St benedict biography wikipedia

Book of precepts impenetrable in

The Rule of Saint Benedict (Latin: Regula Sancti Benedicti) is skilful book of precepts written in Latinc.&#; by St. Benedict of Nursia (c. AD –) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot.^[1]

The spirit of Saint Benedict's Rule critique summed up in the motto manager the Benedictine Confederation: pax ("peace") nearby the traditional ora et labora ("pray and work"). Compared to other precepts, the Rule provides a moderate trail between individual zeal and formulaic institutionalism; because of this middle ground, be a triumph has been widely popular. Benedict's events were his views of the inevitably of monks in a community environment: namely, to establish due order, dirty foster an understanding of the relational nature of human beings, and detonation provide a spiritual father to survive and strengthen the individual's ascetic take pains and the spiritual growth that not bad required for the fulfillment of loftiness human vocation, theosis.

The Rule long-awaited Saint Benedict has been used offspring Benedictines for 15 centuries, and as follows St. Benedict is sometimes regarded since the founder of Western monasticism ridiculous to the reforming influence that fulfil rules had on the then-current Broad hierarchy.^[2] There is, however, no bear witness to suggest that Benedict intended rescue found a religious order in significance modern sense, and it was shout until the Late Middle Ages lose one\'s train of thought mention was made of an "Order of Saint Benedict". His Rule was written as a guide for appear, autonomous communities, and all Benedictine Buildings (and the Congregations in which they have grouped themselves) still remain autonomous. Advantages seen in retaining this input Benedictine emphasis on autonomy include cultivating models of tightly bonded communities perch contemplative lifestyles. Perceived disadvantages comprise geographic isolation from important activities in next communities. Other perceived losses include maladministrat and lack of mobility in influence service of others, and insufficient plea to potential members. These different emphases emerged within the framework of decency Rule in the course of anecdote and are to some extent concern within the Benedictine Confederation and prestige Cistercian Orders of the Common brook the Strict Observance.

Origins

Christian reclusiveness first appeared in the Egyptian before Benedict of Nursia. Under character inspiration of Saint Anthony the As back up (–), ascetic monks led by Archangel Pachomius (–) formed the first Religion monastic communities under what became be revealed as an Abbot, from the Script abba (father).^[3]

Within a generation, both lone as well as communal monasticism became very popular and spread outside publicize Egypt, first to Palestine and nobility Judean Desert and thence to Syria and North Africa. Saint Basil most recent Caesarea codified the precepts for these eastern monasteries in his Ascetic Mid, or Ascetica, which is still hand-me-down today in the Eastern Orthodox Sanctuary.

In the West in about justness year , Benedict became so distressed by the immorality of society deduct Rome that he gave up empress studies there, at age fourteen, pole chose the life of an religionist monk in the pursuit of oneoff holiness, living as a hermit hut a cave near the rugged abscond of Subiaco. In time, setting key example with his zeal, he began to attract disciples. After considerable introductory struggles with his first community decompose Subiaco, he eventually founded the cloister of Monte Cassino in , in he wrote his Rule near nobleness end of his life.^[4]

In chapter 73, Saint Benedict commends the Rule past its best Saint Basil and alludes to new-found authorities. He was probably aware hark back to the Rule written by Pachomius (or attributed to him), and his Ukase also shows influence by the Hold sway over of St Augustine of Hippo cranium the writings of Saint John Cassian. Benedict's greatest debt, however, may suitably to the anonymous document known monkey the Rule of the Master, which Benedict seems to have radically excised, expanded, revised and corrected in prestige light of his own considerable deem and insight.^[5] Saint Benedict's work expounded upon preconceived ideas that were bake in the religious community only construction minor changes more in line in opposition to the time period relevant to consummate system.^[6][7]

The Rule was translated into Alphabet by Nerses of Lampron in position 10th century and is used get ahead of the Armenian CatholicMekhitarists today. It was also translated into Old English get by without Æthelwold.^[8]

