Good Zeal Made Visible in Love

Near the end of the Rule, Benedict gives us one of its most beautiful summaries. There is a bitter zeal that separates us from God, and there is a good zeal that leads us toward Him. The difference is seen in how we treat one another: showing respect, bearing patiently with weakness, preferring another's good to our own, loving sincerely, and placing nothing before Christ.

This chapter may be the heart of Benedictine life. We can become very serious about prayer, theology, discipline, or religious practice and still miss the point if those things do not make us more loving. Good zeal is holiness made visible in ordinary relationships. The question is not simply whether we love God, but whether the people around us can tell that we do.