St Pachomius - St Aelred of Rievaulx

Fr. Hugh will be celebrating his 80^th Birthday 27^th May 2008.
In his thumbnail comment for the Feast of St. Pachomius he made the association with the like mind of St. Aelred. He later gave me the following precise reference - on communal monastic life.

Aelred of Rievaulx on Community Life- 3rd Sermon on St. Benedict 9, 10, 11. (The Liturgical Sermons Cistercian Publications, 2001)

9. For each one of us has his unique gift from God, one this but another that. One person can make an offering of more work; another, more vigils; another, more fasting; another, more prayer; and another, more lectio or meditation. From all these offerings let one tabernacle be made, so that, as our legislator commands: No one shall say or presume that anything is his own but all things are common to all. This is to be understood, brothers, not only of our cowls and robes but far more of our strengths and spiritual gifts.

10. No one therefore should boast on his own about any grace given by God as if it were exclu­sively his own. No one should envy his brother because of some grace, as if it were exclusively his. Whatever he has, he should consider the property of all his brothers, and whatever his brother has, he should never doubt is also his. Or that Almighty God can immediately bring to perfection anyone he pleases and bestow all the virtues on anyone person. But in his caring way dealing with us he causes each person to need the other and to have in the other what one does not possess in oneself. Thus humility is preserved, charity increased and unity recognized. Therefore each belongs to all and all belong to each. Thus each has the benefit of the virtues while preserv­ing humility by the consciousness of individual weakness.

11. Let our lay brothers not complain that they do not sing psalms or keep vigils as much as the monks do. Nor let the monks complain that they do not work as much as the lay brothers do. For very truly I say that whatever anyone person does belongs to all and whatever all do belongs to everyone. For just as the members of a single body do not all have the same function yet, as the Apostle says: The many are one body in Christ, they are each members one of another. Therefore let the weak say: I am strong. Because, just as someone else possess the patience of infirmity in him, so he in someone else possess the strength of endurance.