62. To fulfill God's commandments daily in one's deeds.
63. To love chastity.

64. To hate no one.

65. Not to be jealous, not to harbor envy.

66. Not to love contention.

67. To beware of haughtiness.

68. And to respect the seniors.

69. To love the juniors.

70. To pray for one's enemies in the love of Christ.

71. To make peace with one's adversary before the sun sets.

72. And never to despair of God's mercy.

These, then, are the tools of the spiritual craft. If we employ them unceasingly day and night, and return them on the Day of Judgment,our compensation from the Lord will be that wage He has promised:"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,what God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor. 2:9). Now the workshop in which we shall diligently execute all these tasks is the enclosure of the monastery and stability in the community.

Given the violent and difficult times in which he lived, the Rule of Benedict is extraordinary in its commitment to practical peace-making.

Love begets forgiveness. Forgiveness may beget love. At the very least the interplay of love and forgiveness effectively excludes hate.

Even more than in those end-times, we would benefit from Benedict's disciplines. How are we to live in an increasingly crowded and contentious world?

The monastery may not be available to us, but the community is at hand and in need. So are we in need to learn how to fulfill God's intention in our daily deeds.

Gracious God help us to receive the wisdom of Benedict and apply it to our days.

Above is a depiction of St. Benedict by Fra Angelico in San Marco, Florence.