Oblates of St Mark's Anglican Benedictine Abbey, Camperdown, Vic
Contents 1
2
3.
4.
5.
6.
Introduction to Oblate life .............................................................................................................. 4 1.1
Who are the Benedictines? ..................................................................................................... 4
1.2
Where does St Mark's fit in? ................................................................................................... 5
1.3
What is Benedictine Spirituality? ............................................................................................ 5
1.4
What is an Oblate? .................................................................................................................. 7
The Rule of Benedict For Oblates ................................................................................................. 10 2.1
Guidelines for Oblates of St Mark’s Benedictine Abbey ....................................................... 10
2.2
The Rule of St Benedict (A brief introduction) ...................................................................... 15
2.3
The Rule of St Benedict (an Oblate’s perspective)................................................................ 16
2.4
Personal Rule of Life ............................................................................................................. 19
2.5
Study Outline of the Rule ...................................................................................................... 22
2.6
Daily Readings of the Rule .................................................................................................... 24
Benedictine Spirituality ................................................................................................................. 25 3.1
Prayer (a brief introduction) ................................................................................................. 25
3.2
Opus Dei ................................................................................................................................ 26
3.3
Prayer (corporate and private) ............................................................................................. 27
3.4
The Psalms and our Prayer ................................................................................................... 29
3.5
Christian Meditation (Talk for Christian Meditation Community of Melbourne)................. 31
3.6
References to Prayer in The Rule of St Benedict .................................................................. 34
3.7
Benedictine Prayers .............................................................................................................. 37
3.8
Lectio Divina .......................................................................................................................... 38
3.9
The Medal of Saint Benedict – Background Information ...................................................... 40
Benedictine Vows.......................................................................................................................... 41 4.1
Benedictine Vow – Obedience .............................................................................................. 41
4.2
Benedictine Vow – Stability .................................................................................................. 44
4.3
Benedictine Vow – Conversion of Life .................................................................................. 46
Oblation ........................................................................................................................................ 49 5.1
Oblation Homily .................................................................................................................... 49
5.2
Formula for Renewal of Oblation.......................................................................................... 50
Oblate Day Conferences ............................................................................................................... 51 6.1
Aspects of Benedictine Spirituality – Silence & Listening ..................................................... 51
6.2
Aspects of Benedictine Spirituality – Peace (PAX) ................................................................ 52
6.3
Aspects of Benedictine Spirituality – Instruments/Tools of Good Works ............................ 55
6.4
Aspects of Benedictine Spirituality - Silence ......................................................................... 57
7.
Other Aspects of Benedictine Spirituality ..................................................................................... 63
8.
Further Reading ............................................................................................................................ 64 8.1
Booklist for Oblates and those exploring the Benedictine Way ........................................... 64
1
Introduction to Oblate life
1.1
Who are the Benedictines? Marilyn Hope, OSB Oblate
Benedictines Through the Ages The Rule of Benedict has had an enormous influence within the Western Church. In itself, the Rule has other sources and Benedict crafted it from his own lived experience. He established small monasteries in Northern Italy in the 6th century, and wrote his Rule in a monastery not far from Rome. This Rule is a mix of doctrinal basis, and practical outworking of the doctrine, not always in a neat order. Central aspects of this Rule are the doctrine in the Prologue and Epilogue of Chapter 73, the abbot, the divine office, humility and community life. Less emphasised, but still important, are community life, work, study, stability and obedience. Benedict himself was an ideologue as well as a realist, and so his rule sets the scene for the monk to be able to grow in his “seeking God”, but also allows for disobedience, or a better working out of the details by another. Benedictine spirituality includes obedience, silence, humility, stability, and conversatio morum. The abbot is the spiritual father of the monastery and must be obeyed, but obedience must be given to all the brothers, who are to be loved and served, and their interests placed above one’s own. For several centuries, The Rule of Benedict (RB) was one of many, and monasteries tended to live under a combination of Rules, worked out locally. For example, Bede writes that there were seventeen Rules used and lived by in his monastery. In the 10th century, Charlemagne wanted to standardise monasteries, and he brought in RB from Italy because it was the one with the best reputation for a balanced and stable monastic life. Abuses crept in during the Middle Ages, most notably the increasing importance of the Mass, which was not the case in Benedict’s time. Increasingly benefactors wished the monks to say masses and pray for them, so a clericalisation of monks took place, with less and less time and importance given to manual work. This led to several reforms, most notable being that of Cluny, and Citeaux (the Cistercians), and later the hermit monks of Camaloldi and the Carthusians. Modern Benedictines are always aware of trying to keep Benedict’s balance of prayer, which includes the Office, work, and study or lectio divina. In modern times, there are Benedictines around the world and across denominations, including Anglican and Lutheran. The Rule of many modern Catholic congregations has also been heavily influenced by that of Benedict. Monasteries also have modern Constitutions which sit alongside the Rule, and provides the legal framework for the running of the monastery. This will vary from monastery to monastery.
1.2
Where does St Mark's fit in?
Most Benedictines are aggregated into a Congregation, and the Abbey of St Mark is aggregated to the Cassinese-Subiaco Congregation. This enables the Abbey to have access to wider wisdom and experience in terms of living the life. St Mark's is located in the Anglican Diocese of Ballarat and enjoys a fraternal relationship with the Diocese. (I am deeply indebted to Terence Kardong’s book ‘The Benedictines’ for this article.) Terence Kardong, The Benedictines, (Wilmington, Delaware: Michael Glazier, 1988).
1.3
What is Benedictine Spirituality? Abbot Michael King OSB
Is there a spirituality deriving from St Benedict which we might describe as Benedictine? The only document which we have from him is his Rule. A look at this Rule will enable us to prove an answer to the question before us. We shall discover that St Benedict does nothing but refer back to the Bible for the greater part and especially to the book of the Bible containing the psalms. There are 126 explicit quotations from the Scriptures, 71 from the Old Testament and 55 from the New Testament, in the booklet of some fifty pages which contains the Rule; if the Gospels are quoted 27 times, the psalms are quoted 50 times, and this fact shows to what extent the daily recitation of the psalms in the Divine Office marked the spiritual life of St Benedict and subsequently inspired his Rule. It is true that he made use of the work of his predecessors, especially the Rule of the Master, but he knew what to cut and, when addition was called for, what to add – which justifies our saying that he had made them his own and assumed them into his own thinking, stamping the borrowed material with a new and original imprint, his own. Here we are then with 126 biblical quotations, 50 of them from the Psalms. What conclusions can we draw from this material which Benedict used? Does it enshrine something of importance for us who still recite or sing the same psalms today? St Benedict found in them the source of his spiritual life; perhaps we in our turn can drink from the same source and find the strength to run in the “way of the Gospel” that St Benedict puts before us. Most often the founders of an order or religious congregation like to quote examples from the Gospels or the Acts of the Apostles. Benedict clearly likes to draw his examples and reference from the Old Testament, which shows incidentally how much his “lectio divina” inspired his thought and touched his heart. Let us take, for example, the subject of murmuring, that negative and critical attitude most often denounced by St Benedict in his Rule. Already in the Prologue he speaks about it, then in Chapter 4 (not to be a grumbler), in Chapter 5 on obedience, but also in the chapters dealing with the organisation of communal life: necessities are provided but “above all, the wicked habit of grumbling must not show itself”(34.6); the weekly table servers will eat before serving “in order that they may serve their brethren without grumbling”(35.13); meals should be so arranged “that the brethren may do their work without justifiable murmuring” (41.5); help should be given the brothers who cook for the guests “so that they may serve without grumbling” (53.18).
Our first reaction might be to ask why St Benedict attaches so much importance to this tendency to murmuring. He tells us the reason why at the very beginning of the Prologue when he quotes Psalm 94. “Today if you would hear his voice harden not your hearts”. With this quotation he evokes the history of salvation as lived by the people of Israel. This people is indeed an example of a community chosen and formed by God and specially privileged who, through its murmuring, will turn away from God, lose its privileges and will go so far as not to recognise its Saviour, and in the end reject him. It is an example to be avoided not only by the postulant but by the Benedictine community. For the latter it is a matter of life or death. Benedict grasped this from his reading of Psalm 94 and the history of salvation which it recalls and will not cease to warn his disciples of it. I have quoted this example, but there are many others. It is the abbot of a Benedictine Community who must avoid the bad example of Eli, the priest of Shiloh, who had indeed reproached his sacrilegious sons, but had not really corrected them (1Sam 2:23, 3:13). Eli will be punished for it, on the other hand, the abbot ought to follow the good example given by Jacob when he said to his brother Esau “If I cause my flock to be over-driven, they will all die in a single day”. Benedict recommends this example of moderation without adverting to Jacob’s real motives. Reading these quotations, we almost feel that we are there with St Benedict as he does his “lectio”, as he stops at these biblical passages to meditate and pray in order to obtain light for his method of government. In Chapter 7 of the Rule, entitled, “On Humility” Benedict makes a series of steps by which we attain union with God. Let us look briefly at the main degrees on this ladder to perfection. The first stage of the spiritual life is to keep one’s soul habitually in the presence of God. In the second stage one comes up against the trials of renunciation and obedience which must be patiently borne in order to draw nearer to Christ, who himself was made perfect through obedience. The third stage leads us out into spiritual freedom. This is the fruit of transparency – transparency to our spiritual father and above, transparency to God himself through the agency of his intermediary. It is obtained by a candid, true and sincere avowal of who and what we are. Total honesty is required of one in this third stage. The fourth and last stage is spiritual poverty, singled out by Jesus in the Beatitudes. The monk counts only on God since nothing else can satisfy him; in the awareness of his own misery he no longer finds it difficult to prostrate himself at the feet of God’s mercy, and to acknowledge the value of other people. Benedict, in writing of all these stages continues to quote the psalms and adds in conclusion: “When all these steps have been climbed, a monk will quickly come to that perfect love of God which casts out all fear”. The experience of spiritual poverty is the gate of love and the end of the road. A spiritual course such as this leaves the soul in interior peace, because on the way it has found traces of the people who have gone before it, and of Christ who has been its guide. We are here at the heart of a biblical spirituality. Benedict does not set out to create a Benedictine Spirituality. Little by little, in the course of his “lectio divina” and in the daily recitation of the psalms of the divine office, he was penetrated by an awareness of the ways God used to help humankind to find and follow the way which leads to true life. According to the time-table laid down by Benedict, the disciples shall each day apply himself to the study of the Psalms. It is in these that he finds the source whence life is transmitted to him by the Holy Spirit.
1.4
What is an Oblate?
Oblates of St. Benedict are Christian people who have associated themselves with a Benedictine Community in order to enrich their Christian way of life. Oblates shape their lives by living the wisdom of Christ as interpreted by St. Benedict. Oblates seek God by serving him in their chosen way of life. By integrating their prayer and work, they endeavour to show Christ's presence clearly in society. St. Paul tells us that each member of the body of Christ, the Church, has a special function to perform. Many are called to the married state and the raising of a family. Some are called to the single life in the world and others to the single life in Monastic or Religious Communities of men and women. The role of Oblates is to live in the world, to seek God's holiness in the world, to do what they can to bring the world to God by being witnesses of Christ by word and example to those around them. Oblates concern themselves with striving to be what they are, people of God and temples of the Holy Spirit. Their prayer life will flow from this awareness, as will their willingness to offer themselves (that is the meaning of the word oblate) for the service of God and neighbour to the best of their ability. What is Oblate Spirituality? Benedictine Oblates seek God in association with a monastic community: as individuals and as members of a body, they grow in love of God, neighbour, and self. With the RULE as their guide, Oblates adopt values that are part of the very fabric of Christian spirituality, such as spending time daily in reflecting on the Sacred Scriptures (Lectio Divina), cultivating an awareness of the presence of God in silence, devoting time to the praise of God (Opus Dei Divine Office), helping to spread the Gospel through their works (Opus Manum), and so on. An acquaintance with these and other Christian values presented in the Rule of St. Benedict will enable Oblates to attain that special peace and joy that Christ came to bring and promised to all who follow Him. In the spirit of obedience, Oblates strive to discover and maintain their proper relationship towards God, their family, and the civil and religious society in which they live. Before God, Oblates must come to recognise themselves as creatures dependent on their Creator and as sinners before their Redeemer. Aware of their own spiritual poverty and need of God, Oblates come to realise that they have no other reason for being, except to be loved by God as Creator and Redeemer and to love and seek Him in return. In loving obedience to God's plan, Oblates will develop a deep reverence for life. They will respect it as a precious gift from God and defend those groups which because of age, health or race are defenceless and most open to attack. Seeking harmony and integrity of life, they perpetuate and enhance the traditional Benedictine motto: PEACE. Personally and together with other Christians, Oblates work to promote Christian family living. They take care to seek out opportunities for the practice of charity and warm hospitality to those around them. St. Benedict and Oblates Saint Benedict lived in the sixth century. He was born in a small town north of Rome and came to Rome for his education. Before long he abandoned his studies and lived as a hermit for several years at a place called Subiaco, where in time he acquired a reputation for holiness and miracles. Attracting many followers, Benedict established monastic communities and wrote a Rule which combined moderation with faithfulness to the best traditions in Christian
monasticism. During the following centuries, his monastic way of life spread throughout Europe, and Benedictine monasteries became the principle centres of prayer, culture, education and learning. In the course of time, lay people asked to be associated with the work of the monks and nuns, without however leaving their homes, families and occupations. These were received, offered themselves to God, became Oblates of a monastery, and promised to regulate their lives according to the spirit of the Rule of St. Benedict. They applied the teaching of the Holy Rule to their lives in the world, their family circles, their places of work, and their civic and social activities. Today, throughout the world, there are thousands of Oblates praying and working in spiritual union with Benedictine men and women of various communities and receiving spiritual strength and inspiration from their association as Oblates. Anglicanism and St. Benedict The Anglican Church owes much to Benedict. Anglicanism, by its very nature, is very Benedictine with its emphasis on corporate worship, the ongoing recitation of the psalter in the services of Morning and Evening Prayer, the prayerful and reflective reading of Holy Scripture, and the necessity of personal prayer and discipline. Our parish system evolved from the monastic community which gathered tenant farmers around it. Anglicans understand their church to be rooted in the early centuries of English Christianity, which were characteristically monastic. The first chapters of any Anglican history of the English Church are filled with towering monastic figures: Ninian, who brought a missionary form of monasticism to England before the end of the fourth century, Germanus, Patrick, Columba, Augustine and so on. Monasticism was not just eliminated by the Reform. Rather, the essentials of the Benedictine spirit were rendered immediately accessible to the entire church through the key and characteristic work of the Anglican Reform, the Book of Common Prayer. It is extremely important to note this decisive fact about Anglican reform: at its centre and guaranteeing its spirit stand not a towering reformer (a Luther or a Calvin), not a theological doctrine or a moral code, but a book of liturgical prayer. In this fundamental respect alone, the Anglican Reformation has a clearly Benedictine spirit to it. (Dom Robert Hale, O.S.B. Cam.) The Rule: A guide for Oblates Oblates promise to lead an enriched Christian life according to the Gospel as reflected in the Rule. In this they share with the many hundreds of women and men who are influence by Benedict and his Rule. After a time of preparation, the candidates become Oblates of St. Benedict. This promise affiliates them with a Benedictine community and commits them to apply to their lives the characteristic Benedictine principles. Oblates strive after stability and fidelity in their lives by regular worship with other Christians and by the support they give to the social and educational outreach of their local parish as well as that of the wider Church. In accord with the teaching of Benedict, Oblates practice moderation. This moderation manifests itself in the use of the goods of this world, an increasing concern for their neighbour, and in the way they temper and direct their desires. In the spirit of the Gospel, Oblates commit themselves to a continual conversion to Christ. They see sin and any attachment to it as basically incompatible with a serious following of Christ. Through this deepening of the baptismal promise, Oblates are free to put on Christ
and to allow Him to permeate their whole being. In this way Oblates will come to recognise that in all the events of their lives, in their joys and successes as well as in their sorrows and disappointments, they are in close union with Christ and participate in His death and resurrection. This putting on of Christ is the goal Oblates pursue in their conversion of life. Jamie Miller, OSB Oblate (Based on material originally prepared by Dom Robert Hale OSB Carm.)
