Here are some of the characteristics of Benedictine spirituality: Grounded in Listening For Benedict, the spiritual life was about listening to Godthrough prayer, Scriptures, the depths of our own experience, through listening to others in our community and the wider church. To be empowered by anything less than the God of love is to risk evil zeal in the name of vengeance. Nazirites (Numbers 6:1-21): Nazirites were of two types: those who were dedicated from birth to be a Nazirite (e.g. If there is anything that everyone of us in the whole world needs more of right now, its peace. This little rule for beginners serves to develop a spirituality made up of practices, which Benedictines incorporate into their relationship with God and their interactions with the people with whom they live and work. The typical person takes little time for personal renewal in the hectic daily round of activities. It shows itself in the way (emphasis mine) you put up with the many things of your daily life, sickness, death, war, persecution, mishaps and misfortunes of every kind. In other words, without awareness of God and without gratitude, indeed, without the interweaving of all these practices into our lives, patience cannot exist. That is why the ministry of hospitality is such an important part of the Benedictine heritage. Stewardship of resources, as a Benedictine practice, flows out of the commitment to stability, explain. The Rule revolves around five practices: Prayer, Work, Study, Hospitality and Renewal. The meaning of stability in our day and time refers to staying rooted where we arein relationship with ourselves and with others, in order to grow in the spiritual life. Benedict called this lifelong process conversatiomorum or conversion of life. New Catholic Encyclopedia. Poverty of spirit, simplicity, sharing and giving, self-denial prompted by love, freedom of heart, gratitude, care for persons, and sound judgment with regard to created things should proceed from exposure to God in prayer. Sister Joan Chittister is an extraordinarily prolific writer and among the most famous living Benedictines. New Catholic Encyclopedia. These three characteristics refer especially to intellectual activity. Prince of Peace is a community of Benedictine monks that has been in San Diego County since 1958, but their community spans more than 1,400 years of uninterrupted tradition dating back to St. Benedict. Living the Benedictine spirituality, as a monk, an . Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). When a monk is aware of his own littleness, he is not driven to satisfy his own ego more than his true needs. It can be described as a state of mind that provides their values and influences how they live their lives and exercise their judgment in such things as deciding between right and wrong. Benedictine hospitality is not some broad pedagogical idea. Some of the key characteristics of Benedictine spirituality include: Liturgy of the Hours; Lectio Divina (prayerful reading of Scripture) Eucharist; Benedictine Spirituality includes the willingness to: Seek God; Use the Gospel and the Rule of Benedict as a guide; Listen to one another . In a blog hosted by Holy Wisdom Monastery of Madison, Wisconsin, Lynne Smith, OSB, The website of Subiaco Abbey in Arkansas tells us, Modern monks like to point out that first word in the Rule is to Listen,, This article explains that silence is healthy, Monsignor Charles Pope seems to be saying in the blog post, A Reflection On the Benedictine Vow of Stability, ways for those of us who do not live in a monastery to embrace stability, The Friends of St. Benedict website says The, offers people a plan for living a balanced, simple, and prayerful life., Joan Chittister puts it, Benedictine practices build a spirituality that will enable us to go on beyond disappointment, beyond boredom, beyond criticism, beyond loss., the monks and oblates of Saint Meinrad Archabbley, in this post on Environmental Stewardship on the blog. It is God who is the primary author of life for Benedict's disciples; hence the monk's obedience is above all to God and God's word which the monk finds mediated into his life through a wide variety of persons and experiencesin the rule, in the abbot, in the community as a whole, in the young and the old, in the sick and in guests, in the liturgy of the hours and in personal prayer, in sacred reading, in work, and in silence. Consequently he accepts the services and ideas of others, the gifts of life, and community. Successful organizational leaders practice self-mastery and teamwork. The abbot, elected for life by his monks, maintains supreme power and in all normal circumstances is accountable to no one. The thing that distinguishes monks from other religious in the Catholic Church is not primarily a matter of governmental structures or observances; all of these are found in other forms of consecrated life. What is Benedictine Spirituality? Or, am I living a lie, allowing myself to be conformed to every whim and temptation of my fallen nature? To complete our personal transformation, we never stop changing. 