Benedictine Life
“Listen, my child, with the ear of your heart.”—Prologue, The Rule of Benedict.
I keep returning to The Rule of Benedict. In fact, our Community of Hope Lay Chaplains recently led a class on Benedictine Spirituality in our forum during Lent at St. Mark’s.
Listen “with the ear of your heart” is in the first line of the Prologue to this pattern for living in community written by St. Benedict of Nursia. It was composed in the sixth century during the Dark Ages and is in continued use by Benedictines fifteen centuries later. The Rule is a balanced model of life that offers a radical alternative to a culture out of control. It was written for monastic life but applies to anyone seeking a spiritually disciplined rule for living in the world. The Benedictine day is organized around regular private and communal prayer, sleep, work, recreation, hospitality, and study.
Joan Chittister’s book, The Rule of Benedict: A Spirituality for the 21st Century, is used by the Community of Hope International. This program equips and supports lay pastoral caregivers who minister to people in all conditions. The Community of Hope International emphasizes developing skills and spiritual practices through immersing ministers in Benedictine spirituality in community. Chittister’s book can be used privately or in group discussions of the Rule. In addition, she writes a beneficial meditation and interpretation after each selected part of the Rule, which can be used in daily readings.
Memphis lawyer John McQuiston has written another concise modern interpretation of The Rule of Benedict called Always We Begin Again. It is pocket-sized and easily carried with you during the day.
A third book I use is Spirituality for Everyday Living: An Adaptation of the Rule of St. Benedict by Brian C. Taylor. This is another offering to help those outside the monastery experience Benedict’s rule of obedience and stability in relationships with others. It promotes living in the balanced tension of the paradox of turning our lives over to a higher power while staying in relationship with others. The aim is to keep from becoming stagnant to change and grow.
Esther de Waal focuses on this aim, even in the title of her book of reflections or meditations on Benedict’s Rule: Living with Contradiction. In her book To Pause at the Threshold, she also gives numerous Benedictine and Celtic reflections and prayers to practice when we cross a threshold from one room to another. She invites us to say a short prayer, trying to leave behind the “baggage” in our heads so we are open to a new experience. This can be especially helpful when visiting the sick or homebound as we enter their hospital room or front door.
There are many other books on Benedictine spirituality, but these five have made a difference in my life and the ones I give to people seeking a spiritual rule of life. So again, I would love to hear from you about the books on Benedictine spirituality that have made a difference in your life.
