Slides from a retreat given at St. Scholastica Monastery, open to the public, as a brief introduction to the history, principles and practices of Benedictine monastic life.

1. Benedictine Spirituality
in Everyday Life
Sister Edith Bogue
Benedictine Center for Spirituality
St. Scholastica Monastery
Duluth, Minnesota
7 November 2015

2. 2
 Benedictine Spirituality
• A little bit of history
• Some peculiar examples
• Why do this?
 Three basics
• Prayer
• Work
• Common good
 Three practices
• Lectio Divina
• Silence
• Obedience

3. 3
BENEDICTINE SPIRITUALITY
St.BenedictTransitus,withSt.PlacidandSt.Maurus
PhotobySr.EdithBogue.

4. 44
 Born in 480
 High in the mountains
of the Umbria region
 Noble family
Who was Saint Benedict?

5. 5
Norcia Countryside
ViewfromNorciaCityMuseum.
PhotobySisterEdithBogue.

6. 66
 Rome for studies in 500
 Rome was not center of
government.
 Urban life was "bawdy"
Saint Benedict

7. 7
Appalled by Student Life.
Leaves to seek a better life.

8. 8
Subiaco
 Fled to Subiaco, to a cave.
 Received the habit of a monk
 Spent three years in solitude learning to
pray and live as a hermit.

9. 9
Young BenedictBenedictbecomesamonk.
PhotobySisterEdithBogue.

10. Benedict’s
first experience
as an abbot of
a community of
monks was a
failure.
On a second
effort, he
founded 12
monasteries,
of which one
remains today.

11. 11
The Rule of St. Benedict
 Prologue + 73 short chapters
 Uses scripture as part of its language
 Uses existing monastic rules and traditions
SaintsBenedictandScholasticawritingtheRule.
FromtheBallotBox,CityMuseumofNorcia

12. 12
Monte Cassino
 Left Subiaco when local priest was jealous.
 Founded Monte Cassino on site of a pagan
temple. Lived until 543.
WorldWarIIcemeteryatMonteCassino.PhotofromWikipedia.

13. 13
Benedict’s years at Monte Cassino
 War and imperial
government
 Poverty and crop failures –
Rule describes surviving by
hard labor
 Goths and Ostrogoths were
Arians; Church disputes
were common
 Ancient Roman culture was
largely passing away
St.BenedictholdingtheRule.
PhotobySisterEdithBogue.

14. 14
Benedict’s wisdom and vision
 Benedict did not
invent the monastic
way of life.
 He drew on the
wisdom of the past.
 His approach was
moderate, flexible,
interactive, and
compassionate for
human frailty.
SaintBenedictseestheworldinasinglerayoflight.
MonteCassino.PhotobySisterEdithBogue.

15. 15
Monastic Life Before Benedict
 St. Augustine in northern Africa (Augustinians)
 St. Basil in Cappadocia in Turkey
(Basilians; most Eastern Orthodox monks and nuns)
 St. Pachomius in Egypt
 The "Desert Abbas" or Desert Fathers and
Mothers – hermits in Egypt, Palestine, Syria
 The Jewish Essene community at the time
of Jesus
 The example of Elijiah (Carmelite tradition)

16. 16
Common Elements
 Separation from "the world"
 Persistent prayer
 Work, usually manual work
 Extreme simplicity of lifestyle and diet
 Longing and striving for holiness
 Keen sense of eternity and eternal life
 Their practices form a "spiritual technology"
that enabled many to reach spiritual depths,
and also to help each other along the way.

17. 17
"The Desert a City"
 Thousands of monks
as desert hermits
 Garden plot, work area,
cells for sleeping.

18. 18
"A word"
 Silence
 The "word" of an abba
was for a particular
person and need.
 Hundreds of stories,
sayings and lives were
collected.
 Now slowly becoming
available in English.
ChristandaDesertHermit.Ancientfresco.

19. 19
WHY TAKE UP THE MONASTIC
LIFE?