0000000556 00000 n Benedict shows us the value of ordering our day around communal prayer (i.e. But if they are rich communally, they must be rich for the many people who are poor not only materially but also intellectually, culturally, spiritually, and humanly. Strong communities embrace stability and are open to necessary change. [], [] Learn more about Benedictine spirituality. Stability Cultural Producer. Finding God in All Things. In other words, the core of Franciscan spirituality is the universal call to holiness that all women and men receive at baptism. Spiritual Direction, sometimes referred to as spiritual guidance or spiritual friendship, is an on-going relationship in which a person, desiring to be attentive to his or her spiritual life, meets with the spiritual director on a regular basis to become more attuned to God's presence and to respond more fully to that presence. //]]>. At the heart of his contemplative tradition are values which are directly opposed to blindness, materialism, and greed. Instead, holiness of life was to be found through the right balance of these elements in life. Thus the rule refers frequently to the "divine commandments" and often cites the Bible, particularly the gospel. . It is my experience that the simplicity of this message oftentimes seems just too difficult to accept. The ideal of this pattern of conversion is meant to be incarnated in a special way for the community in the abbot, who is expected to be a symbolic center exercising a centripetal force that draws individuals into a truly Christian community of life for God and others in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. The word "Benedictine" is relatively modern; it scarcely existed before the 17th century. Benedictine hospitality requires us to moderate our own views and voices, and in this day and age, as in all ages, moderation is supremely radical. 480 to 547 CE in Italy. Just as all these people practice to become more proficient, spiritual seekers practice in order to become better at living a spiritual life. Benedictine spirituality is rooted in the cultivation of good habits. It sets up a framework of life, an institution, of which the essential and constitutive elements are firmly determined: life in common under the government of a superior called an abbot, who has the help of a prior and other officials and takes counsel of the whole assembly of monks, even the youngest in the community. Only a year ago, after a year of formation, I became an Oblate of Saint Benedicts Monastery in St. Joseph, MInnesota. Brendan Rolling, OSB of St Benedicts Abbey of Atchison, Kansas, Sister Joan tells us that a Benedictine lifestyle is an an oasis of human peace. You will likely recognize the timeless quality of the values which has caused them to endure for centuries and continue speaking to the many layers of our human experience (personal, familial, communal and societal). It strives to answer questions about the meaning of life, how people are connected to each other, truths about the universe, and other mysteries of human existence. Co-Director of the Spirituality Center. 1. Benedictine simplicity of life is understood properly with the reality of Christ and his mission in mind. %PDF-1.4 % Benedict was born in Nursia, Italy in 480 and died in 543. It requires that a monk listens intently to the voice of God as it is manifested in the Sacred Scriptures and the teachings of his superiors. This emphasis on silence is so that we can learn to listen to God more acutelyThis kind of sensitivity and awareness makes it easier to pray at all times. This article explains that silence is healthy for community life and fosters the learning of reverence for all creation. Their prayer discipline is based on the rhythms of the universe. Benedictine reverence for all creation applies to nature and all creatures, to the objects we use and make, and to all peoplepilgrims, the broken and downtrodden, to every single human, including ourselves. The devotio moderna is an example. God speaks to the monk through Christ, but the monk is called to see Christ not only in the superior but also in the guests, in the sick, in the young, and in the old. More than a billion Muslims share a common set of fundamental beliefs that are described as "Articles of Faith." These articles of faith form the foundation of Islamic belief system. Focus Our Eyes on God and His Word For Saint Benedict, the Word of God was of central importance. 4qAB0Lfb+ ``v@ BK j window.__mirage2 = {petok:"Mjbegi0csMdpEDVeqSUEXsusxBikAj9UyKZw_VuRiag-86400-0"}; He is called to live in the rhythm of alternating between receiving and giving, accepting the gifts of God and others, while sharing generously jut as others share generously with him. The wisdom of Native Americans has often been quoted as a way of thinking about the long term implications of our present actions: What is the impact of our decisions on the seventh generation? We are called to consider ourselves part of Gods larger and longer story, living a legacy which was a gift to us and inspiring others who will follow. endstream endobj 10 0 obj <> endobj 11 0 obj <> endobj 12 0 obj <>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]/ExtGState<>>> endobj 13 0 obj <> endobj 14 0 obj <> endobj 15 0 obj <> endobj 16 0 obj <> endobj 17 0 obj <> endobj 18 0 obj <>stream In a. Of all creatures, the human person is in fact the neediest. a. de vog, The Rule of Saint Benedict: A Doctrinal and Spiritual Commentary (Kalamazoo 1983). (f`eav ." Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. It is humility that makes us happy with what we have, willing to have less, kind to all, simple in our bearing, and serene within ourselves. It only takes 2-3 minutes to read her article. Living Benedictines the Word of God was of central importance call to holiness all. 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