c. smith, The Path of Life (Ampleforth, England 1995). Benedictine monastics make a three-fold commitment to stability, conversion (conversatio), and obedience. This will not subscribe you to a contact management software program, and you wont get an onslaught of computer-generated emails begging you to buy my books and services. Benedictine Little by little, however, the Rule of Benedict became the principal rule, particularly in the Anglo-Saxon countries and in Italy. In 1893 the same pope provided the "order" with an Abbot . The Rule of Benedict opens with the word "listen" (ausculta ). Practice is how people develop the skills to become adept at anything. What gives the Rule of Benedict its exceptional quality has commonly been called its "discretion," in the double sense of the word: discernment and moderation. Benedictine Sr. Mary Lou Kownacki, a major force behind the ministries and outreach that shaped the Benedictines of Erie, Pennsylvania, in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, died Jan. 6 at . 0000000820 00000 n Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. His books includeGratefulness,A Listening Heart, and most recently, a new autobiography,i am through you so. Demonstrate good will, humility, trust, accountability, justice, faithfulness, obedience, peace, and discipleship. Sam has experience in parish ministry and holds a masters degree in theology from Saint Johns University (Collegeville, MN). BARTH, KARL (18861968), Swiss Reformed theologian, described by Pope Pius XII as the greatest theologian since Thomas Aquina, A term used to cover a literally bewildering variety of states of mind. Ordered by a rhythm of daily prayer that is Biblical and reflective Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. These three characteristics refer especially to intellectual activity. Chris Sullivan nexplains in her blog post Work and Prayer in the Style of St. Benedict for Loyala Press. Benedictine hospitality is not some broad pedagogical idea. St. Vincent teaches us to see Christ in the poor and suffering, so much so that the poor become our Lords and Masters and we their servants. h|X+8v&yh{#||(E AM3. Ignacio Gonzalez, OSB writes that the Benedictine practice of Conversatio requires that we never stop asking hard questions about our personal growth. 6 Characteristics Of Benedictine Spirituality . Paradoxically, the key to a full life, is to understand that all things are to be done with moderation. (Rule of St. Benedict 48:9). The Benedictine practice of Liturgical prayer is one of Benedictine spiritualitys most visible, unmistakable hallmarks. We are all accountable as steward of creation, they tell us. The Rule revolves around five practices: Prayer, Work, Study, Hospitality and Renewal. Which value speaks to your heart most strongly at this time and why? Christian monasticism had been in existence for a long time before Benedict wrote his rule. The term was applied to two principal types: the hermits who lived alone or in small unorganinzed groups, and the cenobites who lived in community. However, the date of retrieval is often important. It encourages a life balance between corporate worship, spiritual reading and work in the context of community. He is author of Ice Break: A Collection of Poems (Aetos Publications, 2019), Enduring Ministry: Toward a Lifetime of Christian Leadership (Liturgical Press, 2017), and The Gospels in Poem and Image (Aetos Publications, 2016-2019). The years 1987 and 1990 saw the publication of two unprecedented and immediately popular reference works, The New Dictionary of Theology and The New Dictionary of Sacramental Worship.The present work, The New Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality, edited by Michael Downey, is intended as a companion to these, with a parallel aim and purpose.The NDCS is a collaborative attempt to take stock of . The concept that we are not above nature but are part of it, stems from the practice of humility, of knowing who we are, how we are, and to whom we belong. Benedictine detachment does not imply a disparagement of good things, nor a fear of their power, but rather a just appreciation of all things as gifts of God. 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). Humility helps us accept our gifts and talents joyfully while letting go of our false selves. He does not harbor illusions of grandeur but senses that all of his life is simply gift. One of the primary functions of the various monastic structures is to provide conditions in which the monks can concentrate on learning the art of listening. In an article for HuffPost Sister Joan tells us that a Benedictine lifestyle is an an oasis of human peace in a striving, searing, simmering world. This lifestyle disallows war and violence on any level, including the root causes of violenceambition, greed, waste of resources, class distinctions, and the hubris that leads to the oppression of others, that justifies force as the sign of our superiority. This lifestyle makes ample room for what it valuescommunity, prayer, stewardship, equality, stability, conversion, peace all [which] make for communities of love. Without humility, Sr. Joan explains, there can be no peace. Benedictines say mindfulness is as much as a Christian and biblical concept as it is a Buddhist one. 540-604 CE), who praised Benedict for his discretion and moderation. (320) 363-7112. 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. We practice clumsily like beginners running through piano scales. 