It is a pathway to deeper prayer, good decisions guided by keen discernment, and an active life of service to others. Reading the transcript or listening to the podcast is worthwhile. backgrounds including non-Catholic ones find deep spirituality in the Divine Office and the other Benedictine practices in the Rule such as the emphasis on work and lectio divina (slow prayerful reading), is difficult to state briefly. By listening and seeking stability of life, we strive to discern the new path that Christ is forever calling us to travel. 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. Ordered by a rhythm of daily prayer that is Biblical and reflective Characteristics of Benedictine Spirituality. 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. Ignacio Gonzalez, OSB writes that the Benedictine practice of Conversatio requires that we never stop asking hard questions about our personal growth. 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. Awareness of God In Benedictine practice we acknowledge the primacy of God and look for God in the ordinary events of each day. As Joan Chittister puts it, Benedictine practices build a spirituality that will enable us to go on beyond disappointment, beyond boredom, beyond criticism, beyond loss. Benediction spirituality is for the long haul.. It embraces a diversity of vocations: lay and clerical, contemplative and active, academic and pastoral, married and celibate. Only after we have come to understand our desires are we capable of relinquishing them in service of others. Prayer is essential to a Benedictine lifestyle. But the monk's development, like that of all human beings, requires both material resources and the help of other people. Saint Gregory has written that Saint Benedict, in entering his solitude, had no other desire than "to please God alone", "soli Deo placere desiderans." These simple words, better than any others, explain the monastic vocation. 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. Monks are to listen "to the precepts of the master" but their primary and ultimate master is God. Benedictine Center is affiliated and operated in partnership with St. Pauls Monastery. Ive drawn this list of 22 (+ 1 = 23) Benedictine practices (arranged alphabetically) from Stepping into the Oblate way of life, published by St. Benedicts Monastery in 2017, when Laureen Virnig OSB served as Director of Oblates. 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 rule invites the monk to recognize the presence of God in his life, a presence which is neither gained or won or achieved but simply given. Obedience is an act of letting go of the egoistic will. Benedictine spirituality helps us to: Focus our eyes on God and His Word Be a people of humility Live and pray in community, rather than being too individualistic Maintain prayerful discipline in our lives 1. Benedictine monastics make a three-fold commitment to stability, conversion (conversatio), and obedience. One of the primary functions of the various monastic structures is to provide conditions in which the monks can concentrate on learning the art of listening. Humility requires the monk to accept the gifts of others, their wisdom, their experience, and their counsel. This manuscript is a copy of St. Benedicts rule. The Rule of Benedict opens with the word "listen" (ausculta ). There were also other forms of monastic life, but they were more or less eccentric in comparison with the two main types and sometimes led to abuse. It is humility that takes the monk beyond the myth of his own grandeur to the grandeur of God. a. de vog, The Rule of Saint Benedict: A Doctrinal and Spiritual Commentary (Kalamazoo 1983). What is Benedictine Spirituality? 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.. At the heart of his contemplative tradition are values which are directly opposed to blindness, materialism, and greed. [] Review Benedictine Spirituality (Part 1 of 3) [], [] Review Core Values: Benedictine Spirituality (Part 1 of 3) [], [] Learn more about core Benedictine values. It is the balanced spirituality that one finds in the Rule of Benedict that has made it attractive to many men and women throughout the ages. RB 73, the final chapter, is more or less a bibliography for all that precedes it. Commit to daily, weekly or monthly prayer disciplines. ." 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. The typical person takes little time for personal renewal in the hectic daily round of activities. 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). 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. Fr. 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. Benedictines read a portion of the Rule of Benedict every day. 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. 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. Kyle T. Kramer explains in his 2011 article for America Magazine that hospitality, for a Benedictine, means to welcome all others as Christ, to recognize that despite vast differences, the diverse human family is part of the same God-given belonging, and we need one another to survive and thrive. This means facing our fears, letting prejudice and certitude die in us, and rooting ourselves in the love of God, the alpha and omega of the entire creation, the force that pulls everyone and everything toward a center that can hold. Benedictines hold strong convictions, but experience shows strident, uncompromising voices tend to foster arguments, tensions, and hostilitiesnot peace and love. He simply organized a form of cenobitic life in complete conformity with the demands of the monastic vocation, which is but integral Christian life. Hospitality Little by little, however, the Rule of Benedict became the principal rule, particularly in the Anglo-Saxon countries and in Italy. A monk should be above all a good listener. It is rather the fact that monastic existence is a form of religious life having not secondary or ministerial purpose. Benedictine spirituality is a way of life that helps a person to seek God and his will daily. This article on the Contemplative outreach website explains the history of lectio divina, and offers instruction in how to do it. The church and her sacramental system are essential to the Christian life of grace. The Benedictine tradition has frequently presented examples of spiritual men and women, many of them venerated as saints, who in the line of their monastic vocation have sought to unite themselves to God by the eremetical or solitary life, normally in dependence on their superior and in the neighborhood of their monastery. It evokes the name of St. Benedict, who lived in the 6th century, together with all those who have been inspired by the Rule of Benedict and associate themselves with the Benedictine spiritual tradition. Yes, work, too, is a basic tenet of Benedictine Spirituality. 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. As for details, Benedict left much to the discernment and initiative of the superior. It is a matter of self-respect and purpose which we see clearly in the changing nature of retirement. This practice is not particular to Benedictines, however. Benedicts rule calls us to a daily rhythm of listening, obedience, and conversion of life. Since Benedict was a monk, the spirituality which is based on his rule, is fundamentally monastic. 