Obedientia – Obedience
The third vow of the monastic life is obedientia. The Latin word is
built on the word “audio”—to hear. Therefore, obedience is bound up with
hearing. It is not a passive listening. If you truly listen, then you
will know how to respond. To obey is to respond to what one hears. The
sense of autonomy in our culture makes this virtue difficult, yet there
is no real learning without obedience and humility.
In the Rule of Benedict, these virtues are connected particularly with
the master-disciple relationship. The Rule calls for the disciple to give
the self over to the Teacher: The gift of the self becomes possible because
of what Benedict demands of the Teacher. Benedict asks the teacher of the
monastery to be a person of discretion, who holds together both justice
and mercy.
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