20. 20
Two types of answers
 "Flight from"
• Overwhelming temptations & addictions.
• Intensity and stress of modern life.
• Superficial relationships
 "Journey toward"
• Relationship with God
• Authentic relationships with others
• Freedom from bondage to transient values

21. 21
Koyaanisqatsi
 Koyaanisqatsi: Hopi term for
“chaotic life” or “life that calls
for another way of living” or
“unbalanced”
 “The economy” has
become a force on its own.
 Family relationships and
life are complex and
increasingly uncertain.
 Life is fast, pressured,
scheduled, controlled.
 Human dimension is lacking.
KoyaanisqatsiandPowaqatsi
http://www.koyaanisqatsi.org/films/powaqqatsi.php

22. 22
Inequality: Greater in 2015 than any
time since 1929.
TheStandardofUr.FromUr,southernIraq,about2600-2400.BC.BritishMuseum.
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/t/the_standard_of_ur.aspx
An ancient Sumerian art piece shows awareness of social classes …

23. 23
Overwork

24. 24
Affluenza
(deGraaf&Wann(2001)Affluenza:TheAll-ConsumingEpidemic)
2
4
affluenza, n. a painful, contagious, socially transmitted
condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from
the dogged pursuit of more.

25. 25
Distractions
&
Promises

26. 26
Bureaucracy
 Management is by rules
and roles.
 Impersonal, based on “the
files”, rather than personal
relationship or memory.*
 Interchangeable people
 Contrast: The only written
record described in The
Rule is the record of one’s
monastic profession.
FromMaxWeber,WirtschaftundGesellschaft,partIII,chap.
6,pp.650-78.

27. 27
Dilbertfromhttp://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2011-03-23/

28. 28
No nation or people is
ready to follow laws to
slow climate change or
help the environment
Owen,D.(2012).TheConundrum:HowScientificInnovation,IncreasedEfficiency,andGood
IntentionsCanMakeOurEnergyandClimateProblemsWorse.RiverheadTrade.

29. 29
So: what does St Benedict offer?

30. 30
Joy in Community

31. 31
A Pattern of Prayer

32. 32
Serving Others

33. 33
Think of 3 things:
- to separate from
- to move toward
MAKE A NOTE!!

34. 34
THREE BASICS
St.BenedictTransitus,withSt.PlacidandSt.Maurus
PhotobySr.EdithBogue.

35. 35
1. PATTERNS OF PRAYER

36. Winter Schedule Summer Schedule
1:30AM:Preparation for night office.
2:00:AM: Nocturns
3:30AM: Lauds at daybreak.
4:00AM:Change and wash.
5:00AM:Trina Oratorio, Reading
6:00AM:Prime, Morrow Mass, Chapter
7:30AM:Reading
8:00AM:Terce, Sung Mass
9:30AM:Work
11:30AM: Sext
12:00PM: Dinner
1:00PM: Siesta
2:30PM: None, Drink
3:00PM Work
5:30PM Supper
6:00PM Vespers
7:30PM: Change into night shoes, Collatio
8:00PM: Compline
8:15PM: Bed
2:30AM Preparation for night office.
3:00AM Nocturns (aka Matins)
5:00AM Reading
6:00AM Lauds at daybreak, Prime
7:30AM Reading
8:00AM Terce, Morrow mass, Chapter
9:45AM Work
12:00PM Sext, Sung Mass
1:30PM None
2:00PM Dinner
2:45PM Work
4:15PM Vespers
5:30PM Change into night shoes
6:00PM Collatio
6:15PM Compline
6:30PM Bed

37. 37
Time as Cycle of God's Year

38. 38
Types of Prayer & Worship
 Liturgy of the Hours
• Psalms and Scripture Readings
 Eucharist
 Lectio Divina
• Slow reading of scripture, in stages
• Listening for your "Word"
 Personal
• Intercession
• Devotion
• Praise
 All include posture & gesture

39. 39

40. 40
2. WORK
LaborareEstOrare(toworkistopray),detailofanineteenthcentury
paintingbyJohnRogersHerbert,showingBenedictinemonksatwork.

