Comments on: The sacredness of everyday things

By: Rituals: why holidays are like your mother’s best china

Rituals: why holidays are like your mother’s best china — Mon, 30 May 2011 09:12:16 +0000

[...] the monastic Rule of St Benedict, there’s a stipulation that we treat the everyday tools of the monastery with as much reverence as if they were the sacred [...]

By: Tille

Tille — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 02:52:37 +0000

Certainly Tess, I am trying to live this ideal… Benedictine novice Oblate as I am. Very very far from being easy it is not impossible to look at my everyday utensils as being sacred vessels.
Maybe I will truly get there some day… I strive to make it possible.

By: Tess

Tess — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 13:51:29 +0000

Thank you Abdur. Good serendipity. I think St Benedict is one of those whose teachings can reach us all, of whatever faith.

By: Abdur Rahman

Abdur Rahman — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 13:02:09 +0000

Peace Tess

Great post. Allah! It’s strange, but this morning I was watching a programme on St. Benedict and I thought to myself that I’d try and find out more about him!! Thank you.

God bless you now and evermore.

Abdur Rahman

By: Tess

Tess — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 14:08:16 +0000

Thank you Anne.

By: Anne

Anne — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 03:03:56 +0000

Tess this was a beautiful post. Thank you for these words of wisdom…

By: Tess

Tess — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:04:56 +0000

Thank you Christine. Having just got in from work I can let you know that while I was out one of my cats transformed the carpet in my kitchen into a nice regurgitation spot. Obviously didn’t like breakfast very much…

By: Abbey of the Arts

Abbey of the Arts — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 19:14:10 +0000

Tess, this is one of my favorite sections of the rule. I strive for it imperfectly, but I do believe the kitchen to be a most holy and sacred place where amazing acts of transformation occur daily.

By: Tess

Tess — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:45:04 +0000

Barbara, I agree with you, and thanks for the beautiful Hopkins line.
Lucy, I sometimes think it’s easier to love ourselves and others by starting with externals and working in. And I think neglect of one is symptomatic of the other. Happy pondering.

By: lucy

lucy — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:28:04 +0000

i am pondering in my mind which way would be easier to start…with the reverence of the small things and the every day or by learning to love and have compassion for ourselves. both seem like incredibly difficult but oh so worthy efforts.

the other piece i struggle with is how we often seem to love our “stuff” more than we do the people around us. i think the key here is in “the sacred vessels of the altar.” hmmm. i’ll keep pondering. thanks for posting.