From Chapter 72 of the Rule: “Just as there is an evil zeal of bitterness which separates from God and leads to hell, so there is a good zeal which separates from vices and leads to God and to life everlasting. This zeal, therefore, the monks should practice with the most fervent love.”
And Romans 12 tells us “Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.”
There is zeal and then there is zeal, so it seems. The Bible is full of all kinds of examples. Elijah, in his zeal, killed all the prophets of Baal. Afterward, God spoke to him, asking, “What are you doing here?!”, and Elijah answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts” (1 Kings 19). King Saul tried to wipe out the Gibeonites in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah. In his zeal for the Hebrew law, Paul was a persecutor of the early church (Phil. 3). Terrible atrocities today are a result of religious zeal.
Benedict goes on in this Chapter 72 to make a distinction between good zeal and bad zeal, and he makes clear that the critical factor in good zeal is love. We should be zealous in showing respect, patiently supporting each other, and obedience to the community. In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he advocates being zealous in mutual affection, service, and ministry to the poor. Zeal involves hating what is evil and holding fast to that which is good.
I can think of zealous people in my life who, motivated by their faith, are quick to visit the sick, feed those who are hungry, show affection to others, and live in harmony with those who are different from them in beliefs and values. These brothers and sisters should be our teachers.
Most importantly, Benedict admonishes us to prefer nothing whatever to Christ, our ultimate example, who brings us all to everlasting life.
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From Praying with Saint Benedict (New York: Morehouse, 2021), 196-7.
Improbable Benedictine 