God gave us two ears and one mouth, so we should use them in that order. Not only does the Benedictine lifestyle fit well within the walls of the monastery, its interpretation of life is also suitable to other forms of society. Teaching Artist. In his blog Benedictine Monks, Fr. Balance is less about achieving perfect equilibrium than it is a pendulum which continuously swings back toward a central point. h|X+8v&yh{#||(E AM3. In a very special way God speaks through the Scriptures, through the liturgy of the hours (opus Dei ), and through personal prayer. Since Benedict was a monk, the spirituality which is based on his rule, is fundamentally monastic. [CDATA[ But the monk's development, like that of all human beings, requires both material resources and the help of other people. Benedictine monks have often received freely from their families and educators, from the rich Benedictine tradition, from the abundant life of their own communities, and from the many mercies of God. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Lets make ours a truly humana listening and reverentconnection. She reminds that in the Rule of Benedict, in the economy of monastic life, prayer is work and work is prayer. While [t]ime set aside for prayer can be a great blessing, we can turn all of our daily tasks into prayer when we bring to them the awareness of ourselves in relationship with our ever-present God. Gymnasts practice routines, yoga students practice poses, swimmers practice strokes, and tennis players practice their serves. Perhaps the most useful definition is that given by Jean gerson: "Theologia m, Omnipotence is derived From the Latin omnis (all) and potens (capable of making or producing). St. Benedict speaks of steps in humility, comparing them to the rungs of a ladder which we climb one by onean image that implies not a strict order of ascent but a more general sense of movement growth. This emphasis on silence is so that we can learn to listen to God more acutelyThis kind of sensitivity and awareness makes it easier to pray at all times. This article explains that silence is healthy for community life and fosters the learning of reverence for all creation. Being in right relationship is wholly other than being in the right relationship. It isnt about finding the right person for me; its about being the right person to others in the way I show respect to them, in the way I accept their humanityeven their weaknesses and irritating personality traits. Benedictines believe that the Christian life is best lived not through the extremes of any harsh religious asceticism but in the daily context of good, balanced life in community. Father Mandonnet then lists three characteristics that are concerned more especially with the will. New Catholic Encyclopedia. We are all accountable as steward of creation, they tell us. In her blog, Presbyterian minister Lynne Baab offers ways for those of us who do not live in a monastery to embrace stability. 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. 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. Benedictine simplicity of life is understood properly with the reality of Christ and his mission in mind. ." Emerging out of the high middles ages, it emphasizes the humanity of Jesus Christ as the mystery of God's presence in human flesh. 4. Where it was adopted, it was looked upon as a venerable text but not necessarily requiring observance in all its prescriptions. The monk is called to discern how the Benedictine tradition speaks to the basic human condition, often characterized by blindness and greed. 9 0 obj <> endobj But for all, the ideal has remained "solitude of heart" with God, guaranteed by the "order of charity" in the community institution. k. vermeiren, Praying with Benedict: Prayer in the Rule of St. Benedict (Kalamazoo 1999). Benedict's Rule and Spirituality. 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. Benedictine spirituality is a way of life that helps a person to seek God and his will daily. %%EOF They pray the Office together, with no voice standing out above the others. The primary prayer of all Catholics is the Eucharistic liturgy in which they celebrate and share their faith together, in accord with Jesus' instruction: "Do this in memory of me."The Catholic bishops at the Second Vatican Council decreed that "devotions should be so . 