1. to the Rule is a good way to summarize the goal of Benedictine spirituality and prayer. xb```f``x(80 Furthermore, he avoids anything that would be excessive or beyond the capacity of the average monk. It includes reading, reflecting, responding to and resting in the Word of God not in a scholarly way, not to make a sermon to preach to others, but simply to nourish and deepen our own relationship with the Divine. As you read, pay attention to the one or two which resonate most for you today. Poverty of spirit, simplicity, sharing and giving, self-denial prompted by love, freedom of heart, gratitude, care for persons, and sound judgment with regard to created things should proceed from exposure to God in prayer. By integrating their prayer and work, they manifest Christ's presence in society.". On the constitutional level, Benedict's supreme achievement was to provide a succinct and complete directory for the government and the spiritual and material well-being of a monastery. It is specified solely by a commitment to God sanctioned by public vows. Hence they are rich compared with many who come to the monastery for help. These three characteristics refer especially to intellectual activity. We are all accountable as steward of creation, they tell us. Ive drawn this list of 22 (+ 1 = 23) Benedictine practices (arranged alphabetically) from, Being in right relationship is wholly other than being in, Brother David Steindl-Rast of the Gut Aich Priory monastery in St. Gilgen, Austria, is the founder and senior advisor for. Benedictine monastics make a three-fold commitment to stability, conversion (conversatio), and obedience. Successful organizational . Benedictine spirituality is rooted in the cultivation of good habits. Chanon gave Ignatius the book Exercises for the Spiritual Life written by Benedictine reformer, Fr. Near the end of his life in 547 AD, Benedict of Nursia wrote a a guide to living, in the company of other humans, the kind of good days that add up to a good life. 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. Seeing the Face of Christ in the Poor. New Catholic Encyclopedia. For most of us, though, stability can have a figurative element beyond our experience with a [], 2023 Benedictine Center of St. Pauls Monastery, Core Values: Benedictine Spirituality (Part 1 of 3), Prayer and Community: Benedictine Spirituality (Part 2 of 3) - Benedictine Center, Lectio Divina and Preferring Christ: Benedictine Spirituality (Part 3 of 3) - Benedictine Center, My Day with the Sacred Fire | Benedictine Center, Saturated with Peace: Experiencing Personal Retreat | Benedictine Center, Wholehearted Living as the Lamed Vav | Benedictine Center, Practicing Sustained Lectio Divina | Benedictine Center, What Discernment Means to Me | Benedictine Center, Sabbath: Well-being, Not Endless Work | Benedictine Center, Moderation and Rhythm: A Benedictine Help Against Social Isolation | Benedictine Center, Stability: The Benedictine Value of Locatedness | Benedictine Center, The Erector Set: Adapting to Others | Benedictine Center, Sharper: Benedict's Tools for Good Works | Benedictine Center, The Benedictine Commitment to Learning | Benedictine Center, We Dare To Hope (Part 1 of 2) | Benedictine Center, We Dare To Hope (Part 2 of 2) | Benedictine Center, Life, A Continuous Advent | Benedictine Center, Rooted in Love: My Sustained Lectio Divina | Benedictine Center, Just Wave: Following that Holy Nudge | Benedictine Center. 0000001554 00000 n
Chris Sullivan nexplains in her blog post Work and Prayer in the Style of St. Benedict for Loyala Press. The whole spiritual life of the monk consists in listening to God by "inclining the ear of the heart." 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. 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. St. Benedict lived in the 6 th century. j. chittister, The Rule of Benedict: Insights for the Ages (New York 1992). It is a comprehensive rule of life for the whole church and all her members. 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. Dominican preacher and mystic; b. Strasbourg, c. 1300; d. there, June 16, 1361. Certainly the rule does not see material privation as an end in itself; it is in no way part of the Benedictine tradition to assess everything economically by materialistic standards or to override aesthetic or other values for the sake of cheapness or squalor, for such a mentality narrows the monk's horizons and even creates those very evils accompanying destitution which all Christians have duty to banish from the earth. 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. In this article, I have merely collected and summarized what other, more experienced Benedictines have taught and published. This springs from a desire to please God, or to seek God, as the Rule puts it (chapter 58). 22 Feb. 2023 . Benedictine writers often appealed to methods of prayer and asceticism that were foreign to the monastic tradition. That is why the ministry of hospitality is such an important part of the Benedictine heritage. The rule is marked by a strong sense of the individual monk's personal worth and dignity. In a. Joan Chittister is a Benedictine sister with an ecumenical outreach and vision who has written more than 50 books. This Benedictine practice is exceedingly difficult for most of us, for most of our lives. Balance is less about achieving perfect equilibrium than it is a pendulum which continuously swings back toward a central point. Eunice Antony, OSB. %PDF-1.4
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Only a year ago, after a year of formation, I became an Oblate of Saint Benedicts Monastery in St. Joseph, MInnesota. Although well into the middle years of an average life span, I am a rank beginner, a mere toddler in Benedictine practice. The devotio moderna is an example. 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. In his blog Benedictine Monks, Fr. 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. Prayer is essential to a Benedictine lifestyle. 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). ), member of any of the confederated congregations of monks, lay brothers, and nuns who follow the rule of life of St. Benedict (c. 480-c. 547) and who are spiritual descendants of the traditional monastics of the early medieval centuries in Italy and Gaul. Benedict's Rule and Spirituality. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/benedictine-spirituality, "Benedictine Spirituality Practice is how people develop the skills to get adept at anything. Columba Stewart OSB, the 73 brief chapters of the RB make up four major sections. How are you being called to participate in Gods work of reconciliation, healing, and in shaping structures that support values like these. The principles of evolution just enumerated enable us to understand why within one and the same Benedictine spiritual tradition there could appear and subsist different tendencies. What practise spiritual practices do?
