Benedictine poverty includes taking care of material things, even if they're old and worn, and avoiding waste. We do not each plan our own finances but we can exercise responsibility about not wasting water or electricity. We do a certain amount of fasting in Lent and Advent and at certain other times, and newcomers accustom themselves to this gradually.
The Abbess has to take into account St. Benedict's principle that the regime should be such that "the strong may still have something to long after and the weak may not draw back in alarm" (Rule of St. Benedict, chapter 64).
‘Happy is he who prays with the Church. Prayer said in union with the Church is the light of the understanding, the fire of divine love in the heart. Let not the soul that is possessed with a love of prayer be afraid that her thirst cannot be quenched by these rich streams of the liturgy, which now flow calmly as a streamlet, now roll with the loud impetuosity of a torrent, and now swell with the mighty heavings of the sea. The liturgy is suitable for all souls, being milk for children and solid food for the strong, thus resembling the miraculous bread of the desert.
Anyone can try to fast from chatter or from trivia or from shutting doors noisily. Some find it an austerity to respond promptly when the bell goes for prayer or if they are asked to lend a hand unexpectedly: it's good to remember that these are opportunities for showing love, just as a mother responds promptly to her crying baby, even if she's not filled with a warm maternal glow at that particular moment.
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letter: St Cecilia's Abbey, Appley Rise, Ryde, Isle of Wight, England PO33 ILH
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