Whenever any important business has to be done in the monastery, let the Abbot call together the whole community and state the matter to be acted upon. Then, having heard the brethren's advice, let him turn the matter over in his own mind and do what he shall judge to be most expedient. The reason we have said that all should be called for counsel is that the Lord often reveals to the younger what is best. Let the brethren give their advice with all the deference required by humility,and not presume stubbornly to defend their opinions; but let the decision rather depend on the Abbot's judgment, and all submit to whatever he shall decide for their welfare. However, just as it is proper for the disciples to obey their master, so also it is his function to dispose all things with prudence and justice.

Choices must be made. The right choice is not always clear. It may not even exist.

But there will always be better and worse choices. It is helpful for the community to be involved in choosing. It is helpful for the leader to hear the judgments of the community.

There is a role for leadership. There is a place for authority when it is exercised with prudence to advance justice.

Prudence is a translation of the Latin pro vide - for seeing - suggesting a recognition of reality. There is also the Latin prudentia -the classical virtue of good reasoning - but this is not what Benedict used.

The leader - all of us - are encouraged to see and act on what exists more than reason into being what we want to exist. Too often we are inclined to reason ourselves into illusion.