………………………………………………………………………………………………….. For further information write to: The Director of Oblates, St Mark’s Benedictine Abbey, P.O. Box 111 CAMPERDOWN, VICTORIA 3260 Telephone (03) 5593 2348 …………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2
The Rule of Benedict For Oblates
2.1
Guidelines for Oblates of St Mark’s Benedictine Abbey
It has always been the case that lay people should exercise a very active role in the Church’s mission to the world. Oblates of St Benedict are in a favoured position for carrying out this admonition. They are spiritually associated with a Benedictine community. They have pledged themselves to order their lives in accord with the spirit of the Rule of St Benedict. They are therefore encouraged to be faithful witnesses of Christ by striving to bring the Gospel message and God’s way of holiness to the world around them. This is, in fact, the chief reason for their being Oblates of St Benedict. In order that the lives of Oblates may be a true and effective response to the call of God and God’s Church, these guidelines have been written to help Oblates in their mission as lay apostles, so that they can openly bear witness to Christ in the world. 1. Oblates of St Benedict are Christian men and women admitted into spiritual union, friendship and affiliation with a particular Benedictine community of monks, nuns, or sisters so that they may share in the spiritual life, prayers, and good works of that community. 2. Oblates do not usually live within the monastic enclosure of the community, yet they remain one with the community while they continue faithfully to carry out the duties of their particular state in life and occupation, wherever they may be.1 3. We are therefore not concerned here about those who wish to live as Oblates with the community in the abbey. Such cloistered Oblates must qualify for community life, be accepted by the vote of the Life Professed Chapter of the community, and be ready to work and pray under the same conditions as the monks and nuns themselves. 4. Within the framework of their daily lives in the world, Oblates strive to lead full Christian lives enlightened by personal efforts to understand Christ’s teaching in the Scriptures as interpreted by St Benedict in his Rule. Oblates are guided and inspired by their continued spiritual and temporal association with the monastic community.2 5. Oblates are a “spiritual arm” of the Benedictine community, reaching out into all areas of life, seeking to share with others what they themselves gain as Oblates of St Benedict. Their affiliation with the community is not therefore for their own personal good alone. It is chiefly by their Christian example, even by their very presence among others, that they hope to bring St Benedict’s ideal of service to God and man into the world where they live and work.3 6. Since Oblates of St Benedict primarily offer themselves for the service of God and others, they will therefore strive for God’s honour and glory before all else, keeping in mind the Benedictine motto: “That in all things God may be glorified”, and “Let nothing be preferred to Christ”.4
A. OBLATES STRIVE TO BE LOYAL AND ACTIVE MEMBERS OF CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH Oblates will involve themselves in the full life of the Church, “sharing in the priestly, prophetic, and royal office of Christ … being witnesses to Christ and promoting the salvation of others.” They will foster an ecumenical spirit in the Church. They will meet with those of other faiths and strive to understand the religious beliefs and customs of others, look for teachings on which others agree with them, enter into friendly discussion of teachings on which there is disagreement, put aside all prejudice, and foster the spirit of universal brotherhood in God our Father.5 They will seek to be true lay apostles according to their abilities and the circumstances of their lives, with a spirit of mission, a spirit of vocation from God through the Holy Spirit working in them, eager to help in proclaiming and spreading the Word of God to the ends of the earth. Oblates recognize that their success as lay apostles depends on their living in close union with the Spirit of Christ in the Church, and that this intimate union with the Lord is especially nourished in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Service to others will then be the immediate effect of true union with Christ. B. OBLATES STRIVE FOR THEIR OWN CONTINUED CHRISTIAN RENEWAL AND IMPROVEMENT As their states in life permit, Oblates will make use of various means for improving themselves spiritually, intellectually, culturally, and socially, by making an annual Retreat, engaging in days of recollection or renewal, attending Workshops, Seminars and Lectures as occasion offers from time to time. They make the study and reading of Holy Scripture an important part of their lives, concentrating especially on the Gospel teachings of Christ.6 They listen attentively to the public proclamation of the Word of God in the Eucharist, and to the homily of the celebrant who shows how the Word of God is applied to daily life.7 C. OBLATES STRIVE TO BE MEN AND WOMEN OF PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY They combine prayer and work [ora et labora] by living and working in the presence of God, aware of God’s presence everywhere, knowing that God is nearer to them than they think.8 They are patient and content with their lot in life in so far as they cannot change it for something better, calmly and courageously accepting the sufferings and hardships which sooner or later come to everyone.9 They practice patience, especially by accepting the daily crosses and burdens of life willingly and bravely, with full trust in God, no matter how heavy these burdens may be, knowing that God can turn sufferings into blessings.10 They are generous and warm hearted to the poor, the needy, the unfortunate, the sick, the sad, the afflicted, and the lonely.11
They are concerned about the needs of others, regardless of race, nationality, creed, sex, age, occupation, profession, or social status.12 They give generously of themselves in working for the religious education and Christian formation of youth.13 They faithfully fulfil the duties of their states in life, especially with regard to the care of their families and dependents. They practice the spirit of poverty, by not being unduly attached to material things, by thanking God for what they have, and by using God’s gifts in a sensible way for the glory of God and the good of all.14 They seek the Christian reformation or constant renewal of their lives by fostering the spirit of obedience, stability and fidelity in accord with the three Benedictine vows or principles of Christian living which St Benedict asks his followers to practice.15 The regularly read some part of the Rule of Saint Benedict and meditate on how it can be applied to their lives.16 They seek guidance and instruction when they are in doubt or troubled, from the Abbot or Abbess of their community, from a Spiritual Director or from their Parish Priest.17 D. OBLATES STRIVE TO MEN AND WOMEN OF PRAYER They highly esteem the Eucharist and will regularly take an active and intelligent part in the celebration of the sacred mysteries of the altar.18 They strive each day to pray come part of the Diving Office or Liturgy of the Hours, as they circumstances of thei4r lives permit and as may be agreed to in a Rule of Life developed jointly between the Oblate and his or her Abbot or Abbess, Oblate Director or Oblate Prior, Spiritual Director or Parish Priest.19 They strive to appreciate the beauty of spiritual wealthy contained in the Psalms which form the core of the Church’s prayer.20 They harmonize their private and public prayers and devotions with the liturgical seasons and feasts of the year. E. OBLATES STRIVE TO BE MEN AND WOMEN OF CHRISTIAN VIRTUE Oblates proclaim and practice the Christian virtues of faith, hope, and of charity, by believing, hoping, and trusting in God, and loving God and others in thought, word, and deed.21 Oblates foster a positive Christian attitude toward the many other virtues flowing from the practice of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. They observe Christian prudence, which is true divine wisdom, by directing their lives to the final attainment of God, who is known to them by faith and loved by them through charity. They therefore use the means provided them in prayer and the sacraments. Prudence guides them “in seeking first the kingdom of God and His way of holiness” and teaches them “to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”22
They will exercise the Christian virtue of justice by recognizing their personal and social moral responsibilities toward individual persons, toward their community, city, state and nation, and toward human society in general, by striving for the common welfare of all.23 They will foster a deep respect for the God-given rights of others, especially for human life, for the property of others, for freedom of religion, for the privacy of the home, for the right of all to know the truth and to speak the truth, for freedom in the education one’s children, for the right as well as the duty to work and provide for oneself and one’s dependents.24 They will pay their labourers a just wage and give their own employers an honest return in labour for the wages they receive.25 They will protect the rights of the poor and the helpless, the oppressed and the persecuted, and all who are victims of injustice of any kind. They will practice Christian fortitude or courage by seeking to do God’s will at all times without fear of the difficulties and sacrifices involved, bearing the burdens and trials of life with calm trust in God’s mercy and goodness.26 They will practice Christian temperance or moderation by making use of the good things of life in the way God intended them to be used for the good of humanity.27 F. OBLATES FOSTER A SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY They love the Benedictine community to which they are affiliated as Oblates.28 They will keep in touch with their community through their Director of Oblates, Oblate Prior or the person who has responsibility for their Oblate Formation. They will let others know about their monastic community and encourage young men and women in their vocations to the monastic life. They will visit their monastery or convent regularly, becoming familiar with the monastic life, and assist at the community Liturgy and community prayer whenever this is possible. They will assist and support their community physically and financially in so far as their position in life allows. They will tell others about the Oblates of Saint Benedict and encourage them to become Oblates if they seem to be in search of such a way of life in the world. They will foster the spirit of community in their own family circle, and within the groups and organizations to which they belong. G. OBLATES ARE MEN AND WOMEN OF PEACE They will use all rightful means for establishing peace in the world around them, mindful of the centuries old Benedictine watchword: PEACE! They will strive to practice the truth of God in love and join all true peacemakers in pleading for peace and working to bring it about.
H. OBLATES WILL HAVE A PERSONAL RULE FOR THEIR SPIRITUAL LIFE Oblates will with the assistance of their Abbot, Abbess, Oblate Prior, Spiritual Director or Parish Priest develop and maintain a Rule for Life. Such Rule, based on the precepts of the Rule of Saint Benedict, provide for a regular Spiritual praxis that may include:
Praying part[s] of the Divine Office [Liturgical Hours], the Opus Dei A regular period of meditation A regular time of sacred reading – lectio divina Regular participation in the Eucharist Regular conferences with a Spiritual Director Regular – at least once yearly – conference with the Abbot or Abbess, or the Oblate Prior or Director of Oblates for the community Visiting the Abbey at least once each year
References RB = Rule of St Benedict 1 RB Prolog: “The Lord seeks His worker” 2 RB ch 73: “this least of Rule;” Prolog: “Faith and good works,” 3 RB ch 2: “Teachings of abbot a leaven of divine justice;” ch7, 8th degree of humility: “example of seniors;" ch 60, “example of humility;” ch 61 “instructed by his example;” ch 27 “imitate loving example of Good Shepherd;” 4 RB ch 57: quotation from 1Pet 4:11 5 RB ch 27-28: the excommunicated; cf Vat II, Ecumenism, 4, pp 348-349; Laity, 31, a) p 519 6 RB ch 38, 42, 47, 48, 49, 73 on reading of Scripture 7 RB ch 38 8 RB ch 49, on work; ch 4, 7, 19, 58 the presence of God and seeking God 9 RB ch 58, on hard and rugged ways; ch 55, 48, on manual labour; ch 7 6 th degree of humility; ch 4, instruments of good works 10 RB Prolog, at end; ch 25, 52, on penance and satisfaction; ch 7 4th degree of humility 11 RB ch 4, 31, 55, 59, 66 on care of needy and poor 12 RB ch4, instruments of good works; ch 55 and other parts of Rule on concern for the poor and needy; cf.l preceding note 13 RB ch 59 and 63, the sons of nobles and of the poor, and training of boys 14 RB ch 7, 6th degree of humility; ch 58 on property 15 RB ch 7, 1st degree of humility; ch 58 on receiving the brethren; ch 3 on discipline and observance 16 RB ch 66 and 73 17 RB ch 3, 4, 7, the 5th degree of humility 18 RB ch 35, 38, 63, reference to Mass and Communion; ch 60 and 62 reference to the priesthood 19 RB ch 8 to 20 inclusive 20 RB ch 8 to 20 praying of psalms 21 RB Prolog, good works; ch 7 4th degree of humility; ch 4 good works; ch 55 the poor 22 Mt 6:33 and 10:16; RB ch 61 23 RB ch 2, 3, 63, 41, 9, 11, 20, 52, 6, 63, 65, 60, 4 24 RB ch 4 25 RB ch 57 26 RB ch 64; Prolog “weapons of obedience”; ch 1 27 RB ch 41 to 64; ch 22, 70, 41, 40 28 RB ch 55; ch 3 and 4; ch 17, 21. etc Guidelines and Constitutions for Oblates of St Mark’s Abbey12/08/2010 – Jamie Miller OSB Oblate
2.2
The Rule of St Benedict (A brief introduction) Abbot Michael King OSB
Saint Benedict was born in Italy about the year 480 in Nursia, a small town in the province of Umbria. In the course of his life he accumulated a varied number of experiences he had learned from God and other people in a small book: his Rule for Monasteries. He used both the Rule of Saint Basil and the Rule of the Master in the compilation of his own rule. I believe that the Rule of Benedict is timeless and hence I offer some reflection on it. Sr Joan Chittister, a Benedictine Nun of the Americas, describes Benedictine spirituality as the spirituality of the twenty-first century because it deals with issues facing us now – stewardship, relationship, authority, community, balance, work, simplicity, prayer, and spiritual and psychological development. Benedictine Spirituality asks us to find healing and through this healing to grow and work towards wholeness. In all things, the rule tells us, let God be glorified. Benedictine Spirituality asks us to look for God in others, in creation, in the ordinary, in all things and to ponder on how we relate and respond to all around us. Pondering … the boy and the mother and the elephant … a childlike trust … to discover the child within us. We are called to listen – the first word of the Rule – to listen with ‘the ear of the heart’Psyche/logos – Judaism – soul – the whole of our being … Listen … listen to the Scriptures, to the rhythm of life in the text and the work and presence of God, over and over again until it becomes an integral part of our very being, the essence of who we are and the call to BE what God calls us to be. To listen and keep listening until we can pray with the mind in the heart, and so listen with ‘the ear of the heart’. This is the living out, the way I see the gifts of hospitality and its ministry. The Rule is concerned with life, and how we live it, with what life is about and the demands and situations that arise in our lives. Benedictine Spirituality is a way of life, not a set of rigid rules. It is about self-knowledge and the commitment to grow. It is about seeing good in situations and people where, on the surface, no good may appear to be found. Benedictine Spirituality is a guide to the Gospel which is its true foundation and a life lived within the context of that Gospel.
2.3
The Rule of St Benedict (an Oblate’s perspective) Jamie Miller, OSB Oblate
So who is this Benedict? Benedict was born c.480 in Nursia some 70 miles north of Rome. As a young man he was sent by his parents to Rome for an education but left the city shortly thereafter because of the sinful atmosphere he found there. Around 500 AD he took up residence in a cave as a hermit at Subiaco fifty miles east of Rome. He was supported in this venture by the monks of a nearby monastery. After three years of solitude Benedict was prevailed upon to become Abbot of a monastery in the area but his tenure ended in disaster when some of the monks tried to poison him. There is a delightful legend about a Raven that flew down and snatched the poisoned bread from his hand as he went to eat it and this is the reason illustrations of Benedict often include the raven. Back at Subiaco a community gradually formed around him and he formed a group of monasteries. The jealousy of a local priest who must have seen Benedict as some kind of threat drove Benedict away. With several disciples he went to Monte Cassino a tall sun-baked hill 80 miles south of Rome on the main Via Latin highway that connected Rome and Naples. There he worked to convert the local people, and built a large monastery for which he wrote his now famous Rule. The monastery of Monte Cassino is still there having survived several sackings over the ages. Benedict died c.550. In his life time he experienced several forms of the monastic life: Solitary [also called eremitic]; Pachomian [groupings of small communities in geographic proximity with a hierarchy of command led by an Abbot in Chief]; and Cenobitic [a single community under a single Abbot or Abbess]. It was for this latter sort of independent community that he wrote his little rule for beginners. The Rule of St. Benedict The Rule itself draws on monastic experience covering some 200 years in addition to Benedict’s own experience of several forms of monastic organization. His sources include the writings of the 4th C desert fathers and mothers, the writings of John Cassian one of the early Desert Fathers of the Church, as well as a pre-existing monastic rule entitled The Rule of the Master. Benedict’s Rule is a quite short and very practical document, originally written in Latin. Apart from the prologue and the first few chapters, Benedict’s goal seems to have been to provide a framework within which monks could live and work and pray and be schooled in the Lord’s service. Theology and theory are never far below the surface, but it is the practicalities of daily living that primarily command Benedict’s attention. It is well and truly based on Scripture and contains within it many Scriptural references. The Rule comprises 73 chapters. Many of them have to do with the opus dei [the Work of Gd, specifically the recitation of the divine office]. Obviously these portions are of somewhat academic interest to people living in the world today, and who are not monastics. But there are many other chapters that deal with the practicalities of everyday living. Here are some of the broad topic areas he addresses in his Rule: Liturgical Instructions for the Divine Office, or Opus Dei ("the work of God"). These are the eight daily community prayer services that compose the main occupation of the monks.
