I found a nice meaty book last night. Greater Perfection, by Sr. Miriam Teresa of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth in Convent Station, NJ. Copyright 1946.
It's a collection of spiritual conferences to the Sisters, as written under obedience to Sr. Miriam's spiritual father, and only published after Sister's death in 1927.
The first chapter is on religious humility, but much of what she writes applies equally to a lay person. Lots of people think living a Rule of Life must be onerous and not much fun, and I suppose people who aren't serious about their religion and the state of their souls may think of the ten Commandments, the Virtues and all the other guidelines that Christ and Holy Church have given us to help us grow in holiness as party-poopers. But I wonder if they've ever bothered to try obedience and humility, seriously and sincerely, for just a few days even. They might find, as I did, that humbly adhering to a Rule (even if it's just really concentrating on keeping the Ten Commandments in all seriousness) is quite liberating.
And really, all baptized Christians are, in a sense, religious (now there's something to ponder, yes?) And "it is the keeping of the rule, not the donning of a distinctive habit, that makes ... a religious." The ultimately simple manifestation of a rule for a lay person is to keep, attentively, the Ten Commandments, the Two Great Commandments of the New Testament, and to cultivate the virtues (and thereby eliminate vices).
Stay tuned......
"And really, all baptized Christians are, in a sense, religious (now there's something to ponder, yes?)"
ReplyDeleteIndeed, it is something to ponder. It is along the lines of how we are all called to live the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity & obedience -- according to our state in life.
Happy meaty reading! ;o)