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They are all intertwined. What are the characteristics of Benedictine spirituality? c. smith, The Path of Life (Ampleforth, England 1995). This invitation to listen came to Benedict from the heart of the Old and New Testament traditions. 1. 6v-7r of the Bodleian library in Oxford. The ideal of this pattern of conversion is meant to be incarnated in a special way for the community in the abbot, who is expected to be a symbolic center exercising a centripetal force that draws individuals into a truly Christian community of life for God and others in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Little by little, however, the Rule of Benedict became the principal rule, particularly in the Anglo-Saxon countries and in Italy. endstream
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People are seen as an integrated whole: Body, Mind, and Spirit. The Benedictine practice of hospitality is radical. No one thingprayer, work, rest, studywas to be done in the extreme. podcast at DiscerningHearts.com from the Missionary Benedictines of Christ the King Priory, Fr. The devotio moderna is an example. But Benedict also reminds the monk that there is a wicked zeal which leads to death. Strong communities embrace stability and are open to necessary change. 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. 1) They know that not one-size-fits-all. 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.. For more information, fill out the form below or contact: Mary Catherine Holicky, OSB. Even the Cistercians, who in the 12th century had intended to return to a faithful observance of the rule itself, added numerous statutes. For Benedict, prayer had a particular structure and process. He neither innovated nor broke with tradition. It encourages a life balance between corporate worship, spiritual reading and work in the context of community. Emerging out of the high middles ages, it emphasizes the humanity of Jesus Christ as the mystery of God's presence in human flesh. If you fill out this form, Ill respond from my personal email. As. Sister Joan Chittister is an extraordinarily prolific writer and among the most famous living Benedictines. Prosperity and ties with temporal society often led monasteries, especially the larger ones, to depart more or less from certain fundamental observances required by the rule, notably separation from secular society, real simplicity of life, and manual labor. 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. In an article for HuffPost Sister Joan tells us that a Benedictine lifestyle is an an oasis of human peace in a striving, searing, simmering world. This lifestyle disallows war and violence on any level, including the root causes of violenceambition, greed, waste of resources, class distinctions, and the hubris that leads to the oppression of others, that justifies force as the sign of our superiority. This lifestyle makes ample room for what it valuescommunity, prayer, stewardship, equality, stability, conversion, peace all [which] make for communities of love. Without humility, Sr. Joan explains, there can be no peace. 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. 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 ). d. rees et al., Consider Your Call: A Theology of Monastic Life Today (Kalamazoo 1978). ." This manuscript is a copy of St. Benedicts rule. It is rooted in faith, and like Christ's own simplicity of life must be an outward expression of trustful dependence on God. Although well into the middle years of an average life span, I am a rank beginner, a mere toddler in Benedictine practice. The second characteristic of the monastic vocation is that it demands a life of which a privileged part is given to prayer. New Catholic Encyclopedia. Some of the key characteristics of Benedictine spirituality include: Liturgy of the Hours; Lectio Divina (prayerful reading of Scripture) Eucharist; Benedictine Spirituality includes the willingness to: Seek God; Use the Gospel and the Rule of Benedict as a guide; Listen to one another . 21 0 obj
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Humility is also a dominant theme in Benedictine spirituality; in fact it is closely related to contemplation. 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. "Benedictine Spirituality Which brings us back to awareness of God, to the beginning again. Humility helps us accept our gifts and talents joyfully while letting go of our false selves. Directly translated, Lectio Divina means divine reading. We are women and men for and with others, hearing both the cry of the . Gymnasts practice routines, yoga students practice poses, swimmers practice strokes, and tennis players practice their serves. A monk should be above all a good listener. Jesus said "Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (see Matthew 25: . Benedictine monastics make a three-fold commitment to stability, conversion (conversatio), and obedience. The Sisters of St. Benedict in Ferdinand, Indiana explain the importance of community life in Benedictine practice on their website. Gymnasts do routines, yoga students practice poses, swimmers practice strokes, and tennis players practice their serves. Through contemplative prayer, the monk becomes an emptiness so there is space for God as well as space for others. In this article, I have merely collected and summarized what other, more experienced Benedictines have taught and published. 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. While submission is an act of youth, true obedience can only come as a response of maturity. Benedictine simplicity of life is understood properly with the reality of Christ and his mission in mind.