Roles, Responsibilities, and Procedures for Community Members. Benedict provides qualifications and "job descriptions" for leaders as well as for other selected jobs within the monastery. He also includes directions for such things as sleeping arrangements, meals, food, clothing, work, discipline, and the process for joining the monastery. How to Live Together in Community. An important part of the Rule involves interpersonal relations: how monks should treat one another and conduct themselves to promote peace and harmony in the community. Spiritual Direction. Benedict encourages his monks-and us-to take our relationship with God seriously and to actively nurture it. He provides directions for such disciplines as prayer, study, Lenten practices, and living with humility before God. The Rule has theme words: roots, belonging, community, fulfillment, sharing, space, listening, and silence. The Rule also addresses questions from "How do I relate in love to other people?" and "How do I find meaning in what I must do each day?" to "What are the priorities of a Christian life?" In a Prologue and seventy-three chapters, Benedict explains how we can live a Christcentered life with others. Noted Anglican author Esther de Waal, and incidentally a Benedictine Oblate herself, summarizes beautifully the content of the Rule: "It is all about love. It points me to Christ. Ultimately the whole meaning and purpose of the Rule is simply, [in Benedict's own words] "Prefer nothing to the love of Christ." The centre of the Rule is Christ, the cornerstone is Scripture, and the focus of the Rule is how to live in loving relationship with God, self, and others. That's why the Rule is so relevant for all Christians. The way to live, Benedict states in his Prologue, is by following the Gospels (Prologue 21), especially Jesus' main directive ‘to love one another.’ Benedict sees that the way to holiness is through other people. While we might agree that it's easy to be a saint alone, Benedict knew that people are relational creatures, desiring relationships with others as well as with God. While stressing the importance of being in community, Benedict felt that there also needed to be a balance between being alone and being with others. The Rule is practical and down-to-earth, and easy to read. Benedict's gentleness and understanding flow through the words. "Therefore," he writes in the Prologue, "we intend to establish a school for the Lord's service... we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome. The good of all concerned, however, may prompt us to a little strictness in order to amend faults and to safeguard love" (RB Prologue 45~7). In her book Living the Rule Today, the Benedictine nun Sr. Joan Chittister likens the Rule to a railing that you can cling to while climbing the stairs. We all need some kind of railing to hold onto in this life: one that supports both our physical and spiritual journeys, one that will
better help us to live out our Baptismal Covenant and follow Christ in our daily lives. It is interesting to note that the etymology of the word Rule flows from words meaning Trellis – something by which a plant might be supported, something that might train the plant to grow into a certain shape. Last but not least, the Rule is very much about living an ordinary life well. Thomas Merton, monk, priest, social activist and spiritual writer, said the essence of the Rule is "doing ordinary things quietly and perfectly for the glory of God."
2.4
Personal Rule of Life Sister Superior, Raphael Stone OSB
Basic rule of life: Oblates share in the community’s worship by praying the office, though not necessarily at the same times as at the abbey. The minimum is two offices daily and if possible these are Lauds and Vespers. Eucharist: attendance at least once a week Retreat: at least two days annually, at the abbey or elsewhere Regular prayer and lectio Rule of Benedict: to be read through at least annually
Lectio Divina: regularly, with a preference for the Scriptures. To read the Rule of Saint Benedict annually. Stability: The recognition and strengthening of our life’s commitment to seek and serve God within the relationships he has given us, in response to his self-giving faithfulness to us. Conversion of Life: A commitment to the demands of journeying on through change and growth to full maturity in Christ, as we accept our share in the Paschal Mystery of his death and resurrection. To realise in our lives the Benedictine values of balance and harmony, reverence, peace and hospitality. To be faithful stewards of our time and talents. To be responsible for our own life in Christ, while leaving others free in the loving and creative hands of God. Obedience: A commitment to listen intently for the voice of God speaking to us through other people, the written word, daily events, and in our deepest heart. To seek the will of God that we may fulfil his purpose in simplicity, humility and love. To be faithful to the spirit of the Rule and to our personal rule, within the limits, demands and disciplines of the circumstances of our lives.
Confidential For …………………………………………………….. Date ………………… Eucharist:
Office:
Retreat:
Personal Prayer:
Lectio Divina:
Stability:
Conversion of Life:
Obedience:
Personal Rule of Life Gifts/Talents/Training I would like to offer for use by the Community when needed: Name ……………………………………………………………………………………….. Email …………………………………………… Phone ………………………………… Address …………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………………………. Please tick PREFERRED way of contact I offer:
Recommended Resources
At Home in the World - A Rule of Life for the Rest of Us By Margaret Guenther (Seabury Books ISBN 1-59627-026-8) Making a rule, like devising a trellis, must have something to do with real people trying to get through their days mindfully and fruitfully. A rule of life for the rest of us has to be rooted in the here and now, it has to be germane and useful. But for Christians seeking to cultivate a life with God and one another, the classic monastic rules are a good place to begin.
2.5
Study Outline of the Rule St Gregory’s Chapter Oblate Manual, New Norcia Abbey
PROLOGUE The call BODY OF THE RULE A The organic constitution of a monastic community 1 What monastic life should be (Chpt 1) 2 Groundwork and authority of a monastic community a. Qualities of the Abbot (Chpt 2) b. Election of an Abbot (Chpt 64) c. The Prior of the Monastery (Chpt 65) d. The Deans of the Monastery (Chpt 21) e. Summoning the Monks for Counsel (Chpt 3) B The spiritual life of a monastic community 1. The tools (a list of good works) (Chpt 4) 2. Obedience (Chpt 5) 3. The spirit of silence (Chpt 6) 4. The twelve degrees of humility (Chpt 7) 5. Prayer (a) Arrangement of the Hours 1) The Night Hour – Vigils (Chpts 8-11) 2) The Morning Hour – Lauds (Chpts 12-15) 3) The Day Hours (Chpts 16-18) (b) Devotion and reverence at prayer 1) Recollecting the presence of God (Chpt 19) 2) Interior dispositions (Chpt 20) 3) Private prayer in the oratory (Chpt 52) C The correction of faults 1. Punishments for faults (Chpts 23-27) 2. How faults are to be corrected (Chpt 28) 3. The readmission of brothers who have left the community (Chpt 29) 4. The manner of reproving boys (Chpt 30) D Temporal administration of the goods of the monastic community 1. The Cellarer (Chpt 31) 2. The Goods of the community: a. Care of the tools and goods (Chpt 32) b. Monks and private property (Chpt 33) c. Distributing goods according to need (Chpt 34) E General rules for running a monastic community 1. How the monks should sleep (Chpt 22) 2. The Kitchen and the Servers at table (Chpt 35) 3. Care of the sick, the aged and the young (Chpts 36-37) 4. The refectory, the reader, the measures of food and drink, the hours for meals (38-41) 5. Silence after Compline (Chpt 42)
6. Remedies for slackness (Chpts 43-46) 7. The signal for the Divine Office (Chpt 47) 8. The daily manual labour (Chpt 48) 9. The observance of Lent (Chpt 49) 10. Temporary absence (Chpts 50-51) 11. The receiving of gifts or letters (Chpt 54) 12. Clothing and footwear of the monks (Chpt 55) 13. The artisans of the monastery (Chpt 57) 14. The porter; monastery to be self-sufficient; daily readings of the Rule (Chpt 66) F Hospitality 1. Reception of guests (Chpt 53) 2. The Abbot’s table (Chpt 56) G Admission to the monastic community 1. New brothers (Chpt 58) 2. Child oblates (Chpt 59) 3. The admission of priests (Chpt 60) 4. Visiting monks (Chpt 61) H Problems of seniority in the monastic community 1. The priests of the community (Chpt 62) 2. Community rank (Chpt 63) EPILOGUE TO THE RULE A Afterthoughts on monastic life 1. Brothers sent on a journey (Chpt 67) 2. Assignment of impossible tasks (Chpt 68) 3. Fraternal charity: a. The presumption of defending another’s actions (Chpt 69) b. The presumption of striking another (Chpt 70) c. Mutual obedience (Chpt 71) d. The good zeal of monks (Chpt 72) B Formal conclusion of the Rule (Chpt 73)
2.6
Daily Readings of the Rule Daily Reading Cycle: January-April : May-August : September-December taken from The Rule of Benedict – Insights for the Ages by Joan Chittester
RULE Prol:1-7 Prol:8-13 Prol:14-21 Prol:22-30 Prol:31-38 Prol:39-44 Prol:45-50 Chpt 1 Chpt 2:1-5 2:6-10 2:11-15 2:16-22 2:23-29 2:30-32 2:33-40 Chpt 3:1-6 3:7-13 Chpt 4:1-19 4:20-40 4:41-54
4:55-78 Chpt 5:1-13 5:14-19 Chpt 6 Chpt 7:1-9 7:10-13 7:14-18 7:19-25 7:26-30 7:31-33 7:34 7:35-43 7:44-48 7:49-50 7:51-54 7:55 7:56-58 7:59 7:60-61 7:62-70 Chpt 8
Chpt 9 Chpt 10 Chpt 11 Chpt 12 Chpt 13:1-11 13:12-14 Chpt 14 Chpt 15 Chpt 16 Chpt 17 Chpt 18:1-6 18:7-11 18:12-18 18:19-25 Chpt 19 Chpt 20 Chpt 21 Chpt 22 Chpt 23 Chpt 24 Chpt 25
Chpt 26 Chpt 27 Chpt 28 Chpt 29 Chpt 30 Chpt 31:1-12 31:13-19 Chpt 32 Chpt 33 Chpt 34 Chpt 35:1-11 35:12-18 Chpt 36 Chpt 37 Chpt 38 Chpt 39 Chpt 40 Chpt 41 Chpt 42 Chpt 43:1-12 43:13-19
Chpt 44 Chpt 45 Chpt 46 Chpt 47 Chpt 48:1-9 48:10-21 48:22-25 Chpt 49 Chpt 50 Chpt 51 Chpt 52 Chpt 53:1-15 53:16-24 Chpt 54 Chpt 55:1-14 55:15-22 Chpt 56 Chpt 57 Chpt 58:1-16 58:17-29 Chpt 59
Chpt 60 Chpt 61:1-7 61:8-14 Chpt 62 Chpt 63:1-9 63:10-19 Chpt 64:1-6 64:7-22 Chpt 65:1-10 65:11-22 Chpt 66 Chpt 67 Chpt 68 Chpt 69 Chpt 70 Chpt 71 Chpt 72 Chpt 73
Recommended Resources for Daily Reading of the Rule Rule of Benedict – Insights for the Ages Joan Chittester, Crossroad-New York ISBN 0-8245-2503-5 Day by Day with Saint Benedict Terrence Kardong, Liturgical Press ISBN 10:0-8146-3042-1 A Life-Giving Way – A Commentary on the Rule of Benedict Esther de Waal Continuum ISBN 0-8264-9090-5 Reading Saint Benedict – Reflections on the Rule Adalbert de Vogue Cistercian Publications ISBN 0-87907-651-8 Saint Benedict’s Rule – A Translation & Commentary Terrence Kardong, Liturgical Press ISBN 0-8146-2325-5 RB 1980 – Latin & English with Notes Timothy Fry, Liturgical Press ISBN 0-8146-1220-2
3.
Benedictine Spirituality
3.1
Prayer (a brief introduction) Abbot Michael King OSB
Benedictine Spirituality centres itself on prayer. Our lives must be centred on the relationship with God that seeks always to place him in the centre and at the heart of all. There are three stages of spiritual development, a teacher taught. “The carnal, the spiritual, and the divine.” “What is the carnal stage?” The disciple asked. “That’s the stage,” the teacher said, “When trees are seen as trees and mountains are seen as mountains.” “And the spiritual?” The disciple asked eagerly. “That’s when we look more deeply into things. Then trees are no longer trees and mountains are no longer mountains,” the teacher answered. “And the divine?” The disciple said breathlessly. “Ah,” the teacher said with a smile. “That’s enlightenment … when the trees become trees again and the mountains become mountains.” Prayer asks us to see life realistically and understand things as they are, and in that to find God. The spirit of Benedict challenges us to apply this to all things in life. In terms of our identity we will find through prayer that our prayers do not just flow from our mouths but rather we move in and with the Spirit of God. Our prayer may be dry at times but, if it is true, it will never be boring.
3.2
Opus Dei Abbot Michael King OSB
Chapters 8 to 19 of the Rule of Benedict give intricate instruction as to the nature and structure of the Divine Office but it is Chapter 43 that we come across the phrase let nothing be put before the Work of God – this injunction is actually given in reference to being late for the Divine Office – it shows the importance which St Benedict gives to this Opus Dei – Work of God. For the monastic, the Hours are the inner structure for living consciously and responsibly through the stages of the day – the intervals of work and prayer are well designed to keep the monastic focussed and alert. The monastic relationship of time through the canonical hours sensitises us in the nuances of time, and as this sensitivity deepens, we become more available to the present moment. The canonical hours give a real insight into the spiritual dimension of time. To quote von Balthasar: The liturgy points beyond itself to our personal contemplation of the Word … In contemplation we have found the link which joins the two halves of Christian existence, the ‘work of God’ in the realm of the church and the work of man in the everyday world into a firm unity. Contemplation binds the two together in a single liturgy which is both sacred and secular, ecclesial and cosmic. It is said that the Liturgy of the Hours form thoughts and that these thoughts form our being. The round of the Divine Office punctuates the whole day and sanctifies thought and action. Each of the Hours has its own character and the ability to focus on a particular aspect of the chronological times of day or night. Thus the night office brings the darkness and stillness of the night as the recognisable time of waiting for the light – of anticipating the light that shines in the darkness … the true light that enlightens the world. Lauds becomes the celebration of the new dawn – the sun dispels the darkness of the night and calls us to give thanks for the new creation heralded by Christ’s birth, death and resurrection. The Little Hours so called of Terce, Sext and None give our focus to the coming of the Holy Spirit, the saving power of the death of the Lord, and the need to continue in the earthly struggle for heavenly realities. Vespers begins us on the rounding off of the day with thanksgiving for all that has taken place and begins to prepare us for the necessary completion of the day’s tasks and works; this office leads us into the cool of the night – Vespers is the time to let go and enjoy the beauty and peace of the evening (many monastic communities schedule free time now) and Compline gently puts us in the mood to rest in Christ. By far the greatest impact on us from the Divine Office is that of the scripture and psalmody and the silence. The scriptures and the psalms shape our identity as people of God caught up in the tremendous adventure of the journey that began in Genesis and continued through the exodus on into the redemptive life of Christ and his saving work of redemption. Every day is a day of growth and re-growth through the balance of scripture and chant, of word and silence, of forgiveness and joy. The Opus Dei serves as a vehicle to keep us on tract as we move in and out of silence and activity, of contemplation and work, of community and of solitude.
