The Rule of Saint
Benedict is an early 6th century text comprised by 73 short chapters,
which sets forth a rule of life for monastic communities. Christian
persecution, and the martyrdoms it yielded, ended in the early 4th
century, and monasticism subsequently sprung up in the shape of hermeticism
throughout the Christian world. Monasticism was understood as a white martyrdom
which took the place of the witness of Christians going to their deaths for the
one true faith. Beginning with the desert Fathers, Christian hermits began to
flock to those Fathers which were known for their wisdom, and sought advice
from them when it came to the new way of the desert. This is the origination of
monastic rules and the subsequent cenobitic lifestyle of monastic communities.
Thomas E. Woods gives us a succinct introduction to Benedict of Nursia and his
famous Rule:
“Western monasticism is most deeply
indebted to one of its own: Saint Benedict of Nursia. Saint Benedict
established twelve small communities of monks at Subiaco, thirty-eight miles
from Rome, before heading fifty miles south to found Monte Cassino, the great
monastery for which he is remembered. It was here, around 529, that he composed
the famous Rule of Saint Benedict, the excellence of which was reflected in its
all but universal adoption throughout Western Europe in the centuries that
followed.”
The Rule begins by
categorizing the various kinds of monks in existence: There are Cenobites,
Anchorites, and Sarabaites. Benedict goes on to describe all three and develops
an apologia for the way of the Cenobite. The Cenobite monk is one who lives in
community with other monks, under the rule of an abbot, in a particular
location. This is the best of the three because it is most conform to man’s
nature, who is a social animal and who learns virtue, especially humility and
obedience, through his interactions with peers and superiors. This is the most
ideal from of monasticism. The Anchorite monk is one who lives in solitude in a
particular location, dedicating his life to prayer and contemplation. Although
Benedict recognizes this form of monasticism as a genuine call and a special
grace, he nonetheless argues it is less ideal to the cenobitic lifestyle for
the reasons mentioned above. Finally, the Sarabaite monk is one who wanders
from one place to another, belonging to no particular community, and under no one’s
rule. Benedict criticizes this lifestyle as individualistic, lacking in obedience,
and filled with the spirit of self-service. He concludes that it is the worst
from of monasticism and should be completely rejected. Thus, the purpose of Benedict’s
Rule is to set forth a way of life for the Cenobite.
The Cenobitic
lifestyle is characterized by communal living where all things are shared in
common, and where the abbot exercises a monarchic authority over the community.
The monks take vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and stability. Benedict
uses familial language and describes the abbot in terms of the Roman
Paterfamilias, emphasizing the required virtues he should possess. Thomas Woods
summarizes this well:
“Each Benedictine house was independent
of every other, and each had an abbot to oversee its affairs and good order.
Monks had previously been free to wander from one place to another, but Saint
Benedict envisioned a monastic lifestyle in which each remained attached to his
own monastery.”
Benedict gives
great importance to silence, connecting it to Saint James’ exhortations against
the sins of the tongue. He reminds the monk that death should constantly be
before his eyes (memento mori) and that he should keep his head bowed in humility
throughout the day. Benedict also has harsh words for excessive laughter and
boisterousness: “But as for buffoonery or silly words, such as move to
laughter, we utterly condemn them in every place, nor do we allow the disciple
to open his mouth in such discourse.” But these passages should
be understood in context. Although a real seriousness characterizes the Rule, a
calm sense of joy permeates its spirit from the first chapter to the last.
One of the longest
chapters is the one on humility, which lays out twelve different levels of the
virtue in question (from man’s inner state to his outer actions). John Climacus’
Ladder of Divine Ascent (600 A.D.) will later contain many similarities with
this chapter of the Rule, as well as our contemporary Alcoholics Anonymous
program in the mental health practice. What characterizes these various levels
is a strong emphasis on the primacy of obedience. Benedict instinctively ties
this to Christ’s kenotic mission and sonship (which find their climax in the
Paschal mystery).
The largest part
of the Rule is the section dedicated to the Divine Office (Liturgy of the hours).
It extends from chapter 8 through 19. Benedict, here, painstakingly lays out
the manner in which the Psalter is to be recited throughout the week,
organizing the psalms in different hours of the day (one at night).“At the hour
of Divine Office, as soon as the signal is heard, let each one lay aside
whatever he may be engaged on and hasten to it with all speed, and yet with
seriousness, so that no occasion be given for levity. Let nothing be put before
the Work of God.”
A more colloquial translation which would better convey the meaning of Benedict’s
words would be “let nothing be preferred to the Work of God (which is the
liturgy).” Dom Paul Delatte, the third abbot of Solesmes and superior-general
of the Benedictines of France (revived by Dom Guéranger after the French
Revolution), in his commentary on the Rule, explains the following crucial
point when it comes to the place of the liturgy in Benedictine spirituality:
“What is certain is that St.
Benedict has himself defined the monastic life as the ‘school of the Lord's
service;’ that he places the regulation of the liturgy in the forefront of his
legislation; that he regulates this public prayer with more precision and care
than anything else, leaving to individual initiative the measure and manner of
private prayer; that he urges us finally ‘to set nothing before the Work of
God.’”
What becomes
apparent throughout Benedict’s rule is the moderation with which everything is
set forth. The monks are to be well fed and given plenty of sleep, the abbot
ought to be firm but gentle, and the morale of the community is given great
importance. Here we see Benedict applying the principle of Romanitas,
and a wise sense of pedagogy makes itself felt throughout the text. Thomas
Woods, once again, captures well this quality of the Rule:
“The moderation of Saint Benedict's
Rule, as well as the structure and order it provided, facilitated its spread
throughout Europe. Unlike the Irish monasteries, which were known for their
extremes of self-denial (but which nevertheless attracted men in considerable
numbers), Benedictine monasteries took for granted that the monk was to receive
adequate food and sleep, even if during penitential seasons his regimen might
grow more austere. The Benedictine monk typically lived at a material level
comparable to that of a contemporary Italian peasant.”
A crucial aspect of
the Rule that is well worth pointing out is the guidelines Benedict gives for how
to treat postulants and monks who may have a background of nobility, and how to
treat guests who visit the monastery. Guests are to be treated as Christ
himself: with the greatest honor (the abbot washes the hands of any new visiting
guest to signify that he is here to serve him). All members of the community
receive equal treatment and the nobility or poverty of one’s birth-status or of
one’s previous life is left at the door. Benedict draws the basis for this
practice from Saint Paul’s teaching:
“Saint Benedict also negated the
worldly status of the prospective monk, whether his life had been one of great
wealth or miserable servitude, for all were equal in Christ. The Benedictine
abbot ‘shall make no distinction of persons in the monastery. A freeborn man shall
not be preferred to one coming from servitude, unless there be some other and
reasonable cause. For whether we are bond or free, we are all one in Christ....
God is no respecter of persons.’”
In conclusion, the
Rule of Saint Benedict is a civilization-shaping text which yields pedagogical,
spiritual, liturgical, and historical insights at every reading. It has a surprisingly
beautiful inner coherence and an unparalleled track record of effective social
and spiritual transformation. Although the motto ora et labora (work and
pray) is not found in the text of the rule, it is a wonderfully pithy
encapsulation of its spirit. Sober like the Romanesque architecture and the
Gregorian chant it gave rise to, the Rule will disappoint anyone looking for
extravagant literature or secret knowledge. But for the simple soul who seeks
the face of the Lord, it is a treasure trove of charity and humility.
