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News
--------------------------
Welcome
Benedict XVI
Master
--------------------------
History
Introduction
St Dominic's gift
Australia
---------------------------
Order
Discernment
Formation
Dominican habit
Novitiate
Studentate
---------------------------
Life
Introduction
Four pillars
Apostolate
---------------------------
People
Dominican saints
Our brethren
---------------------------
Resources
Lectio Divina
Links
Prayer
Reading
---------------------------
Site dedication
There were the standard, year-4 responses: not being in year 3; going into year 5 next year. But one bright cookie piped up with: “Substitute teachers!” I subsequently discovered that under this broad head of 'Substitute teachers' came such perks as the Substitute not knowing your name so you can get away with more, getting out of the regular boring work in favour of stuff that won't be checked quite so rigorously as with your regular teacher, and (the best part) sometimes no follow up of 'problem situations'.
That year 4 kid was on to something. There's a trait in us which seeks constantly to get out of the normal, mundane things that are required of us. We become elusive and shy away from doing all that is required of us. Now, this might sound a bit rich coming from a guy who presses a wonderful little button on the organ that makes the pedals' sounds without actually playing them, but the emphasis here is that the trait is in all of us, and especially musicians. This trait may not necessarily have a name, but we know it when we come across it. It's called: cutting corners, taking a shortcut, not giving 100%. It's even a feature of Australian culture: it's called the 'sickie'.
What causes it? There are all sorts of factors, but it might be that we're holding back from full participation in whatever it is. There's a certain reluctance in us to give it our all because what we're engaged in is not worth it in our opinion, or is too hard, or it's just not interesting enough, or we don't stand to gain much from it. There might be laziness in there too, but there could also be a forgetfulness about the whole thing: like not going to Stage 2 of dining at St Dominic's Refectory. Perhaps there's just a lack of awareness of what's required of us: we're a little blind to the matter.
Whatever of it's causes, and whatever it's called, it's a scourge on our lives. It's something worth addressing because of its effects on other tasks and duties we are to engage in. It's infectious – on other things we're doing, and on others who follow our lead whether they know it or not.
The Church offers us religious, and indeed all of us, a way of dealing with this shallowness. First of all, there is the examination of conscience that is a part of two liturgical celebrations: the Mass, in the first place, but also at the start of Compline or Night Prayer when we consider what our part was in the short-comings of the day. In addition to personal sin as such, we can also ponder as to whether there was something we've missed, or was there something which could have been done better. There may be no sin involved, but the examination of conscience is a good opportunity to address our short-comings.
We also have flashes of encouragement to do better in the rest of the Liturgy of the Hours. Tonight, as an example which might be fresher in our minds, we sang of the Saviour who showed us “generous love” to the point of suffering death to conquer our weakness; and the God who teaches suffering and death, the fullest extent of self-giving, as life-lessons to be grasped.
Then there's the good example of others. Novices in the Order, I'm told, in times past have been instructed to follow what they hear, not what they see; but this is perhaps a little unfair to the brethren. We have an opportunity to see what more we can do by first noticing, and then appreciating, the good work that others do right under our noses. To that end, we can see in them the example of Christ the Lord himself, who was obedient unto death, even death on a cross: for Christ went the whole 9 yards, dived in head first, and went the Full Monty.
My brothers, never grow tired of doing what is right.
