How does an ancient Rule, specifically the Rule of St. Benedict, offer a perspective and ways forward in implementing ‘synodality’ for the present and future renewal of monastic life and of the Church?  This is the subject of a short essay by the Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Congregation, Gregory Polan, in the American Benedictine Review (March, 2022,73:1, p.1-9).  Abbot Gregory focuses on chapter 3 of the Rule, ‘Calling the Brethren to Counsel’.  He notes that there are other references to synodality in the Rule, however, for his short essay he focuses only on chapter 3.  I like to reflect on two other areas where a ‘synodal’ reality exists in the Rule of Benedict, and there are more references than what I will speak about this morning.

“The lamp of faith requires being continuously nourished by the heart-to-heart encounter with Jesus in prayer and in listening to his Word,” said Pope Francis.

“It is written in the prophets: ‘They shall all be taught by God’.  Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me’” (Jn 6:45).  If we took just this sentence into prayer, how are we each being addressed by these words of Jesus?  There exists within us the reality that God is ready to teach us and, presumably, at any given moment. 

“You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned, and have revealed them to the little ones,” says Jesus (Mt 11:25). Jesus is praising his abba for revealing the mysteries of God to the little ones, that is to children. If we look at the posture of children and compare it with the posture of the so-called ‘wise and learned’, what is Jesus praising in this text?

(Above - recently discovered Salvator Mundi, by Leonardo Da Vinci)

The Second Sunday of Advent opens with the cry of John the Baptist out of the wilderness: ‘Prepare the Way’. This cry is intended to pierce our hearts so that we may be ready for the new unfolding life of ‘the God who is to come’.