0000000742 00000 n It is humility that makes us happy with what we have, willing to have less, kind to all, simple in our bearing, and serene within ourselves. It only takes 2-3 minutes to read her article. He wrote a Rule for his monastery at Monte Cassino in Italy and he foresaw . Or, am I living a lie, allowing myself to be conformed to every whim and temptation of my fallen nature? To complete our personal transformation, we never stop changing. 0 . Benedictines say mindfulness is as much as a Christian and biblical concept as it is a Buddhist one. Awareness of God In Benedictine practice we acknowledge the primacy of God and look for God in the ordinary events of each day. The monk is called to discern how the Benedictine tradition speaks to the basic human condition, often characterized by blindness and greed. MS. Hatton 48 fol. An essay by the Sisters of St. Marys Monastery in Rock Island, IL explains that the Benedictine practice of humility is the opposite of humiliation. It continues today as an institute for Benedictine students and others who wish to obtain graduate degrees in philosophy, theology, liturgy, and monastic studies. We go forth into the world as contemplatives in action, discerning God's desire for our lives here, now, and acting on God's invitation. The fourth Benedictine value is work, or labora. Benedict reminds us of our priorities: prayer, contemplation, balance and the importance of everything we do. Benedictine hospitality is not some broad pedagogical idea. "No one is to pursue what he judges better for himself, but instead, what he judges better for someone else." - Rule of St. Benedict 72:7 A Raven is Collaborative Collaborative Ravens create a spirit of teamwork. The Rule of St. Benedict (RB) became a foundational text for monasticism in the West, having emerged in the sixth century as the Roman civilization was collapsing. In a blog hosted by Holy Wisdom Monastery of Madison, Wisconsin, Lynne Smith, OSB writes that in America, middle and upper class people tend to imagine they are living self-sufficiently, believing they are able to pretty much take care of [their] needs. This self-deception is possible only when [w]e take for granted all the people who work behind the scenes to provide the food for the store, to staff and maintain the filling station and all those people involved in the health care system. What we know about St. Benedict himself comes to us mainly through Gregory the Great (ca. You will likely recognize the timeless quality of the values which has caused them to endure for centuries and continue speaking to the many layers of our human experience (personal, familial, communal and societal). ." It is that same balance that has made it attractive today to those countless lay men and women who are not living vowed lives in a monastery but who are associated with Benedictine monasteries as oblates attempting to live their lives in the secular world according to the spiritual values set out in the rule. . Benedict called this lifelong process conversatiomorum or conversion of life. 0000000820 00000 n Cultivating awareness of God is important for all who seek a meaningful spirituality. The Rule of Benedict has resonated through more than 1400 years and today is followed around the world by thousands of monastics and oblates (people associated with monasteries who live and work outside the monastery). Although well into the middle years of an average life span, I am a rank beginner, a mere toddler in Benedictine practice. It is a lifetimes work, and it is not to be rushed or short-circuited in any way. Click here to read hints on how to enjoy this lifelong practice. We prefer concepts like freedom and independence. There are three primary commitments in the Benedictine way that form the spiritual backbone for the rest of the spiritual practicesobedience, stability, and conversion. Ignacio Gonzalez, OSB writes that the Benedictine practice of Conversatio requires that we never stop asking hard questions about our personal growth. Being poor with the poor has characterized many religious from the time of the Middle Ages, but Benedictines, because of their cenobitic life and their cultural inheritance, are often rich. Just as all these people practice to become more proficient, spiritual seekers practice in order to become better at living a spiritual life. That kind of movement toward moderation is especially important as we live the open and complex questions. Benedictines say mindfulness is as much as a Christian and biblical concept as it is a Buddhist one. It sets up a framework of life, an institution, of which the essential and constitutive elements are firmly determined: life in common under the government of a superior called an abbot, who has the help of a prior and other officials and takes counsel of the whole assembly of monks, even the youngest in the community. Joan Chittister is the executive director of the company Benetvision, which serves as a resource and research center for contemporary spirituality; a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie; and a former past president of the Conference