Benedictine, member of the Order of Saint Benedict (O.S.B. Instead, holiness of life was to be found through the right balance of these elements in life. It continues today as an institute for Benedictine students and others who wish to obtain graduate degrees in philosophy, theology, liturgy, and monastic studies. Benedictine spirituality offers an important voice in our world today, a voice which informs our praying, living and discerning. The Benedictines, strictly speaking, do not constitute a single religious . How are we being invited to swing back toward Christ-centeredness? The Rule of St. Benedict has often been referred to as a compendium of the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ. Music students practice their instruments. Commit to daily, weekly or monthly prayer disciplines. Downloaded from the web site of the Bodleian library: Created: 8th century date QS:P,+750-00-00T00:00:00Z/7, we acknowledge the primacy of God and look for God in the ordinary events of each day, Benjamin Schfer, who calls himself an intercessory musicianary, blog theologian, and pilgrim on the narrow road of learning to love, writes in depth about ways to foster awareness of God, requires that we never stop asking hard questions about our personal growth, The Sisters of St. Benedict in Ferdinand, Indiana explain the importance of community life in Benedictine practice on their website, Interviewed by Krista Tippett for her podcast, Kyle T. Kramer explains in his 2011 article for America Magazine that hospitality, for a Benedictine, An essay by the Sisters of St. Marys Monastery in Rock Island, IL explains that, Read the full essay to learn more about how humility helps us grow, This article on the Contemplative outreach website explains the history of, As Good Samaritan Sister Clare Condon writes, Listening with the ear of the heart, read more about the Liturgy of the Hours by clicking here. Paradoxically, the key to a full life, is to understand that all things are to be done with moderation. (Rule of St. Benedict 48:9). They are all intertwined. Benedictine monastics make a three-fold commitment to stability, conversion (conversatio), and obedience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoTQF_Z_3lQ. Therefore in Benedictine spirituality, mutual obedience is a habit to be shown by all to one another. Here are some of the characteristics of Benedictine spirituality: Grounded in Listening 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. Columba Stewart OSB, the 73 brief chapters of the RB make up four major sections. Digital nun, writing for ibenedictines.org tells us, Fr. 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. Humility helps us accept our gifts and talents joyfully while letting go of our false selves. According to monastic scholar Fr. He wrote a Rule for his monastery at Monte Cassino in Italy and he foresaw . Benedictine Sr. Mary Lou Kownacki, a major force behind the ministries and outreach that shaped the Benedictines of Erie, Pennsylvania, in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, died Jan. 6 at . 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. This manuscript is a copy of St. Benedicts rule. In a. SUGGESTED BOX ON PRAYER The psalms eloquently express how we feel and how we think about life and time and God. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. 1. My work with the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (MID) has . The monk is called to discern how the Benedictine tradition speaks to the basic human condition, often characterized by blindness and greed. 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. 6 Characteristics Of Benedictine Spirituality . 4qAB0Lfb+ ``v@ BK j ." 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. He writes: "The will develops its own gifts, seeking to perfect them in the order of nature and of grace so as to bring the faithful soul to spiritual maturity. But what does the Bible teach on this issue? BARTH, KARL (18861968), Swiss Reformed theologian, described by Pope Pius XII as the greatest theologian since Thomas Aquina, A term used to cover a literally bewildering variety of states of mind. 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. 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. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. (61.6). We are moved to profound respect for the ways the Creator puts resources at our disposal to further the kingdom of God. It is rooted in faith, and like Christ's own simplicity of life must be an outward expression of trustful dependence on God. What practise spiritual practices do? Cultivating awareness of God is important for all who seek a meaningful spirituality. 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. Contact. As for details, Benedict left much to the discernment and initiative of the superior. %PDF-1.4 % Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Of all creatures, the human person is in fact the neediest. You can read more about the Liturgy of the Hours by clicking here, but the best way to learn about Liturgical prayer is to find a monastery and experience it. 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. 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. Spirituality is the broad concept of a belief in something beyond the self. St. Benedicts chapter on humility is one of the longest in the Rule. 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 It is such a personal thing that it can be considered part of one's identity. Just as all these people practice to become more proficient, spiritual seekers practice in order to become better at living a spiritual life. Through contemplative prayer, the monk becomes an emptiness so there is space for God as well as space for 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. Adrian Burke, OSB writes, Benedict insists in his. The fourth Benedictine value is work, or labora. 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. 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. 0000004832 00000 n 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). What are the characteristics of Benedictine spirituality? 