Blessed Schuster’s Daily Thoughts on the Rule: Thursday after the Third Sunday of Lent
Thursday after the 3rd Sunday of Lent
Saint Peter’s Mother-in-Law
1. At mid-Lent, when in ancient times the prolonged fasts had already weakened the fasting clergy and people, recourse is had for remedy to the Physicians Anarguroi [without money, i.e., Saints Cosmas and Damian—tr.] in their Stational titulus in the Roman Forum.
Jesus enters into the house of Peter at Capharnaum, and finds there the mother-in-law in bed, struck with high fevers. The Divine Master was there as if at home with that hospitable family; so much so that they brought Him familiarly to meet the sick woman, praying Him to heal her. The Redeemer could not deny the favour to those whom He considered as His habitual hosts. The mother-in-law of Saint Peter rises promptly from the bed, and, to give a sign of having been healed, she goes to the kitchen to offer her work in service of her heavenly Physician and those who accompanied Him.
Saint Francis de Sales makes some interesting observations in this regard.
The poor sick woman stayed calmly in her berth, even while knowing the Lord was in the house. She does not demand anything, nor does she refuse anything. As soon as she is released, she immediately wants to employ her recovered strength in service of the Divine Master.
The Holy Bishop of Geneva concluded his meditation thus: ‘To ask nothing, to refuse nothing.’
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2. The Cassinese Patriarch [Saint Benedict] has consecrated Chapter 36 of the Rule to the good care of the infirm.
He begins by prescribing that such care should have an exquisitely supernatural character, and that in every monastery the service of the infirmary bears a primary importance. Ante omnia et super omnia adhibenda est, ut sicut revera Christo. [Before all things and above all things (care) is to be employed (towards the sick), as truly to Christ.]
Dispositions for rooms, for beds, equipment, machines, instruments, arrangements for treatments, doctors, nurses, everything should be up-to-date, in such manner that the monks—without excess or useless wastes—will have nothing better to desire outside the cenobium.
The care and vigilance over the administration of the monastic infirmary weigh upon the abbot himself and upon the infirmarian.
For the Abbot, Saint Benedict writes two words: Cura maxima [greatest care]. For the infirmarian: Servitor timens Deum, et diligens ac sollicitus [a serving-man fearing God, and diligent and solicitous].
a) timens Deum. To imprint a true supernatural character on the office of the infirmary, where often the burden of the illness shows man as he is, in his miserable humanity.
b) diligens. Thus, an adequate scientific competence is presupposed.
c) sollicitus. To dispense the sick one from the humiliation of asking.
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3. Illness often reduces man to the naked conditions of his poor humanity. ‘There exists no great man for his own chamberlain.’ Nevertheless, so that this may happen as little as possible, in such a manner that even in the infirmary the mortified and penitent monk may remain such, Saint Benedict directs to the sick these admonitions:
‘The sick should nevertheless reflect that it is in honour of God that service is offered to them; and they should not sadden the brethren assigned to the services with their superfluous demands.’ (Rule, Ch. 36)
The phrase is strong and should be meditated upon well: et non superfluitate sua contristent fratres suos.
It is already a serious thing for any Christian, to sadden his brother. How much more it is for the monk, and this superfluitate sua [by his superfluous demands].
But how will the infirm one manage to distinguish what is superfluous from what can be truly useful? His judgment is that of a sick man, to whom everything tastes bitter. So he cannot rely on himself in this.
He should therefore entrust himself with docility to the infirmarians and the doctors.