It emphasizes the preeminent position which hospitality occupies in every Benedictine monastery. They are all intertwined. Cultivating awareness of God is important for all who seek a meaningful spirituality. Furthermore, he avoids anything that would be excessive or beyond the capacity of the average monk. Benedictines are called to strive for silence and have a love for silence. 21 0 obj <>stream Benedictine spirituality is practical and profound. [CDATA[ Eunice Antony, OSB. The thing that distinguishes monks from other religious in the Catholic Church is not primarily a matter of governmental structures or observances; all of these are found in other forms of consecrated life. We are women and men for and with others, hearing both the cry of the . 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. Having the mind of a beginner, being receptive to starting anew, starting fresh, starting overthis, too, is a Benedictine practice. Hence they are rich compared with many who come to the monastery for help. Where it was adopted, it was looked upon as a venerable text but not necessarily requiring observance in all its prescriptions. Divine omnipotence is a divine operative attribute, an, TAULER, JOHANNES Benedictine Humility is the ability to recognize one's rightful place in the universe and to see oneself as a mysterious combination of strengths and weaknesses. 1. Instead of being possessive and manipulative, he is called to grow in detachment which manifests itself in the constructive and creative use of things. Vincentian spirituality is centered around this concept. 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. 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. The website of Subiaco Abbey in Arkansas tells us, Modern monks like to point out that first word in the Rule is to Listen,which cant be done while talking! From the 13th century, Benedictine monasteries have often felt the influence of spiritual movements coming from non-monastic sources. 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. The Benedictine practice of Moderation in All Things is another that is trending today, under the word balance. In the blog Echoes from the Bell Tower, Fr. 0000002422 00000 n 0000001056 00000 n Only in later centuries and especially since the 19th century has it occupied a more important place in monastic life than in the observance of the majority of non-monastic religious congregations, with the consequence that it is usually considered a special feature of monastic life and spirituality. 2. 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). It is rooted in faith, and like Christ's own simplicity of life must be an outward expression of trustful dependence on God. Benedict reminds us of our priorities: prayer, contemplation, balance and the importance of everything we do. 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 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. The discipline of slowing down to pay attention renews our orientation toward receiving the presence of Christ. Am I growing in my true identity as a son or daughter of God? [] Review Benedictine Spirituality (Part 1 of 3) [], [] Review Core Values: Benedictine Spirituality (Part 1 of 3) [], [] Learn more about core Benedictine values. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoTQF_Z_3lQ. [], [] is both. It may be an old liqueur but it has a well-deserved place in the modern bar. Sam has experience in parish ministry and holds a masters degree in theology from Saint Johns University (Collegeville, MN). Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Life in common is the Benedictine monastic path toward God. Hence the monk must be poor psychologically because he realizes his dependence on others. A monk spends his whole life becoming humble. Much research has been devoted to this topic, ranging from practical to academic. ." 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 In 1893 the same pope provided the "order" with an Abbot . As time went on we decided that we needed a clear focus on the values. Anglican spirituality is an ecclesial spirituality because Christian spirituality is all about life in Christ, which necessarily means life in His Body. 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.. This springs from a desire to please God, or to seek God, as the Rule puts it (chapter 58). The Benedictine practice of mindfulness, like all the Benedictine practices, is lifelong. Paradoxically, the key to a full life, is to understand that all things are to be done with moderation. (Rule of St. Benedict 48:9). God gave us two ears and one mouth, so we should use them in that order. However, the date of retrieval is often important. The Benedictine practice of service to others is intimately entwined with the reverence for all creation, and another of the great foundations of Benedictine spirituality. Benedictine simplicity of life is understood properly with the reality of Christ and his mission in mind. Although well into the middle years of an average life span, I am a rank beginner, a mere toddler in Benedictine practice. While submission is an act of youth, true obedience can only come as a response of maturity. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. In his blog Benedictine Monks, Fr. 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. My work with the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (MID) has . Prayer is essential to a Benedictine lifestyle. 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. xb```f``x(80 Nazirites (Numbers 6:1-21): Nazirites were of two types: those who were dedicated from birth to be a Nazirite (e.g. 540-604 CE), who praised Benedict for his discretion and moderation. Its principal source is the Word of God and its model is Christ. Listen to the Holy Spirit speaking through scripture and through the insights of others. The Benedictine practice of hospitality is radical. 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. If you fill out this form, Ill respond from my personal email. People are tired and worn out from striving against unhealthy systems. I hope this list (compiled in September, 2018) is helpful, perhaps even inspiring. 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. Music students practice their instruments. Monastic life was punctuated by the rhythms of prayer during the hours of each day. RB 73, the final chapter, is more or less a bibliography for all that precedes it. (320) 363-7112. 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. thats most of the time. She reminds that in the Rule of Benedict, in the economy of monastic life, prayer is work and work is prayer. While [t]ime set aside for prayer can be a great blessing, we can turn all of our daily tasks into prayer when we bring to them the awareness of ourselves in relationship with our ever-present God. The Rule revolves around five practices: Prayer, Work, Study, Hospitality and Renewal. These prayers, which included the saying or chanting of the psalms, can be experienced in our Daily Office. 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. 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. Many Oblates rely on. You will likely recognize the timeless quality of the values which has caused them to endure for centuries and continue speaking to the many layers of our human experience (personal, familial, communal and societal). 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 . It is a matter of self-respect and purpose which we see clearly in the changing nature of retirement. Patience does not relieve us of our natural feelings of aversion, irritation, and indignation, but it controls and rises above these feelings Our Lord felt the natural impulse to avoid suffering, but He set aside and refused to listen to this feeling: Father not my will but Thine be done.Where does this patience show itself? Even the Cistercians, who in the 12th century had intended to return to a faithful observance of the rule itself, added numerous statutes. 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