7
Seven ways
to Root your life
in C h r i s t by Fr. Meinrad Miller
By the time I enrolled as a freshman at Benedictine College in the fall of 1983 I had already sp ent we ek-long retreat s at thre e B ene dictine A b b e y s : S t . M a r t i n ’s A b b e y i n Wa s h i n g t o n s t a t e ; h e r e i n A t c h i s o n , K a n . , a t S t . B e n e d i c t ’s A b b e y ; a n d a t C o n c e p t i o n A b b e y i n M i s s o u r i . I l o v e d C h r i s t a n d h a d a d e s i r e t o f o l l o w h i m m o r e c l o s e l y. O n e o f t h e a s p e c t s t h a t d r e w m e t o t h e m o n a s t i c l i f e w a s s t a b i l i t y. I t i s one of the three vows that Benedictines profess, along with Obedience and C onver satio Mor um. Stability is not simply a negative: “ne ver le ave the m o n a s t e r y.” R a t h e r i t i s p o s i t i v e , b e c a u s e i t a l l o w s u s t o b e c o m e l i k e t h e t r e e planted by streams of water (Psalm 1:4). Of course the stream that we are planted by holds the waters of Baptism, and the fruit of the tree is our life in Christ. St. Benedict wanted us to be stable, to be rooted in one place, so that we can allow the roots to go deep, and bear much fruit. I would like to propose for your reflection seven ways to help you root your l i f e i n C h r i s t . I e n c o u r a g e y o u t o r e a d e a c h s l o w l y, t h e n t a k e a m o m e n t t o consider it.
I received the habit 29 years ago this July 10, and began my life as a monk . I am so grateful to Christ for having given me this vocation. While I may leave the Abbey often to help with parishes or give retreats, I know that this is my h o m e . I t i s h e r e w h e r e I h a v e p l a n t e d m y l i f e b y t h e s t r e a m o f l i v i n g w a t e r, w h i c h i s C h r i s t ’s m e r c y f l o w i n g o u t f o r m e . E d i t o r ’s n o t e : Fr. Me i n ra d Mi l l e r h a s b e e n a B e n e d i c t i n e m o n k s i n c e 1 9 8 6 . He c u r r e n t l y s e r v e s t h e c o m m u n i t y a s No v i c e M a s t e r, a n d w o r k s a s a P r o f e s s o r o f T h e o l o g y a t B e n e d i c t i n e College. 10
Kansas Monks
