The Rule of St. Benedict is a guide for spiritual living. It has defied the changes of the ages from the enlightenment, industrial, space, modern, and post-modern worlds and continues to shape communities around the world.
St. Benedict lived more than 1,500 years ago in central Italy. He began his journey from home to study in Rome. There he witnessed the vices and corruption often associated with large city-life. He left and lived in a cave for several years before a group of monks found him and begged him to lead them as their spiritual father. Benedict established communities of believers who were devoted to growing their faith by balancing community, work, study, and prayer. He wrote a very simple code of living that became known as The Rule. That code of living has survived centuries of changes and spread around the world. It offers a simple framework for living in the 21st Century as relevant as it shaped the lives of 6th Century Christians.
The Rule does not demand harsh penitence to demonstrate piety. It does not contain the mystical qualities of the Desert Fathers. It does not overwhelm adherents with unreasonable burdens on time or energy. The rule does create an environment of spiritual holiness, the practice of Lectio Divina was established in monasteries by Benedict. It does emphasize the beauty of prayer. It does structure life where community shares to lift up one another to share the blessings and grace of God. As we integrate The Rule into our lives, we discover the attraction of being in regular communion with God the Father, through the redemption of God the Son, guided by the unity of God the Holy Spirit.
The goal of this series of writings is to consider the chapters of The Rule and attempt to discern the spirit of discipline offered by Benedict in each principle. Many of the considerations presented are based on personal encounters with The Rule and my effort to live out the precepts outside of a cloistered community. How can one live a monastic life outside the walls of a monastery? Cloistered communities who live in monasteries offer sacred spaces for communities to thrive as they provide repositories of treasured writings and art, as well as opportunity for research and knowledge shared by the church. Non-cloistered advocates to The Rule of St. Benedict, such as the Anglican Communion of Benedictines (a 3rd Order Monastic Society which I am vowed as a member) or Contemplative Outreach (www.contemplativeoutreach.org), which has been an ecumenical outreach for more than 30 years.
The Rule starts by inviting us to begin by simply beginning to read it. The Rule, some may be disenchanted by the prescriptive connotations of the title, is not a demanding script that requires obedience from the disinterested. Instead, Benedict uses simple language to lovingly say if someone is drawn to living life that brings them into deeper relationship with Christ, then read this rule. If you are not interested in such a life, then don’t read it. Life teaches us universal truths if we are willing to learn. If we are uninterested then we are welcomed to turn a walked away. Benedict’s invitation is as simple as Philip calling to Nathaniel that he might meet the Messiah, “Come and see.” (John 1.46). Over the next weeks, I hope to consider each of the 73 brief chapters of The Rule and apply them to my life as a Benedictine priest living in an open community, working in that community, studying to grow in wisdom and knowledge with God and man, and delving deep into prayer in all of its genres to dwell with my God – me in Him and He in me. Will you join me on this journey?
In Him,
Bro. Danny G. Nobles, OSB