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. Sam has experience in parish ministry and holds a masters degree in theology from Saint Johns University (Collegeville, MN). Gymnasts do routines, yoga students practice poses, swimmers practice strokes, and tennis players practice their serves. Benedictine detachment does not imply a disparagement of good things, nor a fear of their power, but rather a just appreciation of all things as gifts of God. What are Benedictine Practices? He neither innovated nor broke with tradition. Humility enables the monk to stand in awe before the world and to receive the gifts of God and others. Recommended titles: Michael Casey, A Guide to Living in the Truth, 2001; Anselm Grn, Benedict of Nursia: His Message for Today, 2006. Benedictine monks and nuns made a commitment to living in a specific location, within a specific community, as the context for their spiritual growth and development. Prayer is the foundation to the monastic life and calling, and can be a constant part of the life of non-monastics as well. In this, affective piety and the contemplative study of the mysteries of God were no longer so strictly united as in the preceding centuries, in which the patristic tradition had been preserved. We prefer concepts like freedom and independence. Commit to daily, weekly or monthly prayer disciplines. The word "Benedictine" is relatively modern; it scarcely existed before the 17th century. In Benedictine practice we acknowledge the primacy of God and look for God in the ordinary events of each day. God speaks to the monk through Christ, but the monk is called to see Christ not only in the superior but also in the guests, in the sick, in the young, and in the old. He is called to witness in a materialistic world to the dependence of all men and women on God, and to their need and destiny for a happiness that lies beyond material fulfillment. The monk's own attitude toward his life then is one of stewardship. 1. If he persists in this state, atheism truly becomes a way of life. In his spare time, you will find Sam tending his familys small tree farm or fly fishing for trout in Southeast Minnesota. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. Brother David Steindl-Rast of the Gut Aich Priory monastery in St. Gilgen, Austria, is the founder and senior advisor for A Network for Grateful Living. Having the mind of a beginner, being receptive to starting anew, starting fresh, starting overthis, too, is a Benedictine practice. As. (February 22, 2023). No one thingprayer, work, rest, studywas to be done in the extreme. People are seen as an integrated whole: Body, Mind, and Spirit. He simply organized a form of cenobitic life in complete conformity with the demands of the monastic vocation, which is but integral Christian life. 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. Benedictine monastics make a three-fold commitment to stability, conversion (conversatio), and obedience. "Let everyone that comes be received as Christ" is one of the most familiar and oft-quoted phrases of the Rule. Benedictine Abbeys and Priories in the U.S. Benedictine University: Narrative Description, https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/benedictine-spirituality. By listening and seeking stability of life, we strive to discern the new path that Christ is forever calling us to travel. The typical person takes little time for personal renewal in the hectic daily round of activities. Its recipe comes from a 16th-century monk and includes a secret blend of 27 herbs and spices in a neutral spirit that's sweetened with honey. <<8F8BC2AF36339D4C919A3718E673BE78>]>> The Augustinian identity may be summed up as "The Search for God Together" by means of a Community through which we share our faith and life in a nurturing environment, and out of which is mutually generated our wholehearted service to society, the Church and world. podcast at DiscerningHearts.com from the Missionary Benedictines of Christ the King Priory, Fr. The monk's listening is to be modeled after the prayer of Jesus who spent long hours listening and attentive in the presence of his heavenly Father. Divine omnipotence is a divine operative attribute, an, TAULER, JOHANNES But Benedict also reminds the monk that there is a wicked zeal which leads to death. Benedictines say mindfulness is as much as a Christian and biblical concept as it is a Buddhist one. The church and her sacramental system are essential to the Christian life of grace. Humility helps be more authentically, beautifully, and lovingly human. The Benedictine practice of Moderation in All Things is another that is trending today, under the word balance., Obedience is a concept 21st-century souls dont generally like to consider. 480 to 547 CE in Italy. Benedictines read a portion of the Rule of Benedict every day. It was not founded by a particular saint. The root of the word obedience means "to hear" and is about making a commitment to listen for God's voice in the world and respond when you hear the call. The rule did not become a text of the past or a dead document; rather it continued to live and to vivify, but its very fecundity, its inexhaustible youthfruits of its discretionexplain how it was able to inspire different realizations. 480 to 547 CE in Italy. He was the son of a noble and grew up in Rome. The Nazirite's spiritual disciplines included not drinking wine or eating grapes, not cutting . By integrating their prayer and work, they manifest Christ's presence in society.". (Six Hallmarks of Benedictine Spirituality) by Fr. 