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And lastly, the monastery was envisaged not as a prison camp to punish offenders, but as a loving community where people come together to help each other in their chosen path, to submit their entire lives to the will of God. The Rule opens with a hortatory preface, in which Saint Benedict sets forth the main principles of the religious life, viz. At the heart of reform movements, past and present, lie Hermeneutical questions about what fidelity to tradition means. Individual failures there certainly were, as well as mitigations of rule, from time to time, but the loss of fervour in one particular monastery no more compromises all the other monasteries of the same country than the faults of one individual monk reflect necessarily upon the rest of the community to which he belongs. Rupert , near Bingen on the Rhine, who held that St. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. Chapter 68 orders that all shall cheerfully attempt to do whatever is commanded them, however hard it may seem. In connexion with the question of obedience there is the further question as to the system of government embodied in the Rule. Alston, G. Chapter 59 allows the admission of boys to the monastery under certain conditions. Let the greatest care be taken, especially when receiving the poor and travelers, because Christ is received more specially in them. In Italy , as also in Gaul , it was chiefly Antonian in character, though both the rules of St. The Western Experience. Farley, Archbishop of New York. Chapter 42 enjoins the reading of the "Conferences" of Cassian or some other edifying book in the evening before Compline and orders that after Compline the strictest silence shall be observed until the following morning. Alston, George Cyprian. Ecclesiastical approbation. Journal of Global Responsibility. Chapter 2 describes the necessary qualifications of an abbot and forbids him to make distinction of persons in the monastery except for particular merit, warning him at the same time that he will be answerable for the salvation of the souls committed to his care. And in both, the prevailing idea was that they were spiritual athletes, and as such they rivaled each other in austerity. To overcome this vice of private ownership, the Abbot should provide everything necessary — cowl, tunic, socks, shoes, girdle, knife, pen, needle, towel, writing tablet. Such action deserves punishment rather than reward. This varies according to the season, but is apparently never less than about five hours a day. At the work of God, in the garden, on a journey, in the field, wherever you may be, sitting, walking or standing, always bow your head. So if you have to ask the Abbot a question, you should do it with all humility and respectful submission. Benedict, however, allowed not only a blanket but also a coverlet, a mattress, and a pillow to each monk. Benedict came to write his own Rule for the monasteries he had founded, he embodied in it the result of his own mature experience and observation. The Rule of St.Benedict Writer

This rulebook for the monastic life was written by Benedict around In Chapter 1 are defined the four principle kinds of monks : 1 Cenobites, those living in a monastery under an abbot ; 2 Anchorites , or hermits , living a solitary life after long probation in the monastery ; 3 Sarabites , living by twos and threes together, without any fixed rule or lawfully constituted superior; and 4 Gyrovagi, a species of monastic vagrants, whose lives spent in wandering from one monastery to another, only served to bring discredit on the monastic profession. Alston, George Cyprian. Analysis of the rule Of the seventy-three chapters comprising the Rule, nine treat of the duties of the abbot , thirteen regulate the worship of God , twenty-nine are concerned with discipline and the penal code, ten refer to the internal administration of the monastery , and the remaining twelve consist of miscellaneous regulations. Many Benedictine Houses have a number of Oblates secular who are affiliated with them in prayer, having made a formal private promise usually renewed annually to follow the Rule of St Benedict in their private life as closely as their individual circumstances and prior commitments permit. Thanks to this love, every rule that he previously kept out of fear, he will now begin to keep without any effort, naturally, by force of habit, no longer from the fear of hell but for the love of Christ, from the habit of good and the pleasure of virtue. During the more than years of their existence, the Benedictines have not been immune to periods of laxity and decline, often following periods of greater prosperity and an attendant relaxing of discipline. Benedict sets forth the main principles of the religious life , viz. A few comparisons between the customs of these latter and the prescriptions of St. Benedict was a devout Italian Christian who became a monk at the age of 20, wishing to withdraw from the world after he visited Rome and was shocked by how immoral life in the Holy City had become. Each monk is to have a change of garments, to allow for washing, and when traveling shall be supplied with clothes of rather better quality. And lastly, the monastery was envisaged not as a prison camp to punish offenders, but as a loving community where people come together to help each other in their chosen path, to submit their entire lives to the will of God. The Abbot should break his fast in deference to the guest, unless it is a day of solemn fast, which cannot be broken. Show honor to them all, especially to fellow Christians and to wayfarers. His sole idea was the moral and spiritual training of his disciples, and yet in carrying this out he made the cloister a school of useful workers, a real refuge for society , and a solid bulwark of the Church Dudden, Gregory the Great, II, ix. Practical working of the rule No higher testimony as to the inherent excellencies of the Rule