3.3
Prayer (corporate and private) Abbot Michael King OSB
Corporate prayer and private prayer are both necessary; neither should knock out the other. They interrelate; they feed each other; and, very often, they flow into each other so that distinction between them tends to fade away. There is only one prayer, one life: Christ is all in all. Once we have recognised the value of private prayer and resolved to give some time to it each day, a number of questions arise. What form should this prayer take? How are we to set about it? There are many different forms of private prayer and as we look at them we need to recall what we have already learned about the right disposition, or frame of mind, with which we approach prayer. In our consumer society, dominated by technology, we are very prone to become obsessed with ‘methods’ or ‘techniques’ of prayer, and thus forget entirely what prayer is really all about and what it is meant to achieve. We are aiming to establish a relationship with God, a relationship of steadily growing intimacy; and this is a relationship with God in which the initiative comes more from God than from us. We talk blithely of our ‘quest for God’ forgetting that this could never have started unless God had first set out on a quest for us; we talk equally blithely of our ‘love for God’ though we cannot be sure that is really exists and even if it does, that is because, as St John says, God first loved us. What we are aiming at in private prayer, as in any other form of prayer, is not so much to do something ourselves but rather allow God to do something in us. We are opening ourselves up to his Spirit; we are surrendering ourselves to his action, letting him take us wherever he wants us to go, allowing him to do whatever he sees as needing to be done. Without this proper disposition of surrender, our prayer will have very little value, no matter what form it takes; if, on the other hand, the proper disposition is there, then any form of prayer will be valid and effective. Our prayer must be first and foremost from the heart. The ground from which our prayer emanates is of primary importance. We need to ensure that it is coming from the right place, which is what the Scriptures call the heart. This is not the physical organ which pumps blood around the body, but the innermost core of our personality, where we are most truly ourselves, without pretence or illusion. We have romanticised the idea of the heart, seeing it primarily as the source of sentiment, and that is too superficial. It is a much deeper reality than that. The heart is that in us which sees the truth most clearly and which wants the highest possible good, even when it is not quite sure what the highest good is. Getting into the heart, into the centre of ourselves is not particularly easy. Neither is it easy, once having got there, to stay there, to bring the mind down into the heart and kept it there as the monks of eastern monastic tradition encourage us to do. As with all other aspects of prayer we are most likely to succeed in this if we do not try too hard. Too much strenuous effort on our part leads to the affirmation of self and impedes the action of the Holy Spirit. Rather than digging furiously into ourselves in order to find the heart, we should let ourselves sink into it, let ourselves alight naturally and gently upon it, like a swan upon a lake. The heart draws us by its own magnetism once we surrender, once we let go of all that is secondary and superficial in ourselves, once we let ourselves be carried by the Spirit of God. Intuition, practice and the prompting of the Holy Spirit will lead us to find what kind of prayer best suits us in our present situation. These last four words are worth noting for, as the
years pass by and our relationship with God deepens, the form and quality of our prayer will very probably change. We ought not to try to provoke that change by any deliberate or conscious activity of our own, but simply to be open to it and ready to undergo it when we sense that we are called to do so. From what I have seen in the spiritual lives of the people with whom I have come into contact, it seems to me that change in prayer is usually towards an increasing depth and simplicity. The simplicity comes from the fact that fewer words are used, and there are fewer images in the mind. The depth comes from a growing intensity in our desire for God. The more we pray, the more we want to pray; yet there is nothing frenetic or neurotic about this wanting. It is calm, and content to be what it is at the present moment. What is happening is that our capacity for God is being continually widened. A kind of empty space is being hollowed out in the innermost core; a space which God can then fill. The more space there is, the more of himself he can pour in. This is ‘the enlarging of the heart’ which St Benedict speaks of in the Prologue to his Rule, and which he sees as the normal outcome of perseverance in the life of prayer. Our prayer will consist of formal prayers … Our Father; Hail Mary, Glory be etc. Our prayer will consist of intercessions … for the various needs of which we are aware. Our prayer will move at some time into contemplation: favourite words or phrases from Scripture and the psalms which become a jumping off point for a deeper consciousness of God in his infinite presence eg … The Lord is my light and my salvation (Ps 27); I am the way the truth and the life. The story of the Cure d’Ars – he noticed an old man who, when Mass was over, would remain for a long time in the church, seemingly lost in prayer. When the Cure asked him what he was saying to God at such times he answered that he was not saying anything in particular. ‘I look at him’, he said, ‘and he looks at me, and we are happy together’. This is a simple and clear definition of contemplative prayer. Note it is given by an ordinary layman, not by a professional religious!!
3.4
The Psalms and our Prayer A Benedictine Retreat Handout
The one praying makes his or her own the praise and thanks, the trusting plea rejoicing or bitter complaint and distress of the psalmist. In the psalms the whole scale of our basic needs is heard (Holzheer – A Commentary on the Rule of Benedict) The psalms give us words to bless God, to repent, to bear affliction with courage, and to rejoice together. They translate the human desire and groping search for God into lyrical hymns of thanks. Petulant cries for mercy, quiet utterance of trust and unrestrained bursts of joy. The psalms are clearly prayers of deep religious feeling. (Of Time Made Holy – American Benedictine Prioresses) The psalms, as part of Scripture, are first of all God’s Word to us. Because they are part of God’s living word, we must understand them not so much as something God said thousands of years ago, but as a way God speaks to us today. We approach them not with the question “What did God say to the psalmist, or the people of Israel?” but rather, “How does God speak to me today through the words of the psalm?” We are prone to consider the psalms only as our word to God but we must remember that this word was given to us by God first. This must affect our prayer. Through the psalms we are privileged day after day, hour after hours, to touch the word of God, to hold it in our mouths, to chew it and let is nourish us. (Irene Nowell) Penetrated to the heart by the moods in which the psalms were sung or written down, we become their authors as it were. We find every mood in the psalms. As in an unclouded mirror we see very clearly what happens to ourselves and thus come to an insight which operates at a deep level. Our feelings become our teachers and educators for that which we not only hear but intuitively experience. (Cassian Conference 10.11) Cassian when commenting on the use of the phrase ‘O God come to my assistance’ says “This word … is a calling on God in every need, a humble confession of piety, a sign of weak reverent submission, a conscious expression of one’s own weakness, and of a trusting confidence in the support of an ever present helper … it is the voice of burning devoted love.” (Cassian Conference 10) The psalms whether read to oneself, recited in company, chanted or sung, are a treasure for the whole people of God. (Thomas Merton) The psalms have a compelling grip on us, we do find in them feelings of grief, of fear and anger, with which we seem to identify; we seem to find reflection of our aspirations and complaints, our own gratitude and shame. Christians have always instinctively prayed the psalms as metaphors of their own experience. (Thomas Wahl) In psalmody as in life, one has to yield oneself to be moulded by the action of God, letting the words create an atmosphere as they wash over one. The important thing during psalmody is to remain vulnerable before the psalm, ready to receive what its text and the operation of the Holy Spirit inspire, leaving the mind empty and the heart detached. (Michael Casey)
Minds in harmony with what we sing … Let us stand to sing the psalms in such a way that our minds are in harmony with our voices. (RB 19.7) Lives in harmony with what we sing … Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. We are told to sing to the Lord a new song. A song is a thing of joy, and, if we think carefully about it, a thing of love. So the one who has learned to love a new life has learned to sing a new song … you who have been born again in Christ, born from above, listen to me, or rather through me: ‘Sing to the Lord a new song.’ ‘But I do sing’, you may reply. You sing of course you sing, I can hear you: but make sure your life sings the same tune as your mouth. Sing with your voices, sing with your hearts, sing with your lips, sing with your lives … the singer himself is the praise contained in the song. Do you want to speak the praise of God? Be yourselves what you speak. If you live good lives you are God’s praise. (St Augustine)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
A note on the numbering of the psalms The psalms were all originally written in Hebrew and were translated centuries later into Greek. For that translation the Hebrew psalms 9 and 10 and the Hebrew psalms 114 and 115 were each joined into one, but conversely the Hebrew psalms 116 and 147 were divided into two. This means that from 10 to 148 the numbering of the Hebrew is one higher than that of the Greek. On the whole Roman Catholic writing and liturgy (following the Latin Vulgate) preserves the Greek numbering, while Protestant writing and liturgy revert to the original Hebrew numbering.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
3.5 Christian Meditation (Talk for Christian Meditation Community of Melbourne) Abbot Michael King OSB Fr Laurence Freeman in his introduction to the book John Main His Essential Teaching writes thus: “because his is a spiritual teaching, indeed a mystical one, it cannot be adequately described in the way we would explain a philosophy or theology. It asks to be understood at a personal level, where thought and experience, mind and heart, converge. It was from the depth of his own personal integration that his teaching emerged. Nevertheless this teaching has far reaching ramifications into many modern religious and social concerns. As a spiritual teach John main directly addresses modern doubt and dread with the insights and experience of a mature Christian faith – one that is both true to tradition and radically modern. Theologians have called John Main a ‘Trinitarian mystic’. For Bede Griffiths he was ‘the best spiritual guide in the church today’. The Dalai Lama has expressed his admiration for this fellow monk who taught meditation from the Christian tradition.” As one absorbs the essential teachings of John Main one is caught up in the quest for the Divine and the inexpressible joy of which St Benedict speaks in the prologue of the Holy Rule. That inexpressible joy which is the benchmark of the true seeker of the Divine and which is truly found in the heart of Jesus Christ. All through his writings Fr John leads us to the understanding of the relationship with God through Christ that brings about the wholeness of the concept of ‘being-with-God’. The prayer of the Christian through the process of meditation is the attainment of communion – being-with. The recognition of the power of the Divine which enables each one of us to experience the very life of God. One of the most beautiful expressions I have ever read is Fr John’s summa of meditation: he says ‘Meditation is simply the pilgrimage to the heart where we find the Spirit of Jesus worshipping the Father in love. Jesus is filled with the love for the Father that is the Father’s love for him and that is the Spirit. Christian meditation is simply to be open to that love which is the Spirit’. Fr John’s quotation of St Ignatius of Antioch is a good place to begin our thinking about the essential gift of the use of Silence in our lives and in our prayer. St Ignatius writes “it is better to be silent and real than to talk and be unreal.” If people in this modern age have lost their experience of the Spirit in whom their being is grounded it would seem that it is fundamentally because they have lost their experience and capacity for silence. I am sure you will agree that many, many people are simply afraid of being silent, of being quiet, of stilling the warring voices within their hearts so that they might experience the God that is within. Perhaps we have all had those times when we have been uneasy about entering into the silence and allowing the Word to speak to us. Fr John links the use of the mantra with the management of the mind so that the chaos that we sometimes experience there can be stilled. The stillness created by faithfulness to the mantra guides us to that peace of mind and body which we desire and prepares us to truly enter the sphere of silence where we might encounter the living God. Abbot de Latte in his commentary on the Holy Rule points out that the fundamental purpose of silence is to free the soul, to give it strength and leisure to adhere to God. It frees the soul, just as obedience gives the will its proper mastery. It has, like work, the twofold advantage of delivering us from the low tendencies of our nature and of fixing us in good. It set us, little by little, in a serene region, sapientum templa serena, where we able to speak to God and hear His voice … Silence is a joyous work … for the Christian soul.
In John Main’s theology and view of human nature prayer has the highest value. Teaching from the mystical tradition he asserts the conviction that prayer is not essentially about talking to God or thinking about God but being with God. Christian faith, he believes, makes this explicit because the human consciousness of Jesus has ushered in a ‘new age of Presence’ that gives us a capacity for communion hitherto unrealised … prayer changes the world because it first changes us. Fr John says that ‘the essence of Christian prayer is not dialogue but union, oneness.” For many people the practice of prayer is simply the using of words, the saying of prayers and this, it seems to me, is a far cry from the gospel teaching and the experience of the great teachers through the ages. Prayer is the way we become fully alive, fully who we are; it is the Spirit of Jesus within our human heart and it is that which brings us to a level of awakening – where the apostle Paul tells the Thessalonians to ‘pray without ceasing’ – our awareness of the reality of the spirit of the Risen Christ becomes a constant in the totality of our being. Fr John asserts that meditation begins with an overwhelming sense of reverence. He tells us that this remains the best preparation for meditation. He goes on to speak of the loss of a sense of the sacred within our society and I am sure that we can all relate to that premise. We now live in a world that is largely bereft of any sense of the sacred or of spirituality that centres us on God the Father. Sure, people are searching in all sorts of ways for a spirituality – but largely for a spirituality that suits them. A comfortable refuge in times of trouble and anxiety. The practice of Christian meditation is a practice that leads us out of ourselves and into the risky are of God’s domain; they are where the God of creation can lead us down unknown paths and where the prayer of Jesus can have the room and the permission to expand in and through us. The keynotes of the practice of Christian meditation are silence and simplicity. Modern day men and women often seek to find peace and relaxation through meditation but Fr John teaches us that we have to have found an inner peace before we begin to meditate. The recognition that our prayer is grounded in the peace that God creates within us – the life of the Christian meditator is the recognition of the life of God within us. Our meditation grows from the seed of desire for the Father which He has place within our hearts. God initiates – we respond. One of the very important aspects of Christian meditation is the understanding that it is indeed a discipline – a discipline that weds us to the practice and keeps us wholly focussed on the Other. With this in mind we should always approach our meditation with a childlike simplicity – not asking but trusting. Allowing the gift of grace that the Father will give to us to be received with grateful hearts and minds. One of the greatest concepts that Fr John gives us is this: Meditation is very, very simple. Don’t complicate it. Losing oneself in God may take a long time but it is possible. John Cassian enjoins the mantra as the way to transcend distraction and attain stability. Conversion – Conversatio Morum - one of the three vows enjoined on his disciples by St Benedict in his Holy Rule. Daily conversion is the way that leads us to self-discovery and self-discovery leads us to self-knowledge which precedes the knowledge of God. We cannot know God unless we first know ourselves. Egotism has to go – that is the price we pay. By daily conversion we are turned around, turned around from facing self to facing God. In this conversion we place ourselves with the ambit of God’s redeeming grace. Fr John Main describes this as the leap of faith from ourselves to the Other – and it is the risk involved in all loving. If we lose ourselves we will find a new abundant life centred in Jesus – the One who calls us to surrender all for His sake. In the words of Jesus: the one who would find life (psyche) must first lose it. As when we have found our true Self, our task is, as it were only
beginning and … meditation is the prayer of Faith [precisely because we leave ourselves behind before the Other appear, and with no pre-packaged guarantee that he will appear. The essence of all poverty consists in this risk of annihilation. I want to close with the final words of Fr John’s teaching relating to those who meditate and embrace the world. The communion we discover in the solitude of our own hearing and responding is not only communion with ourselves. That is perhaps first we have of it – a deeper personal harmony and freedom. But it persists beyond, to the communion we share with all men and women, with all the dead and all the living and yet unborn. With them we share the great and mysterious gift of life in the flesh and in the Spirit. And as we awaken to this deeper and higher sense of wholeness we sense the ultimate all-embracing communion which contains all this and of which these are epiphanies. The communion we have with God and the communion within God – this is the great truth we encounter. All we can say in the end is what we have said at the beginning – that the meaning of life is the mystery of love. Because of the incorporation of the whole – an incorporation that has both material and spiritual dimensions – every experience in the human family influence the whole. This is why St Paul calls the early Christians to “weep with those who weep and to rejoice with those who rejoice.” Violence, injustice, and all suffering anywhere within the Body of Christ affect and implicate us all. The reality is that we are not isolated. We are one with the One. We are one with all. Questions to consider: 1. The essence of Christian prayer is not dialogue but union, oneness. Is your experience of prayer an experience of oneness; being caught up in the mystery of God? Does vocal prayer sit easily with the practice of meditation? Do you find that the way of meditation has a place in liturgical prayer? 2. We know that God is intimately with us, infinitely beyond us. It is only through the deep and liberating silence that we can reconcile the polarities of this mysterious paradox. How is silence related to the prayer that we make? Is it possible for us to be silent when confronted with turmoil? Does silence change me and the nature of my meditation?
3.6
References to Prayer in The Rule of St Benedict A Benedictine Retreat Handout
PROLOGUE 4 First of all, every time you begin a good work, you must pray to him most earnestly to bring it to perfection. 17
If you desire true and eternal life, keep your tongue free from vicious talk and your lips from all deceit; turn away from evil and do good; let peace be your quest and aim (Ps 33 [34]:1415). 18Once you have done this, my eyes will be upon you and my ears will listen for your prayers; and even before you ask me, I will say to you: Here I am (Isa 58:9) CHAPTER 4 – THE TOOLS FOR GOOD WORKS 55 Listen readily to holy reading, 56and devote yourself often to prayer. and sighs confess your past sins to God in prayer
57
Every day with tears
72
Pray for your enemies out of love for Christ.
