Model Of Vocation Part 1 Summary

Midterm Paper Assignment, 10/28/13 Part 1: In the beginning of class we were proposed a model of discernment from the Rule of Saint Benedict. “Listen carefully, my son, to the master’s instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from a father who loves you; welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice.” (St. Benedict, Prologue Page 1) With this rule as Benedict explains in his reading and in the presentation notes in class Benedict tells us the basis of his model of receptivity, reflectivity, and activity. (Model of Vocation Part. 1 page 3). For each word Benedict tells what to do with each word or phrase and how to use it like the word receptivity (Model of Vocation Part 1, Slide 3, point 1).
1). These include discipline, action, suffering, and death. With discipline he explains that you must seek out to learn from fear and how to pursue freedom while still being obedient to the lord. Action is doing what is right, even if the circumstances are telling you to do the wrong. This can be outlined by the video when Bonhoeffer knows it is wrong with how the Jews are being treated and being sent off the concentration camps. Even though it was against the law, Bonhoeffer was a conspirator by going against the laws Adolf Hitler imposed to do what he knew was right by saving Jewish lives (Bonhoeffer Video). This all falls into being disciplined to God’s words even if laws had to be broken. Suffering is the part to religious freedom that no one wants to go through as it is the price paid for doing the right actions and suffering for the lord. To Bonhoeffer, this coincides with when he finally gets caught for going against Hitler and his regime by standing up for what is right and what God wanted, which was not easy by any means. This put Dietrich in prison where he would spend the rest of his life. The price he had to pay for doing what was right is not always the case as Dietrich was in a special situation. Normally suffering would not lead to death at such a short age but it can happen and suffering for the glory of God and to be in his hands is better than not to. This brings the fourth step which is death. Most people fear death but when thinking about it they shouldn’t. By dying we finally get the benefits of the discipline, action and suffering by getting to escape our bodied walls and go to heaven. For Bonhoeffer it was tragic for how his death was incurred but because of all the ways he carried out his model and by obeying God he gets to reap the rewards for doing