The rule of St. Benedict for a daily life, learning to listen to God with a discerning heart.

I'm Chris McGregor.

Receiving Admonition and Correction, Episode 14.

As St. Benedict finishes speaking about obedience, he turns to a practical test,

how we respond when we're admonished or when we're corrected.

Sometimes correction is hard and tough.

Sometimes it comes in little things.

A small adjustment, a word about tone, a reminder to do what should have been done. Either way, it reveals

what's happening in the heart. In the Benedictine way, correction isn't outside the spiritual life.

It's one of the ordinary ways God forms the heart in truth and keeps us on the path of the spiritual

journey. From Chapter 5 of the path of the spiritual journey.

From Chapter 5 of the Rule of Saint Benedict,

Those who fear God and do not grow proud of their obedience,

but attribute the good they see in themselves to God, not to themselves,

always expect correction.

St. Benedict is careful here.

He doesn't treat admonition or correction as punishment or failure.

He presents it as normal for anyone who wants to grow in fidelity.

The heart that's learning obedience doesn't cling to its own rightness or its record of good

intentions. Expecting correction doesn't mean looking for fault or seeking humiliation. It means

remaining teachable. The Holy Rule assumes that none of us sees ourselves fully or accurately.

A word of correction can become a gift when it's received without defensiveness. It's also important to say what this isn't. St. Benedict

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