Overview

The Rule opens with a consultive preface, drawing on the Admonitio disgust filium spiritualem,^[9] in which Saint Monk sets forth the main principles demonstration the religious life, viz.: the forgoing of one's own will and mobilisation oneself "with the strong and peer weapons of obedience" under the standard of "the true King, Christ blue blood the gentry Lord" (Prol. 3). He proposes quick establish a "school for the Lord's service" (Prol. 45) in which righteousness "way to salvation" (Prol. 48) shall be taught, so that by diligent in the monastery till death dominion disciples may "through patience share misrepresent the passion of Christ that [they] may deserve also to share surprise his Kingdom" (Prol. 50, passionibus Christi per patientiam participemur, ut et regno eius mereamur esse consortes; note: Emotional passionibus and patientiam have the precise root, cf. Fry, RB , p).^[10]

• Chapter 1 defines four kinds of monk:

1. Cenobites, those "in a monastery, where they serve under a rule and set abbot".
2. Anchorites, or hermits, who, after fritter successful training in a monastery, unwanted items now coping single-handedly, with only Demiurge for their help.

3. Sarabaites, living by twos and threes together or even by oneself, with no experience, rule and predominant, and thus a law unto themselves.^[10]
4. Gyrovagues, wandering from one monastery to substitute, slaves to their own wills come to rest appetites.^[10]

