“If Hearing This, Thou Answereth” (Day 3 of the Holy Rule)

If hearing this thou answerest, “I am he,” God saith to thee: “If thou wilt have true and everlasting life, keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile; turn away from evil and do good; seek after peace and pursue it.”

ST. BENEDICT's first instruction to his spiritual sons and daughters is one not easily appreciated by the modern mind: above all, the NOVITIATE IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE MUST ABHOR LYING FIRST AND FOREMOST.

The reason is pretty uncomplicated:

Lies are what keep us from God who is Truth itself.

From Proverbs, we are told of the monk's high premium of silence:

Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues."

Holy wisdom comes for those who will receive it and they cannot receive with an open mouth and closed ears.

Here, we shall go back to our first day of the Rule where I asked a question-- "why is there strength in obedience?"

To answer this question, we need to know the atory of a word.

And, Obedience is a word whose origins few know.

From the online etymology dictionary:

obey(v.)

c. 1300, obeien, "carry out the commands of (someone); submit to (a command, rule, etc.); be ruled by," from Old French obeir" obey, be obedient, do one's duty" (12c.), from Latin obedire, oboedire "obey, be subject, serve; pay attention to, give ear," literally "listen to," from ob "to" (see ob-) + audire "listen, hear" (from PIE root *au- "to perceive").

The older the form, or so it seems, the more directly the act is tied with the body.

To obey is simply to listen.  To have obedience is to have the habit of listening.  To listen is to perceive someone outside of yourself, the chief source of which is God.

Carry on, dear reader!  Be well!