6 characteristics of benedictine spirituality

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 . 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. That is why the ministry of hospitality is such an important part of the Benedictine heritage. Only after we have come to understand our desires are we capable of relinquishing them in service of others. Demonstrate good will, humility, trust, accountability, justice, faithfulness, obedience, peace, and discipleship. Recommended titles: Michael Casey, A Guide to Living in the Truth, 2001; Anselm Grn, Benedict of Nursia: His Message for Today, 2006. Bndictine D.O.M. MS. Hatton 48 fol. Lets make ours a truly humana listening and reverentconnection. It was considered as proposing a spiritual program, while daily life was regulated by "customaries," to which succeeded, from the beginning of the 16th century, "Declarations" and "Constitutions" as well as the "Ceremonial." 0000000016 00000 n 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 . But for all, the ideal has remained "solitude of heart" with God, guaranteed by the "order of charity" in the community institution. 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. 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. 4qAB0Lfb+ ``v@ BK j Having the mind of a beginner, being receptive to starting anew, starting fresh, starting overthis, too, is a Benedictine practice. 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. Learn more at www.samuelrahberg.com. 2. 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. Adrian Burke, OSB writes, Benedict insists in his. (320) 363-7112. mholicky@csbsju.edu. The Benedictine practice of mindfulness, like all the Benedictine practices, is lifelong. 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. The Friends of St. Benedict website says The Rule offers people a plan for living a balanced, simple, and prayerful life. Simple, yes. As. Bibliography: Marked for Life: Prayer in the Easter Christ (London 1979). In a blog hosted by Holy Wisdom Monastery of Madison, Wisconsin, Lynne Smith, OSB writes that in America, middle and upper class people tend to imagine they are living self-sufficiently, believing they are able to pretty much take care of [their] needs. This self-deception is possible only when [w]e take for granted all the people who work behind the scenes to provide the food for the store, to staff and maintain the filling station and all those people involved in the health care system. Do you yearn for a good life, and do you desire to see good days? 480 to 547 CE in Italy. 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. What makes spiritual direction distinctive is its 0000002499 00000 n Cultivating awareness of God is important for all who seek a meaningful spirituality. 1. Humility enables the monk to stand in awe before the world and to receive the gifts of God and others. 22 Feb. 2023 . No one thingprayer, work, rest, studywas to be done in the extreme. All monks are by definition "solitaries," for this is the original meaning of their name, which comes from the Greek word monachos, derived from monos, to which corresponds the Latin solus (alone). In other words, the core of Franciscan spirituality is the universal call to holiness that all women and men receive at baptism. Saint Clare of Assisi (16 July 1194 - 11 August 1253, born Chiara Offreduccio and sometimes spelled Clara, Clair, Claire, Sinclair, etc.) Benedict, RULE OF Saint.This work holds the first place among monastic legislative codes, and was by far the most important factor in the organization and spread of monasticism in the West.For its general character and also its illustration of St. Benedict's own life, see the article St. Benedict of Nursia.Here, however, it is treated more in detail, under the following heads: I. 0000004832 00000 n The Cistercian Order reinforced the eremetical character of the cenobitical life itself. Only a year ago, after a year of formation, I became an Oblate of Saint Benedicts Monastery in St. Joseph, MInnesota. Ignatian spirituality challenges us to encounter God in all things, witnessing to the joy of the Gospel. Although well into the middle years of an average life span, I am a rank beginner, a mere toddler in Benedictine practice. For vowed monastics, stability is literala long-term commitment to a specific place and community. 540-604 CE), who praised Benedict for his discretion and moderation. 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. 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. The second characteristic of the monastic vocation is that it demands a life of which a privileged part is given to prayer. Benedictine, member of the Order of Saint Benedict (O.S.B. . 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. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so we should use them in that order. Humility helps be more authentically, beautifully, and lovingly human. What are the characteristics of Benedictine spirituality? Chanon gave Ignatius the book Exercises for the Spiritual Life written by Benedictine reformer, Fr. Benedictine But Benedict also reminds the monk that there is a wicked zeal which leads to death. The fourth Benedictine value is work, or labora. 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. Mauritius Wilde O.S.B explains that obedience means, , Fr. A monk should be above all a good listener. Encyclopedia.com. In his spare time, you will find Sam tending his familys small tree farm or fly fishing for trout in Southeast Minnesota. Fr. He was born on March 2, 480 AD, in Norcia, Italy. 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. They are listeners and patient, willing to wait and see. Music students practice their instruments. Strong communities embrace stability and are open to necessary change. Humility helps us accept our gifts and talents joyfully while letting go of our false selves. In monastic life public prayer is only one observance among those which help the monk seek God. RB 73, the final chapter, is more or less a bibliography for all that precedes it. He entered the Dominican novitiate c. 1315 in his na, Benedictine College: Narrative Description. Practice is how people develop the skills to become adept at anything. We are no more self-sufficient than the poor whose dependence on the service of others cant be hidden. The Rule of Benedict teaches that Monastics should serve one another (35:1). Furthermore, he avoids anything that would be excessive or beyond the capacity of the average monk. Yes, work, too, is a basic tenet of Benedictine Spirituality. On the blog Catholic Beer Club, Br. 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. The Benedictines, strictly speaking, do not constitute a single religious . Of all creatures, the human person is in fact the neediest. Its principal source is the Word of God and its model is Christ. For most Oblates. The resulting collection of ten core values - love, prayer, stability, conversatio, obedience, discipline . By listening and seeking stability of life, we strive to discern the new path that Christ is forever calling us to travel. 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. Instead, holiness of life was to be found through the right balance of these elements in life. 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 . 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 first and fundamental manifestation of such a vocation is a real separation from many aspects of the secular world. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Which brings us back to awareness of God, to the beginning again. In a very special way God speaks through the Scriptures, through the liturgy of the hours (opus Dei ), and through personal prayer. Music students do their instruments. If he persists in this state, atheism truly becomes a way of life. Unfortunately, Jesus never indicated discipleship would be easy. Nazirites (Numbers 6:1-21): Nazirites were of two types: those who were dedicated from birth to be a Nazirite (e.g. 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. How are we being invited to swing back toward Christ-centeredness? Emerging out of the high middles ages, it emphasizes the humanity of Jesus Christ as the mystery of God's presence in human flesh. Benedictine spirituality is practical and profound. Thus prayer and community, to borrow again from Stewart, are at the heart of the Benedictine school of spirituality. There are three primary commitments in the Benedictine way that form the spiritual backbone for the rest of the spiritual practicesobedience, stability, and conversion. 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. 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 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. 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. It is regular, converting, reflective, and communal. U`` . 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. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. 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). Humility requires the monk to accept the gifts of others, their wisdom, their experience, and their counsel. We prefer concepts like freedom and independence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoTQF_Z_3lQ. That silence is healthy for community life and fosters the learning of reverence for all creation excessive beyond... Novitiate c. 1315 in his spare time, you will find Sam tending his familys small tree farm fly... Help the monk seek God person is in fact the neediest to wait see! Only a year ago, after a year ago, after a year ago, a! Be excessive or beyond the capacity of the cenobitical life itself be a Nazirite (.! 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