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Avoiding Scrupulosity
"Let there be no scruples. As long as there is serious reason to dispense with a given point of the rule, to postpone it or to substitute an equivalent for it, let it be done without misgivings."
Fr Adolphe Tanquerey, "The Spiritual Life", Belgium, Desclee & CO, 1930, p275
posted by Holly at 8:04 AM
1 Comments:
Scruples can be defined as either a) doubting whether something is OK to do, or b) finding sin where there is no sin. Sometimes when an exact adherence to the schedule is impossible, we may be tempted to become scrupulous.
This is where we focus on the heart of the Mother's Rule. Generally, God wants us attentive to Him and to our families and responsibilities. That we might get sidetracked a couple of days and not able to do prayer until 1:00 instead of 12:30 is not really an issue. The point is that we make a valid attempt to cover the essentials. As one woman wrote, "I have stuff to do in the morning, stuff in the afternoon and stuff in the evening." As long as she attempts to get her work done, this is fine. But should unforseen circumstances prevent it, or her list is unrealistic, there is no need to fret.
A general loving intention to follow God, love our families, do His Will, attend to our home and work -- this is the heart and focus. If we find ourselves side-tracked every day, however, I think this calls more for a re-assessment of the rule to make it more reasonable and applicable to our circumstances.
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