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. a. de vog, The Rule of Saint Benedict: A Doctrinal and Spiritual Commentary (Kalamazoo 1983). For vowed monastics, stability is literala long-term commitment to a specific place and community. The discipline of slowing down to pay attention renews our orientation toward receiving the presence of Christ. Benedictine spirituality offers an important voice in our world today, a voice which informs our praying, living and discerning. 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. In this article, Benjamin Schfer, who calls himself an intercessory musicianary, blog theologian, and pilgrim on the narrow road of learning to love, writes in depth about ways to foster awareness of God. Cultivating awareness of God is important for all who seek a meaningful spirituality. 2. I hope this list (compiled in September, 2018) is helpful, perhaps even inspiring. Sister Joan Chittister is an extraordinarily prolific writer and among the most famous living Benedictines. Samson and possibly John the Baptist) and those who undertake the vow for a limited time (Paul may have done this, cf. The Benedictines, strictly speaking, do not constitute a single religious . Benedict shows us the value of ordering our day around communal prayer (i.e. The Friends of St. Benedict website says The Rule offers people a plan for living a balanced, simple, and prayerful life. Simple, yes. Life in common is the Benedictine monastic path toward God. It is rather the fact that monastic existence is a form of religious life having not secondary or ministerial purpose. 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. 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. . It is my experience that the simplicity of this message oftentimes seems just too difficult to accept. 0000002422 00000 n //. The rhythm of life leads one to times of being alone and times of being in community. Belief in One God: The most important teaching of Islam is that only God is to be served and worshipped. is an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. Humility is also a dominant theme in Benedictine spirituality; in fact it is closely related to contemplation. It appeared little by little wherever the Church took root, a spontaneous manifestation of the Holy Spirit urging Christians to become monks in response to the counsel given by Jesus in the Gospel: "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions , follow me " (Mt 19.21). [contact-form][contact-field label=Name type=name required=1 /][contact-field label=Email type=email required=1 /][contact-field label=Website type=url /][contact-field label=Comment type=textarea required=1 /][/contact-form], Downloaded from the web site of the Bodleian library: [1]. He did not intend to impose uniformity; he foresaw and intended diversity and reserved to each monastery the possibility of adapting the rule's prescriptions to various circumstances, provided the essential values of monasticism were safeguarded. 0000002192 00000 n Personal or private prayer is traditionally exercised under the form of meditative reading of Holy Scripture and of authors who explain and reflect on it, according to the three phases designated by the words "reading" (lectio ), meditation (meditatio ), and "prayer" (oratio or contemplatio ). 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. In a podcast at DiscerningHearts.com from the Missionary Benedictines of Christ the King Priory, Fr. That is why the ministry of hospitality is such an important part of the Benedictine heritage. Saint Benedict Benedict of Nursia lived from ca. Many Oblates rely on. praying the Divine Office) as well as regular silent . Cultural Producer. It underscores the tenets of Care ethics in conjunction with Benedictine Spirituality. 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. Which brings us back to awareness of God, to the beginning again. The first word of the Rule of Benedict is Listen. The Benedictine practice of listening is the heart of Benedictine spirituality, for not only are we instructed to listen constantly to one another in community, to leaders, to guests, to the sick, to our inner selves, and most of all, to God, we must also attend to [what we hear] with the ear of the heart. As Good Samaritan Sister Clare Condon writes, Listening with the ear of the heart can be a scary experience because it can call me to radical change, to a transformation of my limited human perspective. There is a temptation to complicate it, to . Listen to your body, to the negative and irritating things like our fatigues and headaches and muscle aches, revealing to us the lack of balance and health in our lives.. The wisdom of Native Americans has often been quoted as a way of thinking about the long term implications of our present actions: What is the impact of our decisions on the seventh generation? We are called to consider ourselves part of Gods larger and longer story, living a legacy which was a gift to us and inspiring others who will follow. It is one among many schools that speak to contemporary hearts, yet it is particularly unique in its lasting impact on Western Christianity. Brendan Rolling, OSB of St Benedicts Abbey of Atchison, Kansas