RULE OF ST. BENEDICT
Ora et labora. Pray and work.—St. Benedict
I’ve added the Reguli Benedicti, or Rule of St. Benedict, to my list of ‘Great Books’ read. It stands alongside Christian {Beowulf, Chanson de Roland, Shakespeare} as well as pagan classics {Homer, Sophocles} in the literary canon that shaped Western civilization.
Previously, the only facts I could assign to the saint’s name was the founding of a respected order of Catholic monks, and that familiar motto Ora et labora.
For several weeks, I would snatch a few pages with my lunch, from the mere 87 pages downloaded to my Nook. Between forkfuls of mango-chicken curry, or sips of orange tea, I read Benedict’s directives for initiating brethren, observing the monastic offices, distributing communal property {cutting out the ‘vice of private ownership’}, caring for the sick, and taking journeys. I chuckled {!} over the inclusion of being ‘not easily moved and quick to laughter’ as the tenth degree of humility; speaking ‘gently and without laughter’ was counted among the qualities of a monk who has attained the eleventh and highest degree of this ‘Jacob’s ladder.’
I am not Catholic {as I’ve had to explain when sharing my love for early liturgical music, or my current study of the Latin language}. So besides a definite measure of cultural literacy, what benefits did this Presbyterian get by reading old rules for a monastery?
I would say that my primary gain is a new vision for leadership in the example of Benedict’s ideal abbot; parents, teachers, and pastors can benefit from his admonitions to abbots on caring for the brethren in specific, wise and loving ways. Abbots were expected to maintain very high standards for their flock, and yet to consider each brother individually—in both expectation and correction.
The enduring popularity of Benedict’s Rule lies in a moderation not shared by other religious communities of his day: a balance between individual zeal and communal devotion. Benedict begins his Rule with his vision for a new kind of monastic order.
‘We are... about to found a school of the Lord’s service, in which we hope to introduce nothing harsh of burdensome. But even if, to correct vices or to preserve charity, sound reason dictateth anything that turneth out somewhat stringent, do not at once fly in dismay from the way of salvation, the beginning of which cannot but be narrow.’
Benedict closed with the reminder that his Rule is not intended to be ‘the whole observance of righteousness.’
‘Thou, therefore, who hasteneth to the heavenly home, with the help of Christ fulfill this least rule written for a beginning, and then thou shalt with God;s help attain at last to the greater heights of knowledge and virtue...’
Benedict’s view of good works as works of penance is something with which I, and most Protestants, cannot agree. Good works are indeed the Christian response to God’s admonition, but in the joy of a new nature through the finished work of Christ, not in any way whatsoever reparation.
‘The Lord... waiteth for us from day to day, that we respond to his holy admonitions by our works. Therefore our days are lengthened to a truce for the amendment of the misdeeds of our present life...’
Again, one thing that impressed me very much was Benedict’s gentle and loving spirit, evident even in his directions for punishment and excommunication.
‘[I]n his teaching the Abbot should always observe that principle of the Apostle in which he saith: “Reprove, entreat, rebuke” {2 Timothy 4:2}, that is, mingling gentleness with severity, as the occasion may call for, let him show the severity of the master and the loving affection of a father... The well-disposed and those of good understanding, let him correct at the first and second admonition only with words; but let him chastise the wicked and the hard of heart, and the proud and disobedient at the first offense with stripes and other bodily punishments.’
Of excommunicates Benedict wrote:
‘Let the Abbot show all care and concern towards offending brethren because, “they that are in health need not a physician, but they that are sick” (Matthew 9:12)... For the Abbot must know that he has taken upon himself the cure of infirm souls, not a despotism over the strong.’
Of those that were physically infirm, Benedict wrote guidance I might well take upon myself next time I am sick, or serving those who are.
‘[L]et the sick themselves also consider that they are served for the honor of God, and let them not grieve their brethren who serve them by unnecessary demands. These must, however, be borne with, because from such as these a more beautiful reward is gained. Let the Abbot’s greatest concern, therefore, be that they suffer no neglect.’
‘The life of a monk ought always to be a Lenten observance,’ and there were strict rules concerning material possessions, {including clothing, inheritances, and even personal letters}, closely ordered hours of work and worship, a vegetarian diet, and regular fasting. Yet again, Benedict counsels the Abbot to take special care of the weak, making exceptions in their diet and work load.
‘Let such work or charge be given to the weak or sickly brethren, that they are neither idle, neither so wearied by the strain of work that thy are driven away. Their weakness must be taken into account by the Abbot.’
In these and other admonitions, one gains a sense that Benedict must have been the sort of wise and balanced Abbot he described when he wrote:
‘Let him hate vice but love the brethren. And even in his corrections, let him act with prudence and not go to extremes, lest, while he aimeth to remove the rust too thoroughly, the vessel be broken... In this we are not saying that he should allow evils to take root, bit that he cut them off with prudence and charity, as he shall see if best for each one, as we have already said: and let him aim to be loved rather than feared... [L]et him so temper everything that the strong may still have something to desire and the weak may not draw back.’
Now, something I found very interesting was Benedict’s plan for reading the entire psalmody every week, as part of the Opus Dei. Yes, they read it all every week! Anything less Benedict considered ‘too lax a service,’ reminding ‘lukewarm monks’ that their holy forefathers would read the entire psalmody in a single day.
There are eight different monastic offices scheduled throughout the day, during which the monks would sing or read a certain number of psalms; certain psalms were repeated every day, and others every Sabbath or feast day. Several times I lost the thread of Benedict’s plan, and found very helpful this schedule prepared by Aaron O’Rear. I hope to try it one week this year, but am trying to decide whether I need to rise for Vespers at 4:30 A.M. to get the full experience. I think I’d better wait for Christmas break.
July 18, 2014