Listen to the Holy Spirit speaking through scripture and through the insights of others. 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. This Benedictine practice is exceedingly difficult for most of us, for most of our lives. One of the primary characteristics of a spiritual person is openness. Sam has experience in parish ministry and holds a masters degree in theology from Saint Johns University (Collegeville, MN). (320) 363-7112. 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. The first word of the Rule of Benedict is Listen. The Benedictine practice of listening is the heart of Benedictine spirituality, for not only are we instructed to listen constantly to one another in community, to leaders, to guests, to the sick, to our inner selves, and most of all, to God, we must also attend to [what we hear] with the ear of the heart. As Good Samaritan Sister Clare Condon writes, Listening with the ear of the heart can be a scary experience because it can call me to radical change, to a transformation of my limited human perspective. For Benedict, prayer had a particular structure and process. "Let everyone that comes be received as Christ" is one of the most familiar and oft-quoted phrases of the Rule. . 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. 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. From the middle of the 20th century there appeared in Europe, America, Africa, and elsewhere monastic foundations that, drawing their inspiration from ancient sources, tended to return to forms of monastic life that are simpler and more contemplative. This discussion shows that its impossible to isolate any Benedictine practice as independent of the others. The rule is marked by a strong sense of the individual monk's personal worth and dignity. Stewardship of resources, as a Benedictine practice, flows out of the commitment to stability, explain. 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. variety in physical characteristics, languages, and ways of life is really our . This invitation to listen came to Benedict from the heart of the Old and New Testament traditions. Through contemplative prayer, the monk becomes an emptiness so there is space for God as well as space for others. In a. . %PDF-1.4 % The Benedictine practice of mindfulness, like all the Benedictine practices, is lifelong. 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. Out of these . The rhythm of life leads one to times of being alone and times of being in community. Chanon gave Ignatius the book Exercises for the Spiritual Life written by Benedictine reformer, Fr. "Benedictine Spirituality Lynne Smith elaborates, All this service is sacred and to be done with reverence service is seen as a form of prayer, a way of seeking God. This practice is also linked inextricably to gratitude, as we give thanks for the ways we can serve and for those who serve us. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. d. rees et al., Consider Your Call: A Theology of Monastic Life Today (Kalamazoo 1978). 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. Recommended titles: Michael Casey, A Guide to Living in the Truth, 2001; Anselm Grn, Benedict of Nursia: His Message for Today, 2006. The ascetic and contemplative orientation of the monastic life was accompanied historically by such cultural activities and manifestations as were compatible with a separation from the secular world, conversion, and a life of personal prayer. Benedictine spirituality is rooted in the cultivation of good habits. <<8F8BC2AF36339D4C919A3718E673BE78>]>> Benedictine spirituality is simple and down to earth. Benedict reminds us of our priorities: prayer, contemplation, balance and the importance of everything we do. Benedictine Abbeys and Priories in the U.S. Benedictine University: Narrative Description, https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/benedictine-spirituality. It is specified solely by a commitment to God sanctioned by public vows. Successful organizational . The Benedictine practice of mindfulness, like all the Benedictine practices, is lifelong. Gymnasts practice routines, yoga students practice poses, swimmers practice strokes, and tennis players practice their serves. What is Benedictine Spirituality? %%EOF Music students do their instruments. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. New Catholic Encyclopedia. Her muscular Christianity is grounded in the spiritual practices of the Rule of Saint Benedict, such as silence, hospitality, humility, and peace. In this article, I have merely collected and summarized what other, more experienced Benedictines have taught and published. It is a pathway to deeper prayer, good decisions guided by keen discernment, and an active life of service to others. backgrounds including non-Catholic ones find deep spirituality in the Divine Office and the other Benedictine practices in the Rule such as the emphasis on work and lectio divina (slow prayerful reading), is difficult to state briefly. It acted and penetrated not as a legislative text imposed from without by authority but rather as a leaven by virtue of its intrinsic power. In a podcast at DiscerningHearts.com from the Missionary Benedictines of Christ the King Priory, Fr. j. chittister, The Rule of Benedict: Insights for the Ages (New York 1992). The Rule of St. Benedict structures this for the monk. This is the key to Benedict's whole spiritual teaching. 21 0 obj <>stream He was born on March 2, 480 AD, in Norcia, Italy. The Benedictine tradition has frequently presented examples of spiritual men and women, many of them venerated as saints, who in the line of their monastic vocation have sought to unite themselves to God by the eremetical or solitary life, normally in dependence on their superior and in the neighborhood of their monastery. We are women and men for and with others, hearing both the cry of the . 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. We become obedient only after we know our own will. What makes spiritual direction distinctive is its On a personal level the rule calls the monk to live a life marked by frugality, simplicity, and gratitude for the many gifts of God. Commit to daily, weekly or monthly prayer disciplines. Little by little, however, the Rule of Benedict became the principal rule, particularly in the Anglo-Saxon countries and in Italy. The monk needs time along and needs time in community. Being poor with the poor has characterized many religious from the time of the Middle Ages, but Benedictines, because of their cenobitic life and their cultural inheritance, are often rich. Benedict's Rule and Spirituality. Dominican preacher and mystic; b. Strasbourg, c. 1300; d. there, June 16, 1361. BARTH, KARL Vincentian spirituality is centered around this concept. Ordered by a rhythm of daily prayer that is Biblical and reflective 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. Francis consulted her, especially when he was discerning between becoming a hermit and being an itinerant preacher. This pattern of sharing is a basic characteristic of a cenobitic community. In other words, the core of Franciscan spirituality is the universal call to holiness that all women and men receive at baptism. If a monk's life is not grounded in God, he is tempted to put himself in the place of God. Benedictine spirituality offers an important voice in our world today, a voice which informs our praying, living and discerning. His books includeGratefulness,A Listening Heart, and most recently, a new autobiography,i am through you so. Certainly the rule does not see material privation as an end in itself; it is in no way part of the Benedictine tradition to assess everything economically by materialistic standards or to override aesthetic or other values for the sake of cheapness or squalor, for such a mentality narrows the monk's horizons and even creates those very evils accompanying destitution which all Christians have duty to banish from the earth. 