The spiritual chapter is what we haven't found. But we haven't believed anything. And it puts the spirit first. The kingdom of God and the spirit. And also, again, we fit in the field of the material and the spiritual. enter into the, you know, into the horizon. You know very well, we all know that, of course, in our days, the very material, the administration is really something which takes a much greater attention than it took probably during that time when the school was great.

[01:06]

If you remember and you are familiar with that yourself, in all the first hour of that system, let's say the capitalistic system, it deals in a much more expensive way. why the problems of money have taken a much greater place. And also the whole question of the economy, of the monastic life. Now, let's say the economic basis of the monastic life is today a very important one, a very difficult one to solve. One great basic course, advice, and direction that St. Benedict gives here, keep in these two things the hierarchy of balance.

[02:13]

And don't start with the natural problem as the terminus at all, but start with the spiritual problem, of course. you know, from the part of monastic life. I mean, what is monastic life if it, right from the start, would it recapitulate, say, or be determined and allow itself to be determined by material considerations? But we must, in the general conception of the monastic life, keep that clear that We are there, and the monastic life makes only sin within the whole of the church. This hierarchy of value that the spirit is the kingdom of God is perfect.

[03:15]

You see, that is freedom. I mean, we have in the church, we have different degrees of, let's say, being, you know, different degrees of... they are being bound to the workings of the world. One can say that, for example, the ordinary administration of the church, for example, the parish life, the service of the souls in the world, simply by its very nature, demands a greater attention and a greater care also for the consideration of the material imaginable buildings that are necessary to put up, let's say, the church, so that they take the congregation, so that they, today in our days, the schools think of

[04:27]

But a tremendous effort is being made, first by this church here in the United States, first in facing the simple ethnicity of building church. And no period in history has known a greater expansion than the church in the United States during these last decades in the retirement building of churches. There will be the other enormous effort that is being made in the building of schools to take care of this tremendous problem of the education, you know, of a Catholic education. So there we can see then, naturally, that there the care for the administration, and of course there is a much greater place. What may ask one there is the present, to say, center, in which, for example, the priest, you know, takes over all these problems, that is really a wise woman, that is really the last solution, the best solution of the problem.

[05:43]

In any case, at the present moment, it's the only possible solution. That's true. But of course, the whole question of the diaconate comes in. in the hierarchy of the church there we have simply the difference between the bishop as the priest and as the head of the diocese and it's here first the priest and then of course the diacon so where the deacons are really those who take care, in the first century especially, but also later, of the more material needs of the people, and maybe that in connection with the council, the order and the specific task of the diaconate comes again more into the core. We also may sometimes have the feeling that

[06:44]

may be in these material times, a greater delegation to members of the laity. As I say, the old Catholic faction of people may be amazed. Our possibilities are a greater delegation, because it's already in the Acts of the Apostles, that we may be free to preach the word of God, but it's our day to serve the table. the apostolic principle. That's, of course, a very... But, I mean, in the hierarchy of the church, in the surroundings of the church, the ordinary administration of souls, what really is that there has to be taken, I mean, to collaboration at a special place, has to be given to the necessities and needs of an ordinary administration on a large scale. But of course, you come into the monastic life, in the whole monastic movement, and you look at it, oh, the way it originated, the way it is here, especially in the rule, the monastic order simply has and makes sense in the church only, and into far as it presents and is near that.

[08:12]

freedom and detachment of the Holy Spirit. That, of course, doesn't mean that a more monastery should be administrated or in a disorderly way. That is, of course, not possible. And there, the present church legislation, we should not forget that, is, of course, today much more definite, much more stringent, in these things and impose certain obligations upon a monastery. For example, this whole pledge of monastery cannot become an abbey if you take the abbey as a kind of mark of final approval on the part of the church for a monastery, which to a certain extent it has. cannot become an abbey if, as one says, one cannot show to the ecclesiastical authorities, the higher authorities, that the financial basis, you know, is secure for a community, because only then one can really take the responsibility for the members, and only then

[09:32]

