Prefer Nothing to the Love of Christ

This Saint Benedict’s feast (or memorial, depending on your calendar), I thought I’d do something a little different.

I had hoped to attend Mount Angel Abbey’s Saint Benedict Festival today, but unfortunately we had a meeting this morning, and Francine has a wedding shower this afternoon. Maybe next year.

The Benedictine Order celebrates two feasts of Saint Benedict: that of his death on 21 March, and today, which is in commemoration of the translation of his relics (or a portion of them) from Monte Cassino to Fleury Abbey in Saint-benoit-sur-loire.

For those seeking more information on the great Saint and his monks, please take a look at some of the older posts on this blog:

21 March 2015: Of Benedict and His Order (update on various Benedictine monasteries and such)

11 July 2014: On Community (a rather lengthy meditation)

21 March 2014: Listen, O my Son

11 July 2013: The Man Who Saved Western Civilization

11 July 2012: (Pope) Benedict on (Saint) Benedict

21 March 2012: Listen

11 July 2011: Towards a New Cluny (essay on liturgical reform)

21 March 2011: Saint Benedict, Abba Poeman, and Amenemope (short thoughts on silence)

Instead of a new essay or “state of the union” note on current monastic endeavours, I thought I’d just mention some of my favourite quotes from Saint Benedict’s Rule.

Some are wise, some are amusing, some are just plain practical. Hopefully, these will lead you to read and reflect further on the Rule.

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Listen (first word of the prologue)

What, dearest brethren, can be sweeter to us than this voice of the Lord inviting us? See, in His loving kindness, the Lord showeth us the way of life. Therefore, having our loins girt with faith and the performance of good works, let us walk His ways under the guidance of the Gospel, that we may be found worthy of seeing Him who hath called us to His kingdom. (Prologue)

We are, therefore, about to found a school of the Lord’s service, in which we hope to introduce nothing harsh or burdensome. (Prologue)

Let the Abbot always bear in mind that he must give an account in the dread judgment of God of both his own teaching and of the obedience of his disciples. And let the Abbot know that whatever lack of profit the master of the house shall find in the sheep, will be laid to the blame of the shepherd. (Ch. 2)

Whenever weighty matters are to be transacted in the monastery, let the Abbot call together the whole community, and make known the matter which is to be considered. Having heard the brethren’s views, let him weigh the matter with himself and do what he thinketh best. It is for this reason, however, we said that all should be called for counsel, because the Lord often revealeth to the younger what is best. (Ch. 3)

Prefer nothing to the love of Christ. (Ch. 4 – really all of Chapter 4 should probably be in this list!)

Dash at once against Christ the evil thoughts which rise in one’s heart. (Ch. 4)

Let us do what the Prophet saith: “I said, I will take heed of my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I have set a guard to my mouth, I was dumb, and was humbled, and kept silence even from good things”. (Ch. 6)

Hence, brethren, if we wish to reach the greatest height of humility, and speedily to arrive at that heavenly exaltation to which ascent is made in the present life by humility, then, mounting by our actions, we must erect the ladder which appeared to Jacob in his dream, by means of which angels were shown to him ascending and descending (cf. Gen 28:12). Without a doubt, we understand this ascending and descending to be nothing else but that we descend by pride and ascend by humility. The erected ladder, however, is our life in the present world, which, if the heart is humble, is by the Lord lifted up to heaven. For we say that our body and our soul are the two sides of this ladder; and into these sides the divine calling hath inserted various degrees of humility or discipline which we must mount. (Ch. 7)

If we do not venture to approach men who are in power, except with humility and reverence, when we wish to ask a favor, how much must we beseech the Lord God of all things with all humility and purity of devotion? And let us be assured that it is not in many words, but in the purity of heart and tears of compunction that we are heard. (Ch. 20)

Let them not have knives at their sides whilst they sleep, lest perchance the sleeping be wounded in their dreams… (Ch. 22)

The Abbot must take the utmost pains, and strive with all prudence and zeal, that none of the flock entrusted to him perish. For the Abbot must know that he has taken upon himself the care of infirm souls, not a despotism over the strong… (Ch. 27)

The vice of personal ownership must by all means be cut out in the monastery by the very root, so that no one may presume to give or receive anything without the command of the Abbot; nor to have anything whatever as his own, neither a book, nor a writing tablet, nor a pen, nor anything else whatsoever, since monks are allowed to have neither their bodies nor their wills in their own power. (Ch. 33)

Let him who hath need of less thank God and not give way to sadness, but let him who hath need of more, humble himself for his infirmity, and not be elated for the indulgence shown him; and thus all the members will be at peace. (Ch. 34)

Let the brethren serve each other so that no one be excused from the work in the kitchen, except on account of sickness or more necessary work, because greater merit and more charity is thereby acquired. Let help be given to the weak, however, that they may not do this work with sadness… (Ch. 35)

Making allowance for the weakness of the infirm, we think one liter of wine a day is sufficient for each one. (Ch. 40)

Idleness is the enemy of the soul; and therefore the brethren ought to be employed in manual labor at certain times, at others, in devout reading. (Ch. 48)

On account of the faint-hearted let all things be done with moderation. (Ch. 48)

On Sunday also let all devote themselves to reading, except those who are appointed to the various functions. But if anyone should be so careless and slothful that he will not or cannot meditate or read, let some work be given him to do, that he may not be idle. (Ch. 48 – I really like Chapter 48)

The life of a monk ought always to be a Lenten observance. (Ch. 49)

Let the oratory be what it is called, and let nothing else be done or stored there. When the Work of God is finished, let all go out with the deepest silence, and let reverence be shown to God… (Ch. 52)

Let all guests who arrive be received as Christ, because He will say: “I was a stranger and you took Me in” (Mt 25:35). And let due honor be shown to all, especially to those “of the household of the faith” (Gal 6:10) and to wayfarers. (Ch. 53)

Let the Abbot’s table always be with the guests and travelers. (Ch. 56)

Let him who is received promise in the oratory, in the presence of all, before God and His saints, stability, the conversion of morals, and obedience, in order that, if he should ever do otherwise, he may know that he will be condemned by God “Whom he mocketh.” (Ch. 58)

And in no place whatever let age determine the order or be a disadvantage; because Samuel and Daniel when mere boys judged the priests (cf. 1 Sam 3; Dan 13:44-62). (Ch. 63)

Let a wise old man be placed at the door of the monastery, one who knoweth how to take and give an answer, and whose mature age doth not permit him to stray about. (Ch. 66)

If, perchance, any difficult or impossible tasks be enjoined on a brother, let him nevertheless receive the order of him who commandeth with all meekness and obedience. If, however, he see that the gravity of the task is altogether beyond his strength, let him quietly and seasonably submit the reasons for his inability to his Superior, without pride, protest, or dissent. If, however, after his explanation the Superior still insisteth on his command, let the younger be convinced that so it is good for him; and let him obey from love, relying on the help of God. (This is the entirety of Ch. 68)

The brethren must render the service of obedience not only to the Abbot, but they must thus also obey one another, knowing that they shall go to God by this path of obedience. (Ch. 71)

Now, we have written this Rule that, observing it in monasteries, we may show that we have acquired at least some moral righteousness, or a beginning of the monastic life. (Ch. 73)