of American Benedictine Prioresses and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. startxref St. Vincent teaches us to see Christ in the poor and suffering, so much so that the poor become our Lords and Masters and we their servants. In this article, I have merely collected and summarized what other, more experienced Benedictines have taught and published. One of the primary characteristics of a spiritual person is openness. He simply organized a form of cenobitic life in complete conformity with the demands of the monastic vocation, which is but integral Christian life. If there is anything that everyone of us in the whole world needs more of right now, its peace. He writes: "The will develops its own gifts, seeking to perfect them in the order of nature and of grace so as to bring the faithful soul to spiritual maturity. Strong communities embrace stability and are open to necessary change. It is a matter of self-respect and purpose which we see clearly in the changing nature of retirement. In Benedictine practice we acknowledge the primacy of God and look for God in the ordinary events of each day. Benedictine Spirituality - also known as Monastic Spirituality. We prefer concepts like freedom and independence. Emerging out of the high middles ages, it emphasizes the humanity of Jesus Christ as the mystery of God's presence in human flesh. Through spiritual direction, individual and group ministerial reflection, and writing, Sam companions Christian leaders as they re-discover the sense of calling and giftedness at the heart of Christ-centered ministry. Gymnasts practice routines, yoga students practice poses, swimmers practice strokes, and tennis players practice their serves. Benedictine Spirituality It may seem odd that some of the best guidelines for achieving balance in our world today, where stress has become the norm, come from a sixth-century Italian monk who at one point chose to live by himself in a cave. Only a year ago, after a year of formation, I became an Oblate of Saint Benedicts Monastery in St. Joseph, MInnesota. What gives the Rule of Benedict its exceptional quality has commonly been called its "discretion," in the double sense of the word: discernment and moderation. This listening is not merely an intellectual or rational activity; it is intuitive, springing from the very core of the monk's being where he is most open to God and most open to the word of life that God speaks. Focus Our Eyes on God and His Word For Saint Benedict, the Word of God was of central importance. 6v-7r of the Bodleian library in Oxford. The abbot, elected for life by his monks, maintains supreme power and in all normal circumstances is accountable to no one. The Rule of St. Benedict has often been referred to as a compendium of the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. This is not simply a change in my opinion or even in my ideological stance, but a much deeper change in my attitude, a real change in my way of being and doing. Listening is integral to the practice of conversatio, indeed to all the practices, which, as Laureen Virnig OSB teaches to Oblates in formation, are inseparable woven together to make of our spirituality a living tapestry. Balance is less about achieving perfect equilibrium than it is a pendulum which continuously swings back toward a central point. Benedict reminds us of our priorities: prayer, contemplation, balance and the importance of everything we do. [CDATA[ By integrating their prayer and work, they manifest Christ's presence in society.". This religious practice refers to St. Benedict and his spiritual practice. Life in common is the Benedictine monastic path toward God. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. The event will bring together sisters, monks, oblates, and Benedictine staff, as well as nonreligiously affiliated Millennials interested in contemplative . It is not possible to formulate a singl, Etymologically the word "contemplation" derives from templum, which signified the space marked out by a seer with his divining rod as a location for, Barth, Karl Nazirites (Numbers 6:1-21): Nazirites were of two types: those who were dedicated from birth to be a Nazirite (e.g. These prayers, which included the saying or chanting of the psalms, can be experienced in our Daily Office. Obedience is an act of letting go of the egoistic will. In a. Co-Director of the Spirituality Center. . Obedience means "to listen intently," and this vow is undertaken in a spirit of faith and love in following Christ who was obedient to the will of the Father. endstream endobj 10 0 obj <> endobj 11 0 obj <> endobj 12 0 obj <>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]/ExtGState<>>> endobj 13 0 obj <> endobj 14 0 obj <> endobj 15 0 obj <> endobj 16 0 obj <> endobj 17 0 obj <> endobj 18 0 obj <>stream Prince of Peace is a community of Benedictine monks that has been in San Diego County since 1958, but their community spans more than 1,400 years of uninterrupted tradition dating back to St. Benedict. Adrian Burke, OSB writes, Benedict insists in his Rule that we must balance our lives with prayerand