But the monk's development, like that of all human beings, requires both material resources and the help of other people. When the monk has zeal for God, he will come to see that he is consumed not only with love for God but for everything and everyone else that God has created. Joan Chittister is a Benedictine sister with an ecumenical outreach and vision who has written more than 50 books. The Benedictine practice of hospitality is radical. 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. 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. Among the many available lists of core Benedictine values, I find that of Saint Johns Abbey to be one of the most helpful. 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. What are the characteristics of Benedictine spirituality? In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. ." 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. 9 13 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. ." What we know about St. Benedict himself comes to us mainly through Gregory the Great (ca. The resulting collection of ten core values - love, prayer, stability, conversatio, obedience, discipline . Francis consulted her, especially when he was discerning between becoming a hermit and being an itinerant preacher. If he persists in this state, atheism truly becomes a way of life. The Rule of St. Benedict has often been referred to as a compendium of the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ. Impact. Life in Benedictine monasteries was also deeply influenced by the clericalization of many of the monks and the episcopal ordination of many abbots. Cultivating awareness of God is important for all who seek a meaningful spirituality. Lectio divina involves contemplating what we read or hear in a Scripture, being receptive to the presence of God, and letting ourselves be transformed. 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. While submission is an act of youth, true obedience can only come as a response of maturity. It is such a personal thing that it can be considered part of one's identity. He was the son of a noble and grew up in Rome. Hence, conversion to Christ and response to his love through the power of the Holy Spirit are the goals of obedience. They are all intertwined. Although well into the middle years of an average life span, I am a rank beginner, a mere toddler in Benedictine practice. 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). Which value speaks to your heart most strongly at this time and why? RB 73, the final chapter, is more or less a bibliography for all that precedes it. [CDATA[ Yes, work, too, is a basic tenet of Benedictine Spirituality. ), member of any of the confederated congregations of monks, lay brothers, and nuns who follow the rule of life of St. Benedict (c. 480-c. 547) and who are spiritual descendants of the traditional monastics of the early medieval centuries in Italy and Gaul. praying the Divine Office) as well as regular silent . startxref In an article for HuffPost Sister Joan tells us that a Benedictine lifestyle is an an oasis of human peace in a striving, searing, simmering world. This lifestyle disallows war and violence on any level, including the root causes of violenceambition, greed, waste of resources, class distinctions, and the hubris that leads to the oppression of others, that justifies force as the sign of our superiority. This lifestyle makes ample room for what it valuescommunity, prayer, stewardship, equality, stability, conversion, peace all [which] make for communities of love. Without humility, Sr. Joan explains, there can be no peace. Benedict was born in Nursia, Italy in 480 and died in 543. Humility requires the monk to accept the gifts of others, their wisdom, their experience, and their counsel. Gymnasts do routines, yoga students practice poses, swimmers practice strokes, and tennis players practice their serves. Fr. (f`eav Benedictine Spirituality - also known as Monastic Spirituality. //. 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. What are Benedictine Practices? 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. Learn more at www.samuelrahberg.com. The diffusion of the Rule of Benedict in the West was slow. Cultural Producer. A monk spends his whole life becoming humble. But for all, the ideal has remained "solitude of heart" with God, guaranteed by the "order of charity" in the community institution. If you fill out this form, Ill respond from my personal email. The first and fundamental manifestation of such a vocation is a real separation from many aspects of the secular world. Augustinian Spirituality does not take us out of the world (into the . d. rees et al., Consider Your Call: A Theology of Monastic Life Today (Kalamazoo 1978). is an herbal liqueur produced in France. 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. 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. Of all creatures, the human person is in fact the neediest. New Catholic Encyclopedia. Recommended titles: Michael Casey, A Guide to Living in the Truth, 2001; Anselm Grn, Benedict of Nursia: His Message for Today, 2006. Benedictines are called to strive for silence and have a love for silence. An atheist is a man who lives without God. Columba Stewart OSB, the 73 brief chapters of the RB make up four major sections. The Benedictines, strictly speaking, do not constitute a single religious . Instead of being possessive and manipulative, he is called to grow in detachment which manifests itself in the constructive and creative use of things. 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). From the 13th century, Benedictine monasteries have often felt the influence of spiritual movements coming from non-monastic sources. Humility fosters stronger, healthier connections within communities by breaking down the artificial barriers between individuals. Benedicts rule calls us to a daily rhythm of listening, obedience, and conversion of life. Sam Rahberg is former Director of the Benedictine Center and a spiritual director in St. Paul. Benedictine spirituality took shape long before the split between Eastern and Western branches of the church in the 11 th century and the further divisions that resulted from the Reformation in the 16 th century. The Benedictine practice of mindfulness, like all the Benedictine practices, is lifelong. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. 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