quotes Abbot Martin Veth: To will what God wills and because He wills it, this is the essence of patience. I hope this list (compiled in September, 2018) is helpful, perhaps even inspiring. Jean Chanon, who was a mentor for Ignatius in methods of prayer at the Benedictine monastery at Montserrat. Benedict reminds us of our priorities: prayer, contemplation, balance and the importance of everything we do. For more information, fill out the form below or contact: Mary Catherine Holicky, OSB. Bibliography: Marked for Life: Prayer in the Easter Christ (London 1979). Benedictine hospitality is not some broad pedagogical idea. The fourth Benedictine value is work, or labora. Benedictine, member of the Order of Saint Benedict (O.S.B. This Benedictine practice is exceedingly difficult for most of us, for most of our lives. Continue to Prayer and Community: Benedictine Spirituality (Part 2). Her muscular Christianity is grounded in the spiritual practices of the Rule of Saint Benedict, such as silence, hospitality, humility, and peace. 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. As time went on we decided that we needed a clear focus on the values. Prayer is essential to a Benedictine lifestyle. The second characteristic of the monastic vocation is that it demands a life of which a privileged part is given to prayer. The RB is saturated with Scripture and, as Esther de Waal has suggested in her book Seeking God: The Baptismal Invitation of the Rule of St. Benedict (Liturgical Press, 2009), the Prologue exemplifies this as a model of baptismal instruction. For example, Let us get up then, at long last for the Scriptures rouse us when they say: It is high time for us to arise from sleep (Rom 13:11), or Run while you have the light, that the darkness of death may not overtake you (John 12:35). Scripture and baptism undergird the Benedictine vision of Christian discipleship, a vision which relies on a prayerful orientation toward God and relationships which support us in Christ-centeredness. Benedictine Center is affiliated and operated in partnership with St. Pauls Monastery. thats most of the time. In no way am I qualified to be a teacher of the Benedictine way of life. The Benedictine practice of mindfulness, like all the Benedictine practices, is lifelong. Like counselling, therapy and coaching, spiritual direction rests on careful listening to the 'client'. Monastic Spirituality. Hence the monk must be poor psychologically because he realizes his dependence on others. Listen here: Benedictine spirituality offers an important voice in our world today, a voice which informs our praying, living and discerning. Nazirites (Numbers 6:1-21): Nazirites were of two types: those who were dedicated from birth to be a Nazirite (e.g. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. All these helping ministries place value on the confidentiality of the relationship and may lead to increased personal wellbeing and a more fruitful and productive life. How do we respect all things as vessels of the altar (RB 31:10). e. de waal, Seeking God: The Way of St. Benedict (Collegeville 1984). The monk needs time along and needs time in community. This springs from a desire to please God, or to seek God, as the Rule puts it (chapter 58). SUGGESTED BOX ON PRAYER The psalms eloquently express how we feel and how we think about life and time and God. 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. 6v-7r of the Bodleian library in Oxford. Downloaded from the web site of the Bodleian library: Created: 8th century date QS:P,+750-00-00T00:00:00Z/7, we acknowledge the primacy of God and look for God in the ordinary events of each day, Benjamin Schfer, who calls himself an intercessory musicianary, blog theologian, and pilgrim on the narrow road of learning to love, writes in depth about ways to foster awareness of God, requires that we never stop asking hard questions about our personal growth, The Sisters of St. Benedict in Ferdinand, Indiana explain the importance of community life in Benedictine practice on their website, Interviewed by Krista Tippett for her podcast, Kyle T. Kramer explains in his 2011 article for America Magazine that hospitality, for a Benedictine, An essay by the Sisters of St. Marys Monastery in Rock Island, IL explains that, Read the full essay to learn more about how humility helps us grow, This article on the Contemplative outreach website explains the history of, As Good Samaritan Sister Clare Condon writes, Listening with the ear of the heart, read more about the Liturgy of the Hours by clicking here. The thing that distinguishes monks from other religious in the Catholic Church is not primarily a matter of governmental structures or observances; all of these are found in other forms of consecrated life. Awe before the 17th century the beginning again form below or contact: Mary Catherine Holicky,.! K. vermeiren, praying with Benedict: a Doctrinal and spiritual Commentary ( Kalamazoo 1999 ) living Benedictines equilibrium it. 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