The fourth degree of humility is that he hold fast to patience with a silent mind when in this obedience he meets with difficulties and contradictions and even any kind of injustice, enduring all without growing weary or running away. For the Scripture says, "The one who perseveres to the end, is the one who shall be saved" (Matt. 10:22); and again "Let your heart take courage, and wait for the Lord" (Ps. 26[27]:14)! And to show how those who are faithful ought to endure all things, however contrary, for the Lord, the Scripture says in the person of the suffering, "For Your sake we are put to death all the day long; we are considered as sheep marked for slaughter" (Ps. 43[44]:22; Rom. 8:36). Then, secure in their hope of a divine recompense, they go on with joy to declare, "But in all these trials we conquer, through Him who has granted us His love" (Rom. 8:37). Again, in another place the Scripture says, "You have tested us, O God; You have tried us as silver is tried, by fire; You have brought us into a snare; You have laid afflictions on our back" (Ps. 65[66]:10-11). And to show that we ought to be under a Superior, it goes on to say, "You have set men over our heads" (Ps. 65[66]:12). Moreover, by their patience those faithful ones fulfill the Lord's command in adversities and injuries: when struck on one cheek, they offer the other; when deprived of their tunic, they surrender also their cloak; when forced to go a mile, they go two; with the Apostle Paul they bear with false brethren (2 Cor. 11:26) and bless those who curse them (1 Cor. 4:12).
To hold past to patience with a silent mind when we meet difficulties and contradictions immediate brings to mind my least favorite precept in the Big Book of AA. It states that if I become angry or upset, regardless of of the cause, the problem is with me, not another. Being robbed of the ability to engage in good old fashioned self righteous anger is real steamer. There are times when we don’t have to be wrong, when we should be right, where we are, by dang, right. Benedict in the 4th rule of humility, says the same thing. Even when wronged, stay peaceful and endure the injustice.
There is no doubt I would rather be sober than engage in a vengeful reaction to being wronged, regardless of the nature of the wrong. To lose sobriety would far worse than to lose whatever else might have been lost. The outcome of not yielding to anger and upset is the ability, in the thoughts of Benedict, to maintain peace in a storm or loss or adversity. Sobriety requires peace, peace nourishes sobriety. Without peace, I have nothing.
Nice words. Now lets make it real.
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