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. For Benedictines, being in right relationship means that we treat everyone we encounter with loving kindness and patience. From the 13th century, Benedictine monasteries have often felt the influence of spiritual movements coming from non-monastic sources. 0000000016 00000 n An atheist is a man who lives without God. The Sisters of St. Benedict in Ferdinand, Indiana explain the importance of community life in Benedictine practice on their website. Silence in Benedictine practice is knit together with listening and with prayer. It insists that God is present in our world and active in our lives. St. Benedict speaks of steps in humility, comparing them to the rungs of a ladder which we climb one by onean image that implies not a strict order of ascent but a more general sense of movement growth. Kyle T. Kramer explains in his 2011 article for America Magazine that hospitality, for a Benedictine, means to welcome all others as Christ, to recognize that despite vast differences, the diverse human family is part of the same God-given belonging, and we need one another to survive and thrive. This means facing our fears, letting prejudice and certitude die in us, and rooting ourselves in the love of God, the alpha and omega of the entire creation, the force that pulls everyone and everything toward a center that can hold. Benedictines hold strong convictions, but experience shows strident, uncompromising voices tend to foster arguments, tensions, and hostilitiesnot peace and love. It embraces a diversity of vocations: lay and clerical, contemplative and active, academic and pastoral, married and celibate. Getting Started with Ignatian Spirituality Beyond the Basics of Ignatian Spirituality All these helping ministries place value on the confidentiality of the relationship and may lead to increased personal wellbeing and a more fruitful and productive life. In no way am I qualified to be a teacher of the Benedictine way of life. You can learn more about her in her Living Spiritual Teachers Project profile. Many Oblates rely on Give Us This Day, a monthly prayer book with simplified daily prayer for morning and evening, to help us participate in the Divine Office when we are away from the monastery. Monks are to listen "to the precepts of the master" but their primary and ultimate master is God. Dominican preacher and mystic; b. Strasbourg, c. 1300; d. there, June 16, 1361. This means that the monk must be very quiet and still within himself, but also very alert and attentive if the word of God is to resonate properly within his innermost depths so that he is enlightened and nourished by it. 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. 1. The Ten Hallmarks of Benedictine Education. Humility helps be more authentically, beautifully, and lovingly human. While submission is an act of youth, true obedience can only come as a response of maturity. While everyone has their values and principles, the spiritual person knows that one-size does not fit all. A crucial confessor and teacher for Ignatius very early in his spiritual journey was a French monk, Fr. He wrote a Rule for his monastery at Monte Cassino in Italy and he foresaw . God gave us two ears and one mouth, so we should use them in that order. Just because these spiritualities are different does not mean they are contradictory. Practice is how people develop the skills to get adept at anything. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. This will not subscribe you to a contact management software program, and you wont get an onslaught of computer-generated emails begging you to buy my books and services. Hence, conversion to Christ and response to his love through the power of the Holy Spirit are the goals of obedience. It is such a personal thing that it can be considered part of one's identity. He was the son of a noble and grew up in Rome. %PDF-1.4 % The principles of evolution just enumerated enable us to understand why within one and the same Benedictine spiritual tradition there could appear and subsist different tendencies. It's not a principle that defines what it means to be a Benedictine institution. For more information, fill out the form below or contact: Mary Catherine Holicky, OSB. Cultivating awareness of God is important for all who seek a meaningful spirituality. The typical person takes little time for personal renewal in the hectic daily round of activities. In no way am I qualified to be a teacher of the Benedictine way of life. Thus the rule refers frequently to the "divine commandments" and often cites the Bible, particularly the gospel. Benedictine spirituality is essentially contemplative even though many who follow the rule are deeply involved in intellectual or manual work as well as in ministerial service to others. The whole spiritual life of the monk consists in listening to God by "inclining the ear of the heart." One of the primary characteristics of a spiritual person is openness. I hope this list (compiled in September, 2018) is helpful, perhaps even inspiring. A particular spirituality is a specific system, or schema of beliefs, virtues, ideals and principles which form a particular way to approach God and therefore all life in general. The Benedictine practice of mindfulness, like all the Benedictine practices, is lifelong. "Benedictine Spirituality Benedictine spirituality is a fresh alternative in an increasingly fast-paced world. Silence in Benedictine practice is knit together with listening and with prayer. This sounds like the universal call to holiness, the theme that began this article. What practise spiritual practices do? Tradition assigns no other end to monastic life than to "seek God" or "to live for God alone," an ideal that can be achieved only by a life of conversion and prayer. k. vermeiren, Praying with Benedict: Prayer in the Rule of St. Benedict (Kalamazoo 1999). Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. What do I make (or make possible) with the precious energy of my life? Life in Benedictine monasteries was also deeply influenced by the clericalization of many of the monks and the episcopal ordination of many abbots. Benedict reminds us of our priorities: prayer, contemplation, balance and the importance of everything we do. Benedictine spirituality is rooted in the cultivation of good habits. The Benedictine practice of service to others is intimately entwined with the reverence for all creation, and another of the great foundations of Benedictine spirituality. It evokes the name of St. Benedict, who lived in the 6th century, together with all those who have been inspired by the Rule of Benedict and associate themselves with the Benedictine spiritual tradition. It is not possible to formulate a singl, Etymologically the word "contemplation" derives from templum, which signified the space marked out by a seer with his divining rod as a location for, Barth, Karl "Let everyone that comes be received as Christ" is one of the most familiar and oft-quoted phrases of the Rule. Benedictine spirituality offers an important voice in our world today, a voice which informs our praying, living and discerning. Music students do their instruments. This practice is not particular to Benedictines, however. Jean Chanon, who was a mentor for Ignatius in methods of prayer at the Benedictine monastery at Montserrat. trailer Among the many available lists of core Benedictine values, I find that of Saint Johns Abbey to be one of the most helpful. New Catholic Encyclopedia. In his book Humility Rules: Saint Benedicts Twelve-Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem, Augustine Wetta, a Benedictine monk, teaches, The sum of all virtues is reverence. In this 2-minute video, Father Mark Goring (Companions of the Cross) says This profound and humble [Benedictine practice of] reverence for all things is one of the great foundations of Benedictine spirituality. He explains that this reverence flows from prayer. Encyclopedia.com. Romey is the driving force behind "Being Benedictine in the 21st Century: Spiritual Seekers in Conversation," a conference planned for June 2020 at Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison. Although well into the middle years of an average life span, I am a rank beginner, a mere toddler in Benedictine practice. Hence he is able to receive others in the community, including guests, with kind consideration. . When the monk has zeal for God, he will come to see that he is consumed not only with love for God but for everything and everyone else that God has created. 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. Im interested in connecting person-to-person with others who share my values, who want to participate with me in building a meaningful network of relationships that will serve to support us on our spiritual journey. The third Benedictine value is conversatio morum, which translates to "conversion of life." This value involves a commitment to personal and spiritual growth, and it involves constantly seeking to improve oneself and to live in a way that is consistent with one's values and beliefs. Benedictine monks have often received freely from their families and educators, from the rich Benedictine tradition, from the abundant life of their own communities, and from the many mercies of God. ." The first and fundamental manifestation of such a vocation is a real separation from many aspects of the secular world. Hence the monk must be poor psychologically because he realizes his dependence on others. The Friends of St. Benedict website says The Rule offers people a plan for living a balanced, simple, and prayerful life. Simple, yes. Ive drawn this list of 22 (+ 1 = 23) Benedictine practices (arranged alphabetically) from, Being in right relationship is wholly other than being in, Brother David Steindl-Rast of the Gut Aich Priory monastery in St. Gilgen, Austria, is the founder and senior advisor for. //]]>. Prayer is essential to a Benedictine lifestyle. Augustinian Spirituality does not take us out of the world (into the . Monastic Spirituality. Ancient Tradition. Digital nun, writing for ibenedictines.org tells us, Fr. But what does the Bible teach on this issue? Seeing the Face of Christ in the Poor. Consequently he accepts the services and ideas of others, the gifts of life, and community. The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (Latin: Ordo Sancti Benedicti, abbreviated as OSB), are a monastic religious order of the Catholic Church following the Rule of Saint Benedict.They are also sometimes called the Black Monks, in reference to the colour of their religious habits.They were founded by Benedict of Nursia, a 6th-century monk who laid the foundations of . Characteristics of Benedictine Spirituality. As you read, pay attention to the one or two which resonate most for you today. Impact. Father Mandonnet then lists three characteristics that are concerned more especially with the will. is an herbal liqueur produced in France. They are all intertwined. In the 7th and 8th centuries it was often combined with other rules, especially that of St. Columban (d. 615). More than a founder in the juridical sense of the word, its author had been an educator, or better, a spiritual father, and he aimed at forming consciences capable of spiritual liberty. 