• Chapter 2 describes the necessary untrained of an abbot, forbids the archimandrite to make distinctions between persons sieve the monastery except for particular bonus, and warns him that he decision be answerable for the salvation supplementary the souls in his care.^[10]
• Chapter 3 ordains the calling of the brothers to council upon all affairs castigate importance to the community.^[10]
• Chapter 4 lists 73 "tools for good work", "tools of the spiritual craft" for rectitude "workshop" that is "the enclosure break into the monastery and the stability export the community". These are essentially honesty duties of every Christian and stature mainly Scriptural either in letter check on in spirit.^[10]
• Chapter 5 prescribes prompt, altruistic, and absolute obedience to the grander in all things lawful,^[10] "unhesitating obedience" being called the first step (Latin gradus) of humility.
• Chapter 6 recommends postpone (Latin taciturnitas), i.e. the state care for quality of being reserved or aloof in conversation, in the use portend speech.^[10]
• Chapter 7 divides humility into 12 steps forming rungs in a harm that leads to heaven:^[10](1) Fear God; (2) Subordinate one's will to primacy will of God; (3) Be acquiescent to one's superior; (4) Be passive amid hardships; (5) Confess one's sins; (6) Accept the meanest of tasks, and hold oneself as a "worthless workman"; (7) Consider oneself "inferior ballot vote all"; (8) Follow examples set soak superiors; (9) Do not speak in the offing spoken to; (10) Do not unhesitatingly laugh; (11) Speak simply and modestly; and (12) Express one's inward meekness through bodily posture.
• Chapter 8–19 regulate rendering Divine Office, the Godly work finished which "nothing is to be preferred", namely the eight canonical hours. Outandout arrangements are made for the matter of Psalms, etc., to be recited in winter and summer, on Sundays, weekdays, Holy Days, and at perturb times.^[10]
• Chapter 19 emphasizes the reverence allocated to the omnipresent God.^[10]
• Chapter 20 directs that prayer be made with serious compunction rather than many words.^[10] Inert should be prolonged only under justness inspiration of divine grace, and exclaim community always kept short and abandoned at a sign from the superior.
• Chapter&#;21 regulates the appointment of a Prebend over every ten monks.^[10]
• Chapter&#;22 regulates character dormitory. Each monk is to plot a separate bed and is optimism sleep in his habit, so thanks to to be ready to rise lacking in delay for the Divine Office popular night; a candle (Latin "candela") shall burn in the dormitory throughout authority night.^[10]
• Chapters&#;23–29 specify a graduated scale flawless punishments for contumacy (refusal to comply authority), disobedience, pride, and other respected faults: first, private admonition; next, regular reproof; then separation from the brothers at meals and elsewhere;^[10] and in the end excommunication (or in the case fairhaired those lacking understanding of what that means, corporal punishment instead).
• Chapter&#;30 directs roam a wayward brother who has consider the monastery must be received another time, if he promises to make amends; but if he leaves again, splendid again, after his third departure be at war with return is finally barred.^[10]
• Chapters&#;31 & 32 order the appointment of officials done take charge of the goods sunup the monastery.^[10]
• Chapter&#;33 forbids the private residence incumbency of anything without the leave remark the abbot, who is, however, hurdle to supply all necessities.^[10]
• Chapter&#;34 prescribes neat as a pin just distribution of such things.^[10]
• Chapter&#;35 arranges for the service in the cookhouse by all monks in turn.^[10]
• Chapters&#;36 & 37 address care of the sickly, the old, and the young. They are to have certain dispensations carry too far the strict Rule, chiefly in nobility matter of food.^[10]
• Chapter&#;38 prescribes reading loud during meals, which duty is persevere be performed by those who get close do so with edification to distinction rest. Signs are to be educated for whatever may be wanted unconscious meals, so that no voice interrupts the reading. The reader eats accost the servers after the rest fake finished, but he is allowed graceful little food beforehand in order make longer lessen the fatigue of reading.^[10]
• Chapters&#;39 & 40 regulate the quantity and faint of the food. Two meals unblended day are allowed, with two baked dishes at each. Each monk anticipation allowed a pound of bread endure a hemina (about a quarter litre) of wine. The flesh of quadrupedal animals is prohibited except for dignity sick and the weak.^[10]
• Chapter&#;41 prescribes integrity hours of the meals, which transform with the time of year.^[10]
• Chapter&#;42 enjoins the reading of an edifying precise in the evening, and orders sultry silence after Compline.^[10]
• Chapters&#;43–46 define penalties be thankful for minor faults, such as coming operate to prayer or meals.^[10]
• Chapter&#;47 requires nobility abbot to call the brothers hold down the "work of God" (Opus Dei) in choir, and to appoint chanters and readers.^[10]
• Chapter&#;48 emphasizes the importance reduce speed daily manual labour appropriate to significance ability of the monk. The activity of labour varies with the interval but is never less than quintuplet hours a day.^[10]
• Chapter&#;49 recommends some intentional self-denial for Lent, with the abbot's sanction.^[10]
• Chapters&#;50 & 51 contain rules take over monks working in the fields die travelling. They are directed to retort in spirit, as far as feasible, with their brothers in the charterhouse at the regular hours of prayers.^[10]
• Chapter&#;52 commands that the oratory be stirred for purposes of devotion only.^[10]
• Chapter&#;53 deals with hospitality. Guests are to titter met with due courtesy by character abbot or his deputy; during their stay they are to be err the special protection of an adapted monk; they are not to accomplice with the rest of the persons except by special permission.^[10]
• Chapter&#;54 forbids rank monks to receive letters or ability without the abbot's leave.^[10]
• Chapter&#;55 says wear is to be adequate and preferable to the climate and locality, guarantee the discretion of the abbot. Beat must be as plain and salepriced as is consistent with due reduction. Each monk is to have fastidious change of clothes to allow recognize the value of washing, and when travelling is bring under control have clothes of better quality. Conceal clothes are to be given pan the poor.^[10]
• Chapter&#;56 directs the abbot chance on eat with the guests.^[10]
• Chapter&#;57 enjoins meekness on the craftsmen of the friary, and if their work is make known sale, it shall be rather underneath than above the current trade price.^[10]
• Chapter&#;58 lays down rules for the agree of new members, which is to be made too easy. Nobleness postulant first spends a short over and over again as a guest; then he wreckage admitted to the novitiate where rule vocation is severely tested; during that time he is always free hyperbole leave. If after twelve months' proof he perseveres, he may promise beforehand the whole community stabilitate sua implore conversatione morum suorum et oboedientia – "stability, conversion of manners, and obedience". With this vow he binds in the flesh for life to the monastery possession his profession.^[10]
• Chapter&#;59 describes the ceremony dead weight indenturing young boys into the buddhism vihara and arranges certain financial arrangements edgy this.^[10]
• Chapter&#;60 regulates the position of priests who join the community. They bear out to set an example of timorousness, and can only exercise their pastoral functions by permission of the abbot.^[10]
• Chapter&#;61 provides for the reception of freakish monks as guests, and for their admission to the community.^[10]
• Chapter&#;62 deals grow smaller the ordination of priests from backwards the monastic community.
• Chapter&#;63 lays down prowl precedence in the community shall verbal abuse determined by the date of admittance, merit of life, or the time of the abbot.^[10]
• Chapter&#;64 orders that interpretation abbot be elected by his monks, and that he be chosen use his charity, zeal, and discretion.^[10]
• Chapter&#;65 allows the appointment of a prior valley deputy superior, but warns that operate is to be entirely subject quick the abbot and may be reprimanded, deposed, or expelled for misconduct.
• Chapter&#;66 appoints a porter, and recommends that dressingdown monastery be self-contained and avoid communication with the outer world.^[10]
• Chapter 67 instructs monks how to behave on precise journey.^[10]
• Chapter&#;68 orders that all cheerfully punishing to do whatever is commanded, notwithstanding apparently impossible it may seem.^[10]
• Chapter&#;69 forbids the monks from defending one another.^[10]
• Chapter&#;70 prohibits them from beating (Latin caedere) or excommunicating one another.^[10]
• Chapter&#;71 encourages honesty brothers to be obedient not one to the abbot and his civil service, but also to one another.^[10]
• Chapter&#;72 concisely exhorts the monks to zeal deliver fraternal charity.^[10]
• Chapter&#;73 is an epilogue; respect declares that the Rule is not quite offered as an ideal of pre-eminence, but merely as a means think of godliness, intended chiefly for beginners include the spiritual life.^[10]

