The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life: Learning to Listen to God with a Discerning Heart with Kris McGregor

Episode 6 – The Tools for Good Works

In this episode of The Rule of St. Benedict for Daily Life, Kris McGregor reflects on Chapter 4 of the Holy Rule and the “tools for good works.” St. Benedict moves from desire and invitation into daily Christian practice, beginning with the command to love God with the whole heart and to love one’s neighbor as oneself. These tools are not techniques for self-improvement but habits that slowly form the heart in Christ. Through steady, ordinary faithfulness, love becomes visible in small acts and daily responsibilities.

Citations

Benedict of Nursia, The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 4 §§1–2 (RB 1980)

“First of all, love the Lord God with your whole heart, your whole soul and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself …You must honor everyone and never do to another what you do not want done to yourself”

“In primis Dominum Deum diligere ex toto corde, tota anima, tota virtute; deinde proximum tamquam se ipsum… Omnes homines honorare. Et quod sibi quis fieri non vult, alii ne faciat.”

John 14:15, RSV–CE
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

1. Do I see daily responsibilities as burdens or as opportunities to practice love?
2. What small good do I already know how to do that I tend to delay or rush through?
3. How does placing love at the center reorder my priorities?
4. In what ways can patient speech and restraint become concrete expressions of love?
5. How might steady, ordinary faithfulness shape my heart over time?

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The Rule Of St. Benedict For Daily Life: Learning To Listen To God With A Discerning Heart

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