Unfortunately, Jesus never indicated discipleship would be easy. The Rule of Benedict has resonated through more than 1400 years and today is followed around the world by thousands of monastics and oblates (people associated with monasteries who live and work outside the monastery). One of the primary characteristics of a spiritual person is openness. Strong communities embrace stability and are open to necessary change. Saint Clare of Assisi (16 July 1194 - 11 August 1253, born Chiara Offreduccio and sometimes spelled Clara, Clair, Claire, Sinclair, etc.) Little by little, however, the Rule of Benedict became the principal rule, particularly in the Anglo-Saxon countries and in Italy. The Rule revolves around five practices: Prayer, Work, Study, Hospitality and Renewal. ), member of any of the confederated congregations of monks, lay brothers, and nuns who follow the rule of life of St. Benedict (c. 480-c. 547) and who are spiritual descendants of the traditional monastics of the early medieval centuries in Italy and Gaul. People are seen as an integrated whole: Body, Mind, and Spirit. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Orbis, 20-21). Encyclopedia.com. Silence in Benedictine practice is knit together with listening and with prayer. (320) 363-7112. 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. The resulting collection of ten core values - love, prayer, stability, conversatio, obedience, discipline . As a Benedictine practice, obedience is intimately linked to being in right relationship, conversatio, humility, and listening. This article on the Contemplative outreach website explains the history of lectio divina, and offers instruction in how to do it. 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. While submission is an act of youth, true obedience can only come as a response of maturity. In his blog Benedictine Monks, Fr. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Benedictine Spirituality - also known as Monastic Spirituality. You can order a free copy of Give Us This Day, published by Liturgical Press, by clicking here. How are we being invited to swing back toward Christ-centeredness? The typical person takes little time for personal renewal in the hectic daily round of activities. Out of these . Here are some of the characteristics of Benedictine spirituality: 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. Stop the madness; listen to the God who loves you. We are all accountable as steward of creation, they tell us. Her muscular Christianity is grounded in the spiritual practices of the Rule of Saint Benedict, such as silence, hospitality, humility, and peace. thats most of the time. h|X+8v&yh{#||(E AM3. Am I growing in my true identity as a son or daughter of God? Not only does the Benedictine lifestyle fit well within the walls of the monastery, its interpretation of life is also suitable to other forms of society. The word "Benedictine" is relatively modern; it scarcely existed before the 17th century. In 2007, Benedictine educators collaborated and distilled from The Rule of St. Benedict ten core values of transformative importance that ought to animate Benedictine institutions of learning. It underscores the tenets of Care ethics in conjunction with Benedictine Spirituality. It is a pathway to deeper prayer, good decisions guided by keen discernment, and an active life of service to others. A devoted monk, he established the Rule of Benedict. How do we respect all things as vessels of the altar (RB 31:10). The School of Benedictine Spirituality is willing to help people enhance their spirituality, which is claimed to be a search for the sacred that is seen as "a blend of humanistic psychology with mystical and esoteric traditions and eastern religions aimed at personal well-being and personal development" ( Benedictine spirituality, 2013, par . 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. It is rather the fact that monastic existence is a form of religious life having not secondary or ministerial purpose. Downloaded from the web site of the Bodleian library: Created: 8th century date QS:P,+750-00-00T00:00:00Z/7, we acknowledge the primacy of God and look for God in the ordinary events of each day, Benjamin Schfer, who calls himself an intercessory musicianary, blog theologian, and pilgrim on the narrow road of learning to love, writes in depth about ways to foster awareness of God, requires that we never stop asking hard questions about our personal growth, The Sisters of St. Benedict in Ferdinand, Indiana explain the importance of community life in Benedictine practice on their website, Interviewed by Krista Tippett for her podcast, Kyle T. Kramer explains in his 2011 article for America Magazine that hospitality, for a Benedictine, An essay by the Sisters of St. Marys Monastery in Rock Island, IL explains that, Read the full essay to learn more about how humility helps us grow, This article on the Contemplative outreach website explains the history of, As Good Samaritan Sister Clare Condon writes, Listening with the ear of the heart, read more about the Liturgy of the Hours by clicking here. Which value speaks to your heart most strongly at this time and why? Listen to your body, to the negative and irritating things like our fatigues and headaches and muscle aches, revealing to us the lack of balance and health in our lives.. Benedict's treatment of obedience must be understood in light of his understanding of authority. 