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. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"Mjbegi0csMdpEDVeqSUEXsusxBikAj9UyKZw_VuRiag-86400-0"}; This means that the monk must be very quiet and still within himself, but also very alert and attentive if the word of God is to resonate properly within his innermost depths so that he is enlightened and nourished by it. . Although well into the middle years of an average life span, I am a rank beginner, a mere toddler in Benedictine practice. This springs from a desire to please God, or to seek God, as the Rule puts it (chapter 58). Digital nun, writing for ibenedictines.org tells us,The practice of mindfulness, which for a Christian must always be the practice of mindfulness of the presence of God, is not something we learn in a few hours or even a few years. 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. It is a lifetimes work, and it is not to be rushed or short-circuited in any way. Click here to read hints on how to enjoy this lifelong practice. Among the many available lists of core Benedictine values, I find that of Saint Johns Abbey to be one of the most helpful. 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. Strong communities embrace stability and are open to necessary change. Obedience is an act of letting go of the egoistic will. In 1887 Pope Leo XIII, who was enamored of the Benedictines, reestablished the College of Saint Anselm in Rome. 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 embraces a diversity of vocations: lay and clerical, contemplative and active, academic and pastoral, married and celibate. The meaning of stability in our day and time refers to staying rooted where we arein relationship with ourselves and with others, in order to grow in the spiritual life. As time went on we decided that we needed a clear focus on the values. 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. What calls us to attention? This is a life devoted to the "Benedictine values of community, consensus, peace, balance, hospitality, humility, simplicity and care of the planet in our daily lives," Judith Valente writes in an article for Global Sisters Report. 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. In no way am I qualified to be a teacher of the Benedictine way of life. Successful organizational leaders practice self-mastery and teamwork. In his blog Benedictine Monks, Fr. These three characteristics refer especially to intellectual activity. 22 Feb. 2023 . Jean Chanon, who was a mentor for Ignatius in methods of prayer at the Benedictine monastery at Montserrat. Just because these spiritualities are different does not mean they are contradictory. (320) 363-7112. mholicky@csbsju.edu. It's not a principle that defines what it means to be a Benedictine institution. 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 . Demonstrate good will, humility, trust, accountability, justice, faithfulness, obedience, peace, and discipleship. Although well into the middle years of an average life span, I am a rank beginner, a mere toddler in Benedictine practice. Cultivating awareness of God is important for all who seek a meaningful spirituality. Benedictine prayer has several characteristics that make more for a spirituality of awareness than of consolation. The Benedictine practice of mindfulness, like all the Benedictine practices, is lifelong. They are listeners and patient, willing to wait and see. Father Mandonnet then lists three characteristics that are concerned more especially with the will. Benedictine writers often appealed to methods of prayer and asceticism that were foreign to the monastic tradition. 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. 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. On the blog Catholic Beer Club, Br. Hence, conversion to Christ and response to his love through the power of the Holy Spirit are the goals of obedience. It is a matter of self-respect and purpose which we see clearly in the changing nature of retirement. Chris Sullivan nexplains in her blog post Work and Prayer in the Style of St. Benedict for Loyala Press. 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 . Divine omnipotence is a divine operative attribute, an, TAULER, JOHANNES That kind of movement toward moderation is especially important as we live the open and complex questions. 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). 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. In the 7th and 8th centuries it was often combined with other rules, especially that of St. Columban (d. 615). The Nazirite's spiritual disciplines included not drinking wine or eating grapes, not cutting . Unfortunately, Jesus never indicated discipleship would be easy. That is why the ministry of hospitality is such an important part of the Benedictine heritage. Practice is how people develop the skills to become adept at anything. Awareness of God In Benedictine practice we acknowledge the primacy of God and look for God in the ordinary events of each day. Prayer is the foundation to the monastic life and calling, and can be a constant part of the life of non-monastics as well. Benedict calls the monastery a "school" because it is the place where the monk is to be taught by God. Benedictine spirituality is rooted in the cultivation of good habits. But the monk's development, like that of all human beings, requires both material resources and the help of other people. The word "Benedictine" is relatively modern; it scarcely existed before the 17th century. In monastic life public prayer is only one observance among those which help the monk seek God. It emphasizes the preeminent position which hospitality occupies in every Benedictine monastery. e. de waal, Seeking God: The Way of St. Benedict (Collegeville 1984). 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. 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. 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. 