Chapter 2: What Kind of Person the Abbess Ought to Be - January 9

An Abbess who is worthy to be over a monastery should always remember what she is called, and live up to the name of Superior. For she is believed to hold the place of Christ in the monastery, being called by a name of His, which is taken from the words of the Apostle: "You have received a Spirit of adoption ..., by virtue of which we cry, 'Abba -- Father'" (Rom. 8:15)!

Therefore the Abbess ought not to teach or ordain or command anything which is against the Lord's precepts; on the contrary, her commands and her teaching should be a leaven of divine justice kneaded into the minds of her disciples.

**************************************************************************

The abbot or abbess is the leader, the head of the monastery. As a married man and father, I have been called by God to be the leader of my family. Over the years my understanding and belief of how to be a leader has varied but always needed to be retooled to be more effective and to be the leader I was called to become.

The image of a lion comes to mind. The male lion is the head of the pride and the safety and well being of all members from the smallest cub to the nearest rival male is his responsibility. If the pride is attacked or threatened by a rival or outside threat, he must respond to overcome the challenge given him because if he fails it is likely all of his offspring and the younger males will be killed by the new leader.

My family was never threatened physically in the way a pride of lions might expect but there is world that is full of sin and temptation that we live in and my job was to protect my family be my example, by my teaching  and by my love. I did not always succeed as a leader and I regret deeply I did not understand what was expected of me as my children were growing up.

Rather than being a protector, I became another threat my wife had to face. I regret that even more.

The lion does not dominate the pride by making all decisions. He lets the most experienced lionesses make the daily decision about hunting, seeking shelter or water or how the structure will develop. He only watches and contributes to the hunt and teaches the younger males how to be men.

At this late hour, I still am called to be a leader, to be the lion and now that I am beginning to understand what that means, I hope to everyday grow ever more powerful in love and devotion to be the example and teacher my family still needs and the partner my wife deserves.

This relies completely on me emptying myself of me that God may fill the emptiness with his goodness and so I will grow toward becoming the Father in the prodigal son, a reflection of God and not of myself.