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

I'm Chris McGregor.

The 10th degree of humility.

Episode 25.

With the 10th degree of humility Episode 25 With the 10th degree of humility,

St. Benedict now speaks about the way a person conducts himself.

By this point, the holy rule,

humility has already been tested in obedience,

endurance, silence, and restraint.

Now it begins to show itself in a person's manner, and way he carries himself and how he moves through ordinary life. The Benedictine way understands that outward habits

affect the heart. The way we speak and react and carry ourselves can either steady us or leave us

scattered.

From Chapter 7 of the Rule of St. Benedict,

The tenth degree of humility is that one is not easily moved and quick to laughter, for

it is written, a fool raises his voice in laughter.

St. Benedict isn't condemning joy.

He isn't asking for gloom, coldness, or a life drained of warmth.

He is speaking about restraint and about the kind of outward behavior that helps keep the heart grounded.

The issue isn't laughter itself. The issue is laughter, joking, or outward behavior that loses its measure. Sometimes it becomes excessive.

Sometimes it turns foolish or disruptive. Sometimes it makes light of what should be treated more carefully. It can also

disturb those around us and create a restless, unbalanced atmosphere that pulls everyone off

center. St. Benedict is warning against that kind of loss of balance. What he's trying to form is moderation.

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