CHAPTER 9 – THE NUMBER OF PSALMS AT THE NIGHT OFFICE 1 During the winter season, Vigils begin with the verse: Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall proclaim your praise (Ps 50[51]:17). CHAPTER 16 – THE CELEBRATION OF THE DIVINE OFFICE DURING THE DAY 1 The Prophet says: Seven times a day have I praised you (Ps 118[119]:164). 2We will fulfil this sacred number of seven if we satisfy our obligations of service at Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline, 3for it was of these hours during the day that he said: Seven times a day have I praised you (Ps 118[119]:164). 4Concerning Vigils, the same Prophet says: At midnight I arose to give you praise (Ps 118[119]:62). 5Therefore, we should praise our Creator for his just judgments at these times: Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline; and let us arise at night to give him praise (Ps 118[119]:164, 62). CHAPTER 19 – THE DISCIPLINE OF PSALMODY 1 We believe that the divine presence is everywhere and that in every place the eyes of the Lord are watching the good and the wicked (Prov 15:3). 2But beyond the least doubt we should believe this to be especially true when we celebrate the divine office. 3We must always remember, therefore, what the Prophet says: Serve the Lord with fear (Ps 2:11), 4 and again, Sing praise wisely (Ps 46[47]:8); 5and, In the presence of the angels I will sing to you (Ps 137[138]:1). 6Let us consider, then how we ought to behave in the presence of God and his angels, 7and let us stand to sing the psalms in such a way that our minds are in harmony with our voice. CHAPTER 20 – REVERENCE IN PRAYER We must know that God regards our purity of heart and tears of compunction, not our many words. 4Prayer should therefore be short and pure, unless perhaps it is prolonged under the inspiration of divine grace. 5In community, however, prayer should always be brief. 3
CHAPTER 27 – THE ABBOT’S CONCERN FOR THE EXCOMMUNICATED 1 The abbot must exercise the utmost care and concern for wayward brothers, because it is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick (Matt 9:12). 2Therefore, he ought to use every skill of a wise physician and send in senpectae, that is, mature and wise brothers 3who, under
the cloak of secrecy, may support the wavering brother, urge him to be humble as a way of making satisfaction, and console him lest he be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow (2Cor 2:7). 4 Rather, as the Apostle also says: Let love for him be reaffirmed (2Cor 2:8), and let all pray for him. CHAPTER 28 – THOSE WHO REFUSE TO AMEND AFTER FREQUENT REPROOFS …let [the abbot] apply an even better remedy: he and all the brothers should pray for him 5so that the Lord, who can do all things, may bring about the health of the sick brother. CHAPTER 35 – KITCHEN SERVERS OF THE WEEK 15 On Sunday immediately after Lauds, those beginning as well as those completing their week of service should make a profound bow in the oratory before all and ask for their prayers. CHAPTER 38 – THE READER FOR THE WEEK 2 After Mass and Communion, let the incoming reader ask all to pray for him so that God may shield him from the spirit of vanity. CHAPTER 43 – TARDINESS AT THE WORK OF GOD OR AT TABLE 1 On hearing the signal for an hour of the divine office, the monk will immediately set aside what he has in hand and go with utmost speed, 2yet with gravity and without giving occasion for frivolity, 3Indeed, nothing is to be preferred to the Work of God. CHAPTER 44 – SATISFACTION BY THE EXCOMMUNICATED 1 Anyone excommunicated for serious faults from the oratory and from the table is to prostrate himself in silence at the oratory entrance at the end of the celebration of the Work of God. 2 He should lie face down at the feet of all as they leave the oratory, 3and let him do this until the abbot judges he has made satisfaction. 4Next, at the bidding of the abbot, he is to prostrate himself at the abbot’s feet, then at the feet of all that they may pray for him. CHAPTER 47 – ANNOUNCING THE HOURS FOR THE WORK OF GOD 1 It is the abbot’s care to announce, day and night, the hour for the Work of God. He may do so personally or delegate the responsibility to a conscientious brother, so that everything may be done at the proper time. CHAPTER 48 – THE DAILY MANUAL LABOUR 1 Idleness is the enemy of the soul. Therefore, the brothers should have specified periods for manual labour as well as for prayerful reading. CHAPTER 49 – THE OBSERVANCE OF LENT 1 The life of a monk ought to be a continuous Lent. 2Since few, however, have the strength for this, we urge the entire community during these days of Lent to keep its manner of life most pure 3and to wash away in this holy season the negligences of other times. 4This we can do in a fitting manner by refusing to indulge evil habits and by devoting ourselves to prayer with tear, to reading, to compunction of heart and self-denial. 5During these days, therefore, we will add to the usual measure of our service something by way of private prayer and abstinence from food or drink, 6so that each of us will have something above the assigned measure to offer God of his own will with the joy of the Holy Spirit (1Thess 1:6).
CHAPTER 52 – THE ORATORY OF THE MONASTERY 1 The oratory ought to be what it is called, and nothing else is to be done or stored there. 2 After the Work of God, all should leave in complete silence and with reverence for God, 3so that a brother who may wish to pray alone will not be disturbed by the insensitivity of another. 4Moreover, if at other times someone chooses to pray privately, he may simply go in and pray, not in a loud voice, but with tears and heartfelt devotion. 5Accordingly, anyone who does no pray in this manner is not to remain in the oratory after the Work of God, as we have said; then he will not interfere with anyone else. CHAPTER 53 – THE RECEPTION OF GUESTS 3 Once a guest has been announced, the superior and the brothers are to meet him with all the courtesy of love. 4First of all, they are to pray together and thus be united in peace, 5but prayer must always precede the kiss of peace because of the delusions of the devil. 6All humility should be shown in addressing a guest on arrival or departure. 7By a bow of the head or by a complete prostration of the body, Christ is to be adored because he is indeed welcomed in them. 8After the guests have been received, they should be invited to pray; then the superior or an appointed brother will sit with them. CHAPTER 58 – THE PROCEDURE FOR RECEIVING BROTHERS 23 Then the novice prostrates himself at the feet of each monk to ask his prayers, and from that very day he is to be counted as one of the community. CHAPTER 67 – BROTHERS SENT ON A JOURNEY 1 Brothers sent on a journey will ask the abbot and community to pray for them. 2All absent brothers should always be remembered at the closing prayer of the Work of God.
3.7
Benedictine Prayers Prayer of St Benedict O gracious and holy Father, give us wisdom to perceive you, diligence to seek you, patience to wait for you, eyes to behold you, a heart to meditate on you and a life to proclaim you; through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
A Prayer for Vocations Lord Jesus Christ in your great love you draw all people to yourself and in your wisdom you call us to your service. We pray at this time that you will kindle in the hearts of men and women the desire to follow you in the religious life. Give to those whom you call grace to accept their vocation readily and thankfully, to make the wholehearted surrender which you ask of them, and for love of you to persevere to the end. This we ask in your name. Amen
Confraternity Prayer Let us pray for our Confraternity For those in pain or sorrow, For those in doubt or fear, For all bishops, priests and other ministers, For all monks, nuns and other religious, For all the members of our confraternity, May all who honour you Holy Benedict, father of monasticism, Turn us again, O Lord God of Hosts, Show us your face and we shall be whole.
Mother of Jesus, pray. Mother of Jesus, pray. Mother of Jesus, pray. Mother of Jesus, pray. Mother of Jesus, pray. know the power of your prayer. Pray for us and for all.
Stir up, O Lord, in your church the spirit which our blessed father and abbot Benedict served; that we, being filled with the same spirit, may learn to love what he loved and put into practice what he taught. Grant us, O Lord, we beseech you, to be steadfast in the service of your will, that your servants may grow in number and holiness: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
3.8
Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina …… Abbot Michael King OSB
Listen carefully, my child, to my instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from one who loves you; welcome it and faithfully put it into practice…” It is not for nothing that St Benedict begins his Holy Rule with the word “LISTEN” and then goes on to say that we ought to listen “with the ear of the heart”. For the monk, lectio has always been comprised principally and before all else of Holy Scripture. Perhaps that is why the word lectio has taken on the qualification of being divina, that is, “sacred”, “divine”. Lectio is being attentive to the word of God and one can truly say that the final goal of lectio is to put us into a state of prayer. St Benedict notes this connection well in the Holy Rule when he unites by juxtaposition these two instruments of good works: “To listen willingly to holy reading, and to apply oneself frequently to prayer”. (RB Ch 64) The source of life for all Christians is the Word of God and it is sown in us by lectio divina. It is the task of monastic life, indeed of Christian life, to bear the Word of God and bring its fruition to full maturity. Perhaps we might ponder, as we approach the great festival of Our Lord’s birth and the mystery of the Incarnation, the way in which the Word of God can be born again in and through us. To open the Bible, to listen and receive what is says, is made up of a daily, and more than daily encounter. The Bible is a text, and more. Because it is human, it demands all the laws of linguistics and literature for its correct interpretation. At the same time, it is the vehicle of a Word which comes from much further away than its authors. Like all language, that of the Bible contains something more than itself. That other thing is God, who reveals and gives Himself. Each time I open the scriptures while opening my heart and my understanding, God speaks to me at that same moment, and he asks me to cleave to his Word in faith. The whole mystery of lectio in our life is as if we lend our heart to that efficacious Liturgy of the Word which God Himself celebrates and which takes place at one and the same time in our heart and within the Bible; there is an interaction between the two. (Andre Louf) It is important to situate the Christian life on a foundation of trusting faith. Faith is the basis of all else, and it is this trusting faith which “puts one in the presence of God”. (RB Ch 58) St Benedict tells us that we ought always to live in the awareness of the presence of God: and it is within this awareness that we are to do our reading. The faith received at Baptism asks only to expand itself, to strengthen itself; it is a matter of living it. Christ knows me and I know the Lord. But he knows me in his light, while my knowledge is in the obscurity of
trusting faith. The Lord knows me and calls me to know Him, and because He knows me He calls me to love Him: starting from my knowledge through faith. When there is fundamental trusting faith at the outset, from that point on a bond of love establishes itself. Then one is primed for dialogue, a dialogue which, on our side, is always a response of love to a call from Love. Now love should always be concretized. We do not love once for all time, and it is a trusting faith which allows us to encounter the Lord in every way. Lectio is one of these privileged ways, and that is why the monk puts himself from the outset in a disposition of listening to that word which the Lord wishes to address to him properly, perhaps today. This may be only one word; yet if this word makes him live, then lectio has already borne its fruit. The Word of God can demand something from me today which only yesterday it did not demand, and that is why in order to understand this demand, I must be absolutely and completely open and attentive … Man is the being who was created as hearer of the Word and who rises to his proper dignity by a response to that Word. He was conceived of as becoming in his inmost depths a partner to a dialogue. (H U Von Baltltasa, Prayer) It seems good therefore to situate lectio in this perspective of a nourishment for one’s faith, while at the same time one’s faith permits this nourishment to make one grow, to make one live. Let us look at the practical aspects of lectio. It must be remembered that in Benedict’s day reading almost always meant reading aloud. Hearing as well as seeing and speaking the words, opening them and taking them into oneself. “Instruction”, says St Bernard, “makes learned men; contact makes wise men”. It is this contact with God which is the purpose and end of lectio. How do we do it? 1. Read slowly, the passage chosen, Speak the words. Pause. 2. Read again. Ponder. 3. Read again, stopping when a word or phrase catches one’s attention. 4. Ruminate—chew the word over. Lectio should lead to a more intimate contact with Christ through His Word and to the Father through Christ His Son. Lectio is at the service of the unification of the person both in himself/herself and in God. As the feeling of hunger is the sign of a healthy body, so a lively desire to hear the holy word is the surest mark of a soul’s good health. (St John Chrysostom)
3.9
The Medal of Saint Benedict – Background Information
The Jubilee Medal of St Benedict St Benedict is holding the cross in one hand and the Holy Rule in the other. On the right of St Benedict is the poisoned cup, shattered by the sign of the cross, which the Saint made over it; on his left stands the raven about to carry away a poisoned loaf of bread sent to the Holy Patriarch. Around the edge of the Medal are the words: Ejus in Obitu nostro Praesentia Muniamur, meaning – At our death may we be protected by his presence. Below we read Abbey of Monte Cassino 1880
C.S.P.B.
Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti The Cross of our Holy Father Benedict
C.S.S.M.L.
Crux Sacra sit mihi lux May the Holy Cross be my light
N.D.S.M.D.
Ne Draco sit mihi dux Let not the devil be my guide
The outer letters stand for the words of an ancient verse: V.R.S. N.S.M.V. S.M.Q.L. I.V.B.
Vade retro Satana: numquam suade mihi vana. Sunt mala quae libas; ipse venenum bibas. Begone Satan Never suggest vain things to me What you offer is evil Drink your own poison.
4.
Benedictine Vows
4.1
Benedictine Vow – Obedience Marilyn Hope, OSB Oblate (Oblates’ Day June 2016)
There are many references to obedience in RB, but 68:5 seems like a good place to start: Trusting in God’s help, he must in love obey. And in the chapter on humility, The third step of humility is submission. It teaches the climber to listen closely to the leadership of his community out of love for God…(RB 7:34 WH).1 And of course there is the whole 5th chapter on obedience. As Kardong writes in his commentary, our first impression on reading RB 5 is that unquestioning and absolute obedience is called for, which might reduce us to a kind of infantilism, and yet self-will and ego are still very real and present in modern Benedictine life and society generally and need to be addressed. The first half of this chapter seems in a tone asking for quick obedience and the second half for “glad’ obedience, which is a spiritual progression to a more sacramental understanding of the virtue.2 Chapter 5 is steeped in biblical thought, which is the framework. As Carding writes; Obedience is rooted in listening to God (RB 5:5-6; Lk 10:16 RB The Lord says of men like this: no sooner did he hear than he obeyed me (Ps 17:45); again, he tells teachers: whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me), and that the whole point of obedience is to return love to God, who loves us first (RB 5:16; 2 Cor 9:7 RB Furthermore, the disciples obedience must be given gladly, for God loves a cheerful giver Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under conclusion, for God loves a cheerful giver)” We could sum up that exegesis of the rule by saying that it means we need to listen to God, so we know how to respond lovingly to his will.3 But the crux of RB 5 is 11-13, where Benedict talks of following the narrow way of Christ, that is taking up our cross and following Him, by entering a community and being obedient to the abbot and the discipline of community life. And this obedience needs to be given freely, and gladly, as if to God Himself. Not easy, when you are not always going to get on with the others in your com- munity or agree with them or even like them. But what does obedience look like for us as Oblates, who are not in a community? Well, we have the same scriptural warrant as religious in terms of living out obedience to God in Christ and with Christ, and also to one another.4 But I think the first word in the Rule, “Listen” is our clue. Like religious, and in fact all Christians, we are called to listen to God in the Scriptures, and especially the Gospels. And we can take a leaf out of Jesus’ book, as it were, who expressly sought to conform to the will of His Father, and this sometimes meant accepting what might seem like limitations, for example, in Jesus’ case, accepting the limitations of being a man living within a particular historical and religious setting. But he says Yes to all that is asked of Him by God. 5 Within the life of the Trinity, each person expresses their love for the other in their mutual self-giving and deference to each other. This obedience, for Jesus, needed to be re-learned in the setting of being human: Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered, and being made perfect he became the source of salvation to all who obey him.
