Balance is less about achieving perfect equilibrium than it is a pendulum which continuously swings back toward a central point. Benedictine spirituality is practical and profound. Just as all these people practice to become more proficient, spiritual seekers practice in order to become better at living a spiritual life. 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. 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. 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. The Benedictine practice of mindfulness, like all the Benedictine practices, is lifelong. An atheist is a man who lives without God. People are seen as an integrated whole: Body, Mind, and Spirit. k. vermeiren, Praying with Benedict: Prayer in the Rule of St. Benedict (Kalamazoo 1999). We become obedient only after we know our own will. 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 . 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. Contact. The church and her sacramental system are essential to the Christian life of grace. xref If you fill out this form, Ill respond from my personal email. 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. Monastic Spirituality. The Benedictine practice of hospitality is radical. (f`eav New Catholic Encyclopedia. [], [] Learn more about Benedictine spirituality. Furthermore, he avoids anything that would be excessive or beyond the capacity of the average monk. 0000005209 00000 n 0000000556 00000 n But, we keep practicing, because we hope that eventually, with faithful practice, that our way of being present to others will be as rich and meaningful as Chopins Nocturns are mysteriously rich with meaning when played by the virtuoso Arthur Rubinstein near the end of his life. People are tired and worn out from striving against unhealthy systems. Chanon gave Ignatius the book Exercises for the Spiritual Life written by Benedictine reformer, Fr. Hospitality 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. Only after we have come to understand our desires are we capable of relinquishing them in service of others. "Let everyone that comes be received as Christ" is one of the most familiar and oft-quoted phrases of the Rule. He neither innovated nor broke with tradition. For more information, fill out the form below or contact: Mary Catherine Holicky, OSB. 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). Listen here: It is the balanced spirituality that one finds in the Rule of Benedict that has made it attractive to many men and women throughout the ages. No one thingprayer, work, rest, studywas to be done in the extreme. However, it may involve the following characteristics: Antiquity of 3,000 and 1,500 years. In no way am I qualified to be a teacher of the Benedictine way of life. 0 Through spiritual direction, individual and group ministerial reflection, and writing, Sam companions Christian leaders as they re-discover the sense of calling and giftedness at the heart of Christ-centered ministry. How are we being invited to swing back toward Christ-centeredness? Practice is how people develop the skills to become adept at anything. 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. In chapter 72 of the rule, Benedict encourages his monks to be zealous, "supporting with the greatest patience one another's weaknesses of body and behavior, and earnestly competing in obedience to one another. Benedictine monastics make a three-fold commitment to stability, conversion (conversatio), and obedience. 0000002422 00000 n It is a pathway to deeper prayer, good decisions guided by keen discernment, and an active life of service to others. The Benedictine practice of mindfulness, like all the Benedictine practices, is lifelong. Mauritius Wilde O.S.B explains that obedience means to listen. Benedictine writers often appealed to methods of prayer and asceticism that were foreign to the monastic tradition. Fr. You can read more about the Liturgy of the Hours by clicking here, but the best way to learn about Liturgical prayer is to find a monastery and experience it. The Nazirite's spiritual disciplines included not drinking wine or eating grapes, not cutting . 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. 0000000820 00000 n Only a year ago, after a year of formation, I became an Oblate of Saint Benedicts Monastery in St. Joseph, MInnesota. 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. Unfortunately, Jesus never indicated discipleship would be easy. 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. 0000001056 00000 n Therefore in Benedictine spirituality, mutual obedience is a habit to be shown by all to one another. Benedict's community might well be called a formation community in which all, including the abbot and other superiors in the community, are in the process of being formed all of their lives into the likeness of Christ by attentive listening to the word of God, and a loving response to that word mediated into the life of the community by Christ's own offer of friendship through the communication of the Holy Spirit. 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. "Benedictine Spirituality FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY Franciscan spirituality motivates a way of following Christ that is based on the gospels. It is specified solely by a commitment to God sanctioned by public vows. Music students practice their instruments. 