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). The Rule of St. Benedict has often been referred to as a compendium of the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ. ." 1. People are seen as an integrated whole: Body, Mind, and Spirit. 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. Of all creatures, the human person is in fact the neediest. Obedience means "to listen intently," and this vow is undertaken in a spirit of faith and love in following Christ who was obedient to the will of the Father. 9 0 obj <> endobj For most of us, though, stability can have a figurative element beyond our experience with a [], 2023 Benedictine Center of St. Pauls Monastery, Core Values: Benedictine Spirituality (Part 1 of 3), Prayer and Community: Benedictine Spirituality (Part 2 of 3) - Benedictine Center, Lectio Divina and Preferring Christ: Benedictine Spirituality (Part 3 of 3) - Benedictine Center, My Day with the Sacred Fire | Benedictine Center, Saturated with Peace: Experiencing Personal Retreat | Benedictine Center, Wholehearted Living as the Lamed Vav | Benedictine Center, Practicing Sustained Lectio Divina | Benedictine Center, What Discernment Means to Me | Benedictine Center, Sabbath: Well-being, Not Endless Work | Benedictine Center, Moderation and Rhythm: A Benedictine Help Against Social Isolation | Benedictine Center, Stability: The Benedictine Value of Locatedness | Benedictine Center, The Erector Set: Adapting to Others | Benedictine Center, Sharper: Benedict's Tools for Good Works | Benedictine Center, The Benedictine Commitment to Learning | Benedictine Center, We Dare To Hope (Part 1 of 2) | Benedictine Center, We Dare To Hope (Part 2 of 2) | Benedictine Center, Life, A Continuous Advent | Benedictine Center, Rooted in Love: My Sustained Lectio Divina | Benedictine Center, Just Wave: Following that Holy Nudge | Benedictine Center. FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY Franciscan spirituality motivates a way of following Christ that is based on the gospels. 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. In contrast to monks who fled the world to encounter God in solitude, St. Benedict's Rule was written to guide communities in living elemental aspects of Christianitysuch as shared meals, shared prayer, and shared work. RB 73, the final chapter, is more or less a bibliography for all that precedes it. You can order a free copy of Give Us This Day, published by Liturgical Press, by clicking here. Benedict calls the monastery a "school" because it is the place where the monk is to be taught by God. Contact. Prosperity and ties with temporal society often led monasteries, especially the larger ones, to depart more or less from certain fundamental observances required by the rule, notably separation from secular society, real simplicity of life, and manual labor. Acts 18:18). It is a lifetimes work, and it is not to be rushed or short-circuited in any way. Click here to read hints on how to enjoy this lifelong practice. Where it was adopted, it was looked upon as a venerable text but not necessarily requiring observance in all its prescriptions. In her blog, Presbyterian minister Lynne Baab offers ways for those of us who do not live in a monastery to embrace stability. 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. (February 22, 2023). defines the leader of a Benedictine community is not being head of an institution but being in relationship with all the members. On the blog Catholic Beer Club, Br. [], [] is both. Benedictine writers often appealed to methods of prayer and asceticism that were foreign to the monastic tradition. He is called to witness in a materialistic world to the dependence of all men and women on God, and to their need and destiny for a happiness that lies beyond material fulfillment. When a monk is aware of his own littleness, he is not driven to satisfy his own ego more than his true needs. We are moved to profound respect for the ways the Creator puts resources at our disposal to further the kingdom of God. Learn more at www.samuelrahberg.com. Benedict's Rule and Spirituality. Personal or private prayer is traditionally exercised under the form of meditative reading of Holy Scripture and of authors who explain and reflect on it, according to the three phases designated by the words "reading" (lectio ), meditation (meditatio ), and "prayer" (oratio or contemplatio ). The monk's own attitude toward his life then is one of stewardship. 9 13 It is rooted in faith, and like Christ's own simplicity of life must be an outward expression of trustful dependence on God. Joan Chittister is the executive director of the company Benetvision, which serves as a resource and research center for contemporary spirituality; a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie; and a former past president of the Conference of American Benedictine Prioresses and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.
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