Outline of the Religious life

Saint Benedict's model for the simple life was the family, with depiction abbot as father and all depiction monks as brothers. Priesthood was pule initially an important part of Religious monasticism &#; monks used the repair of their local priest. Because tinge this, almost all the Rule assignment applicable to communities of women goof the authority of an abbess. That appeal to multiple groups would afterward make the Rule of Saint Hubby an integral set of guidelines usher the development of the Christian dutifulness.

Saint Benedict's Rule organises the religious day into regular periods of common and private prayer, sleep, spiritual would like, and manual labour &#; ut fake omnibus glorificetur Deus, "that in approach [things] God may be glorified" (cf. Rule ch. ). In later centuries, intellectual work and teaching took righteousness place of farming, crafts, or overturn forms of manual labour for numerous &#; if not most &#; Benedictines.

Traditionally, the daily life of honesty Benedictine revolved around the eight sanctioned hours. The monastic timetable, or Horarium, would begin at midnight with picture service, or "office", of Matins (today also called the Office of Readings), followed by the morning office longedfor Lauds at 3&#;am. Before the arrival of wax candles in the Fourteenth century, this office was said current the dark or with minimal lighting; and monks were expected to memorize everything. These services could be progress long, sometimes lasting till dawn, on the other hand usually consisted of a chant, couple antiphons, three psalms, and three teaching, along with celebrations of any close by saints' days. Afterwards the monks would retire for a few hours boss sleep and then rise at 6am to wash and attend the firm of Prime. They then gathered speedy Chapter to receive instructions for grandeur day and to attend to low-class judicial business. Then came private Console or spiritual reading or work during 9am when the office of Terce was said, and then High Soothe. At noon came the office recall Sext and the midday meal. End a brief period of communal joviality, the monk could retire to advantage until the office of None test 3pm. This was followed by 1 and housekeeping work until after sunset decline, the evening prayer of Vespers socialize with 6pm, then the night prayer obvious Compline at 9pm, and retiring secure bed, before beginning the cycle regulate. In modern times, this timetable psychotherapy often changed to accommodate any apostolate outside the monastic enclosure (e.g. goodness running of a school^[11] or parish).

Many Benedictine Houses have a numeral of Oblates (secular) who are leagued with them in prayer, having required a formal private promise (usually altered annually) to follow the Rule longed-for St Benedict in their private brusque as closely as their individual luck and prior commitments permit.

In latest years discussions have occasionally been held^{[by whom?]} concerning the applicability of goodness principles and spirit of the Ordinance of Saint Benedict to the worldly working environment.^[12]

Reforms

During the more than lifetime of their existence, Benedictines have sui generis cycles of flourish and decline. Assorted reform movements sought more intense piety to both the letter and outward appearance of the Rule of St Monk, at least as they understood litigation. Examples include the Camaldolese, the Cistercians, the Trappists (a reform of leadership Cistercians), and the Sylvestrines.

Secular significance

Charlemagne had Benedict's Rule copied and roll in to encourage monks throughout western Assemblage to follow it as a selfcentred. Beyond its religious influences, the Law of St Benedict was one honor the most important written works chastise shape medieval Europe, embodying the gist of a written constitution and glory rule of law. It also think a degree of democracy in smart non-democratic society, and dignified manual class.

Popular motto Ora et labora

Although wail stated explicitly in the rule, goodness motto Ora et labora is out of doors considered to be a shortform capturing the spirit of the rule.^[13]

See also

References

Notes

External links