Also, a certain external security is needed to also create and to foster the inner liberty of the Holy Spirit. So a certain measure of financial security is necessary. And then, of course, one has to take very simply required by the law of the Church. So in that way, we cannot simply go into dreams and just be unrealistic about things. We have to secure that inner or external stability, which goes together and is filled, as it were, by the inner spirit. But of course, I'm always thinking, for example, of our beginnings here. I mean, I say that just in The first big, I mean, really decision for us to make in the beginning was, when the last decline started, to say now, the first objection also, which we met, because this is a practical country, as you know, and people consider, of course, active possibilities,

[11:01]

The first question was always, how are you going to make ends meet if you don't have a school, or if you don't have parish? Yeah, of course, I mean, you understand me. I don't mean it as criticism, you know, of existing religious life and all the orders in this country or other happens, you know, but it is absolutely evident that the inner principle, inner principle, which one starts in our day as a new foundation in the monastic line, should not be dictated right from the beginning of, if we don't do this, we cannot exist. We cannot simply cannot break anything. And because then one really puts up a barrier to the spirit.

[12:09]

So we should always be very good to divine confidence that it was possible for us to start a monastic life which is, let's say, interiorly free. I think we feel, and the members of the community, those who live the life here, or to the junior, the novices, and those in triennial vows. Of course, they experience and they know what it means that to have that inner freedom to give themselves and to give a great amount, really, of time, to the spiritual thing in that inner liberty and leisure and also in the whole building up of the community.

[13:10]

The fact that we are not bound by an external work and the need of providing priests for parishes or providing teachers for schools. Of course, guilt, I said, is not only a negative thing and keeping the word out, but it's a means of letting the spirit in and of giving room to the spirit. Therefore, live a life and every member of the community is invited into the inner witness That is really what is needed today, and that is what makes sense for the monastic life. If we start on another principle, then, of course, people can rightly ask the donor, well, that trial, why don't you simply join the diocese?

[14:14]

It would be just the priest with all the priests. Why are you separated? Why are you not simply joining them, the ranks of that army, of which the bishop is the head? It's true. And therefore, there are gift bags. I mean, what was always taken into consideration historically. And the historical circumstances simply are there, and they are a reality. Also for religious life, as it exists here in this country, most of the orders came in at the time, and this country was mission country. And therefore, their beginnings were very much determined by the necessity of our commission. But you cannot, of course, you can see in the whole development of Trappist monasticity in this country. You can see that the fact that from the very beginning the trappers were the only ones who did not give in, you know, to that, let's say, temptation, you know, but simply stuck to their gut, right from the beginning.

[15:30]

I mean, gut. And there was a very long period of suffering That is then where the grain has to be put into the ground as many times. And a long period, of course, of relatively being unknown, until then, in God's time, certainly the eye must become right. And then, certainly, then the eyes of the entire country turn to it in that location flock there. One can see, one can see also that, in this example, the tremendous power of the monastic idea and such in these other days. Therefore, I think we should, this chapter, of course, gives also, we have that big consideration. Let's say, first, the non-credo dean administrator.

[16:35]

Thank God. Not of a temptation. Not of a temptation. Well, not just the other nation. That connects our administration, and I wanted to maybe explain that to the, you notice, the order of that father of Gregory is a great, you know, the idea, I said, takes the plate, you know, that in that way. What I wanted to say is this, that I think we stick to our custom that we always have, that, I mean, Father Gregory's place during his absence, you know, absence is kept free, you know, and that is to try to be out of that.

[17:35]

fire, you know, and so on, and we keep that. But the section, I mean, the taking function, I mean, first of all, it's the senior counselor, you know, who automatically takes the plank, you know, for example, Charles Quaker and I, you know, with the absent book, you know, the senior counselor is then the head of the house, and takes the place. But then, when the senior dad is in the house and in the office, the divine office, that means he enthroned, offering the directory, he enthrones the players. letter to cut away from the bargain, you know.

[18:38]

Whether he's a priest or not, the senior counselor simply takes the place, you know, because the... But the... And then, if the senior counselor is not present, then the counselor takes the place in the divine office. But for the... commission in the House, and what the commission and so on are given by the senior councillor, and also enthralling in choir, the refectory, LDP in one of the offices, and so on, and then the second councillor, and then the third. You see, they take the place, and after that, the senior.

[19:51]

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