Credo in Deum Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Hello Pham, Has anyone here made a rule of life? If so do you have a good book or resource on how to go about doing it? I have spoken with my SD about creating a rule of life. There was a lot of great advice, but it would be also nice to have something I can reference to on my own time. It's my goal to have a rule finished by January. Once I'm finished creating it, my SD and I will go over it, and then he will either approve it or advise me on what needs to be changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bardegaulois Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Talk about serendipity... I was just logging on to post something similar. Alas, I have no solid advice or experience here and am taking the matter haltingly. Nonetheless, it will be very interesting to see what others may have to say here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Service and gratitude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarysLittleFlower Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 That's a great idea it might help to look at the Rule of some third order, including the older Rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Credo in Deum Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 (edited) 56 minutes ago, bardegaulois said: Talk about serendipity... I was just logging on to post something similar. Alas, I have no solid advice or experience here and am taking the matter haltingly. Nonetheless, it will be very interesting to see what others may have to say here. My SD gave great advice on what key aspects of your life the rule should encompass. Spiritual: Sacramental life, Mass, Prayer, and other devotions. Body: Your physical training and diet. Relationships: Duties toward your family, friends, coworkers, neighbor etc. Emotion: Your mental health, recreation, etc. Cognitive: Growing in knowledge about your Faith. Reading Scriptures, Catechism, Spiritual Reading, Saints, etc. Learning about things like how to make a rule of life, for instance, would fall in the cognitive section, lol. Then the rule should include your goals for the the year, month, and weekly goals as well. Then there should be, what I would call an ordinary, for daily living. Fixed time for waking up. Fixed times for prayer. Fixed time for work. Fixed time for recreation. Fixed time for spiritual reading. Fixed time for examination of conscience and night prayer. Of course if charity demand that you break the rule then you do so, but then return back to the order of the rule when finished. Edited December 14, 2015 by Credo in Deum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Take this for what a teen Catholic's spiritual input is worth, but if I were to make a rule I would add something about keeping a general attitude of serenity and mildness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Credo in Deum Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 5 minutes ago, PhuturePriest said: Take this for what a teen Catholic's spiritual input is worth, but if I were to make a rule I would add something about keeping a general attitude of serenity and mildness. Could you elaborate more? If you are worried that I'm going to try and pack on multiple devotions, exercises, and etc, then I'm a head of you on that. My plan is to start slow and steady. I plan to reevaluate the rule every 3 months or so, with the guidance of my SD, to cut out what is not working and grow on what is working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Just now, Credo in Deum said: Could you elaborate more? If you are worried that I'm going to try and pack on multiple devotions, exercises, and etc, then I'm a head of you on that. My plan is to start slow and steady. I plan to reevaluate the rule every 3 months or so, with the guidance of my SD, to cut out what is not working and grow on what is working. I think there's confusion here. I wasn't speaking about devotions, but an overall attitude in personality of serenity and mildness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vee Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 mine basically, along with the Jesuit motto. from Bl Mother Teresa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bardegaulois Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 5 minutes ago, PhuturePriest said: I think there's confusion here. I wasn't speaking about devotions, but an overall attitude in personality of serenity and mildness. A rule of life isn't so much about analyzing the attitude one should take, but rather on how that attitude is made more concrete in the more mundane details of one's life. A good rule should not dictate too abstractly what the attitude one should take is, for how can one give an account of oneself to oneself of how serene or mild one is? But one can give an account of how well the did the actions conducive to these virtues as put down within the rule. I can compare it to our evening examens; we don't take account of our attitudes in the abstract, nor when we approach the tribunal of mercy do we confess our attitudes, but rather our actions (or sometimes our inactions), even if those actions be only thoughts we have entertained. These are the matters we need to bring before our spiritual directors in order to fine-tune our ways of life, and are much more effective than saying such a thing as "I wasn't serene enough." That could mean anything and could be judged by any criterion. The rule should be far more concrete than that so as to provide the necessary criteria for judgment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Just now, bardegaulois said: A rule of life isn't so much about analyzing the attitude one should take, but rather on how that attitude is made more concrete in the more mundane details of one's life. A good rule should not dictate too abstractly what the attitude one should take is, for how can one give an account of oneself to oneself of how serene or mild one is? But one can give an account of how well the did the actions conducive to these virtues as put down within the rule. I can compare it to our evening examens; we don't take account of our attitudes in the abstract, nor when we approach the tribunal of mercy do we confess our attitudes, but rather our actions (or sometimes our inactions), even if those actions be only thoughts we have entertained. These are the matters we need to bring before our spiritual directors in order to fine-tune our ways of life, and are much more effective than saying such a thing as "I wasn't serene enough." That could mean anything and could be judged by any criterion. The rule should be far more concrete than that so as to provide the necessary criteria for judgment. I'll respectfully disagree with you a little bit. We actually will be judged on our attitudes. If you're cold and simply "tell it like it is" to everybody, that is sinful and you will be judged for it, especially since that will turn a lot of people off from the Church. Your attitude does indeed affect the conversion of others, and so it is very important to have a good one. You have a valid point, but I think you take it too far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Credo in Deum Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 (edited) 28 minutes ago, PhuturePriest said: I think there's confusion here. I wasn't speaking about devotions, but an overall attitude in personality of serenity and mildness. Yes, confusion abounds. I guess I'm in "specifics mode". Personally I feel like telling myself to keep an attitude of mildness and serenity is good, but not concrete enough. If I struggle with this then I need a concrete resolution to know that there is growth in this area of my life. This is what I believe a rule of life is suppose to address and help with. For instance you say, "Lord I would like to be patient with others", however, this is too vague. How are you going to be patient with others? What are some key areas in your life where you can practice this resolution? Maybe the key area is not talking back to Sally your coworker when she says something annoying? Regardless of what concrete areas you come up with, once you have found where you can practice this patience, you then incorporate this resolution into your rule. Maybe you offer just being obedient to your in order to cultivate the virtue of patience. Edited December 14, 2015 by Credo in Deum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 1 minute ago, Credo in Deum said: Yes, confusion abounds. I guess I'm in "specifics mode". Personally I feel like telling myself to keep an attitude of mildness and serenity is good, but not concrete enough. If I struggle with this then I need a concrete resolution to know that there is a growth in this area of my life. This is what I believe a rule of life is suppose to address and help with. For instance you say, "Lord I would like to be patient with others", however, this is too vague. How are you going to be patient with others? What are some key areas in your life where you can practice this resolution? Maybe the key area is not talking back to Sally your coworker when she says something annoying? Regardless of what concrete areas you come up with, once you have found where you can practice this patience, you then incorporate this resolution into your rule. Maybe you offer just being obedient to your in order to cultivate the virtue of patience. I recommend reading the Rule of Saint Benedict for inspiration, with particular emphasis on the part where he directs the monks to drink beer daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Credo in Deum Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 16 minutes ago, PhuturePriest said: I'll respectfully disagree with you a little bit. We actually will be judged on our attitudes. If you're cold and simply "tell it like it is" to everybody, that is sinful and you will be judged for it, especially since that will turn a lot of people off from the Church. Your attitude does indeed affect the conversion of others, and so it is very important to have a good one. You have a valid point, but I think you take it too far. I think you might be confusing a rule of life with a motto of life? http://www.catholictradition.org/Classics/rules-life.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Just now, Credo in Deum said: I think you might be confusing a rule of life with a motto of life? http://www.catholictradition.org/Classics/rules-life.htm Perhaps. I do know the Legionaries of Christ have a somewhat mandated serenity rule, but they're not exactly the perfect example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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