And so how do they wake up? And how do they remain awake in their daily life that is absorbing and repetitive?

This is what interested Saint Benedict, and it is his first practical chapter! For the person who has once seen God in the beauty of the liturgy, must remain awake, awake to the love of God who called him and her to LIFE.

The only way: to cook, to work in the garden, to clean the house, to prepare the Office… Why? In order to welcome “the One who comes into our midst”:

in the brother or sister who is in need, in me who hear, and through the abbot who cares for the flock that has been entrusted to him. Then there is a chance, especially when a monk or nun is tired, that they will recognize Him who walks with his disciples and who speaks in their silence, the silence of the heart and of one’s own will that has been abandoned.

Joseph of Nazareth knew something about this! He was consoled when he looked at Mary: “You are blessed among women, and Jesus, the fruit of your silence, is blessed.”