Virtue and Reverence

Devotional Classics, Benedict of Nursia, Excerpts from The Rule

"The first step of humility is to have a constant reverence for God before our eyes. We must shun our tendency of forgetfulness and be always mindful of God's commands." (p.179)

I am ashamed of some of the things I have placed before my eyes. There it is. Should I describe more? No need. Shameful images pollute everyday paths now.

How can I hope to bring a constant reverence before my eyes? I could have a cross before me like a donkey with cart has a carrot before it. Comical, but there may be something to it. Pictures are easily digested by the mind. I see some things and then they are burned on my mind as an image. I need to place pictures before my eyes that bring the image of God before my mind. Some pictures can help. Certainly the creation is one such picture if viewed rightly.

The image of God that Benedict uses are his commands. Not just pictures, but words can bring images to mind. "He makes me lie down in green pastures" or "[His commands] are more precious than gold, much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey from the comb." God's commands bring me the image of his fatherly love when I understand them correctly.

I am mindful of God's commands when talking about them, keeping symbols or words that remind me of them, and writing about them (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Such concentration on God's commands brings reverence before my eyes as well. I see the world differently. With the "glasses of reverence," I see it as God's creation giving praise to him instead of as merely Matt's candy shop to satisfy whatever craving I might have.

This is good. Humility does come from this sort of viewing of the world. I see my place within God's kingdom as a son and a creation, who needs a Father's guiding hand. Virtue comes not from merely obeying God's commands, but allowing them to change my whole way of seeing into constant reverence and my whole way of being into humility.

Lord, I cannot hope to grow in virtue without such reverence and humility. I have spent long enough following the god of my stomach. I want to live in fear of you, that is, seeking your approval above everything else. Place your word continually in my mind so that a constant reverence might be before my eyes. Amen.