Traditional Benedictine Spirituality

[Jacob21]

As I continue my sojourn into the traditional aspect of our faith, I would like to incorporate more traditional practices into my prayer life. More specifically, traditional Benedictine spirituality. I live right up the street from the first Benedictine Monastery in the US, and am very much attracted to their spirituality. However I wish to know more and incorporate it into my daily life. I am right now patiently (well, trying haha) waiting for my Monastic Diurnal to arrive from England. Does anyone have any information or advice?

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

If you want to understand Benedictine spirituality you might start with the Rule of St. Benedict. It’s available online at osb.org/rb/text/toc.html#toc or you can buy a copy inexpensively. There’s also a wonderful monk named Br. Jerome Leo who puts out a daily commentary on the Rule. You can sign up for it at stmarysmonastery.org/holy_rule_reflections.html

 

[LoyalViews]

You are very lucky to live near such a place.
Fasting on Fridays and/or Wednesday’s is a good minor way to start. I hope I have helped

 

[OraLabora]

I live 30 min. away from a Benedictine monastery (where Gregorian chant is still in daily use).

You might want to look into your monastery’s oblate program. I became Benedictine secular Oblate in 2003 at my local abbey.

As for their spirituality, “Ora et Labora” (pray and work), and the promise of stability, obedience and inner conversion are the three legs. The Rule of St. Benedict is also very much about humility and doing God’s will instead of your own.

For anybody familiar with French, this is by far the best commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict I’ve ever read (it’s by a Trappist abbot; not per se Benedictines but they follow the Rule of St. Benedict):

Sur un chemin de liberté

There is a certain gentleness to Benedictine spirituality as well; after all we are contemplatives.

Lastly, the Divine Office is obviously a cornerstone of Benedictine prayer life. But I see you’ve already taken steps in that direction!

Also if you decide to try to run your home on Benedictine principles, as the “abbott” of the house, make sure you clear that with the abbess first

 

[kozlosap]

I live 30 min. away from a Benedictine monastery (where Gregorian chant is still in daily use).

You might want to look into your monastery’s oblate program. I became Benedictine secular Oblate in 2003 at my local abbey.

As for their spirituality, “Ora et Labora” (pray and work), and the promise of stability, obedience and inner conversion are the three legs. The Rule of St. Benedict is also very much about humility and doing God’s will instead of your own.

For anybody familiar with French, this is by far the best commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict I’ve ever read (it’s by a Trappist abbot; not per se Benedictines but they follow the Rule of St. Benedict):

Sur un chemin de liberté

There is a certain gentleness to Benedictine spirituality as well; after all we are contemplatives.

Lastly, the Divine Office is obviously a cornerstone of Benedictine prayer life. But I see you’ve already taken steps in that direction!

Also if you decide to try to run your home on Benedictine principles, as the “abbott” of the house, make sure you clear that with the abbess first

LOL! You have made my day! Thank you for the information. I’ve been looking for some legit sources on Benedictine spirituality as well, and I’m sure I’ll be spending hours today using your links!

 

[Jacob21]

Also if you decide to try to run your home on Benedictine principles, as the “abbott” of the house, make sure you clear that with the abbess first

No need to worry about that, unmarried college student haha .

I currently pray the Liturgy of the Hours in the one-volume edition “Christian Prayer.” I love the hours, but am looking forward to a more traditional version.

I will start reading the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as pray the Lord will help me with humility

 

[patwolford]

As I continue my sojourn into the traditional aspect of our faith, I would like to incorporate more traditional practices into my prayer life. More specifically, traditional Benedictine spirituality. I live right up the street from the first Benedictine Monastery in the US, and am very much attracted to their spirituality. However I wish to know more and incorporate it into my daily life. I am right now patiently (well, trying haha) waiting for my Monastic Diurnal to arrive from England. Does anyone have any information or advice?

You live in Latrobe? Have you been going to Fr. Maurus’ Low Masses in the Crypt?

 

[Jacob21]

Have you been going to Fr. Maurus’ Low Masses in the Crypt?

Oh yes! Father has taught me how to serve as well .

 

[patwolford]

Is somebody taking over the Masses that he did on Mondays and Saturdays, since he went back to U of I?

Is Father Cyprian back yet?

 

[Terra_Australia]

For a good contemporary commentary on the Rule of St Benedict in English, I recommend reading that by Abbot Philip Lawrence of Christ in the Desert Monastery (one of the few thriving communities in North America!). He also puts out an excellent spiritual newsletter each week that you can subscribe to. Their website is here: christdesert.org/Saint_Benedict/Study_the_Holy_Rule_of_St__Benedict/Chapters/index.html

 

[puzzleannie]

As I continue my sojourn into the traditional aspect of our faith, I would like to incorporate more traditional practices into my prayer life. More specifically, traditional Benedictine spirituality. I live right up the street from the first Benedictine Monastery in the US, and am very much attracted to their spirituality. However I wish to know more and incorporate it into my daily life. I am right now patiently (well, trying haha) waiting for my Monastic Diurnal to arrive from England. Does anyone have any information or advice?

since you are close to a monastery inquire about becoming a Benedictine Oblate. there is more info about us on the vocations forum, there is a sticky there. We pray the liturgy of the hours and practice lectio divina, learning these practices through our formation, and meeting regularly with the sisters or monks and each other.

