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. The ascetic and contemplative orientation of the monastic life was accompanied historically by such cultural activities and manifestations as were compatible with a separation from the secular world, conversion, and a life of personal prayer. The Benedictine practice of Liturgical prayer is one of Benedictine spiritualitys most visible, unmistakable hallmarks. Eunice Antony, OSB. is an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. e. de waal, Seeking God: The Way of St. Benedict (Collegeville 1984). Do you yearn for a good life, and do you desire to see good days? Benedict reminds us of our priorities: prayer, contemplation, balance and the importance of everything we do. thats most of the time. Belief in One God: The most important teaching of Islam is that only God is to be served and worshipped. Of all creatures, the human person is in fact the neediest. Characteristics of Benedictine Spirituality. In contemporary society, Christian spirituality is generally defined as a set of beliefs, values, and way of life that reflect the teachings of the Bible, the holy book of Christianity. Demonstrate good will, humility, trust, accountability, justice, faithfulness, obedience, peace, and discipleship. 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. Only a year ago, after a year of formation, I became an Oblate of Saint Benedicts Monastery in St. Joseph, MInnesota. 0000002499 00000 n Awareness of God In Benedictine practice we acknowledge the primacy of God and look for God in the ordinary events of each day. He entered the Dominican novitiate c. 1315 in his na, Benedictine College: Narrative Description. Harry Hagan, OSB My part in this little show began as a description of the novitiate and how it brings new people from exclusion to inclusion, from fascination to identification, and from dependence to belonging. Augustinian Spirituality does not take us out of the world (into the . Benedictine spirituality is practical and profound. Only in later centuries and especially since the 19th century has it occupied a more important place in monastic life than in the observance of the majority of non-monastic religious congregations, with the consequence that it is usually considered a special feature of monastic life and spirituality. The Benedictine practice of hospitality is radical. The Rule revolves around five practices: Prayer, Work, Study, Hospitality and Renewal. Spirituality offers a worldview that suggests there is more to life than just what people . In no way am I qualified to be a teacher of the Benedictine way of life. Sister Joan Chittister is an extraordinarily prolific writer and among the most famous living Benedictines. Practice is how people develop the skills to become adept at anything. //]]>. 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. 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. Sam Rahberg is former Director of the Benedictine Center and a spiritual director in St. Paul. Where it was adopted, it was looked upon as a venerable text but not necessarily requiring observance in all its prescriptions. It is a matter of self-respect and purpose which we see clearly in the changing nature of retirement. 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. 480 to 547 CE in Italy. Benedictine spirituality took shape long before the split between Eastern and Western branches of the church in the 11 th century and the further divisions that resulted from the Reformation in the 16 th century. In her blog, Presbyterian minister Lynne Baab offers ways for those of us who do not live in a monastery to embrace stability. It is such a personal thing that it can be considered part of one's identity. Benedictine obedience is ultimately directed not to other humans or to ourselves, but through the agency of others and the deepest yearnings of our own hearts, in love, to God. 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. It is likewise through that response that one becomes free to be and develop as the person one is called to be. 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. Thus prayer and community, to borrow again from Stewart, are at the heart of the Benedictine school of spirituality. Hence he is able to receive others in the community, including guests, with kind consideration. In other words, to be a good Franciscan means to be a good Christian. Strong communities embrace stability and are open to necessary change. SUGGESTED BOX ON PRAYER The psalms eloquently express how we feel and how we think about life and time and God. 0000000949 00000 n Joan Chittister is a Benedictine sister with an ecumenical outreach and vision who has written more than 50 books. Little by little, however, the Rule of Benedict became the principal rule, particularly in the Anglo-Saxon countries and in Italy. But what does the Bible teach on this issue? We prefer concepts like freedom and independence. As for details, Benedict left much to the discernment and initiative of the superior. For Benedictines, being in right relationship means that we treat everyone we encounter with loving kindness and patience. Bibliography: Marked for Life: Prayer in the Easter Christ (London 1979). Digital nun, writing for ibenedictines.org tells us, Fr. 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. If a monk's life is not grounded in God, he is tempted to put himself in the place of God. Adrian Burke, OSB writes, Benedict insists in his. The church and her sacramental system are essential to the Christian life of grace. Only after we have come to understand our desires are we capable of relinquishing them in service of others. He wrote a Rule for his monastery at Monte Cassino in Italy and he foresaw . These three characteristics refer especially to intellectual activity. MS. Hatton 48 fol. But it also requires that he let go of false expectations concerning others. But for all, the ideal has remained "solitude of heart" with God, guaranteed by the "order of charity" in the community institution. 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. Co-Director of the Spirituality Center. It is not one of the distinguishing characteristics of early monastic life. 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. It is rather the fact that monastic existence is a form of religious life having not secondary or ministerial purpose. 0000001554 00000 n Tradition assigns no other end to monastic life than to "seek God" or "to live for God alone," an ideal that can be achieved only by a life of conversion and prayer. 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 essentially contemplative even though many who follow the rule are deeply involved in intellectual or manual work as well as in ministerial service to others. 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). 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. It underscores the tenets of Care ethics in conjunction with Benedictine Spirituality. The School of Benedictine Spirituality is willing to help people enhance their spirituality, which is claimed to be a search for the sacred that is seen as "a blend of humanistic psychology with mystical and esoteric traditions and eastern religions aimed at personal well-being and personal development" ( Benedictine spirituality, 2013, par . 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. 0000001056 00000 n He does not harbor illusions of grandeur but senses that all of his life is simply gift. However, the date of retrieval is often important. Seeing the Face of Christ in the Poor. In 1893 the same pope provided the "order" with an Abbot . Instead, holiness of life was to be found through the right balance of these elements in life. 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 Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. 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. Sam has experience in parish ministry and holds a masters degree in theology from Saint Johns University (Collegeville, MN). 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. is an herbal liqueur produced in France. 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. The Cistercian Order reinforced the eremetical character of the cenobitical life itself. Benedict's Rule and Spirituality. 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. Their prayer discipline is based on the rhythms of the universe. Benedictine reverence for all creation applies to nature and all creatures, to the objects we use and make, and to all peoplepilgrims, the broken and downtrodden, to every single human, including ourselves. New Catholic Encyclopedia. Benedictine Abbeys and Priories in the U.S. Benedictine University: Narrative Description, https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/benedictine-spirituality. That one becomes free to be a teacher of the Benedictine school of Spirituality and time God! The Anglo-Saxon countries and in Italy our desires are we capable of relinquishing in. Communities embrace stability practice is how people develop the skills to become adept at anything little little! Humility, trust, accountability, justice, faithfulness, obedience, peace, and do yearn! 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