His books includeGratefulness,A Listening Heart, and most recently, a new autobiography,i am through you so. It can be described as a state of mind that provides their values and influences how they live their lives and exercise their judgment in such things as deciding between right and wrong. More than a billion Muslims share a common set of fundamental beliefs that are described as "Articles of Faith." These articles of faith form the foundation of Islamic belief system. 2. Benedictine hospitality requires us to moderate our own views and voices, and in this day and age, as in all ages, moderation is supremely radical. It insists that God is present in our world and active in our lives. Divine omnipotence is a divine operative attribute, an, TAULER, JOHANNES In his spare time, you will find Sam tending his familys small tree farm or fly fishing for trout in Southeast Minnesota. Lets make ours a truly humana listening and reverentconnection. 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. Every four months, we begin again at the beginningso we read the Rulethree times every year. People are seen as an integrated whole: Body, Mind, and Spirit. Characteristics of Benedictine Spirituality. Benedictine spirituality is practical and profound. How are you feeling called to commit that value to practice in the days ahead? New Catholic Encyclopedia. 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. 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. trailer
The website of Subiaco Abbey in Arkansas tells us, Modern monks like to point out that first word in the Rule is to Listen,which cant be done while talking! Contact. 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. to the Rule is a good way to summarize the goal of Benedictine spirituality and prayer. 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. In the East it dates back to the 3rd century with St. Anthony, and in the West to the 4th century with St. Martin and other founders of monasteries. 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 no way am I qualified to be a teacher of the Benedictine way of life. Benedictines say mindfulness is as much as a Christian and biblical concept as it is a Buddhist one. Columba Stewart OSB, the 73 brief chapters of the RB make up four major sections. How are we being invited to swing back toward Christ-centeredness? 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. 0000002422 00000 n
Nazirites (Numbers 6:1-21): Nazirites were of two types: those who were dedicated from birth to be a Nazirite (e.g. 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. Orbis, 20-21). This model of [], [] rather than continually traveling on to somewhere else. The resulting collection of ten core values - love, prayer, stability, conversatio, obedience, discipline . Vincentian spirituality is centered around this concept. Obedience is an act of letting go of the egoistic will. The Rule revolves around five practices: Prayer, Work, Study, Hospitality and Renewal. Like counselling, therapy and coaching, spiritual direction rests on careful listening to the 'client'. In a podcast at DiscerningHearts.com from the Missionary Benedictines of Christ the King Priory, Fr. On the blog Catholic Beer Club, Br. . Furthermore, he avoids anything that would be excessive or beyond the capacity of the average monk. In contrast to monks who fled the world to encounter God in solitude, St. Benedict's Rule was written to guide communities in living elemental aspects of Christianitysuch as shared meals, shared prayer, and shared work. As for details, Benedict left much to the discernment and initiative of the superior. Instead, holiness of life was to be found through the right balance of these elements in life. New Catholic Encyclopedia. Benedict reminds us of our priorities: prayer, contemplation, balance and the importance of everything we do. It is only in a secondary sense that Benedict himself, speaking through the rule, and the abbot of the community are masters. Prayer is the foundation to the monastic life and calling, and can be a constant part of the life of non-monastics as well. 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. He entered the Dominican novitiate c. 1315 in his na, Benedictine College: Narrative Description. They regard Saint Benedict as their founder and guide even though he did not establish a Benedictine Order as such. Roman Roots. 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. In 2007, Benedictine educators collaborated and distilled from The Rule of St. Benedict ten core values of transformative importance that ought to animate Benedictine institutions of learning. What we know about St. Benedict himself comes to us mainly through Gregory the Great (ca. A crucial confessor and teacher for Ignatius very early in his spiritual journey was a French monk, Fr. This springs from a desire to please God, or to seek God, as the Rule puts it (chapter 58). Life in common is the Benedictine monastic path toward God. startxref
The Ten Hallmarks of Benedictine Education. How do we respect all things as vessels of the altar (RB 31:10). This discussion shows that its impossible to isolate any Benedictine practice as independent of the others. U`` . Successful organizational leaders practice self-mastery and teamwork. 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. 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. In other words, to be a good Franciscan means to be a good Christian. 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. Commit to daily, weekly or monthly prayer disciplines. He does not harbor illusions of grandeur but senses that all of his life is simply gift. From the 13th century, Benedictine monasteries have often felt the influence of spiritual movements coming from non-monastic sources. It is specified solely by a commitment to God sanctioned by public vows. A devoted monk, he established the Rule of Benedict. 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. Jean Chanon, who was a mentor for Ignatius in methods of prayer at the Benedictine monastery at Montserrat. In Benedict's rule, humility is not the same as humiliations, for humiliations degrade the person. The Rule of St. Benedict, written in the 6th century AD, still holds great relevance for our lives today. %PDF-1.4