 

[HCC]

I am also very attracted to Benedictine spirituality and am very devoted to Sts Benedict and Scholastica. I would be very careful though, a lot of Benedictines have gone off the deep end. I spent 3 years very close to a particular community and they had me so confused over basic Church doctrine, teaching, obedience, devotion, etc…, I didn’t know whether I was coming or going.

This particular community has a lot of traditional elements, including, now, an oratory exclusively for the EF Mass.

However, there existed a:
rebellious
cynical
elitist
entitled
smug
spirit there.

I visited their mother abbey in England for a week and it was even worse there.

Just be careful.

 

[OraLabora]

I am also very attracted to Benedictine spirituality and am very devoted to Sts Benedict and Scholastica. I would be very careful though, a lot of Benedictines have gone off the deep end. I spent 3 years very close to a particular community and they had me so confused over basic Church doctrine, teaching, obedience, devotion, etc…, I didn’t know whether I was coming or going.

This particular community has a lot of traditional elements, including, now, an oratory exclusively for the EF Mass.

However, there existed a:
rebellious
cynical
elitist
entitled
smug
spirit there.

I visited their mother abbey in England for a week and it was even worse there.

Just be careful.

Monks are human like the rest of us. They have conflicts, doubts, and errors.

There are plenty of houses that stick with orthodoxy, regardless of the form of the Mass used.

 

[dconklin]

I have spent time absorbing Franciscan and Jesuit spiritualities, but Benedictine spirituality has me most intrigued. We have a monastery about 40 miles away. Hopefully someday I will be at a place in my life (my family’s life) to be able to take a week or two soak it in.

 

[Anselm33]

As I continue my sojourn into the traditional aspect of our faith, I would like to incorporate more traditional practices into my prayer life. More specifically, traditional Benedictine spirituality. I live right up the street from the first Benedictine Monastery in the US, and am very much attracted to their spirituality. However I wish to know more and incorporate it into my daily life. I am right now patiently (well, trying haha) waiting for my Monastic Diurnal to arrive from England. Does anyone have any information or advice?

I’d echo the advice about becoming a Benedictine Oblate–you learn about the rule and your participation in the Benedictine way of life is strengthened by the fellowship. Please get in touch with Fr. Donald Railla at St. Vincent’s and he’ll tell you all about it. (I’ve been a Benedictine Oblate for 5 years, and just wish I’d known about it earlier.)
God be with you.

 

[HCC]

Monks are human like the rest of us. They have conflicts, doubts, and errors.

There are plenty of houses that stick with orthodoxy, regardless of the form of the Mass used.

And as I stated, just be very, very careful. Sadly, many Benedictine communities have gone off the deep end.

One of the less worrisome conversations with the monks I knew:

Monks: What is your prayer life like?
Me: Mass, Lauds, Vespers, Compline and some devotional prayers
Monks: (making faces at one another and rolling their eyes) uh…like what?
Me: I say the rosary everyday
Monks: ughhhhh… There is a little bit of Medieval magic in that.
Me: Well, it isn’t about the words, it’s about meditating on the Mysteries of Christ’s life.
Monks: Ha! Since when?
Me: I use books like, “The Scriptural Rosary” to help me meditate.
Monks: LOL! What’s scriptural about the Rosary?

 

[Anselm33]

And as I stated, just be very, very careful. Sadly, many Benedictine communities have gone off the deep end.

 

[HCC]

]

This has not been my experience at St. Vincent’s…it must be anomalous, or possibly an Anglican Benedictine community.

They are certainly not Anglican. They are part of the EBC and run the most prestigious Catholic school in England which produced Basil Hume.

 

[Anselm33]

Anselm33;7016328:

They are certainly not Anglican. They are part of the EBC and run the most prestigious Catholic school in England which produced Basil Hume.

As I said, this has certainly not been my experience at St. Vincent’s, nor from the very few things I’ve seen and heard from Oblates affiliated with other monastic communities (St. John’'s, Meinrad), so I can only conclude your experience is anomalous.

 

[HCC]

HCC;7016342:

As I said, this has certainly not been my experience at St. Vincent’s, nor from the very few things I’ve seen and heard from Oblates affiliated with other monastic communities (St. John’'s, Meinrad), so I can only conclude your experience is anomalous.

St John’s and St Meinrad’s are notoriously liberal and off-the-wall.

When finding a community of monks to attach oneself to look at the following:

-What are the liturgies like?
-Do the monks put on their “monk face” for the public and then speak irreverently when they aren’t on display?
-Are the younger monks running off to discos at night or doing things the abbot wouldn’t approve of and finding pleasure in their little rebellions?
-What’s the turn over like?
-Bring up Hans Kung during recreation and sit back and watch the reactions
-How many monks are in 12 step programs, therapy, seeking self-actualization through “alternative methods?”
-How many monks speak of things in an ambiguous manner with very questionable undertones? Muted enough not to cause scandal?

My point is, look for authentic Benedictine spirituality. It isn’t easily found in these United States. Most Abbeys are off-the-wall, sorry, that is the truth.