Spiritual Practices for Transformation: Rule of Life

Today we talk about the spiritual practice and tool called A Rule of Life. A Rule of Life is a way of intentionally organize our lives to be attentive toward loving God, loving our neighbors and loving ourselves. It is essentially an individualized plan for our spiritual growth aligned to the Holy Spirit’s work in us.  This tradition began early on in the church’s life though the teachings of St. Benedict. It is meant to describe our lives as they are and also prescribe goals or “rules” to encourage our spiritual growth that is personal to each of us. We talk about this alongside the example of Anna the Prophet, (Luke 2:22-40), the only named prophet in the nativity story. She is an example of dedication to humanity and a sensitivity to the love God has for the world. She was a woman who dedicated her life to spiritual attentiveness, growth and perseverance. And she knew what God was doing with her life, and with Jesus, long before most even paid attention.