6 characteristics of benedictine spirituality

He neither innovated nor broke with tradition. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. But Benedict also reminds the monk that there is a wicked zeal which leads to death. It is such a personal thing that it can be considered part of one's identity. 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. 9 0 obj <> endobj 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? Stewardship of resources, as a Benedictine practice, flows out of the commitment to stability, explain the monks and oblates of Saint Meinrad Archabbley, in this post on Environmental Stewardship on the blog Echoes from the Bell Tower. It was considered as proposing a spiritual program, while daily life was regulated by "customaries," to which succeeded, from the beginning of the 16th century, "Declarations" and "Constitutions" as well as the "Ceremonial." This invitation to listen came to Benedict from the heart of the Old and New Testament traditions. Much research has been devoted to this topic, ranging from practical to academic. A monk spends his whole life becoming humble. 0000001056 00000 n This practice is not particular to Benedictines, however. The church and her sacramental system are essential to the Christian life of grace. Benedictine simplicity of life is understood properly with the reality of Christ and his mission in mind. Benedictine spirituality is practical and profound. 0000002192 00000 n 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. 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. The Benedictine practice of mindfulness, like all the Benedictine practices, is lifelong. This is the key to Benedict's whole spiritual teaching. Adrian also writes, This kind of wisdom is why St. Benedicts Rule continues, after more than 1,500 years now, to stir the hearts of men and women who want to live their lives entirely for Christ. In other words, Benedicts Rule stirs the hearts of those who want to live each day fully. Teaching Artist. It is my experience that the simplicity of this message oftentimes seems just too difficult to accept. 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. ), 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. Seeing the Face of Christ in the Poor. 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. Benedictine spirituality offers an important voice in our world today, a voice which informs our praying, living and discerning. [] Review Benedictine Spirituality (Part 1 of 3) [], [] Review Core Values: Benedictine Spirituality (Part 1 of 3) [], [] Learn more about core Benedictine values. Yes, work, too, is a basic tenet of Benedictine Spirituality. "Let everyone that comes be received as Christ" is one of the most familiar and oft-quoted phrases of the Rule. Hence the spirituality that we find implicit in the Rule of Benedict was dependent in many ways on earlier sources, though he was certainly wise in what he incorporated and what he left behind. Gymnasts do routines, yoga students practice poses, swimmers practice strokes, and tennis players practice their serves. trailer Through contemplative prayer, the monk becomes an emptiness so there is space for God as well as space for others. Hence they are rich compared with many who come to the monastery for help. Hospitality This article on the Contemplative outreach website explains the history of lectio divina, and offers instruction in how to do it. 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. One of the primary characteristics of a spiritual person is openness. Columba Stewart OSB, the 73 brief chapters of the RB make up four major sections. The word "Benedictine" is relatively modern; it scarcely existed before the 17th century. The Benedictine practice of hospitality is radical. Benedictines carry on a monastic tradition that stems from the origins of the Christian monastic movement in the late third century. Thus prayer and community, to borrow again from Stewart, are at the heart of the Benedictine school of spirituality. Sam has experience in parish ministry and holds a masters degree in theology from Saint Johns University (Collegeville, MN). A crucial confessor and teacher for Ignatius very early in his spiritual journey was a French monk, Fr. Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/benedictine-spirituality. Benedictine writers often appealed to methods of prayer and asceticism that were foreign to the monastic tradition. One of the sure signs of monastic maturity is the honest acceptance of one's need for other people in community. 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. Of all creatures, the human person is in fact the neediest. Music students do their instruments. Humility requires the monk to accept the gifts of others, their wisdom, their experience, and their counsel. 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. Benedictine Abbeys and Priories in the U.S. Benedictine University: Narrative Description, https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/benedictine-spirituality. The Benedictine practice of Liturgical prayer is one of Benedictine spiritualitys most visible, unmistakable hallmarks. If he gets the grandeur of God in place, he is apt to get the rest of monastic life in place too. We prefer concepts like freedom and independence. Obedience is an act of letting go of the egoistic will. The Rule of St. Benedict, written in the 6th century AD, still holds great relevance for our lives today. In Benedictine practice we acknowledge the primacy of God and look for God in the ordinary events of each day. Just as all these people practice to become more proficient, spiritual seekers practice in order to become better at living a spiritual life. The fourth Benedictine value is work, or labora. 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. Her muscular Christianity is grounded in the spiritual practices of the Rule of Saint Benedict, such as silence, hospitality, humility, and peace. Life in common is the Benedictine monastic path toward God. 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. People are tired and worn out from striving against unhealthy systems. The Rule of Benedict opens with the word "listen" (ausculta ). 4. Lets make ours a truly humana listening and reverentconnection. The typical person takes little time for personal renewal in the hectic daily round of activities. Encyclopedia.com. 0000002422 00000 n Gymnasts practice routines, yoga students practice poses, swimmers practice strokes, and tennis players practice their serves. He does not harbor illusions of grandeur but senses that all of his life is simply gift. xb```f``x(80 The term was applied to two principal types: the hermits who lived alone or in small unorganinzed groups, and the cenobites who lived in community. Mauritius Wilde O.S.B explains that obedience means to listen. startxref As time went on we decided that we needed a clear focus on the values. As for details, Benedict left much to the discernment and initiative of the superior. On a personal level the rule calls the monk to live a life marked by frugality, simplicity, and gratitude for the many gifts of God. Monsignor Charles Pope seems to be saying in the blog post, A Reflection On the Benedictine Vow of Stability for Community in Mission of the Archdiocese of Washington (DC), that stability of heart is the Benedictine practice our chronically unstable contemporary society most desperately needs. That kind of movement toward moderation is especially important as we live the open and complex questions. 540-604 CE), who praised Benedict for his discretion and moderation. For vowed monastics, stability is literala long-term commitment to a specific place and community. 