41. 41
Why is work spiritual?
 God works.
• God’s work never ends
• We are made in
God’s image
• Jesus rested in order
to go out in ministry
 We work to survive
• Food and shelter
• Comfort and joy
• To be able to give
PhotobySisterEdithBogue

42. 42
Work can become our identity
 Human doings,
not human beings.
 Career before family.
 Crisis in retirement or
unemployment
 Self-image is only as
a worker
 Who am I,
without my job?
 This is not the
Benedictine view.

43. 43
Work in the Christian tradition
 Abbas and Ammas of the
desert tradition
• Manual labor + prayer
• Work the sign of the monk
 Works of mercy
• Foundation of many orders
• Focal point of many
Christian organizations
 Work of witness & mission

44. 44
When they live by the
labor of their hands,
as our fathers and the
apostles did, then
they are really
monks. Yet, all things
are to be done with
moderation on
account of the
fainthearted.
Rule of Benedict, Chapter 48 Sweet corn harvest, Yankton Benedictines
The Rule on Work
PhotobySisterEdithBogue.

45. 45
The Holy Rule
 Most of The Rule is about doing work
• Opus Dei, the work of prayer
• Hospitality, table service, mutual and
community service
• Spirituality is a work (Ch. 4)
• Christ is present in the sick, guests, pilgrims, the
abbot, & each other: we an always serve Christ.
 Work is assigned based on personality (cellarer,
porter), skills (reader, artistans) & strength (sick)
 Work of hospitality, and to “speak of holy things”
(Saint Scholastica)

46. 46
Work
Work done in the
Benedictine tradition is
supposed to be regular;
it is supposed
to be productive,
it is supposed
to be worthwhile,
but it is not supposed
to be impossible.
Joan Chittister

47. 47
3. THE COMMON GOOD

48. 48
Chapter 72:
Looking out
for the other
PhotobySisterEdithBogue
https://secure.flickr.com/photos/edithosb
•“Thus they should anticipate one another in honor.”
•“They most patiently endure one another's
infirmities, whether of body or of character”
•“They vie in showing obedience one to another.”
•“No one following what she considers useful for
herself, but rather what benefits another.”
/

49. 4949
 Benedict recommended
small groups and the
human touch. He is not
creating a
dehumanizing system.
 Neither does he want to
squelch individual
initiative,
or ideas for
improvement.
 Then what does he
mean?
Uniformity?

50. 5050
 We are open to listen and
see that there are others
present and they have
needs.
 We are willing to do the
hard work of blending in
with our community or
family.
 We learn to depend on
them for our needs.
 We do not strive to seem
better or distinct.
 We are not special.
Becoming Community-Minded

51. 51
What do you most want
- in your prayer pattern
- in your work pattern
- in your relationships
MAKE A NOTE!!

52. 52
THREE PRACTICES
St.BenedictTransitus,withSt.PlacidandSt.Maurus
PhotobySr.EdithBogue.

53. 53
1. LECTIO DIVINA

54. 54
Lectio Divina
 "Holy Reading"
 Remember that the best time of the day
was given to Reading in the medieval
monastic schedule.
 Pondering the Word, hearing it new, letting
it speak: these are the goals. Quantity of
reading is not a goal at all.

55. 55
Steps of Lectio Divina
 Reading. Read a passage slowly. Read it
silently, read it aloud.
 Meditating. Listen for a word or phrase to
stand out. Stay with it; repeat it to yourself.
 Praying. How does this word/phrase speak
into your life today? Allow the connections to
become a natural conversation with God.
 Contemplating. This is a gift from God.
Take time in stillness; true contemplation
may or may not occur. It is the delightful
sense of timelessness, an inner awe at the
beauty or love or wisdom or of God.

