Word to the Wise
Monday, May 12, 2008 - Monday in the Sixth Week of Ordinary Time
[James 1:1-11 and Mark 8:11-13]The brother in lowly circumstances should take pride in high standing, and the rich one in his lowliness, for he will pass away "like the flower of the field."
Shortly after founding the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), St. Dominic was required by Pope Honorius III to adopt an existing religious "rule" as the fundamental written basis for daily life. Since Dominic had been a "Canon of St. Augustine" at the cathedral of the diocese of Osma in Spain, it seemed a natural thing to adopt the Rule of St. Augustine. And that is what he and the first brethren did. To this day, the Rule of St. Augustine is printed first in our book of constitutions. As a novice (and later as a Novice Master!) I had to know this rule well. It is a wise and practical guide to community life even though it was written in the 4th or 5th century! One particular piece of wisdom that it contains has shown itself to be true to me again and again, but the first time I became aware of its truth, it was pointed out to me as a novice by one of our non-ordained Cooperator Brothers. We were eating at "second table" (the time when the table waiters and cooks would eat) and a certain brother was making a nuisance of himself further down the room. The Cooperator Brother wryly noted that the troublesome brother had come from poor circumstances to religious life and as a result, his lifestyle improved. When that happened he became more and more demanding and critical, whereas brothers who had come from well-off circumstances were rather accepting of whatever they were given. The Rule of St. Augustine specifically mentions this phenomenon. It seems to be a commonplace psychological thing. The "high standing" referred to by the Letter of James is the humble circumstances of the brother in the first place, and not the "riches" that he might acquire. James goes on to warn the rich person about the dangers of placing reliance on material goods. Nevertheless it is not uncommon for the powerless to gain power and become even more arrogant than those who had power to begin with. Perhaps this explains in part the phenomenon of professional athletes born in humble circumstances who receive enormous signing "bonuses" and high performance incentives and yet go bankrupt not long after beginning their career. The newfound power of wealth is beyond their understanding to manage with wisdom. Indeed, it is wisdom that makes it possible for rich or poor alike to live a life of faith, and the Letter of James urges us all to pray for that wisdom if we lack it. I pray for it every day and I admit, on occasion, I've prayed for some others that they might obtain it, too! AMEN
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