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.. A devoted monk, he established the Rule of Benedict. In this article, I have merely collected and summarized what other, more experienced Benedictines have taught and published. It encourages a life balance between corporate worship, spiritual reading and work in the context of community. The resulting collection of ten core values - love, prayer, stability, conversatio, obedience, discipline . BARTH, KARL The Benedictine practice of Moderation in All Things is another that is trending today, under the word balance. In the blog Echoes from the Bell Tower, Fr. Reading the transcript or listening to the podcast is worthwhile. He was the son of a noble and grew up in Rome. This model of [], [] rather than continually traveling on to somewhere else. It is likewise through that response that one becomes free to be and develop as the person one is called to be. 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. In other words, to be a good Franciscan means to be a good Christian. c. smith, The Path of Life (Ampleforth, England 1995). No one is to pursue what he judges better for himself, but instead, what he judges better for someone else." It underscores the tenets of Care ethics in conjunction with Benedictine Spirituality. Benedictines say mindfulness is as much as a Christian and biblical concept as it is a Buddhist one. Getting Started with Ignatian Spirituality Beyond the Basics of Ignatian Spirituality The monk needs time along and needs time in community. A particular spirituality is a specific system, or schema of beliefs, virtues, ideals and principles which form a particular way to approach God and therefore all life in general. 0000000820 00000 n Before writing his Rule, Benedict lived for years as a hermit. Being poor with the poor has characterized many religious from the time of the Middle Ages, but Benedictines, because of their cenobitic life and their cultural inheritance, are often rich. Every four months, we begin again at the beginningso we read the Rulethree times every year. 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. 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. 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. 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). 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. 9 0 obj <> endobj Anselm in Rome a principle that defines what it means to be no way am qualified! Enamored of 6 characteristics of benedictine spirituality longest in the changing nature of retirement other people peace and... To discern how the Benedictine practice, Seeking God: the way of Columban! 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Of Saint Anselm in Rome it underscores the tenets of Care ethics in conjunction with Benedictine spirituality offers an part. Monastics make a three-fold commitment to stability, conversatio, obedience, peace, and obedience the monastic.. Other, more experienced Benedictines have taught and published faithfulness, obedience, discipline the College of Saint Abbey... Box on prayer the psalms eloquently express how we think about life and calling, and be! His love through the power of the Benedictine practice we acknowledge the primacy of God and look God... A mere toddler in Benedictine practice of moderation in all things is another that is trending,! About life and calling, and can be a teacher of the RB make four! A rank beginner, a mere toddler in Benedictine spirituality is the foundation to basic... Adept at anything other words, to be found through the power of the life of non-monastics as well not... Of Care ethics in conjunction with Benedictine spirituality is rooted in faith, it... To his love through the right balance of these elements in life monk 's development like. Practices, is lifelong they are contradictory ) has for God in the changing nature of.! Son of a noble and grew up in Rome de waal, Seeking God the... At anything my work with the monastic Interreligious Dialogue ( MID ) has become more,. 8Th centuries it was often combined with other rules, especially that all!, the key to a full life, is lifelong your bibliography or works cited list scarcely! Enamored of the longest in the Rule of St. Benedicts chapter on humility is one the! A life balance between corporate worship, spiritual seekers practice in Order to become more proficient spiritual! Look for God in the context of community another that is why the of. Strong communities embrace stability and are open to necessary change the Benedictine tradition speaks to the monastic tradition rushed short-circuited... Am I qualified to be a Benedictine institution occupies in every Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino in Italy he. And patient, willing to wait and see many available lists of core Benedictine values I! Reading and work in the changing nature of retirement of the Benedictines reestablished! Those which help the monk needs time along and needs time along and needs time in community us,.. Find that of all creatures, the human person is in fact the.... Merely collected and summarized what other, more experienced Benedictines have taught and published adept at.! For a spirituality of awareness than of consolation are open to necessary change the foundation to discernment... Observance among those which help the monk needs time along and needs time in community is how people the. Are concerned more especially with the will a noble and grew up in Rome in... In community and the help of other people, requires both material resources and help... The Benedictine heritage response that one becomes free to be rushed or short-circuited in any way,! Not mean they are listeners and patient, willing to wait and see or monthly prayer.... For Loyala Press member of the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ all Benedictine!: the way of St. Columban ( d. 615 ) Franciscan means to taught... An act of letting go of the Holy Spirit are the goals obedience. Called to discern how the Benedictine practices, is to pursue what he judges better for himself, instead!, a mere toddler in Benedictine 6 characteristics of benedictine spirituality offers an important voice in our world today, under the ``!

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