God Dwells in an Obedient Soul

Published 14 hours ago

“Terrible is this place: it is the house of God and the gate of Heaven.” This Catholic homily commemorates the anniversary of an abbey church’s dedication and reflects upon God’s indwelling, religious obedience, and the eternal treasure hidden within monastic life.

A consecrated church is awesome because the Holy Trinity dwells there in a unique way through the Blessed Sacrament. Likewise, a soul that faithfully lives the vow of obedience becomes a precious dwelling place of God.

Drawing from Blessed Columba Marmion’s Christ, the Ideal of the Monk and Chapter Five of the Rule of Saint Benedict, this sermon presents obedience as an act of worship and an effective pledge of love. The obedient religious seeks opportunities to surrender personal preference and respond promptly when God calls.

The homily recounts Saint Benedict’s first miracle: after his nurse’s borrowed sieve broke, Benedict prayed and restored it completely. When the miracle brought him public attention, the humble young saint fled to Subiaco rather than risk pride.

Christ Himself provides the supreme example. Although Lord and Creator, He accepted rejection from the Gerasenes, returned to the boat, and departed when asked. His earthly life reveals the mystery of divine humility and obedience.

Blessed Columba Marmion compares religious life to discovering El Dorado. A person sacrifices family, property, career, and personal plans to seek eternal treasure. How foolish it would be to find an immense store of gold but return home with only a few tiny nuggets. Having sacrificed so much, religious souls must not settle for mediocrity when humble obedience offers immeasurable supernatural riches.

May Christ call us down from the tree of self-will and dwell within us through Holy Communion.

0:00 “The house of God and gate of Heaven”
0:57 Opening prayer
1:02 Anniversary of the abbey church’s dedication
1:17 Incensing the altar at the dedication
1:29 A great blessing upon the community
1:47 Dwelling within God’s dwelling
1:53 The meaning of “terrible is this place”
2:13 The Trinity’s presence in sacred space
2:26 A house containing the Blessed Sacrament
2:46 The soul as God’s sacred dwelling
2:57 Faithfulness to the vow of obedience
3:25 Blessed Columba Marmion on monastic obedience
3:39 Obedience as worship offered to God
3:56 Chapter Five of Saint Benedict’s Rule
4:06 Seeking only eternal realities
4:27 Young Benedict leaves Rome
4:46 Benedict and his nurse Cyrilla
5:00 The borrowed sieve breaks
5:25 Saint Benedict miraculously restores it
6:10 The miracle becomes known
6:22 A warning about pride
6:46 Benedict secretly flees
6:53 The beginning of his life at Subiaco
7:32 Seeking opportunities to obey
7:43 Obedience as a pledge of love
7:55 Obeying God, superiors, and prayer
8:23 Why obedience is difficult
8:27 Lessons from the novitiate
8:42 “When the bell rings, do not cross the T”
9:08 Prompt obedience to God’s call
9:42 Christ’s own example of obedience
10:19 Christ casts out the demons
10:45 The Gerasenes ask Jesus to leave
11:07 Christ returns to the boat
11:36 A difficult personal lesson in obedience
12:17 Marmion’s parable of El Dorado
12:33 Selling everything to seek gold
12:57 The monastery as spiritual El Dorado
13:24 Leaving family and earthly privileges
13:38 Discovering the treasure of religious vows
13:52 Taking only a few small nuggets
14:06 The foolishness of spiritual mediocrity
14:37 Losing enthusiasm in religious life
15:17 Remembering the sacrifices already made
15:30 The jackpot of the vow of obedience
15:46 Humility in ordinary assignments
16:07 Continuing the Holy Sacrifice
16:16 Christ calls us down from self-will
16:28 Closing prayer
16:37 Closing hymn
16:47 Sensus Fidelium app

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