Course XLIV - Teaching 10: Superior Guardian of the Observance

Superiors are Guardians of the Observance.
Here is the truth that the Superiors have to teach to the Sons: the Observance is external essence of the Vow of Renunciation and ineffaceable sign of choice of a supernatural mission.
Observance is Message of Renunciation.
The persevering Son will not perish: he lives the Eternal Hour.
The potential power that the Divine Mother grants to the Sons, which expands throughout the world for its salvation, cannot become effective without that continuous efforts that are the result of the Observance.
The external freedom of men increases their personality; this increased personality is wasted power of salvation, but life of the Ordained Son, which is of sacrifice and apparent absence of freedom, rescues him from the enslaving desire of individual freedom and, over all, grants to him sensitive freedom. The sensitive part of an individual always needs to be fed by living forces.
Powers of the Ordained Son turn over to men through his internal freedom. An Ordained Son does not spend anything psychically or spiritually. He lives by Renunciation and by the Divine Mother’s life. Observance, which is life of complete Renunciation, removes any human, sensitive and mental aspect, and transforms the Son into one spiritual focus.
Superiors watch over the Observance, and lead the Sons to love it and the Community to become a unity, a unique power and a solid rock.
In Community, two ideas about the Observance, two different ways to follow it, or divergences about Observance among the Sons cannot exist.
Observance is the act par excellence of the Sons, and just can be followed in the same way, with only one intention, and perfectly.
Through life in Community, always the same and united, any characteristic act of the Sons is noticed by all and known to all, even the littlest and the most insignificant. Superiors must remove these little differences, which may become apparent through different forms of walking, moving, sitting down, eating, laughing, talking, expressing, et cetera. So, the Superior must eliminate differences between one Son and the other, none should distinguish the past position and habit and only one person should become apparent: the Ordained Son. Any Ordained Son disappears as a part and only becomes visible as unity.
The Son has to follow the Observance in such a way that he does notice his own doings; this is something natural in him; it could not be otherwise. A Son is the Observance itself.
Observance must be so perfect that when one is outside it by obedience, you feel the same happiness as if you were following it.
The most extraordinary gifts are wonderful, but just a perfect Observance certainly leads a final perseverance.
Superiors give penitence to those who are remiss or commit regular mistakes; penitence must be severe. The Superior watches over the Sons and leads them to abandon all their habits, even the best, and to acquire the use of Community; he teaches them that this unification makes the Observance easier and transforms it into a natural expression of the way of life and action of the Ordained Sons.
Superior must watch over the Sons and impede that the Sons may receive anything from outside without his permission; letters, information, gifts or purchases; all this would be very serious fault. Even they cannot interchange anything (for instance, presence), or lend money of their allowances or interchange clothes.
The Sons must accept gladly their presents for Christmas and keep them carefully.
Do not sit down on your cloak or veil; do not drag them through the ground. Do not stain or damage your cloak or veil; be very careful with them because they are not a human garment, but a garment of the Divine Mother, and as such it must be loved and revered by the Sons.
Daughters: do not throw your coif backward; the tighter the better; in this way your fantasies will remain fastened.
Sons: always wear long-sleeved shirts; certain Communities wear short-sleeved shirts by especial dispensation of the Knight Great Master.
Superior: the Sons must pay very especial importance to the sound of bell.
Then, the Son will abandon at once his task, even if it is a work of charity, and will be certain that someone shall complete the work; but with this difference: if he neglected the observance to give priority to charity, this would be an act for his own perfection, but in this way it will become an impersonal and divine act.
A routine schedule is difficult, but later the Son discovers in routine the very perfection, which does not admit interruptions.
Sons and Daughters of solemn Vows will possess only one cloak or veil. Sons of perpetual Vows will possess two cloaks or veils.