(Heb 5:8) So it is something that we continue to learn and grow in for all of our lifetimes, it seems. Obedience to each other for Benedict is both a way of uniting ourselves to God as well as an expression of love for our brothers and sisters. As RB says: Obedience is of such value that it is not enough to show it to the superior: all members of the community should obey one another, knowing that this way of obedience is the sure road that will take them to God…Let them strive to be first to show respect to one another. Let them bear with the utmost patience each other’s weaknesses, whether of body or of character….No one should pursue what is to his or her own advantage, but rather what is for the good of others.6 This is what ordinary families and partners do on a daily basis, so following Benedict's spiritual path opens up a way of seeing God, the extraordinary, in the everyday lives we already strive to live, in the ordinary. And again, it is scriptural: Christ too did not please himself….Let your love show itself in mutual affection; reckon others more highly than yourself….Bear with one another and forgive….Forgive one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.7 I’d like to share a little from this book “The Oblate Life”: The Rule deals with obedience within a monastic community, but teaching of such breadth and depth has a bearing on every Christian life. Faith, hope and charity all require an acceptance of the unknown, a leap beyond ourselves. So does prayer, for we can pray only from an attitude of open-hearted listening and obedience to God. We listen in prayer and silence to his word, we listen to the word in the scriptures, in our own lives, and in our encounter with every other person who, as the Rule often reiterates, is Christ to us. Within each one who is alive in Christ the Spirit dwells, the Spirit who inspired the scriptures and enables the church to hear the living word of God. ……Christ’s obedience was brave, adventurous and intelligent….Our obedience may sometimes demand an intelligent, patient search for the right way forward, consultation with others, listening, trying to read the signs, and in the end making what seems to be the right decision, without any comforting certainty that we have got it right.8 The last aspect of ‘obedience’ that I want to raise is acceptance, of human frailty in others, in ourselves and in church life. In our parishes, sometimes there are things that we really struggle with, that aren’t to our liking, and which we just can’t change, in which we need to exercise patience and love in the circumstances. Again, quoting from “The Oblate Life”: Your most fundamental obedience to God may be acceptance of yourself - yourself as you are, with all your particular strengths and weaknesses, your gifts and limitations, all the baggage you carry from your remote and immediate past, all that your life has made you. This person is what God wants, and you must want it too; but such obedience is not a static program, because it means consenting to become through God’s grace the person he wants you to become. 9 But this journey is never made alone, although it may feel lonely in the context of the world and our church, because we always journey with the Community at Camperdown and each other, and with Christ alongside us and in the company of the saints. 1
Jonathan Wilson-Hargrove, The Rule of St Benedict: A Contemporary Paraphrase, Brewster, Massachusetts: Paraclete Press, 2015 2 Terence Kardong, Benedict’s Rule: A Translation and Commentary, Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1996. 114 3 Kardong, 115 4 Gervase Holdaway (ed), The Oblate Life, Liturgical Press: Collegeville, Minnesota, 2008, 168-172 5 Holdaway, 169 6 RB 71.1-2, 72.4-5, 7-8 7 Rom 15:3; 12:10; Col 3:13; Eph 4:32 8 Holdaway, 172-173 9 Holdaway 174
Questions for reflection from St Meinrad’s Archabbey Newsletter 1) What is your initial reaction to the word “obedience”? How does the monastic vow of obedience apply to you? 2) Do I obey everyone or just those who are placed in authority over me? Can obedience help me with my relationship with others? 3) Obedience is defined as an attitude and humility as an action. Have I focused on humility as a positive attitude? Have I meditated on the vow of obedience to the point where it is an integral part of my monastic oblation? 4) Do I see the relationship between obedience and the other monastic vows of stability, hospitality, silence and conversion of live? 5) Can obedience help me internally with meditation, prayer, fasting and study? Can obedience assist me externally with simplicity, solitude, submission and service?
4.2
Benedictine Vow – Stability Unknown Source (December 1988 Benedictine Newsletter article)
The following reflections on the Benedictine vow of Stability were made over the period of our community retreat at the beginning of Advent. In Esther de Waal’s book on the Benedictine life, “Seeking God”, and in “Poverty, Chastity and Obedience: The true virtues” by Harry Williams C.R., both writers assert that religious vows are not about negations, restrictions and limitations but are affirmations of our humanness and our tendency to growth. Harry Williams speaks of the necessity of the vows, “properly understood” , as means whereby our human selfhood grows. Esther de Waal, in Chapter 4 of her book attempts a proper understanding of the Benedictine vow of Stability. She describes Stability as not running away; staying with what is and especially staying with myself as I really am. I have thought to myself lately that being part of a small monastic community more often than not involves me running into myself and what I see is not always a pretty sight! St Paul also discusses the problem of running into himself and seeing himself as he really is in Romans 7:14-25. For him it is clearly a question of inward struggle. He even gets to the point of despairing of himself but ultimately turns to the only one who can help him in his process of becoming: “What a wretched man I am! Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom 7:24, 25a J.B.) Stability, then, can be constantly choosing to run into myself rather than away from myself. This choice FOR Stability is a choice of knowing myself as I am: it is an affirmation that the truth of who I am matters most even if it is difficult, painful, and, often, lonely. However, what is also difficult is to embrace the necessity of change in Benedictine language, “Conversatio morum”. I believe that is a cop-out to say: “This is the way I am. Love me or leave me!” The person who says or implies that is suggesting that I accept and adapt to their tyranny: it is to deny my freedom as God’s son, my humanness, AND it denies the possibility of growth into full humanness for the tyrant. Staying with who I am, right now, and with the process of change which the Holy Spirit works in and through me right this moment is not something that can be achieved instantly in its entirety. This truth can be experienced in prayer when stability is staying with God rather than zooming off with inevitable distractions. But this level of mindfulness of God is a process of growing into, and therefore something I needn’t be anxious about. Another feature of stability is that I commit myself to the process of self-knowledge and growth to full humanness right to the grave. St Benedict puts it this way in the Prologue to his Rule for Beginners: “Let us then never withdraw from discipleship to him, but persevering in his teaching in the monastery till death, let us share the suffering son Christ through patience, and so deserve also to share in his kingdom.” Esther de Waal sees this persevering in patience until death, in the company of one’s community (family, work situation etc) as the means to the end that the individual enters into his or her personal dialogue with God. This patient endurance is also part of the thinking contained in Hebrews 12. For me, knowing myself and knowing God are the observe sides of the same coin of growing into the person I am meant to be which is to share in Christ’s holiness. (Heb 12:2)
The images of struggle, confrontation, suffering and a dogged sticking to the path until death, in order to know myself and to know God, seem to me to be very masculine. A gentler, more organic image is that contained in John 12:12: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit”. The vocation to become fully the person I might be is like this seed that is planted in the ground that must die to itself before it can bear much fruit. Perhaps I do not know what kind of seed it is, what kind of plant is growing and what kind of fruit it will bear. I might get impatient waiting, considering all the possibilities but if I were to disturb the soil around the germinating seed it order to look, in order to force the seed to yield the information after which I seek, which I long with all my heart to know, I would kill it. Having committed it to the soil, I must leave it; I must, by all means, nurture it with that food and that water which is life to it but I must also trust the whole situation, soil, seed, water, food and warm sunshine to bring to seed to fruition. That patient, living waiting is Stability.
4.3
Benedictine Vow – Conversion of Life Abbot Michael King OSB (Extract from Talk given to Christian Meditation Community in Melbourne 2003)
One of the three vows enjoined on his disciples by St Benedict in his Holy Rule. Daily conversion is the way that leads us to self-discovery and self-discovery leads us to selfknowledge which precedes the knowledge of God. We cannot know God unless we first know ourselves. Egotism has to go – that is the price we pay. By daily conversion we are turned around, turned around from facing self to facing God. In this conversion we place ourselves with the ambit of God’s redeeming grace. Fr John Main describes this as the leap of faith from ourselves to the Other – and it is the risk involved in all loving. If we lose ourselves we will find a new abundant life centred in Jesus – the One who calls us to surrender all for His sake. In the words of Jesus: the one who would find life (psyche) must first lose it. As when we have found our true Self, our task is, as it were only beginning
Benedictine Vow - Conversatio Morum Marilyn Hope, OSB Oblate (Oblates Day May 2017) This phrase conversatio morum appears in ten places in the Rule of Benedict (RB). 1 In the Prologue:49, “But as we progress in this way of life and in faith…” – this is usually understood as the ‘monastic’ way of life. 2 In RB 1:3 “Second, there are the anchorites or hermits, who have come through the test of living in a monastery for a long time…” - this is understood as monks who have got beyond the first fervour in the monastic way of life. 3 RB 1:12 “It is better to keep silent than to speak of all these and their disgraceful way of life…” – here understood again as monastic way of life. 4 RB 21:1 “If the community is rather large, some brothers chosen for their good repute and holy life should be made deans.” – their holy life refers to the monastic way of life. 5 RB 22:2 “They receive bedding as provided by the abbot, suitable to monastic life.” – this is self-explanatory. 6 RB 58:1 “Do not grant newcomers to the monastic life an easy entry,…” – self-explanatory. 7 RB 58:17 “When he is to be received, he comes before the whole community in the oratory and promises stability, fidelity to monastic life, and obedience.” – selfexplanatory. 8 RB 63:1 “The monks keep their rank in the monastery according to the date of their entry.…” – Conversatio here is translated as ‘date of entry’ when they started in the monastic life. 9 RB 73:1 “The reason we have written this rule is that, by observing it in monasteries, we can show that we have some degree of virtue and the beginnings of monastic life”– self-explanatory. 10 RB 73:2 “But for anyone hastening on to the perfection of monastic life,…” selfexplanatory. The phrase conversatio morum suorum is understood to have been axiomatic in Benedict’s day, so, so they would have understood it well, but later it was not understood, and so it was
transcribed as conversio morum suorum which was understood as the ‘eradication of vices and cultivation of virtues, leading a moral life, in other words, or it was just omitted.1 It wasn’t until Cuthbert Butler did some critical work on the text of RB in 1912 that the old, correct version of conversatio came back into use.2 The word conversatio was used on its own in Benedict’s time to mean ‘a way of life’ and was also used to translate the Greek word askesis for ascetic or monastic life. But when it is used in the phrase conversatio morum suorum it is problematic to translate, and is mostly understood as the monastic life.3 RB 1980 proposes three ‘solutions’ to this problem of translation. 1) to treat it the same as conversio and see it as a mistake, 2) to look at the context of RB 1 and 58 and understand that the promise of stability eliminates the gyrovagues, obedience eliminates the sarabaites, and conversatio morum suorum eliminates the hermits. This means that conversatio has a communal or social meaning, and so RB 58:17 refers to life in community, although it probably needs something else to qualify it to reach this understanding. 3) to understand that it distinctly refers to the monastic life as observed in a monastery.4 Kardong, in his Commentary explains that both poverty and celibacy would have been implied in conversatio and that really what the three vows are basically saying is that the monk is promising to live out the cenobitic monastic life.5 Most books on Benedictine life have little to say about conversatio and the only comment Cuthbert Butler really makes is that it means ‘the conduct of one’s life in accordance with the principles and practice of monastic life’.6 In other words, the life lived in a particular monastery under the Rule and Abbot. Working with the idea of conversatio being about living the community life of the monastery and being formed in the ‘school of the Lord’, then I think the book The Oblate Life can be most helpful. We, as Oblates, are not called to live in the monastic community, but we live in the spirit of the monastic community. So how are we to understand that, what does it mean for us? Well, we have seen that, if nothing else, conversatio refers to community life, so let’s look at how we might understand community life. If you’re anything like me, you live in several different communities, family, parish, work, local and your community of friends. Of those, the family community is probably the only one that has anything like the constancy of the monastery. In his Rule, Benedict talks in several places about deferring to the other, putting the other ahead of ourselves. In the essay on ‘The Essentials of Benedictine Spirituality’ Simon O’Donnell writes about being formed to open ourselves up to God through our change of focus from self to other. “Chapter 4 is a call for a radical change of preferences. The response to this call involves nothing less than a new creation, a transformation of the person.”7 I’d like to read a little from Rowan Williams’ chapter in this book, entitled ‘Shaping Holy Lives’. Benedict is, as usual, uncompromisingly prosaic in describing the monastic community as workshop; it is a place in which we use specific tools – listed with
blunt simplicity in Chapter 4 of the Rule – which are lent to us by Christ, to be returned on the Last Day, when we receive our wages. It is an imagery that conjures up a landscape in monochrome, a grey sky, a stone wall; the tools work smooth with long use and skilfully patched up over time, taken from the shelf each morning until finally hung up when weariness and age arrive. The holy life is one in which we learn to handle things, in businesslike and unselfconscious ways, to ‘handle’ the control of the tongue, the habit of not passing on blame, getting up in the morning and not gossiping. A monastic life is one in which these habits are fitted to our hands. Simone Weil wrote somewhere about how the tool is for the seasoned worker the extension of the hand, not something alien. Benedict’s metaphors prompt us to think of a holiness that is like that, an ‘extension’ of our bodies and our words that we have come not to notice.8 Williams later comments that ‘the Rule envisages holiness as a set of habits…’9 So what I think might be helpful for us to consider together now, is to share ways in which we see our lives in “community”, in terms of conversatio.
1
RB 1980. 459 RB 1980. 459 3 RB 1980. 459 4 RB 1980. 460-1. 5 Terence G. Kardong, Benedict’s Rule A Translation and Commentary, (Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1996). 473-83. 6 Cuthbert Butler, Benedictine Monachism, London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1924. 134-39. 7 Simon O’Donnell, “The Rule and the Oblate: Formation and the School of the Lord’s Service” in The Oblate Life, ed. Gervase Holdaway, (Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press 2008) 141 8 Rowan William “Shaping Holy Lives” in Gervase Holdaway Ed, The Oblate Life, (Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 222008) 148 9 Rowan Williams “Shaping Holy Lives”, in The Oblate Life, 154 2
5.
Oblation
5.1
Oblation Homily Sister Superior, Raphael Stone OSB (11th March 2017)
You could be forgiven for thinking that today’s readings were deliberately chosen for this happy occasion of the oblation of (Name….). They are in fact the set readings for today and obviously very appropriate. For the last year they have been oblate novices and in a few minutes will make their oblate promise, or offering, to God. Oblates shape their lives to that of Christ by way of the wisdom of St Benedict. Their promise binds them to God and to this community in a special way. It is a solemn undertaking and one that I know neither of them take lightly. The word oblation means to offer. — Mind you, if you look in the dictionary the definition of oblate is: ‘Something round that has been flattened on the top and bottom’! I’ll leave you to decide on the relevance of that definition!— (Name…), you have already made many offerings in your Christian life, this new offering is a declaration that you continue to truly seek God and wish to give him all that you are at this moment. Your oblation is not about keeping a whole lot of rules and regulations, forcing yourself to do particular things, or somehow making yourself superior to other Christians. Rather your oblation is a free offering of yourself to take God at his word with the help of St Benedict. Today’s readings are about promises; not so much ours to God but God’s promises to us. In the first reading we hear Moses saying to the people, ‘You have today made this declaration about the Lord: that he will be your God but only if you follow his ways, keep his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and listen to his voice.’ – Ah, listening to God’s voice, – so important to St Benedict! Yes, God does expect certain behaviours but he also knows we will fail, and yet he will still be our God. Your obligations are Oblates are not meant to be onerous, or confining, nothing harsh or burdensome as its says in the Prologue, rather, using the wisdom of the Rule of Saint Benedict as a scaffold to support and guide your Christian path, you will seek the way to run with freedom of heart and joy, to cherish nothing more than Christ. Going back to our first reading, the people are told, “You are declaring God will be your God,” – but it gets better than that! Deuteronomy continues, in part, “the Lord has today made this declaration about you: that you will be his very own people as he has promised you.” God desires to have us as his children! for his praise, renown, and honour. We need to hold onto God, and even more, we need to know that God is holding onto us – and he will never fail. God’s are not like ours, - “not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses” we read in 1 Kings (8:56). God expects us to take him at his word. This is what we express in the Suscipe which you will be saying together immediately after your promise. The Suscipe is verse 116, from Psalm 119 and sung by every Benedictine monk & nun at profession, it is also shared as prayer by our oblates. The words are: Uphold me, O Lord, according to your promise that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope. This is yet another gift our Holy Father Benedict gives us, found in chapter 58 of the Rule. I hope you will use it each and every day and that it will be both a reminder and a strength to you on your oblate journey.
The Deuteronomy reading concludes with yet another promise: ‘You will be a people consecrated to the Lord.’ Today’s gospel reading tells us how we can make this a reality. Christ calls us to ‘Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.’ Our consecration can lead us to perfection. By the conversion of our lives and conformity to the example of our Heavenly Father, we can learn to love. I believe when we learn to love we can be perfect. Not perfect in the legal sense of keeping all the rules, not ever missing a prayer Office or Lectio time, but in the full meaning of the word ‘perfect’ as found in the Oxford dictionary: ‘having all the required elements, qualities and characteristics. Complete, absolute.’ These elements, qualities and characteristics of Christ are what we strive for as followers of St Benedict. Benedict teaches us how, in Christ, we can become whole, complete people, perfect people, known and loved by God and who we can then love in return. God’s promises are sure. In Him we can place all our hope and trust. May we all, the sons and daughters of St Benedict, prefer nothing whatever to Christ, and may He lead us all together to life everlasting. Amen.
5.2
Formula for Renewal of Oblation
An appropriate passage from Holy Scripture could first be read if the renewal takes place outside the celebration of the Eucharist. The oblate(s) renew their final Oblation as follows: Peace! In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. I renew my oblation and offer myself to Almighty God through the Blessed Virgin Mary and our Holy Father Benedict as an Oblate of Saint Mark’s Abbey, Camperdown, and promise to dedicate myself to the service of God and humankind according to the Rule of Saint Benedict in so far as my state in life permits.
