WHO ARE BENEDICTINES?
Benedictines are men and women who follow the Rule of St. Benedict, written around the year 530.
Benedictines live
a communal life of prayer, work and mutual support under
the direction of the Rule and a Superior.
Benedictines profess religious vows of Obedience, Stability and Ongoing Conversion.
Benedictine communities
are found throughout the world, and each monastery
has a unique character and identity.
Some important Benedictine Practices and Customs include:
Listening and Obedience
We
listen for God speaking to us through the Scriptures and Prayer.
We seek the will of God in the instructions of our Superiors.
We strive to listen to one another to build a community of love.
We share with each other our stories to see God's action in our lives.
Reverence and Respect
We worship God
in prayer & liturgy.
We respect each other in our daily presence.
We use the tools, talents, and goods entrusted to us to build up God's kingdom.
We reverence the human community in Christian service.
We see the presence of Christ in each person.
Balance
We seek a balance
between work, prayer and leisure.
We seek a balance between silence and dialogue.
We seek a balance between solitude and being with others.
Our life as a whole is a response to the call of God.
Stability
We strive to never
flee from difficult situations.
We seek the needs of the community and individuals.
We support each other throughout our lives.
We are mindful of those who went before us, and those who will come after us.
Conversion of Life
God calls us to
grow in holiness each day.
We strive to seek God in all things.
We see each day as an opportunity to grow in our relationship with God and others.
We are committed to a life-long journey of becoming more and more open to the
love of God and others.
Work
Our work helps
us to participate in God's act of Creation.
Our work supports the community.
Our work makes it possible to contribute to the needs of others through service
and charity.
Our work helps us to develop and express our personal talents and gifts.
Our work builds upon the overall mission of the Church
Private Prayer and Reading
Central to our
monastic way of life is a commitment
to personal prayer and spiritual reading.
In prayer and in meditating on the Scriptures and writings of spiritual teachers,
we open ourselves to the voice of God who calls us to Himself.
Communal Prayer
In addition to private prayer and reflection, an important element of our life is the communal celebration of the Opus Dei, or the Work of God. St. Benedict teaches that we should prefer nothing to this time when we come together to sing the Lord's praises and to listen attentively to God's Word.
Silence
Often guests to
the monastery comment on the quiet that they experience during their visit.
Monks value silence in order to create an atmosphere of attentive listening,
prayer and reflection.
Work
Work is an important aspect of Benedictine life. For St. Benedict, to work is to participate in God's act of Creation and to express our human dignity.
Hospitality
In his Rule, St.
Benedict writes: "All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed
as Christ, for he himself will say: 'I was a stranger and you welcomed me' (Matt
25:35)." (Rule of Benedict 53)
Meals
For St. Benedict, the meal is more than the simple taking of nourishment. In Benedictine spirituality, the meal takes on a "sacramental" character, and can be viewed as a continuation of our sharing of Eucharist. Meals are often eaten in silence. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the Word of God which will have been heard during morning prayer and to resist the temptation to fill the day with "chatter." The practice of table reading is kept at supper. During these meals a member of the community reads from books on a variety of subjects.