We've been accommodating airline crews this week at the hotel I work at, apparently because the regular hotel they stay at has some DNC issues (I work in the Charlotte metropolitan area). Well, the airline crews have been a pain in the ass to deal with all week, and last night was the capper: a crew showed up that was not on my list of scheduled arrivals. Fortunately I had a few vacant rooms left and was able to accommodate them, but it was looking grim for a few minutes, and I was reminded of Chapter 68 of The Rule of St. Benedict: When a Brother Is Asked To Do the Impossible:
A brother may be assigned a burdensome task or something he cannot do. If so, he should, with complete gentleness and obedience, accept the order given him. Should he see, however, that the weight of the burden is altogether too much for his strength, then he should choose the appropriate moment and explain patiently to his superior the reasons why he cannot perform the task. This he ought to do without pride, obstinacy or refusal. If after the explanation the superior is still determined to hold to his original order, then the junior must recognize that this is best for him. Trusting in God's help, he must in love obey.
To invoke Chapter 68, here is what you do: You say to the individual asking the impossible, "Sir/Ma'am, Chapter 68 of the Rule of St. Benedict is titled "When a Brother Is Asked To Do the Impossible." Benedict says that "Trusting in God's help, he must in love obey." Fortunately for me, I am not a monk and this is not a monastery. Go figure it out yourself."
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2 comments:
Are you an Oblate?
@TinCan Assassin: I'm a lapsed Catholic who has professed Agnosticism for many years now, who is cautiously dipping a toe in the Holy Water to see if it's warm.
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