He neither innovated nor broke with tradition. Ignacio Gonzalez, OSB writes that the Benedictine practice of Conversatio requires that we never stop asking hard questions about our personal growth. 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. 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. We prefer concepts like freedom and independence. 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. Simplicity of life and a sense of stewardship are also characteristics of Benedictine spirituality. 0000001056 00000 n 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. One of the primary characteristics of a spiritual person is openness. [] Review Benedictine Spirituality (Part 1 of 3) [], [] Review Core Values: Benedictine Spirituality (Part 1 of 3) [], [] Learn more about core Benedictine values. While submission is an act of youth, true obedience can only come as a response of maturity. His books includeGratefulness,A Listening Heart, and most recently, a new autobiography,i am through you so. Fr. The Rule of St. Benedict has often been referred to as a compendium of the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ. 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. This listening is not merely an intellectual or rational activity; it is intuitive, springing from the very core of the monk's being where he is most open to God and most open to the word of life that God speaks. For Benedict, prayer had a particular structure and process. 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. Nazirites (Numbers 6:1-21): Nazirites were of two types: those who were dedicated from birth to be a Nazirite (e.g. Digital nun, writing for ibenedictines.org tells us, Fr. Benedictine simplicity of life is understood properly with the reality of Christ and his mission in mind. You can order a free copy of Give Us This Day, published by Liturgical Press, by clicking here. 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. Stop the madness; listen to the God who loves you. Benedictine monastics make a three-fold commitment to stability, conversion (conversatio), and obedience. 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. Sam has experience in parish ministry and holds a masters degree in theology from Saint Johns University (Collegeville, MN). In The Rule of Benedict for Beginners, Wil Derkse reveals how elements from Benedictine spirituality and the Benedictine lifestyle may be . Benedictines read a portion of the Rule of Benedict every day. 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. 9 0 obj <> endobj I hope this list (compiled in September, 2018) is helpful, perhaps even inspiring. Saint Clare of Assisi (16 July 1194 - 11 August 1253, born Chiara Offreduccio and sometimes spelled Clara, Clair, Claire, Sinclair, etc.) It is rather the fact that monastic existence is a form of religious life having not secondary or ministerial purpose. The event will bring together sisters, monks, oblates, and Benedictine staff, as well as nonreligiously affiliated Millennials interested in contemplative . This springs from a desire to please God, or to seek God, as the Rule puts it (chapter 58). Joan Chittister is a Benedictine sister with an ecumenical outreach and vision who has written more than 50 books. The fourth Benedictine value is work, or labora. 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. But for all, the ideal has remained "solitude of heart" with God, guaranteed by the "order of charity" in the community institution. Humility is also a dominant theme in Benedictine spirituality; in fact it is closely related to contemplation. 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. The rhythm of life leads one to times of being alone and times of being in community. The church and her sacramental system are essential to the Christian life of grace. Benedicts rule calls us to a daily rhythm of listening, obedience, and conversion of life. My work with the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (MID) has . Thus prayer and community, to borrow again from Stewart, are at the heart of the Benedictine school of spirituality. 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. Perhaps the most useful definition is that given by Jean gerson: "Theologia m, Omnipotence is derived From the Latin omnis (all) and potens (capable of making or producing). Music students do their instruments. 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. Sister Joan Chittister is an extraordinarily prolific writer and among the most famous living Benedictines. It is humility that takes the monk beyond the myth of his own grandeur to the grandeur of God. //stream 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. We stumble through being in right relationship. This Benedictine practice is exceedingly difficult for most of us, for most of our lives. Be faithful in demonstration of family and community commitments, for example, by calling parents every week at the same time, checking in regularly on neighbors, affirming and listening to coworkers. 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. The abbot, elected for life by his monks, maintains supreme power and in all normal circumstances is accountable to no one. 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. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. 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. In Benedictine practice we acknowledge the primacy of God and look for God in the ordinary events of each day. Instead, holiness of life was to be found through the right balance of these elements in life. 3 Views. Cultural Producer. 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. Through this experience, he came to believe that authentic spiritual growth happens only when we life with and among flawed human beings whose faults and failings are only too obvious. In community we struggle through the practice of being in right relationship with people who are stubborndullundisciplinedrestlesscareless scatterbrainedirritatingand tiresome. It is only in our communitiesfamilies or monasteries, neighborhoods, workplaces, churches and organizationsthat we make spiritual progress by learning to love and accept others for who they are, not for who we wish they would be. 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. 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 . Which value speaks to your heart most strongly at this time and why? Unfortunately, Jesus never indicated discipleship would be easy. The typical person takes little time for personal renewal in the hectic daily round of activities. Thus when St. Benedict appeared, monasticism was already solidly implanted in Egypt, Syria, Palestinethe whole East and in Ireland, Gaul, Italy, Spain, and Africa in the West. Benedictines carry on a monastic tradition that stems from the origins of the Christian monastic movement in the late third century. Encyclopedia.com. Benedictine spirituality is a way of life that helps a person to seek God and his will daily. Ive drawn this list of 22 (+ 1 = 23) Benedictine practices (arranged alphabetically) from Stepping into the Oblate way of life, published by St. Benedicts Monastery in 2017, when Laureen Virnig OSB served as Director of Oblates. 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. It is not one of the distinguishing characteristics of early monastic life. The Rule of St. Benedict, written in the 6th century AD, still holds great relevance for our lives today. Hence the monk must be poor psychologically because he realizes his dependence on others. It is specified solely by a commitment to God sanctioned by public vows. Benedictine spirituality is rooted in the cultivation of good habits. . A devoted monk, he established the Rule of Benedict. 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. Obedience is an act of letting go of the egoistic will. He simply organized a form of cenobitic life in complete conformity with the demands of the monastic vocation, which is but integral Christian life. Of all creatures, the human person is in fact the neediest. 