“I seek the grace of God and fellowship in this community.”
circles on it.
Lines went from the outside of the circles to the center. Abbot Theodore
explained that the circles represented time and the lines represented
the members of the community. Pointing to the spot in the center where
all the lines came together, he told John that that was God at the center.
Continuing, he told John that as he moved closer to God he also moved
closer to the community and similarly as he moves closer to the members
of the community he will also be growing closer to John. Abbot Theodore
told John to keep this medallion on his desk and to refer back to it
often throughout the year to see where he was on the journey to God.
Brother Jerome then read the prologue to the Rule of St. Benedict, which states that John should, “listen with the ear of your heart.” After the reading of the Rule John was presented with his scapular and a copy of the Rule that he will study over the course of the next year. Each member of the community then welcomed John by giving him the kiss of peace.
During the course of the next year, John will join in the work and
prayer of the community. He will also undertake a formal program of
instruction that will cover the Rule of St. Benedict, the Constitutions
and statutes of the Swiss-American Benedictine Congregation, scriptural,
liturgical, and monastic studies, Lectio Divina, and Christian literature.