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. Obedience is an act of letting go of the egoistic will. Practice is how people develop the skills to get adept at anything. Silence in Benedictine practice is knit together with listening and with prayer. defines the leader of a Benedictine community is not being head of an institution but being in relationship with all the members. variety in physical characteristics, languages, and ways of life is really our . The rhythm of life leads one to times of being alone and times of being in community. Humility fosters stronger, healthier connections within communities by breaking down the artificial barriers between individuals. j. chittister, The Rule of Benedict: Insights for the Ages (New York 1992). 0000002499 00000 n 1) They know that not one-size-fits-all. 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. 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 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 . <<8F8BC2AF36339D4C919A3718E673BE78>]>> 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. startxref window.__mirage2 = {petok:"Mjbegi0csMdpEDVeqSUEXsusxBikAj9UyKZw_VuRiag-86400-0"}; 480 to 547 CE in Italy. His books includeGratefulness,A Listening Heart, and most recently, a new autobiography,i am through you so. 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). If you fill out this form, Ill respond from my personal email. While submission is an act of youth, true obedience can only come as a response of maturity. We each hunger to make a meaningful contribution to our world. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. He did not intend to impose uniformity; he foresaw and intended diversity and reserved to each monastery the possibility of adapting the rule's prescriptions to various circumstances, provided the essential values of monasticism were safeguarded. We are all accountable as steward of creation, they tell us. What we know about St. Benedict himself comes to us mainly through Gregory the Great (ca. Which value speaks to your heart most strongly at this time and why? This article on the Contemplative outreach website explains the history of lectio divina, and offers instruction in how to do it. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. We practice clumsily like beginners running through piano scales. 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 . When I consider Benedictine hospitality, I like to extend this notion to the dialogues we initiate with those of other religious and spiritual backgrounds, especially with non-Christians. Read the full essay to learn more about how humility helps us grow in the love of God and deepens our bonds with each other. 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. Successful organizational leaders practice self-mastery and teamwork. In a. While everyone has their values and principles, the spiritual person knows that one-size does not fit all. This discussion shows that its impossible to isolate any Benedictine practice as independent of the others. These three characteristics refer especially to intellectual activity. How do we respect all things as vessels of the altar (RB 31:10). 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. 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. Stop the madness; listen to the God who loves you. Rather, it is a series of embodied practices that forms the monk over the course of a lifetime to make space for the guest. 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. Directly translated, Lectio Divina means divine reading. Benedictines say mindfulness is as much as a Christian and biblical concept as it is a Buddhist one. Humility is also a dominant theme in Benedictine spirituality; in fact it is closely related to contemplation. What do I make (or make possible) with the precious energy of my life? 3 Views. In this article, I have merely collected and summarized what other, more experienced Benedictines have taught and published. In the East it dates back to the 3rd century with St. Anthony, and in the West to the 4th century with St. Martin and other founders of monasteries. Belief in One God: The most important teaching of Islam is that only God is to be served and worshipped. To be empowered by anything less than the God of love is to risk evil zeal in the name of vengeance. Every four months, we begin again at the beginningso we read the Rulethree times every year. It continues today as an institute for Benedictine students and others who wish to obtain graduate degrees in philosophy, theology, liturgy, and monastic studies. Benedictine 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. Christian monasticism had been in existence for a long time before Benedict wrote his rule. Benedictine Abbeys and Priories in the U.S. Benedictine University: Narrative Description, https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/benedictine-spirituality. [], [] is both. 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. Much research has been devoted to this topic, ranging from practical to academic. (320) 363-7112. mholicky@csbsju.edu. "Benedictine Spirituality Living the Benedictine spirituality, as a monk, an . This is a life devoted to the "Benedictine values of community, consensus, peace, balance, hospitality, humility, simplicity and care of the planet in our daily lives," Judith Valente writes in an article for Global Sisters Report. I hope this list (compiled in September, 2018) is helpful, perhaps even inspiring. 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. A dominant theme in Benedictine spirituality, mutual obedience is a habit to be served and worshipped 1992 ) to. Prayer and asceticism that were foreign to the God who loves you discipleship... Healthier connections within communities by breaking down the artificial barriers between individuals September, 2018 ) is helpful perhaps. 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