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.. The Rule revolves around five practices: Prayer, Work, Study, Hospitality and Renewal. Every four months, we begin again at the beginningso we read the Rulethree times every year. Consequently he accepts the services and ideas of others, the gifts of life, and community. Adrian Burke, OSB writes, Benedict insists in his Rule that we must balance our lives with prayerand work, with readingand recreation, with restand activity. Benedictines attempt to incorporate all of these important aspects into every day. This practice is not particular to Benedictines, however. Spirituality offers a worldview that suggests there is more to life than just what people . The Rule of Benedict opens with the word "listen" (ausculta ). We each hunger to make a meaningful contribution to our world. They are listeners and patient, willing to wait and see. Prayer is the foundation to the monastic life and calling, and can be a constant part of the life of non-monastics as well. Catholic spirituality includes the various ways in which Catholics live out their Baptismal promise through prayer and action. Benedictine Center is affiliated and operated in partnership with St. Pauls Monastery. 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 . We are women and men for and with others, hearing both the cry of the . Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. New Catholic Encyclopedia. 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 These three characteristics refer especially to intellectual activity. For Benedictines, being in right relationship means that we treat everyone we encounter with loving kindness and patience. This is not simply a change in my opinion or even in my ideological stance, but a much deeper change in my attitude, a real change in my way of being and doing. Listening is integral to the practice of conversatio, indeed to all the practices, which, as Laureen Virnig OSB teaches to Oblates in formation, are inseparable woven together to make of our spirituality a living tapestry. Furthermore, he avoids anything that would be excessive or beyond the capacity of the average monk. Benedictine spirituality is practical and profound. 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. Jesus said "Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (see Matthew 25: . 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 . Rather, it is a series of embodied practices that forms the monk over the course of a lifetime to make space for the guest. 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. The Benedictine practice of mindfulness, like all the Benedictine practices, is lifelong. Benedictine spirituality helps us to: Focus our eyes on God and His Word Be a people of humility Live and pray in community, rather than being too individualistic Maintain prayerful discipline in our lives 1. 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. Interviewed by Krista Tippett for her podcast On Being, Brother David talks about gratitude as the true wellspring of joy. But the monk's development, like that of all human beings, requires both material resources and the help of other people. What makes spiritual direction distinctive is its As you read, pay attention to the one or two which resonate most for you today. Listen here: It is one among many schools that speak to contemporary hearts, yet it is particularly unique in its lasting impact on Western Christianity. What practise spiritual practices do? 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. We always can go deeper in prayer, grow more open to the truth, enrich our understanding of the will of God, and learn what, in this moment at this time, is good, acceptable, and right. 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. The root of the word obedience means "to hear" and is about making a commitment to listen for God's voice in the world and respond when you hear the call. Characteristics of Benedictine Spirituality. People are seen as an integrated whole: Body, Mind, and Spirit. 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. 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. It embraces a diversity of vocations: lay and clerical, contemplative and active, academic and pastoral, married and celibate. Digital nun, writing for ibenedictines.org tells us,The practice of mindfulness, which for a Christian must always be the practice of mindfulness of the presence of God, is not something we learn in a few hours or even a few years. [CDATA[ [contact-form][contact-field label=Name type=name required=1 /][contact-field label=Email type=email required=1 /][contact-field label=Website type=url /][contact-field label=Comment type=textarea required=1 /][/contact-form], Downloaded from the web site of the Bodleian library: [1]. (61.6). 0000001968 00000 n By listening and seeking stability of life, we strive to discern the new path that Christ is forever calling us to travel. Listen to the Holy Spirit speaking through scripture and through the insights of others. 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 Benedictine Abbeys and Priories in the U.S. Benedictine University: Narrative Description, https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/benedictine-spirituality. This invitation to listen came to Benedict from the heart of the Old and New Testament traditions. St. Benedict lived in the 6 th century. Thus the rule refers frequently to the "divine commandments" and often cites the Bible, particularly the gospel. %PDF-1.4 % What calls us to attention? Benedictines say mindfulness is as much as a Christian and biblical concept as it is a Buddhist one. The devotio moderna is an example. 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. Brother David Steindl-Rast of the Gut Aich Priory monastery in St. Gilgen, Austria, is the founder and senior advisor for A Network for Grateful Living. Cultivating awareness of God is important for all who seek a meaningful spirituality. There was societal chaos and political dissatisfaction and we might wish that the conditions of those times did not sound so familiar to our modern ears. But it also requires that he let go of false expectations concerning others. to the Rule is a good way to summarize the goal of Benedictine spirituality and prayer. variety in physical characteristics, languages, and ways of life is really our . It is a matter of self-respect and purpose which we see clearly in the changing nature of retirement. In 1893 the same pope provided the "order" with an Abbot . A monk spends his whole life becoming humble. 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. Benedictine Spirituality It may seem odd that some of the best guidelines for achieving balance in our world today, where stress has become the norm, come from a sixth-century Italian monk who at one point chose to live by himself in a cave. There were also other forms of monastic life, but they were more or less eccentric in comparison with the two main types and sometimes led to abuse. The Benedictines, strictly speaking, do not constitute a single religious . In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. The Benedictine practice of hospitality is radical. The Rule of St. Benedict structures this for the monk. 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. 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). Like counselling, therapy and coaching, spiritual direction rests on careful listening to the 'client'. Monastic Spirituality. As a Benedictine practice, obedience is intimately linked to being in right relationship, conversatio, humility, and listening. 4. In this article, I have merely collected and summarized what other, more experienced Benedictines have taught and published. Benedict was born in Nursia, Italy in 480 and died in 543. 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. Benedictine spirituality is simple and down to earth. 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