480 to 547 CE in Italy. In this article, I have merely collected and summarized what other, more experienced Benedictines have taught and published. In this article, Benjamin Schfer, who calls himself an intercessory musicianary, blog theologian, and pilgrim on the narrow road of learning to love, writes in depth about ways to foster awareness of God. Using philosophical and theological lens, this paper attempts to 1) present the Benedictine Leadership vis--vis Care ethics 2) proffer that charity or care is the driving force of a transformational leader and, 3) purport that a caring leader, directly or . Benedictine spirituality is a way of life that helps a person to seek God and his will daily. We prefer concepts like freedom and independence. As for details, Benedict left much to the discernment and initiative of the superior. Divine omnipotence is a divine operative attribute, an, TAULER, JOHANNES 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. Cultivating awareness of God is important for all who seek a meaningful spirituality. 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 Life in common is the Benedictine monastic path toward God. Benedictine monastics make a three-fold commitment to stability, conversion (conversatio), and obedience. Getting Started with Ignatian Spirituality Beyond the Basics of Ignatian Spirituality Saint Gregory has written that Saint Benedict, in entering his solitude, had no other desire than "to please God alone", "soli Deo placere desiderans." These simple words, better than any others, explain the monastic vocation. Cultivating awareness of God is important for all who seek a meaningful spirituality. Co-Director of the Spirituality Center. 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. We become obedient only after we know our own will. This Benedictine practice is exceedingly difficult for most of us, for most of our lives. 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. This practice is not particular to Benedictines, however. Characteristics of Benedictine Spirituality. As. <<8F8BC2AF36339D4C919A3718E673BE78>]>> Benedict was born in Nursia, Italy in 480 and died in 543. In a podcast at DiscerningHearts.com from the Missionary Benedictines of Christ the King Priory, Fr. is an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. 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. Seeing the Face of Christ in the Poor. 9 0 obj <> endobj It is rooted in faith, and like Christ's own simplicity of life must be an outward expression of trustful dependence on God. We each hunger to make a meaningful contribution to our world. 0000000949 00000 n The Rule of St. Benedict, written in the 6th century AD, still holds great relevance for our lives today. Yes, work, too, is a basic tenet of Benedictine Spirituality. j. chittister, The Rule of Benedict: Insights for the Ages (New York 1992). https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/benedictine-spirituality, "Benedictine Spirituality 1. The Benedictine practice of hospitality is radical. Practice is how people develop the skills to become adept at anything. . It includes reading, reflecting, responding to and resting in the Word of God not in a scholarly way, not to make a sermon to preach to others, but simply to nourish and deepen our own relationship with the Divine. 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. If there is anything that everyone of us in the whole world needs more of right now, its peace. 0000002192 00000 n Ordered by a rhythm of daily prayer that is Biblical and reflective Yes, work, too, is a basic tenet of Benedictine Spirituality, Chris Sullivan nexplains in her blog post Work and Prayer in the Style of St. Benedict for Loyala Press. 9 13 We are women and men for and with others, hearing both the cry of the . The Rule of St. Benedict (RB) became a foundational text for monasticism in the West, having emerged in the sixth century as the Roman civilization was collapsing. Where it was adopted, it was looked upon as a venerable text but not necessarily requiring observance in all its prescriptions. %%EOF What calls us to attention? Benedictines carry on a monastic tradition that stems from the origins of the Christian monastic movement in the late third century. Benedict reminds us of our priorities: prayer, contemplation, balance and the importance of everything we do. It appeared little by little wherever the Church took root, a spontaneous manifestation of the Holy Spirit urging Christians to become monks in response to the counsel given by Jesus in the Gospel: "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions , follow me " (Mt 19.21). Commit to daily, weekly or monthly prayer disciplines. Hence he is able to receive others in the community, including guests, with kind consideration. What are Benedictine Practices? [], [] is both. Co-Director of the Spirituality Center. Hence, conversion to Christ and response to his love through the power of the Holy Spirit are the goals of obedience. Prayer is essential to a Benedictine lifestyle. It is humility that takes the monk beyond the myth of his own grandeur to the grandeur of God. Brendan Rolling, OSB of St Benedicts Abbey of Atchison, Kansas quotes Abbot Martin Veth: To will what God wills and because He wills it, this is the essence of patience. He writes: "The will develops its own gifts, seeking to perfect them in the order of nature and of grace so as to bring the faithful soul to spiritual maturity. Mauritius Wilde O.S.B explains that obedience means to listen. Garcia Jimenez de Cisneros in . The primary prayer of all Catholics is the Eucharistic liturgy in which they celebrate and share their faith together, in accord with Jesus' instruction: "Do this in memory of me."The Catholic bishops at the Second Vatican Council decreed that "devotions should be so . Mindfulness is a trending word these days yogis, psychologists, educators, physicians, and practically everyone else is talking about the importance of quieting our busy minds in order to become more aware of the present moment. New Catholic Encyclopedia. While everyone has their values and principles, the spiritual person knows that one-size does not fit all. However, the date of retrieval is often important. 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