Let us pray. Eternal God, Almighty Father, you know well the weakness of our human nature. Look upon your servant and strengthen him/her with the power of your blessing so, with the help of your grace, he/she may faithfully carry out the promise he/she has made as an Oblate in response to your holy inspiration. May he/she live a holy and upright life according to the spirit of the Rule of Saint Benedict. And may you reward him/her, according to your promises, with the vision of your glory for all eternity. This we ask, through Christ our Lord. Amen May the blessing of Almighty God, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, come down upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen
6.
Oblate Day Conferences
6.1
Aspects of Benedictine Spirituality – Silence & Listening Abbot Michael King OSB
Within the Rule of St Benedict we find excellent guidelines to the way on our pilgrimage through this life. We are given the various methods, if you like, towards attaining that perfect union with God which is at the heart of the teaching of the Gospel and of the Rule. When it is a question of profound changes in one’s life, the ability to remain at peace with oneself and out of control, in a sense, can only be possible in the light of the Paschal Mystery, wherein Christ became obedient to the will of the Father to the end. Silence is another of the observances of Rule that begins as an idea. With the practice of it, silence takes on more significance as it finds deeper resources hidden in the individual. That we refrain from destructive speech is taken for granted by St Benedict. But so important is silence in the life of the monastic that the Rule goes on to say that “permission to speak should seldom be granted even to mature disciples, no matter how good or holy or constructive their talk …” Yet even after the chapter on “Restraint of Speech” the Rule includes more teaching on silence at the end of the Steps of Humility in Chapter Seven. Here, steps nine through to twelve suggest a transformational silence, indicative of the deep conversion of the whole person and affecting even one’s demeanour. Only an ongoing formation capable of bearing a rich metaphysical doctrine of silence and solitude can usher one along to this point in the search for God. Coupled with silence is the admonition to listen. We are called to listen from the very outset of our spiritual journey as sons and daughters of St Benedict. The very first word of the Rule is “Listen”- Listen carefully, my child, to my instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from one who loves you; welcome it and faithfully put it into practice. The labour of obedience will bring you back to God from whom you had drifted through the sloth of disobedience. This message of mine is for you, then, if you are ready to give up your own will, once and for all, and armed with the strong and noble weapons of obedience to do battle for Jesus, the Christ. (Prologue – trans. Sr Joan Chittister OSB) To listen with the ear of the heart, with the whole being, to be attentive to God. Chittister says that we should let nothing go by without being open to being nourished by the inner meaning of that event in life. There is an Oriental proverb that teaches: Take from death before it takes from thee. If we do not live life consciously, in other words, we may not be living at all. How often do we listen and yet not listen? How many times do we let the words of another, or indeed, the Other, run past us as we are consciously thinking other thoughts, dreaming other dreams, paying not the slightest attention to what is being given to us. If we can but train ourselves to give over our wills to the will of the Father and not give in to self-seeking. If we can but listen with the whole of our being to what is given us in words and in the Word. To listen is to grow. Spirituality does not come by breathing. Kit comes by listening to this Rule and to its insights with the ear of the heart, with feeling, with more than an academic interest.
6.2
Aspects of Benedictine Spirituality – Peace (PAX) Paulene Tibbits, OSB Oblate (Oblates’ Day February 2017)
For my sharing today I have selfishly chosen a topic that will benefit me most as I continue my journey as a Benedictine Oblate. I know here in this room there are oblates who have journeyed the Benedictine Way much longer than myself, others about the same time and for a few the Benedictine journey has just begun. I hope my talk, and later our discussion, will affirm your understandings or bring new insights on my chosen topic. …. And that topic is PAX peace. A very Benedictine word, a very Benedictine charism or attribute to which I/we should embrace as a Christian as well as an oblate! My Rule of Life encompasses my desire “to Be a Peacemaker, to daily live in harmony with all of God’s creation and remember to love myself so that I can love others”. To be honest, I am not a peaceful person. For those familiar with the Enneagram, the Sufi Personality Typeing, I am a One and my passion/vice is Anger (resentment), and being a peaceful person takes energy and a constant reminding about what I should be achieving. Henri Nowen in his book The Road to Peace states A peacemaker prays. Prayer is the beginning and the end, the source and the fruit, the core and the content, the basis and the goal for all peacemaking. I, Henri, say this without apology, because it allows me to go straight to the heart of the matter, which is that peace is a divine gift, a gift we receive in prayer. In his farewell discourse Jesus said to his apostles, “Peace I leave to you, my own peace I give to you; a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you” (Jn 14:27). Over the portals of the great Benedictine monasteries in Europe, the arch reads, “Pax”, or peace, true. But what does it mean? Benedictine Sister, Joan Chittester in her book Wisdom Distilled from the Daily devotes a whole chapter to Peace and from her experience shares: Benedictine peace is not something that is ever achieved. It is something sincerely and consistently sought. It comes, in fact, from the seeking, not from the getting. It comes from the inside, not the outside. It comes from right-heartedness, not from self-centredness. It comes from the way we look at life, not from the way we control it. It comes from the attitudes we bring to things, not from the power we bring to them. This PAX pamphlet I picked up somewhere along my journey highlights the fact that wisdom regarding PAX, and the importance of it, is not only found in Scripture but also within the Sayings of The Desert Fathers and Mothers, the Lives of the Saints, Spiritual Exercises, Christian Literature, and most Monastic Rules, including The Rule of Benedict. Benedict and Bernard and the other true monastic peace-makers of history have been effective because they have acted from a deep source of peace within themselves, creating a context for peace My bookcase of Benedictine books provided some very good background into my chosen topic, enough information for several talks on PAX. My RB 1980 lists only 9 peace references, whilst the opposite, murmuring/grumbling has 15, however, most commentators on the Rule state: “PAX/Peace is fundamental in the Rule even though the word itself is not used frequently”.
If PAX is fundamental then I needed an overview of the Rule to help identify and define one area of PAX we could explore together. The best overview I found was by Verna Holyhead in her book The Gift of Saint Benedict. *What caught my attention from this overview was the following: Leaders who have to relate to others should be people of peace. In the Rule, this was a special challenge to the abbot and the cellarer, yet the peacemaking qualities of these office holders are applicable to parents, business managers, even politicians! *Identified here are the abbot and the cellarer – then the following is more specific – namely to the Cellarer: As someone who deals with the material goods of the monastery, the cellarer is not to have an air of proprietorship, but be humble, well-disciplined, and with a tongue that can at least offer a friendly word if there is nothing else he can supply. When necessary, helpers are to be given to him so that he can carry out his duties peacefully, with sensitivity to people and their individual needs. *The Cellarer is the subject of Chapter 31 of the Rule and showed promise as a chapter to explore - particularly as I discovered several other well-known authors shared similar views to Verna Holyhead in regard to the Cellarer. Benedictine monk, Ambrose Tinsley, titled his book PAX The Benedictine Way and he hopes, as we the readers journey through his book, we may discover, or at least be enlightened, as to why Pax has become a motto for the Benedictine Way. Tinsley chooses to finish his book with a chapter entitled, The Prologue to The Rule of Benedict – Back to the Beginning! He draws our attention to Prologue vs 17: If you desire true and eternal life, keep your tongue free from vicious talk and your lips from all deceit, turn away from evil and do good; let peace be your quest and aim (Ps 34:14-15). Tinsley then directs us to Chapter 31 with this instruction regarding The Monastery Cellarer vs 13-14 Above all, let him (the cellarer) be humble. If goods are not available to meet a request, he will offer a kind word in reply for it is written: a kind word is better than the best gift. St Benedict, no doubt, would have us all, in similar and other situations, do the same! In any case, he says to us who seek for many things that we should, certainly, seek peace. He means not only peace with those with whom we live (he means that too!) but also peace within our very selves. Esther de Waal in her book A Life-Giving Way in her commentary on Chapter 31 The Monastery Cellarer says: this chapter opens with a sketch showing what sort of person the cellarer ought to be, for it is much less the job to which he is assigned than the qualities which he brings to it which concern Benedict. And the purpose? So that he, the cellarer, remain calm. In the Rule of Benedict, peace is fundamental. In the publication Benedictine Volume 35 Terence Kardong comments on ‘A model peacemaker’: “the monastic cellarer is not to be chosen merely for efficiency and ability to get the job done. What is more important is that one do it in such a way that the environment of peace is not threatened in any way”. If A Model Peacemaker is what Kardong calls the Monastic Cellarer then I decided an exploration of Chapter 31 would be a worthwhile exercise with the following questions in mind: What qualities, actions and attitudes characterise the cellarer as a model peacemaker? How does this relate to our own desires to be peacemakers? What are the obstacles that prevent us from being peacemakers?
I started the talk from a personal perspective – how to become a more peaceful person - and finish with another of Esther de Waal’s Book’s Lost in Wonder. In Chapter 5 Change she quotes Thomas Merton: Our real journey in life is interior: it is a matter of growth, deepening, and of an even greater surrender to the creative action of love and grace in our hearts. He [Merton] insisted that while there was a need for effort, deepening, and transformation it was most important not to undertake any special project of self-transformation or some attempt to ‘work on myself’, but rather Just go for walks, live in peace, let change come quietly and invisibly on the inside. PRAY Let us pray as Gertrude The Great once prayed: In you, O Jesus, true peace, may I have peace upon peace forever, so that through you I may come to that peace which surpasses all understanding, where happily I may see you in yourself forever. Amen The Road to Peace, H Nouwen, John Garratt Pub 1988 ISBN 1 875938 33 8 Wisdom Distilled from The Daily, Joan Chittester, Harpersanfranciso 1990 ISBN 0 06 061399 8 The Gift of St Benedict, Verna Holyhead, John Garratt Pub 2002 ISBN 1 875938 92 3 PAX, Ambrose Tinsley, The Columba Press 1995 ISBN 1 85607 1219 Life-Giving Way, Esther de Waal, Continuum 1995 0 8264 9090 5 Lost in Wonder, Esther de Waal, Liturgical Press 2003 ISBN 13 978 0 8146 2992 5
6.3 Aspects of Benedictine Spirituality – Instruments/Tools of Good Works Behold, these are the tools of the spiritual craft, which, if we use them day and night, and duly give them back on the day of Judgement, the Lord will give us the reward that he promised: “… what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him”(1Cor 2:9). And the workshop where we are to work diligently at all these things is the cloister of the monastery and the stability of the community. Benedict lists seventy-two of these instruments in Chapter 4 of his Rule. 1. In the first place, to love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, and strength 2. To love one’s neighbour as oneself 3. Not to kill 4. Not to commit adultery 5. Not to steal 6. Not to covet 7. Not to bear false witness 8. To respect all men (1Peter 2:17) 9. Not to do to another what one would not have done to oneself 10. To deny oneself in order to follow Christ 11. To chastise the body 12. Not to love pleasure 13. To love fasting 14. To comfort the poor 15. To clothe the naked 16. To visit the sick 17. To bury the dead 18. To aid those in trouble 19. To comfort the sad 20. To reject worldliness 21. To love Christ above all else 22. Not to become angry 23. Not to show temper 24. Not to keep deceit in one’s heart 25. Not to make a false peace 26. Not to forsake charity 27. Not to swear, for fear of committing perjury 28. To speak the truth with heart and lips 29. Not to return an evil for an evil 30. Not to injure anyone, but to accept patiently any injury to oneself 31. To love one’s enemies 32. Not to insult those who insult one, but to praise them 33. To suffer persecution for the sake of justice 34. Not to be proud 35. Not to drink to excess 36. Not to be a glutton 37. Not to love sleep 38. Not to be slothful 39. Not to murmur
40. Not to slander 41. To put one’s trust in God 42. To attribute to God the good one sees in oneself 43. To recognize that the evil in oneself is attributable only to oneself 44. To fear Judgement Day 45. To fear hell 46. To desire eternal life with all one’s spirit 47. To see death before one daily 48. To monitor one’s actions ceaselessly 49. To know for certain that God sees all everywhere 50. To dash one’s evil thoughts against Christ immediately and to reveal them to one’s spiritual advisor 51. Not to speak evil or wicked speech 52. Not to speak much 53. Not to speak idly nor so as to cause mirth 54. Not to love boisterous laughter 55. To enjoy holy reading 56. To often partake of prayer 57. To confess past sins to God daily in humble prayer and to avoid these sins in future 58. Not to succumb to the desires of the flesh 59. To despise one’s own will 60. To obey the abbot’s commands in all things, even if he strays from his own path, mindful of the Lord’s command: “What they say, do, but what they do, do not perform” (Mtt 23:3) 61. Not to desire to be called holy before the fact, but to be holy first, then called so with truth 62. To fulfil God’s commandments in one’s activities 63. To love chastity 64. To hate no one 65. Not to be jealous or envious 66. To hate strife 67. To evidence no arrogance 68. To honour the elderly 69. To love the young 70. To pray for one’s enemies for the love of Christ 71. To make peace with an adversary before sundown 72. Never to despair of God’s mercy
6.4
Aspects of Benedictine Spirituality - Silence Jill Renison, OSB Oblate (Oblate’ Day May 2017)
To Speak or Not to Speak: the Theme of Silence in The Rule of Benedict Anyone who travels on public transport will have noticed the reluctance of many today to engage in stillness and silence. We are all hooked up to our devices, whether we are listening to music, playing games or speaking to a friend. To be still, to be silent, to have our hands unoccupied, seems to be a stretch too far; who knows what could happen then? For many, silence is a threat. Yet many are hungry for something other, something else. The huge rise in the numbers of those who identify themselves as ‘spiritual, but not religious’ testifies to this. Many are convinced there is something beyond what they know, yet they cannot name it. I believe that Benedict’s teaching on silence, explicit and implicit, expressed in The Rule of Benedict (RB) has a great deal to offer today’s seekers of spiritual maturity. For Benedict, silence is the structure that binds the whole monastic journey together. The purpose of the monastic vocation is to deepen the relationship with God. This is a path that all disciples are called to, whether inside or outside a monastic setting. For Benedict, silence is the structure that provides the answer to our heart’s yearning: the desire for God (RB Prol. 49). As someone who is involved in both spiritual direction and pastoral care, I believe that my own interior silence is important both for me and for those with whom I work. I also believe that the use of silence in caring relationships is a tool that it is foolish to ignore. Most critically for our spiritual well-being, however, is that at the heart of contemplative silence, there is God, the God who is the ground of all our being. Since silence is such a vast topic, in this essay my primary focus will be on what Benedict says about silence and how it impacts on our life today, including some practical suggestions about implementing silence. Silence in the Rule of Benedict What is silence? There is exterior silence, which consists of restraint of speech and refraining from making a noise or moving in a distracting fashion. Inner silence is a stillness of mind, body and heart, where the focus is on God rather than on oneself. Inner silence leads to and is expressed in contemplative prayer. Solitude is not necessary for silence but it can be of vast benefit in its practice. Silence can be peaceful or it can be full of tensions; silence can be lifegiving or soul destroying. Christianity has always had silence as part of its repertoire; from the silences bequeathed to it by its Hebrew ancestry (I Kings 19.11-13) to the silences Jesus observed in his all-night prayer sessions (Lk 6.12), silence has been associated with prayer. Silence in connection with Christian monasticism has its roots in the early days of the desert, where it was valued highly. As Cassian explains it, [The monastic] can attain the goal of his calling, namely, the pure vision of God, overriding all things, only in silence, in patient endurance in his cell and in meditation of Scripture1. Early monastic Rules were principally written for eremites, a lifestyle where silence was easier to maintain. The difficulties for silence posed by coenobitic communities meant that specific provision for silence needed to be made in monastic Rules. Cassian and The Rule of the
