I used to think I was a fairly disciplined person. But since the start of this pandemic, I’ve been forced to come to terms with the fact that I am not. The crutches of externally enforced deadlines and scheduled obligations kept me on task in the past, but now that these have largely been taken away, I’ve been surprised by how easy it is to dilly-dally (as my mom would say) and to get sucked into spending more time than I should with news and social media (this has been especially challenging now that live-streaming has made going on Facebook part of the job). One way I’ve been combatting this (and
slowly getting better at it) is by picking up a pen and pad every morning and writing up a schedule for the day. In this way, I give my day the structure that I need to stay on task and live the day well.
This idea isn’t new. The great value of structuring one’s day and sticking-to-it was known to the great St. Benedict, who died in the year 549. St. Benedict devised what is now known as the “Rule of St. Benedict.” This “rule” was a set of rules that he and his monks promised to live by. It included things such as when to pray, sleep, work, eat, and even recreate (among many other things). One the reason it was so important is that it provided stability for an otherwise collapsing society. The rhythm of prayer and work (“Ora et Labora”) wisely ordered the lives of the monks, and in doing so, made the monasteries into hubs of commerce, culture, and even to some extent safety. Believe it or not, St. Benedict may have played one of the most influential roles in the preserving of Western civilization during the barbarian invasions.
Whether we are busy or bored during this unusual time, I think we could all benefit from the wisdom of St. Benedict and try to live by a “rule of life” to structure our day - a rule that especially includes prayer and work. In doing so, we too can become sources of stability for those around us.