can be adduced than the results it has achieved in Western Europe and elsewhere; and no more striking quality is exhibited by it than by its adaptability to the ever-changing requirements of time and place since St. In recent years discussions have occasionally been held [ by whom? Chapters relate to minor faults, such as coming late to prayer or meals, and impose various penalties for such transgressions. As for bedding, a straw mattress, a blanket, a bedspread and a pillow are enough. Most people used to the freedoms and luxuries of life in the modern West would find it too demanding but in its historical context, it would not have been seen that way. Chapter 33 forbids the private possession of anything without the leave of the abbot , who is, however, bound to supply all necessaries. An exact diplomatic reprint not in facsimile of this codex was published at Monte Cassino in , so that the text of this manuscript , certainly the best individual text of the Rule in existence, can be studied without difficulty. Benedict's autograph. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a community of sworn obedience? The regulations regarding the reception and education of children, moreover, were the germ from which sprang up a great number of famous monastic schools and universities which flourished in the Middle Ages. There is as yet no edition of the Rule that satisfies the requirements of modern criticism, though one is in process of preparation for the Vienna "Corpus" of Latin Ecclesiastical writers. The Rule of St.Benedict Reviews

The regulations regarding the reception and education of children, moreover, were the germ from which sprang up a great number of famous monastic schools and universities which flourished in the Middle Ages. Be that as it may, this manuscript of the Rule was presented by Pope Zachary to Monte Cassino in the middle of the eighth century, a short time after the restoration of that monastery. Chapter 66 provides for the appointment of a porter , and recommends that each monastery should be, if possible, self-contained, so as to avoid the need of intercourse with the outer world. Chapter 58 lays down rules for the admission of new members, which is not to be made too easy. Does the Bible teach this viewpoint? Characteristics of the Rule In considering the leading characteristics of this Holy Rule, the first that must strike the reader is its wonderful discretion and moderation, its extreme reasonableness, and its keen insight into the capabilities as well as the weaknesses of human nature. Thanks to this love, every rule that he previously kept out of fear, he will now begin to keep without any effort, naturally, by force of habit, no longer from the fear of hell but for the love of Christ, from the habit of good and the pleasure of virtue. Christian monasticism first appeared in the Egyptian desert, in the Eastern Roman Empire a few generations before Benedict of Nursia. Chapter 3 ordains the calling of the brethren to council upon all affairs of importance to the community. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. The exact time and place at which St. Chapter 69 forbids the monks to defend one another. This actually makes it earlier, as a document, than some of the ones in the Early Church volume; but it belongs in the Middle Ages because it was lived out day by day by countless monks and nuns across the whole of Europe throughout every century of that period. Benedict, viz: the "common life" and family spirit. It is generally held by commentators that the precepts of the Rule bind only under the penalty of venial sin , and the counsels not even under that. How important is taking personal initiative when w. In Italy , as also in Gaul , it was chiefly Antonian in character, though both the rules of St. Is self-esteem an over-rated modern concern, or something Christians should pursue? Doyle's translation is available in both hardcover and paperback editions. The Abbot should give clothes to the brothers according to the climate in which they live. To further this aim he introduced the vow of Stability, which becomes the guarantee of success and permanence. The Abbot, however, should look to the size, too make sure that they are not too small, but fitted for those who are to wear them. Benedict's autograph. Within a generation, both solitary as well as communal monasticism became very popular which spread outside of Egypt, first to Palestine and the Judean Desert and thence to Syria and North Africa. Boniface Verheyen, OSB. This comparative liberality with regard to the necessaries of life, though plain and meagre perhaps, if tested by modern notions of comfort, was far greater than amongst the Italian poor of the sixth century or even amongst many of the European peasantry at the present day. Basil fourth century organized Greek monasticism, he set himself against the eremetical life and insisted upon a community life, with meals, work, and prayer , all in common. Benedict's matured monastic and spiritual wisdom. He founded his own monastery in Gall Library was copied directly from Charlemagne's copy for the Abbey of Reichenau. The Western Experience. The earliest commentary, in point of date, is that which has been variously ascribed to Paul Warnefrid a monk of Monte Cassino about , Hildemar, Ruthard of Hirsau, and others. Beyond its religious influences, the Rule of St Benedict was one of the most important written works to shape medieval Europe , embodying the ideas of a written constitution and the rule of law. Before the advent of wax candles in the 14th century, this office was said in the dark or with minimal lighting; and monks were expected to memorise everything. Sam Keble. Chapter 55 regulates the clothing of the monks. A few comparisons between the customs of these latter and the prescriptions of St. Benedict ordered from six to eight hours of unbroken sleep a day, with the addition of a siesta in summer. My email address is webmaster at newadvent.

