.
Let me share with you what stood to me from the above quote. First, “The heart singly and solely dedicated to God will not wander from where she has been called to pursue Him.” Being an introvert with lots of children, I don’t necessarily deal with this too much, but on occasion, this very problem does come up for me and I know many women who struggle with this. This idea of going and doing and being all the time can be exhausting physically, mentally, and spiritually. Add in a healthy dose of serving others–all very good and noble activities and ideas…so long as they don’t interfere or replace our primary call to serve God in our home with our own people. We’ve discussed this before–we can’t be throwing lukewarm Chef Boyardee at our family as we run out the door with a three-course meal for someone else. I have not been called to “pursue Him” as the above quote states, going to and from at a constant and almost reckless pace in order to keep busy for its own sake.
The vow of stability keeps our priorities straight and ordered or regulated even. The path to God is literally right in front of us, right below us, all around us, right where are. We don’t need to go looking for God or chasing Him or finding creative ways to serve Him. Serving who is before us and doing the job right in front of us can all be service to and for the love of God. Obviously, there are some who are called to extraordinary heights of service, I’m not speaking of them in this generalized topic of stability in our lives.
For many of us, cheerfully giving the toddler a sippy cup of water, when seen in the spiritual life is suddenly recognized as giving drink to the thirsty, a Corporal Work of Mercy. Sitting with a friend at the hospital or on the other end of the phone is recognized as comforting the afflicted, a Spiritual Work of Mercy.
Those moments and opportunities of serving where we are–when we are in that place and time, define all those synonyms I listed above for the word “stability.”
Next, “A soul rooted in stability will not seek escape.” Social Media…food…television shows…shopping…gossip…all of these can be an escape, can’t they? “Or even another place where she judges there is a better form of life.” Wow! Comparison…envy…jealousy…covetousness. Considering this, I think this is more of a problem now than it was, or at least it has the potential of being a bigger problem. I never realized until thinking this through how much Social Media can absolutely rock our stability!
When I have traveled with my daughter for soccer we always binge watch HGTV since we don’t have cable at home. As much as I love those shows, I’m happy I don’t have access to them daily. I can see where they would slowly chip away at my happiness with and in my own home or even my husband because he can’t “see” the vision of a renovated home or tear out walls and lay new tile in the length of an episode.
We would think it rather silly, or at least I would, for a monk or nun to see a different monastery on television and suddenly begin to pine to live there because the countertops are new granite and the light fixtures have that eclectic mix of industrial farmhouse decor. I would think it absolutely absurd and rather shallow. And yet so many people do it all the blessed time.
That’s another slippery and quite effective tactic of the enemy, “Green Grass Syndrome,” looking over every fence to see how much greener the grass is on the other side. Peering over other people’s fence is a pretty unstable practice isn’t?
Now, there’s nothing wrong with updating a home and appreciating a beautiful living space. But there is something to be said for things that are stable enough to stand the test of time. Think of a beloved grandparent’s home. Or a recent and surprising example, I stayed overnight in a Benedictine monastery and the decor was very 1960’s. And yet there was something so comforting and almost eternally supernatural about the lack of updates. It all seemed so stable, durable, and permanent.
As my six year old has surprisingly and out of nowhere gotten in the habit of saying, “Do you need something or do you just want something?” Kind of cute until you’re standing dripping wet on a cold tile floor yelling through the door, “I need a towel!” and he decides to ask that question.
Look back over the list of synonyms for stability above and pick one out that pricks your heart and sets your mind on considering the stability of eternity.
Laura says
Thank you for this inspiring post! Where is the quote from?
Jenny says
Oh man! The reference has dropped off for some reason! I’ll have to look it up and let you know.
Lisa says
Ah yes, a wonderful post. St. Benedict was a truly wise man. I think of this vow often whenever I’m distressed with neighbors or even my parish community. How easy it would be to change parishes to one more to my liking; that worships more in the way I think they “should”. But God has placed me here and so I gather myself and do my best to improve the place I’m at, giving thanks for my own community with all its faults and it’s blessings. Thank you for this!
Jenny says
Yes, always giving thanks right.
Michelle says
St. Benedict, pray for us. Beautiful and encouraging post!