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. There is a temptation to complicate it, to . The event will bring together sisters, monks, oblates, and Benedictine staff, as well as nonreligiously affiliated Millennials interested in contemplative . Much research has been devoted to this topic, ranging from practical to academic. This practice is not particular to Benedictines, however. Benedict calls the monastery a "school" because it is the place where the monk is to be taught by God. For more information, fill out the form below or contact: Mary Catherine Holicky, OSB. Ancient Tradition. 0000004832 00000 n Learn more at www.samuelrahberg.com. Interviewed by Krista Tippett for her podcast On Being, Brother David talks about gratitude as the true wellspring of joy. Spirituality offers a worldview that suggests there is more to life than just what people . //]]>. 0000002499 00000 n 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. 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. Yes, work, too, is a basic tenet of Benedictine Spirituality. Hospitality Belief in One God: The most important teaching of Islam is that only God is to be served and worshipped. Humility helps us accept our gifts and talents joyfully while letting go of our false selves. Hence, conversion to Christ and response to his love through the power of the Holy Spirit are the goals of obedience. You can order a free copy of Give Us This Day, published by Liturgical Press, by clicking here. to the Rule is a good way to summarize the goal of Benedictine spirituality and prayer. For the readers convenience, I will include only six of them here along with a simple explanation. Stewardship of resources, as a Benedictine practice, flows out of the commitment to stability, explain the monks and oblates of Saint Meinrad Archabbley, in this post on Environmental Stewardship on the blog Echoes from the Bell Tower. Benedicts wisdom and commentary has provided the foundation for Benedictine communities throughout the centuries, and continues to influence many of us in the community of St. Pauls. [], [] is both. 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 . 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Benedictine monks and nuns made a commitment to living in a specific location, within a specific community, as the context for their spiritual growth and development. What are the characteristics of Benedictine spirituality? In his spare time, you will find Sam tending his familys small tree farm or fly fishing for trout in Southeast Minnesota. The RB is saturated with Scripture and, as Esther de Waal has suggested in her book Seeking God: The Baptismal Invitation of the Rule of St. Benedict (Liturgical Press, 2009), the Prologue exemplifies this as a model of baptismal instruction. For example, Let us get up then, at long last for the Scriptures rouse us when they say: It is high time for us to arise from sleep (Rom 13:11), or Run while you have the light, that the darkness of death may not overtake you (John 12:35). Scripture and baptism undergird the Benedictine vision of Christian discipleship, a vision which relies on a prayerful orientation toward God and relationships which support us in Christ-centeredness. This grows our ability to rest in stability. There are three primary commitments in the Benedictine way that form the spiritual backbone for the rest of the spiritual practicesobedience, stability, and conversion. The diffusion of the Rule of Benedict in the West was slow. In this, affective piety and the contemplative study of the mysteries of God were no longer so strictly united as in the preceding centuries, in which the patristic tradition had been preserved. 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. On the constitutional level, Benedict's supreme achievement was to provide a succinct and complete directory for the government and the spiritual and material well-being of a monastery. Seeing the Face of Christ in the Poor. Its recipe comes from a 16th-century monk and includes a secret blend of 27 herbs and spices in a neutral spirit that's sweetened with honey. They are listeners and patient, willing to wait and see. Awareness of God In Benedictine practice we acknowledge the primacy of God and look for God in the ordinary events of each day. In contemporary society, Christian spirituality is generally defined as a set of beliefs, values, and way of life that reflect the teachings of the Bible, the holy book of Christianity. 0000000820 00000 n Co-Director of the Spirituality Center. 0 Humility is also a dominant theme in Benedictine spirituality; in fact it is closely related to contemplation. Core Islamic Beliefs: Six Articles of Faith. 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. Saint Benedict Benedict of Nursia lived from ca. Teaching Artist. Garcia Jimenez de Cisneros in . Therefore in Benedictine spirituality, mutual obedience is a habit to be shown by all to one another. This manuscript is a copy of St. Benedicts rule. 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. Instead of being possessive and manipulative, he is called to grow in detachment which manifests itself in the constructive and creative use of things. Contact. 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. We each hunger to make a meaningful contribution to our world. 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.. According to monastic scholar Fr. Gymnasts practice routines, yoga students practice poses, swimmers practice strokes, and tennis players practice their serves. Only a year ago, after a year of formation, I became an Oblate of Saint Benedicts Monastery in St. Joseph, MInnesota. 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. 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. 4. https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/benedictine-spirituality, "Benedictine Spirituality It is a spirituality that transcends ecclesiastical divides because it is rooted in religious sources that antedate the sometimes . How are you feeling called to commit that value to practice in the days ahead? He realizes that attachment to oneself and one's talents or goods brings anxiety, a bondage that ties the human spirit down to the earth and allows no enlargement of either one's horizons or one's heart. Have merely collected and summarized what other, more experienced Benedictines have taught and published Spirit are the of. Deeper prayer, the monk is to be taught by God Anglo-Saxon and... 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