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How important is taking personal initiative when w. It looked like Christianity in Europe was finished. Benedict is sometimes regarded as the founder of Western monasticism due to reform that his rules had on the current Catholic hierarchy. To refrain from speaking, staying silent until one is asked. Syrian and strictly Oriental monasticism need not be considered here, as it had no direct influence on that of Europe. Chapter 34 prescribes a just distribution of such things. It is to be cheerful, unquestioning, and prompt; to the abbot chiefly, who is to be obeyed as holding the place of Christ , and also to all the brethren according to the dictates of fraternal charity, as being "the path that leads to God " Chapter Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote. The version above, first published in Hubbard's Little Journeys , omits a part of the passage which enjoins the monastery, given good behaviour, to accept the guest as a permanent resident. The postulant first spends a short time as a guest; then he is admitted to the novitiate , where under the care of a novice-master, his vocation is severely tested; during this time he is always free to depart. These services could be very long, sometimes lasting till dawn, but usually consisted of a chant, three antiphons, three psalms, and three lessons, along with celebrations of any local saints' days. Chapter 67 gives instruction as to the behavior of a monk who is sent on a journey. The Egyptian monks , moreover, often slept on the bare ground, with stones or mats for pillows, and often merely sitting or merely reclining, as directed in the Pachomian Rule, whilst Abbot John was unable to mention without shame the finding of a blanket in a hermit's cell Cassian, Coll. To be content with the meanest and worst of everything, always considering oneself a bad and worthless workman. He proposes to establish a "school" in which the science of salvation shall be taught, so that by persevering in the monastery till death his disciples may "deserve to become partakers of Christ's kingdom ". Such action deserves punishment rather than reward. Anthony were purely eremetical , whilst those who followed the Rule of St. Catholic Encyclopedia. Chapter 58 lays down rules for the admission of new members, which is not to be made too easy. Such considerations are important because there is no doubt whatever that the introduction and propagation of St. September They are charged with setting an example of humility to all, and can only exercise their priestly functions by permission of the abbot. In the West in about the year , Benedict became so upset by the immorality of society in Rome that he gave up his studies there, at age fourteen, and chose the life of an ascetic monk in the pursuit of personal holiness, living as a hermit in a cave near the rugged region of Subiaco. The Rule opens with a hortatory preface, in which Saint Benedict sets forth the main principles of the religious life, viz. This actually makes it earlier, as a document, than some of the ones in the Early Church volume; but it belongs in the Middle Ages because it was lived out day by day by countless monks and nuns across the whole of Europe throughout every century of that period. Thus any claim to be in need is removed. Much latitude with regard to details is left to "discretion and judgement", but this power, so far from being absolute or unlimited, is safeguarded by the obligation laid upon him of consulting the brethren - either the seniors only or else the entire community - upon all matters affecting their welfare. Chapter 7 treats of humility , which virtue is divided into twelve degrees or steps in the ladder that leads to heaven. Individual failures there certainly were, as well as mitigations of rule, from time to time, but the loss of fervour in one particular monastery no more compromises all the other monasteries of the same country than the faults of one individual monk reflect necessarily upon the rest of the community to which he belongs. Benedict wrote his Rule are not known, nor can it be determined whether the Rule, as we now possess it, was composed as a single whole or whether it gradually took shape in response to the needs of his monks. Priesthood was not initially an important part of Benedictine monasticism — monks used the services of their local priest. In the matter of sleep, whereas the solitaries of Egypt regarded diminution as one of their most valued forms of austerity, St. A sufficiently good manual edition was published by Dom Edmund Schmidt. A pound of bread also and a hemina probably about half a pint of wine for each monk. Frank Henderson edits a website that provides information about the history, dissemination and use of the Rule of Benedict adapted for and by women. Basil and St. When a guest is announced, let him be met with all charity. Does the Bible teach this viewpoint? It has merited the encomiums of councils, popes , and commentators, and its vitality is as vigorous at the present time as it was in the ages of faith. Benedict's autograph. At least one of the sources cited attributes the passage to a mythical Chapter 74; the Rule of St Benedict contains only 73 chapters. IV, edited by Oliver J. Do not give anyone the kiss of peace before a prayer has been said, in case of satanic deception. Amongst other commentators the following deserve mention: St. The Rule demands absolute obedience from monks to their Abbot. What happens if the man in power is not godly, or is given to fads? Chapter 5 prescribes prompt, cheerful, and absolute obedience to the superior in all things lawful, which obedience is called the first degree of humility. This Benedictine hospitality is a feature which has in all ages been characteristic of the order. Chapters 50 and 51 contain rules for monks who are working in the fields or traveling. https://files8.webydo.com/9583329/UploadedFiles/8B352E25-B0CC-2DD4-4C49-066B23879147.pdf https://cdn.starwebserver.se/shops/mateodanielssonhc/files/restorative-yoga-with-assists-a-manual-for-teachers-and-students-of-yoga-492.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9583248/UploadedFiles/48BEE6B7-69EA-2FD1-9A9C-DDBFD5CA31D5.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9583565/UploadedFiles/A7DF9FC4-BB35-8C93-9BC4-79D80442D5A2.pdf https://cdn.starwebserver.se/shops/razmusblomqvistao/files/every-last-word-704.pdf https://cdn.starwebserver.se/shops/razmusblomqvistao/files/measuring-behaviour-an-introductory-guide-32.pdf