Teresa Jackson

Benedictines like to say listening is the heart of monastic life. “Listen” is the first word of the Rule of St. Benedict that we follow. Listening to God, to each other, to the head of the community are all part of what defines who we are as monastics. But if we were to be really honest we would also say that listening is very difficult. So when I saw that some Gonzaga alumni were protesting the choice of Archbishop Desmond Tutu as a commencement speaker it struck me that listening is precisely what is so lacking in public and religious discourse in our society today.