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The Benedictine practice of mindfulness, like all the Benedictine practices, is lifelong. 0000002499 00000 n
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. [], [] Learn more about Benedictine spirituality. Quick and easy, no. The Friends of St. Benedict website says The Rule offers people a plan for living a balanced, simple, and prayerful life. Simple, yes. Benedictine spirituality offers an important voice in our world today, a voice which informs our praying, living and discerning. You can order a free copy of Give Us This Day, published by Liturgical Press, by clicking here. 0000002192 00000 n
Reading the transcript or listening to the podcast is worthwhile. It is a pathway to deeper prayer, good decisions guided by keen discernment, and an active life of service to others. Humility demands that the monk take God seriously, that he take others seriously, but that he never take himself too seriously. Cultivating awareness of God is important for all who seek a meaningful spirituality. 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. He was the son of a noble and grew up in Rome. FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY Franciscan spirituality motivates a way of following Christ that is based on the gospels. Benedictine spirituality is a way of life that helps a person to seek God and his will daily. Benedictine spirituality is simple and down to earth. Just as all these people practice to become more proficient, spiritual seekers practice in order to become better at living a spiritual life. However, it may involve the following characteristics: Antiquity of 3,000 and 1,500 years. ), 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. Are you a thoughtful reader (and maybe even a writer) who seeks a peaceful, just, spiritual approach to life? It encourages a life balance between corporate worship, spiritual reading and work in the context of community. Be faithful in demonstration of family and community commitments, for example, by calling parents every week at the same time, checking in regularly on neighbors, affirming and listening to coworkers. 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. Just as all these people practice to become more proficient, spiritual seekers practice in order to become better at living a spiritual life. . Christian monasticism had been in existence for a long time before Benedict wrote his rule. . 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. 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. (61.6). Having the mind of a beginner, being receptive to starting anew, starting fresh, starting overthis, too, is a Benedictine practice. Her muscular Christianity is grounded in the spiritual practices of the Rule of Saint Benedict, such as silence, hospitality, humility, and peace. Benedictine spirituality is rooted in the cultivation of good habits. 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. However, the date of retrieval is often important. Consequently he accepts the services and ideas of others, the gifts of life, and community. Prayer is essential to a Benedictine lifestyle. 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. St. Benedict lived in the 6 th century. 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. Stewardship of resources, as a Benedictine practice, flows out of the commitment to stability, explain. praying the Divine Office) as well as regular silent . Spiritual Direction, sometimes referred to as spiritual guidance or spiritual friendship, is an on-going relationship in which a person, desiring to be attentive to his or her spiritual life, meets with the spiritual director on a regular basis to become more attuned to God's presence and to respond more fully to that presence. 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. In his blog Benedictine Monks, Fr. This sounds like the universal call to holiness, the theme that began this article. 9 0 obj
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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. Patience does not relieve us of our natural feelings of aversion, irritation, and indignation, but it controls and rises above these feelings Our Lord felt the natural impulse to avoid suffering, but He set aside and refused to listen to this feeling: Father not my will but Thine be done.Where does this patience show itself? It is my experience that the simplicity of this message oftentimes seems just too difficult to accept. This practice is not particular to Benedictines, however. Its principal source is the Word of God and its model is Christ. It is one among many schools that speak to contemporary hearts, yet it is particularly unique in its lasting impact on Western Christianity. An atheist is a man who lives without God. Hence they are rich compared with many who come to the monastery for help. Benedictine Spirituality - also known as Monastic Spirituality. The word "Benedictine" is relatively modern; it scarcely existed before the 17th century. //