Master (RM) both provide for silence in their Rules; as these were principal sources for Benedict, it is not surprising that Benedict also includes silence as part of his Rule. It would be a mistake to think that in the Rule of Benedict we will find instructions on using silence for contemplative prayer. Benedict wrote his Rule as a manual for running a monastery; he is concerned only with practical, moral and pastoral provisions around silence2. There are two chapters principally concerned with silence: Chapter 6 ‘On Silence’ and Chapter 42 ‘No One is to Speak after Compline’. In addition, Benedict’s ladder of humility includes restraint of speech as the ninth step, slowness to laugh as the tenth step, and lack of verbosity as his eleventh step (RB 7.56-61). These admonitions are also reflected in the seventy four tools for good living, where four of the tools are concerned with the right use of speech (RB 4.51-55). Chapter 52 stipulates the oratory as a place of silence (RB 52.2). We also learn that the refectory is a place where profound silence should reign (RB 38.5), there is only the voice of the reader to be heard (with the exception of the superior). Benedict provides for a rest after Sext in total silence (48.5) and for the supervision of brothers during lectio divina lest some should give in to the temptation to frivolity or gossip (RB 48.17-18). All in all, it is possible to glean some idea of Benedict’s thought on the issue from these references, particularly when his omissions and additions are considered. Benedict uses two different Latin words for silence, taciturnitatas and silentium. Kardong comments that ‘silentium refers more to physical silence, while taciturnitas refers to the human quality of being quiet3. Later, when discussing RB 42.1, where silentium is used to refer to the night silence, he comments that that distinction ‘seems hard to defend4. This is confusing, to say the least! Perhaps Benedict did not see a significant difference between the words. Benedict’s teaching about silence Benedict wants the monastic, as a disciple, to be silent and listening (RB 6.6). He should be listening for the voice of the superior (RB 6.6) or the reader in the refectory (RB 38.5) or the voice of the Lord in lectio (RB 4.55) and in the Divine Office (RB 19) and in his daily routine. This silence is not absolute (RB 4.52) but the monastic needs to consider carefully speaking before venturing to say anything, for in fact, Benedict considers it better to remain silent and refrain from doing a good work rather than speaking and running the risks associated with it. The types of speech to be particularly avoided are idle talk and crude jokes (RB 6.8), loud raucous laughter (RB 4.54), evil and perverse talk (RB 4.51), gossip and ‘murmuring’ (5.18). Long-winded conversations (RB 4.52), empty babbling or joking (4.53) are to be avoided. The monastic should not be given to shouting (7.61) On the contrary, the monastic should ‘hold back his tongue from speaking and out of love for silence … not speak until someone asks him a question’ (RB 7.56). He should not be quick to laugh (RB 7.59) and when he does speak, it should be gently, without laughter, humbly and seriously, with few and careful words (RB 7.60). These are marks of real humility and of true adherence to the Rule, for the one who talks a great deal is not available to listen. Various places in the monastery are set aside as silent areas; the principal ones are the oratory (RB52), the refectory (RB 38.5) and the dormitory (RB 42.8).There seem to be two levels of
silence, one level where there may be another activity happening, such as the reader in the refectory or oratory and another level where absolute silence is to be maintained, only to be broken in cases of absolute necessity, such as the silence after Compline (RB 42 9-10) . Silence is also to be maintained during lectio and Benedict suggests seniors should patrol to see that this is maintained (RB 48.17). There are various reasons given for maintaining silence in the monastery; it surprised me to find nine separate reasons. The first is that there are various Scriptural injunctions to silence, or at least restraint of speech, and Benedict has no difficulty in finding many passages in support (Ps 139.12; Prov. 10.19). Another reason for silence is to prevent sin (4.51-55). This does not feature as highly as it does in RM’s strictures, but Benedict certainly acknowledges it as a possible cause of sin; gossip, murmuring and consorting with the excommunicated are all condemned. When Benedict instructs his monks to take their siesta in silence (RB 48.5), it is more out of concern that the brothers get sufficient rest and relaxation than it is to prevent sin. The same principle seems to be in in operation for the silence after Compline (RB 42.4) where Benedict is concerned that the weaker brethren are not disturbed by the more lurid Scriptural passages). At a time when the brothers shared a dormitory, rather than having individual cells5, it was essential that others were not disturbed through the lack of consideration of one person. In the case of silence in the refectory, Benedict’s concern is that the reader be heard (RB 38.5). Since the reading would have been either from Scripture or the Early Fathers, the monastic needed to be listening for the voice of God in the words he hears. In this Benedict differs quite radically from RM, who has the abbot making a detailed commentary on the part of the Rule read and encouraging the brothers to ask questions about the passage (RM 24.34). The abbot stands in the place of Christ (RB 2.2), so it is only right and proper that the disciple should be waiting on his every word, anxious to do the abbot’s bidding instantly or to be instructed by him (RB 5.9). Another compelling reason for silence is humility. As a brother progresses up the ladder of humility, he will find it desirable to guard his speech carefully. Casey, in his very useful discussion of restraint of speech in regard to the ladder of humility, defines silence as ‘humility in word’6. Benedict speaks of the love of silence as essential for the ninth step of humility (RB 7.56) whereby the monk does not speak until asked a question. When he does speak, however, the monastic is to speak ‘gently and without laughter, humbly and seriously, with few and careful words’ (RB 7.60). Humility also requires that the monastic is not ‘quick to laugh at the slightest provocation’ (RB7.59). The fact that three of the twelve steps of humility are about the restraint of speech, only serves to underline the importance of keeping a guard over one’s lips (RB 4.51) and observing silence where possible. Benedict also speaks of ‘the great importance of silence [propter taciturnitatem] itself’ (RB 6.3) and ‘the intrinsic value of silence [taciturnitatas]’ (6.2). He does not flesh out what he means by these two phrases. RB1980 translates v. 2 as ‘’out of esteem for silence.
Both translations indicate that silence is to be valued for its own qualities, indicated by the reasons given above. One interesting point is that Benedict does not regard silence as primarily an act of penance. He regards it as a necessary part of spiritual growth (RB 7.2) hence its inclusion in the tools of good works and the ladder of humility. Silence in the context of the Rule Silence is central to ongoing spiritual growth: For St Benedict and the Western monastic tradition, silence joins with humility and obedience as the prime determinants of a spiritual attitude to life7. It is therefore no surprise that Benedict groups these three chapters together towards the start of RB, being Chapters 6, 7 and 5. RM has these chapters together as well, although there are two chapters on silence. Chapter 42, ‘Silence after Compline’, occurs at the end of a series of chapters on monastic meals. Bockmann, in her study of Chapters 31-42 sees the chapter as part of a frame for the central chapters on the refectory: Silence is emphasised in the last chapters as a support for listening to the readings and for consideration of the community. There are places and times for silence8. There is also a sense of completion in these chapters; the monastics eat together, listen to a reading together, worship together and retire for the night together. Compline is indeed aptly named (completoriis)! When Benedict speaks of ‘omnes ergo in unum positii’ (RB 42.8), there is a sense of unity, of oneness, of a shared common vision, even of the challenge of the night that is better met together rather than separately, even though each is answerable for himself before God. It is telling that Benedict prescribes punishment here for those who transgress the rule of silence (RB 42.9) whereas the Master wants to punish those who eat and drink (even water) after Compline (RM 30.23). For Benedict the silence is precious, even sacred, and is to be protected. The Practice of Silence Today There is much that Benedict can teach us about the practice of silence today. Human nature has not changed significantly since Benedict’s time and even more than ever, silence is a practice that we can usefully incorporate into our lives, whether we are monastics or not. At a personal level, inner silence is critical for all who pursue the path of discipleship. If we do not practise silence, we cannot listen to God, to others, or even our own inner voices. Just as Benedict creates the structures and practices that lead the disciple into interior silence9 so we today need to provide a framework for our own use if we are to be led into that transforming union with God which is the goal of our being. There are three areas that I shall mention, although much more could be said: First, we can model our prayer lives on the Rule. Benedict says that the oratory should be constantly available so that a monastic may ‘simply go in and pray’ (RB 52.4). We can establish our own oratory, or, in today’s terms, a prayer and icon corner. This is a small area where only prayer takes place. Our prayer corner should constantly remind us of our priorities, it should invite us to prayer and it should, by the power of association, help us to settle quickly into silent prayer. Benedict structures the day around the Divine Office so that the words of
the Scriptures soak into our minds and are with us constantly10, helping us to turn to God frequently. Saying one or more offices a day aids recollection as well as being an act of worship. Another practice that we can adopt that Benedict stipulates is lectio divina; the slow ruminating on the scriptures that will, in time, lead the beginner to contemplative prayer. Secondly, Benedict’s prescription of silence after Compline (RB 42) is something that we could all take to heart today. We too can preserve the night hours (or some, at least) for sleep and silence, for God. Simple steps like keeping electronic devices out of the bedroom and setting tablets and phones to a permanent ‘Do Not Disturb’ time help here. I try to observe a ‘no screens’ policy after 10 pm; some like to observe a digital Sabbath, that is, one day a week without electronic devices. It is also useful to block out time in the calendar at the beginning of the year for a silent retreat. In addition, some parishes offer Quiet Days, as do some religious communities. All these things help to deepen our inner silence and our listening to God. The third area where insights on silence from the Rule can be incorporated into our lives today is Benedict’s teaching on humility and the restraint of speech (RB 7.56-61). Casey claims that ‘Speech is the commonest source of sin for people trying to lead good lives 11’ and my experience tends to confirm this. Most of would not want to go so far as to condemn laughter (RB 4.54), for laughter can be an excellent release from tension (although, to be fair, it is raucous laughter that Benedict is condemning12). As Benedict suggests (RB 4.51-55), to moderate our speech is an act of humility. The disciple should not dominate conversations or call attention to herself13. She should use speech to build others up rather than to tear them down. She should be aware of the ways that pride can manifest itself in speech14. She should not use conversation as a way of avoiding the demands of silence15. We can also use Benedict’s insights on silence in pastoral work and spiritual direction. To be really listened to is a gift that both these disciplines offer. To really listen to someone requires both inner and outer silence. It also requires that ‘listening with the ear of the heart’ (RB Prol.1) as we listen for the voice of God in the encounter. It is important that those who care for others in this way take the time to be grounded in our own inner silence. To sit with someone in silence as they unburden themselves can bring relief from mental anguish, a release from the grip of sin, a degree of healing from grief, a solution to a problem as the person works through a difficulty aloud. Sitting in silence, holding the person before God, allows God to work in the situation in the way that is best for the person concerned. It keeps me out of the picture and prevents me from coming up with my own solutions. This is not to say that speech is not appropriate in pastoral and spiritual direction sessions, but that listening with ‘the ear of the heart’ is an excellent guiding principle. There is also the use of silence in spiritual direction sessions when the pilgrim lapses into silence herself. In that shared silence, all manner of things can happen. Often the pilgrim is carried away in her own thoughts and later, when she does speak, things have moved. Sometimes the next step is made clear. Sometimes an image surfaces that is very fruitful to work with. Sometimes the director is given further insight into the pilgrim’s story. On rare occasions, either or both pilgrim and director may experience the transforming presence of God. Silence is a valuable tool in the toolbox of pastoral carers and spiritual directors, since it is in the space created by silence that God is able to work and to heal.
Conclusion While Benedict’s Rule is not a formal manual on the art of silence, it does have a great deal to teach us today about the value of silence in our lives, whether we are monastics or not. RB shows us that structure is both necessary and helpful for the practice of silence: structure in the form of times and places for silence and also in practising lectio divina as a way of using the silence to draw closer to God. RB also gives us considerable insight into why silence is desirable; from avoiding sins of the tongue through to our responsibilities to others who share our spaces with us. His primary gift to us is his insistence on the sacredness of silence, for it is in that deep inner silence that we can listen to God, listen to others, listen to ourselves. It is in that deep inner silence that the yearning for God can find its fulfilment in a oneness with God that transcends all else. 1 Quoted by Terrence G Kardong, Benedict’s Rule: A TYranslation and Commentary (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1996) 126 2 Kardong is quite specific in his warnings to his readers here. Benedict, 415 3 Kardong, Benedict, 119 4 Kardong, Benedict, 345 5 Aquinata Bockmann, Around The Monastic Table – RB 31-42 (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2009), 258 6 Michael Casey, Truthful Living (Petersham, MA: Saint Bede’s Pub 1999) 211 7 Michael Casy, “Silence” in Gordon S Wakefield (ed), The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1983) 582 8 Bockmann, Table 270 9 Teresa Jackson “The Transforming Power of Silence in the Rule of Benedict”, Benedictines Fall/Winter 2007, 25 10 Jackson Transforming 26 11 Casey, Truthful Living 217 12 Kardong, Benedict 156 13 Joan Chittister, The Rule of Benedict (New York: Crossroad 1992) 73 14 Norvene Vest, Preferring Christ: A Devotional Commentary on the Rule of St Benedict (Harrisburg, PA 2004) 103 15 Casey, Truthful Living 222
7.
Other Aspects of Benedictine Spirituality
Compassion Silence Humility Community Manual Labour Hospitality Balance Simplicity Opus Dei Discernment
8.
Further Reading
8.1
Booklist for Oblates and those exploring the Benedictine Way
Initial Stage Wisdom Distilled from The Daily – Living the Rule of St Benedict Today by Joan Chittister The Rule of Benedict – Insights for the Ages (Rule & Commentary) by Joan Chittester Day by Day with St Benedict – Reflections on Rule by Terrence Kardong The Gift of St Benedict (Overview of Vows and Attributes) by Verna Holyhead SGS Heart Whispers – Benedictine Wisdom for Today by Elizabeth Canham The Rule of Benedict for Beginners – Spirituality for Daily Life by Wil Derkse The Glenstal Book of Prayer – A Benedictine Prayer Book Saint Benedict’s Prayer Book – Ampleforth Abbey Press Work of God – Benedictine Prayer by J Sutera (Liturgical Press) The Benedictine Handbook – Ampleforth Abbey (Canterbury Press) In Praise of Benedict – Basil Hume The Breath of the Soul- Reflections on Prayer by Joan Chittister Next Stage The Oblate Life Ed. Gervase Holdaway (Liturgical Press) A Book of Hours and other Catholic Devotions by Fr Sean Finnegan (Canterbury Press) Benedictine Daily Prayer- a Short Breviary Compiled by Maxwell Johnson St Benedict’s Toolbox – The Nuts and Bolts of Everyday Benedictine Living by Jane Tomaine Reading St Benedict – Reflections on the Rule by Adalbert de Vogue A Life-Giving Way – A Commentary on the Rule of St Benedict by Esther de Waal Seeking God – The Way of St Benedict by Esther de Waal Living with Contradiction – Reflections on the Rule of Benedict by Esther de Waal Towards Holy Ground – Spiritual Directions for Second Half of Life by Margaret Guenther At Home in the World – A Rule of Life for the Rest of Us by Margaret Guenther Toward God – The Ancient Wisdom of Western Prayer by Michael Casey The Art of Sacred Reading (Lectio Divina) by Michael Casey Truthful Living – St Benedict’s Teaching on Humility by Michael Casey Seventy-Four Tools For Good Living by Michael Casey Gratefulness the Heart of Prayer – An Approach to Life in Fullness by Br David Steindl-Rast Common Sense Spirituality – The Essential Wisdom by Br David Steindl-Rast Desiring Life- Benedict on Wisdom and the Good Life by Norvene Vest No Moment Too Small- Rhythms of Silence Prayer and Holy Reading by Norvene Vest Listen With Your Heart- Deepen Your Spiritual Life with the Rule Of St Benedict by Basil Pennington The Path of Life by Cyprian Smith Prayer and Community- the Benedictine Tradition by Columba Stewart Finding the Monk Within- Great Monastic Values for Today by Edward Sellner The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris Benedict in the Word – Portraits of Monastic Oblates by L Kulzer and R Bondi Ancient Paths – Discover Christian Formation the Benedictine Way by D Robinson (Paraclete Press) A Blessed Life – Benedictine Guidelines for those who long for good days by Wil Derkse
Continuing Journey Benedict’s Rule – A Translation and Commentary by Terrence Kardong RB 1980 – Rule in Latin and English with Notes by Timothy Fry and others Introducing Benedict’s Rule - A Program of Formation by Michael Casey and David Tomlins Engaging Benedict – What the Rule Can Teach us Today by Laura Swan How to Be a Monastic and Not Leave Your Day Job – An Invitation to Oblate Life by Br Benet Tvedten Thomas Merton Brother Monk – The Quest for True Freedom by M Basil Pennington Voices of Silence- Lives of the Trappists Today by Franco Bianco Meeting Christ in His Mysteries- A Benedictine Vision of the Spiritual Life by Gregory Collins TJURUNGA – An Australian Benedictine Review (Published twice yearly)
