Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from you.”

We call it Christ-ianity because it’s centered around Jesus Christ as the superlative sign of God's love for us. How else to respond except as Saint Benedict urges in Chapter 72 of the Rule? "Let them, the monks, (you or me too!) prefer nothing whatever to Christ, and may he bring us all together to everlasting life.” And: “The love of Christ must come before all else." (Chapter 4) Similar lines, of course, abound in Saint Paul and echo in well-known words attributed to Saint Patrick. Essentially: We are in Christ; we form one body with Christ as the head; we must be Christ to each other.

Some words from “Breastplate of Saint Patrick” show the anticipated effects:

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

Another version is equally pertinent:

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

Psalm 27: “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness / in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; be strong; / be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!”

Reply to Fr. Don at: DTalafous@csbsju.edu

Watch Daily Mass online at: SaintJohnsAbbey.org/live

Send your prayer requests to the monks