56. 56
Matthew 10:5-15
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go
nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the
Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of
heaven has come near.’[c] 8 Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers,[d] cast out demons. You received without
payment; give without payment. 9 Take no gold, or silver, or
copper in your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or
sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. 11 Whatever
town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay
there until you leave. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 If the
house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not
worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome
you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as
you leave that house or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more
tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of
judgment than for that town.

57. 57
2. SILENCE

58. 58
“If we want to reach the
highest summit, we must
set up that ladder on
which Jacob saw angels
ascending & descending.
The ladder erected is our
life on earth. We may
call our body and soul
the sides of this ladder. "
RB 7.5,6,8,9
Counter Cultural Practices

59. 59
Learning the Uses of Silence
• Not a rejection of friendship.
• Not intended to be isolating
or punishing.
• Helps us detect chatter that
distracts from authentic
connection with people.
• Helps us to listen better.
• Opening space for God’s word
to be heard and take root.
• Supports us in guarding our
hearts and watching our
thoughts

60. 60
Silence Where We Usually Speak
“One of the practices that all of us
should undertake from time to time is
actual physical silence. We need to
practice NOT saying even the good
thoughts that we have, NOT
communicating them to anyone. "
"Part of this practice will show us the
places and the people that stimulate us
to communicate. Another part of this
practice will show the strength of our
desire to communicate and the strength
of our own will to resist that desire.”
Abbot Phillip Lawrence,
Abbey of Christ in the Desert

61. 61
3. OBEDIENCE

62. 62
Obedience = Listening
 In Latin, the roots for "obey" and "listen"
are related.
 Even in rigid obedience, you
must hear an order in order to obey it.
 St. Benedict begins his Rule by telling us to
"Listen…with the ear of our heart."
 The abbot is instructed to consult before
deciding, to listen to the newest members,
and to consider challenges to his orders.

63. 63
AUTHORITY
 We have paradoxical ideas about authority
• We hope everyone will be “a leader” and train them for it
• We promote independent thinking and individual choice,
rather than looking for and following a leader
 Benedict tells us to follow TWO authorities all the time:
• The Rule AND the Abbot who takes the place of Christ
• Many parts of the Rule describe how to be a good follower
o Don’t grumble or complain; be satisfied with the work you have
o If a task seems impossible, explain the problem but try it if you have to.
o Don’t get puffed up about your contributions
• If the Rule and the Abbot are in conflict, try to keep the Rule
but remember that it tells you to obey the Abbot.

64. 64
“The external
practices of monastic
life are directly
connected with our
search for God. In
and through these
practices we express
our spiritual values
and ideals, & daily live
out our commitment
to God.”
Cummings, Monastic Practices
Obedience is not about rules

65. 65
How can you integrate
the practices of
- lectio with Bible or life
- silence
- obedience
MAKE A NOTE!!

66. 66
Benedictine Spirituality
 Is not separate for the tasks of our lives.
Rather, it helps us to be aware of God's
presence and action throughout our day.
 Is not distinct from Christianity or the
Gospel, but is a way of living it.
 Is not reserved to monks and nuns, but is
accessible to lay people.
 Takes time to learn, time to grow into.
 Works better with community.

67. 67
Going Further
 There are many excellent books to help
you learn more about the Benedictine way
of life.
 Benedictine Oblates meet regularly to
learn about the Rule and share their
experience of living it as lay people.
 There are online communities like the
Monastery of the Heart.
 You can join the Sisters for prayer at any
time; just ask someone for a prayer book.

68. 68
Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, “Abba, as far
as I can, I say my little office, I fast a little, I pray and meditate, I
live in peace and as far as I can, I purify my thoughts. What else
can I do?” Then the old man stood up and stretched his hands
towards heaven. His fingers became like ten lamps of fire and he
said to him, “If you will, you can become all flame.”
- From the Desert Fathers

69. Benedictine Spirituality
in Everyday Life
Sister Edith Bogue
Benedictine Center for Spirituality
St. Scholastica Monastery
Duluth, Minnesota
7 November 2015