Becoming a Community of Disciples

Chapter 4: Spiritual Teachings – The Tools of Good Works

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34 Not to be proud (Titus 1:7), 35 not given to wine (Titus 1:7, 1 Tim 3:3); 36 not to be a glutton (Sir 37:32), 37 nor given to sleeping (Prov 20:13), 38 nor lazy (Rom 12:11); 39 not given to murmuring 40 or to speaking ill of others (Wisd 1:11). 41 To place one’s hope in God (Ps 72:28). 42 To attribute whatever good one sees in oneself to God, not to oneself; 43 but always to clearly acknowledge and take personal responsibility for the evil one does. 44 To fear the day of judgment, 45 to dread hell; 46 to desire eternal life with all spiritual ardent yearning, 47 to daily keep death before one’s eyes. 48 To keep custody at every hour over the actions of one’s life, 49 to know with certainty that God sees one in every place. 50 To instantly hurl the evil thoughts of one’s heart against Christ (Ps 136:9) and to lay them open to one’s spiritual father; 51 to keep custody of one’s mouth against depraved speech, 52 not to love excessive speaking, 53 not to speak words that are vain or apt to provoke laughter (cf. 2 Tim 2:16), 54 not to love frequent or raucous laughter (cf. Sir 21:23). 55 To listen willingly to holy readings, 56 to prostrate 1 frequently in prayer; 57 to daily confess one’s past faults to God in prayer with tears and sighs, 58 to amend these faults for the future. 59 Not to gratify the desires of the flesh (Gal 5:16): 60 to hate one’s own will, 61 to obey the precepts of the Abbot in everything, even if he should (may it never happen!)

1 Prostrate – to lie face down.