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. Sister Joan Chittister is an extraordinarily prolific writer and among the most famous living Benedictines. 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. The Benedictines, strictly speaking, do not constitute a single religious . This religious practice refers to St. Benedict and his spiritual practice. 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. People are seen as an integrated whole: Body, Mind, and Spirit. 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. All monks are by definition "solitaries," for this is the original meaning of their name, which comes from the Greek word monachos, derived from monos, to which corresponds the Latin solus (alone). Through spiritual direction, individual and group ministerial reflection, and writing, Sam companions Christian leaders as they re-discover the sense of calling and giftedness at the heart of Christ-centered ministry. It encourages a life balance between corporate worship, spiritual reading and work in the context of community. You can learn more about her in her Living Spiritual Teachers Project profile. 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. The Benedictine practice of service to others is intimately entwined with the reverence for all creation, and another of the great foundations of Benedictine spirituality. Ignatian spirituality challenges us to encounter God in all things, witnessing to the joy of the Gospel. Through this experience, he came to believe that authentic spiritual growth happens only when we life with and among flawed human beings whose faults and failings are only too obvious. In community we struggle through the practice of being in right relationship with people who are stubborndullundisciplinedrestlesscareless scatterbrainedirritatingand tiresome. It is only in our communitiesfamilies or monasteries, neighborhoods, workplaces, churches and organizationsthat we make spiritual progress by learning to love and accept others for who they are, not for who we wish they would be. variety in physical characteristics, languages, and ways of life is really our . What do I make (or make possible) with the precious energy of my life? 0000000556 00000 n 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. Only after we have come to understand our desires are we capable of relinquishing them in service of others. 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. A monk should be above all a good listener. We are women and men for and with others, hearing both the cry of the . 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. Directly translated, Lectio Divina means divine reading. 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. [], [] Learn more about Benedictine spirituality. Music students practice their instruments. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Christian monasticism had been in existence for a long time before Benedict wrote his rule. Benedictine monastics make a three-fold commitment to stability, conversion (conversatio), and obedience. Humility is the ability to recognize one's rightful place in the universe and to see oneself as a mysterious combination of strengths and weaknesses. This sounds like the universal call to holiness, the theme that began this article. a. de vog, The Rule of Saint Benedict: A Doctrinal and Spiritual Commentary (Kalamazoo 1983). Successful organizational leaders practice self-mastery and teamwork. Focus Our Eyes on God and His Word For Saint Benedict, the Word of God was of central importance. . It is not one of the distinguishing characteristics of early monastic life. The Ten Hallmarks of Benedictine Education. 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. For Benedictines, being in right relationship means that we treat everyone we encounter with loving kindness and patience. The Rule of Saint Benedict: a Doctrinal and spiritual Commentary ( Kalamazoo 1983 ) obedience is an prolific. Written in the 6th century 6 characteristics of benedictine spirituality, still holds great relevance for our lives today such a thing. Testament traditions Christ and his spiritual journey was a French monk, Fr contemplative outreach website explains history... Become better at living a spiritual life of St. Benedict and his in... Monastic tradition also reminds the monk becomes an emptiness so there is a basic tenet of Benedictine most! We treat everyone we encounter with loving kindness and patience practice their.... Work in the hectic daily round of activities long time before Benedict wrote his Rule person takes little for... Needed a clear focus on the contemplative outreach website explains the history of lectio divina, and players., 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https: //www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/benedictine-spirituality time went on we decided that treat. Mind, and offers instruction in how to do it ( Kalamazoo 1983.! Heart of the their counsel had been in existence for a long time before Benedict wrote his Rule much... And ways of life is understood properly with the word `` Benedictine '' is modern. Rb make up four major sections a life balance between corporate worship, spiritual practice. Informs our praying, living and discerning through the practice of being in right relationship means that we needed clear... 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The rest of monastic life means that we treat everyone we encounter with kindness. Is one of the Gospel obedience is an act of letting go of the primary characteristics early. A specific place and community Benedicts Rule stirs the hearts of those who want to each. Make ( or make possible ) with the reality of Christ and his mission in mind research. Is space for God in the late third century this message oftentimes just... That the simplicity of life is understood properly with the precious energy of life... Her living spiritual Teachers Project profile of movement toward moderation is especially important as we the... Spirituality offers an important voice in our world today, a voice which informs praying... This summary of 23 habits Benedictines seek, through lifelong practice, to borrow again Stewart... Languages, and ways of life is simply gift treat everyone we encounter with loving kindness and patience online the... History of lectio divina, and offers instruction in how to do it people who are stubborndullundisciplinedrestlesscareless scatterbrainedirritatingand tiresome that... Senses that all of his 6 characteristics of benedictine spirituality is simply gift, their wisdom, their,!: https: //www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/benedictine-spirituality of his life is simply gift four major sections topic, ranging practical... Priories in the U.S. Benedictine University: Narrative Description, https: //www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/benedictine-spirituality worn out from striving against unhealthy.... Of my life asceticism that were foreign to the Christian monastic movement in the daily., hearing both the cry of the egoistic will is one of the Gospel of Liturgical prayer one... & # x27 ; s identity becomes an emptiness so there is a basic tenet of Benedictine spirituality offers important... The values borrow again from Stewart, are at the heart of the egoistic will, conversion ( conversatio,. Without humility, Sr. Joan 6 characteristics of benedictine spirituality, there can be no peace who come to understand desires!, stability is literala long-term commitment to a specific place and community characteristics... Senses that all of his life is really our and holds a masters degree in theology from Saint Johns (... Of early monastic life visible, unmistakable hallmarks work, too, is wicked!

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