work, with readingand recreation, with restand activity. Benedictines attempt to incorporate all of these important aspects into every day. This will not subscribe you to a contact management software program, and you wont get an onslaught of computer-generated emails begging you to buy my books and services. The Benedictines, strictly speaking, do not constitute a single religious . Prayer is essential to a Benedictine lifestyle. While submission is an act of youth, true obedience can only come as a response of maturity. On the blog Catholic Beer Club, Br. Before writing his Rule, Benedict lived for years as a hermit. a. de vog, The Rule of Saint Benedict: A Doctrinal and Spiritual Commentary (Kalamazoo 1983). Practice is how people develop the skills to become adept at anything. The resulting collection of ten core values - love, prayer, stability, conversatio, obedience, discipline . When I consider Benedictine hospitality, I like to extend this notion to the dialogues we initiate with those of other religious and spiritual backgrounds, especially with non-Christians. podcast at DiscerningHearts.com from the Missionary Benedictines of Christ the King Priory, Fr. The devotio moderna is an example. Read the full essay to learn more about how humility helps us grow in the love of God and deepens our bonds with each other. Music students practice their instruments. Catholic spirituality includes the various ways in which Catholics live out their Baptismal promise through prayer and action. It is God who is the primary author of life for Benedict's disciples; hence the monk's obedience is above all to God and God's word which the monk finds mediated into his life through a wide variety of persons and experiencesin the rule, in the abbot, in the community as a whole, in the young and the old, in the sick and in guests, in the liturgy of the hours and in personal prayer, in sacred reading, in work, and in silence. People are seen as an integrated whole: Body, Mind, and Spirit. Mindfulness is a trending word these days yogis, psychologists, educators, physicians, and practically everyone else is talking about the importance of quieting our busy minds in order to become more aware of the present moment. Benedictine Benedict, RULE OF Saint.This work holds the first place among monastic legislative codes, and was by far the most important factor in the organization and spread of monasticism in the West.For its general character and also its illustration of St. Benedict's own life, see the article St. Benedict of Nursia.Here, however, it is treated more in detail, under the following heads: I. Obedience is a concept 21st-century souls dont generally like to consider. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Orbis, 20-21). It requires that a monk listens intently to the voice of God as it is manifested in the Sacred Scriptures and the teachings of his superiors. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. It is specified solely by a commitment to God sanctioned by public vows. Stability It was considered as proposing a spiritual program, while daily life was regulated by "customaries," to which succeeded, from the beginning of the 16th century, "Declarations" and "Constitutions" as well as the "Ceremonial." In his blog Benedictine Monks, Fr. In a blog hosted by Holy Wisdom Monastery of Madison, Wisconsin, Lynne Smith, OSB, The website of Subiaco Abbey in Arkansas tells us, Modern monks like to point out that first word in the Rule is to Listen,, This article explains that silence is healthy, Monsignor Charles Pope seems to be saying in the blog post, A Reflection On the Benedictine Vow of Stability, ways for those of us who do not live in a monastery to embrace stability, The Friends of St. Benedict website says The, offers people a plan for living a balanced, simple, and prayerful life., Joan Chittister puts it, Benedictine practices build a spirituality that will enable us to go on beyond disappointment, beyond boredom, beyond criticism, beyond loss., the monks and oblates of Saint Meinrad Archabbley, in this post on Environmental Stewardship on the blog. One of the great challenges in the rule is that the monk obey others not only in their strengths but also in their weaknesses, for it is tempting to see others in their weakness as simply burdens rather than as gifts. There was societal chaos and political dissatisfaction and we might wish that the conditions of those times did not sound so familiar to our modern ears. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. Hence, conversion to Christ and response to his love through the power of the Holy Spirit are the goals of obedience. While there are times allotted for prayer and for work, ultimately there is to be no division between the two. The Benedictine practice of Moderation in All Things is another that is trending today, under the word balance. In the blog Echoes from the Bell Tower, Fr. Adrian also writes, This kind of wisdom is why St. Benedicts Rule continues, after more than 1,500 years now, to stir the hearts of men and women who want to live their lives entirely for Christ. In other words, Benedicts Rule stirs the hearts of those who want to live each day fully. More than a founder in the juridical sense of the word, its author had been an educator, or better, a spiritual father, and he aimed at forming consciences capable of spiritual liberty. ." To be empowered by anything less than the God of love is to risk evil zeal in the name of vengeance. Finding God in All Things. Since Benedict was a monk, the spirituality which is based on his rule, is fundamentally monastic. No one thingprayer, work, rest, studywas to be done in the extreme. How are we being invited to swing back toward Christ-centeredness? Characteristics of Benedictine Spirituality. Brendan Rolling, OSB of St Benedicts Abbey of Atchison, Kansas, Sister Joan tells us that a Benedictine lifestyle is an an oasis of human peace. Benedicts wisdom and commentary has provided the foundation for Benedictine communities throughout the centuries, and continues to influence many of us in the community of St. Pauls. Lynne Smith elaborates, All this service is sacred and to be done with reverence service is seen as a form of prayer, a way of seeking God. This practice is also linked inextricably to gratitude, as we give thanks for the ways we can serve and for those who serve us. Directly translated, Lectio Divina means divine reading. But Benedict also reminds the monk that there is a wicked zeal which leads to death. (February 22, 2023). What does it mean for us to learn contentment with living simply? 0000001056 00000 n As. Where it was adopted, it was looked upon as a venerable text but not necessarily requiring observance in all its prescriptions. While everyone has their values and principles, the spiritual person knows that one-size does not fit all. Benedictine Center is affiliated and operated in partnership with St. Pauls Monastery. Spirituality is the broad concept of a belief in something beyond the self. It is rather the fact that monastic existence is a form of religious life having not secondary or ministerial purpose. Benedict's community might well be called a formation community in which all, including the abbot and other superiors in the community, are in the process of being formed all of their lives into the likeness of Christ by attentive listening to the word of God, and a loving response to that word mediated into the life of the community by Christ's own offer of friendship through the communication of the Holy Spirit. He realizes that attachment to oneself and one's talents or goods brings anxiety, a bondage that ties the human spirit down to the earth and allows no enlargement of either one's horizons or one's heart. The concept that we are not above nature but are part of it, stems from the practice of humility, of knowing who we are, how we are, and to whom we belong. Paradoxically, the key to a full life, is to understand that all things are to be done with moderation. (Rule of St. Benedict 48:9). Mindfulness is a trending word these days yogis, psychologists, educators, physicians, and practically everyone else is talking about the importance of quieting our busy minds in order to become more aware of the present moment. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. He is called to live in the rhythm of alternating between receiving and giving, accepting the gifts of God and others, while sharing generously jut as others share generously with him. This pattern of sharing is a basic characteristic of a cenobitic community. We are women and men for and with others, hearing both the cry of the . Im interested in connecting person-to-person with others who share my values, who want to participate with me in building a meaningful network of relationships that will serve to support us on our spiritual journey. By listening and seeking stability of life, we strive to discern the new path that Christ is forever calling us to travel. In his book Humility Rules: Saint Benedicts Twelve-Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem, Augustine Wetta, a Benedictine monk, teaches, The sum of all virtues is reverence. In this 2-minute video, Father Mark Goring (Companions of the Cross) says This profound and humble [Benedictine practice of] reverence for all things is one of the great foundations of Benedictine spirituality. He explains that this reverence flows from prayer. The typical person takes little time for personal renewal in the hectic daily round of activities. Teaching Artist. Romey is the driving force behind "Being Benedictine in the 21st Century: Spiritual Seekers in Conversation," a conference planned for June 2020 at Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison. The Friends of St. Benedict website says The Rule offers people a plan for living a balanced, simple, and prayerful life. Simple, yes. We always can go deeper in prayer, grow more open to the truth, enrich our understanding of the will of God, and learn what, in this moment at this time, is good, acceptable, and right. Of our priorities: prayer, contemplation, balance and the importance of everything we do in our Daily.... 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