God gave us two ears and one mouth, so we should use them in that order. 0000001056 00000 n
The Nazirite's spiritual disciplines included not drinking wine or eating grapes, not cutting . It strives to answer questions about the meaning of life, how people are connected to each other, truths about the universe, and other mysteries of human existence. Stop the madness; listen to the God who loves you. Here are some of the characteristics of Benedictine spirituality: For Benedict, the spiritual life was about listening to Godthrough prayer, Scriptures, the depths of our own experience, through listening to others in our community and the wider church. 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. 9 13
The Benedictine practice of hospitality is radical. 0000004832 00000 n
Practice is how people develop the skills to become adept at anything. Obedience is a concept 21st-century souls dont generally like to consider. Because I couldnt find relevant, simple answers online to the questions, What is Benedictine Spirituality? and What are Benedictine practices? I decided to publish this summary of 23 habits Benedictines seek, through lifelong practice, to cultivate into a lifestyle. Getting Started with Ignatian Spirituality Beyond the Basics of Ignatian Spirituality 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. The Rule of St. Benedict, written in the 6th century AD, still holds great relevance for our lives today. 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. Poet/Writer. 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 ). [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]. Silence in Benedictine practice is knit together with listening and with prayer. That kind of movement toward moderation is especially important as we live the open and complex questions. 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. Belief in One God: The most important teaching of Islam is that only God is to be served and worshipped. 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. 0
(320) 363-7112. mholicky@csbsju.edu. It encourages a life balance between corporate worship, spiritual reading and work in the context of community. The years 1987 and 1990 saw the publication of two unprecedented and immediately popular reference works, The New Dictionary of Theology and The New Dictionary of Sacramental Worship.The present work, The New Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality, edited by Michael Downey, is intended as a companion to these, with a parallel aim and purpose.The NDCS is a collaborative attempt to take stock of . Listen here: Poverty of spirit, simplicity, sharing and giving, self-denial prompted by love, freedom of heart, gratitude, care for persons, and sound judgment with regard to created things should proceed from exposure to God in prayer. 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. 3 Views. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. 6v-7r of the Bodleian library in Oxford. From the middle of the 20th century there appeared in Europe, America, Africa, and elsewhere monastic foundations that, drawing their inspiration from ancient sources, tended to return to forms of monastic life that are simpler and more contemplative. Orbis, 20-21). Instead of being possessive and manipulative, he is called to grow in detachment which manifests itself in the constructive and creative use of things. Thus the rule refers frequently to the "divine commandments" and often cites the Bible, particularly the gospel. Core Islamic Beliefs: Six Articles of Faith. However, it may involve the following characteristics: Antiquity of 3,000 and 1,500 years. Benedictine spirituality is simple and down to earth. Interviewed by Krista Tippett for her podcast On Being, Brother David talks about gratitude as the true wellspring of joy. As a Benedictine practice, obedience is intimately linked to being in right relationship, conversatio, humility, and listening. In 1887 Pope Leo XIII, who was enamored of the Benedictines, reestablished the College of Saint Anselm in Rome. Spirituality offers a worldview that suggests there is more to life than just what people . We stumble through being in right relationship. xref
Cultivating awareness of God is important for all who seek a meaningful spirituality. Hence the monk must be poor psychologically because he realizes his dependence on others. We are moved to profound respect for the ways the Creator puts resources at our disposal to further the kingdom of God. Using philosophical and theological lens, this paper attempts to 1) present the Benedictine Leadership vis--vis Care ethics 2) proffer that charity or care is the driving force of a transformational leader and, 3) purport that a caring leader, directly or . In a podcast at DiscerningHearts.com from the Missionary Benedictines of Christ the King Priory, Fr. It is only in a secondary sense that Benedict himself, speaking through the rule, and the abbot of the community are masters. Samson and possibly John the Baptist) and those who undertake the vow for a limited time (Paul may have done this, cf. 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