July 11: The Solemnity of St. Benedict

 

Today the Benedictine world celebrates the memory of Our Holy Father Benedict.  He appears on the daily Catholic liturgical calendar as an optional memorial, but for us here at the Abbey, this day is a solemnity.  We invite you to join us in spirit as we give thanks for St. Benedict, for his Rule, for his wisdom, and for his constant care for all of us who live under his tutelage and patronage, both monastics and oblates.

 A key part of St. Benedict’s legacy is his vision of a life of prayer and his invitation to all of us to take part in it.  We have only to read his chapters on lectio divina and the Divine Office to recognize what a large portion of the monastic day is devoted to prayer.  Oblates cannot, of course, follow St. Benedict’s schedule, but oblates and monastics alike are encouraged to make regular prayer a serious part of our lives.  Commentators often note that St. Benedict tells very little about how to pray. He describes the appropriate attitude with which to pray, especially (but not only) when we pray the Divine Office: “¹We believe that the divine presence is everywhere and that in every place the eyes of the Lord are watching the good and the wicked (Prov 15:3). ²But beyond the least doubt we should believe this to be especially true when we celebrate the divine office. ³We must always remember, therefore, what the Prophet says: Serve the Lord with fear (Ps 2:11), ⁴and again, Sing praise wisely (Ps 46[47]:8); ⁵and, In the presence of the angels I will sing to you (Ps 137[138]:1). ⁶Let us consider, then, how we ought to behave in the presence of God and his angels, ⁷and let us stand to sing the psalms in such a way that our minds are in harmony with our voices” (RB 19).  But he offers no instruction about a particular method of prayer beyond is general references to “reading,” which we presume refers to lectio.  (See Note 1 below)

 St. Benedict knew and belonged to the rich tradition of writing about prayer by the ancient Christian writers and, assumed his monks were also conversant with that literature, so he referred to it often but did not repeat it. (See Note 2 below) What he gives more specifically is instruction not in how to prayer specifically but in how to live a life that frames and inspires prayer.  A great deal of the Rule teaches us how to live with others in the spirit of the gospel.  He encourages respect, charity, concern for others, and especially the pursuit of peace.  He describes, in other words, a life governed by the two-fold law of love of God and neighbor set forth by Jesus (Matthew 22:36-40) as “the one thing necessary,” as it were.  In such a context, we will find it possible to grow more and more deeply into the habit of God-focused prayer that seeks a personal relationship with God but also the well-being of the world around us.  It’s a bit hard to contemplate the person and life of Christ, whom we are to prefer beyond all else, when are focused on our own wants, our own gripes, and our own interests. We can grow into the traditional monastic goal of unceasing prayer (a goal not reserved for monks but enjoined on all Christians)  because our energies will not be sapped by mutual competition for power and reputation,  internal grumbling about what is wrong with everyone else,  and me, me, me!  St. Benedict offers ways and means  to switch to "you and You".

 As we very well know, some of the specific ways and means St. Benedict describes for reaching this end have changed over the centuries, both in monasteries and in oblate life, but the essential gospel framework for living in growing love for God and neighbor has not.  And that perennial vision of life we still find in St. Benedict’s Rule and the tradition of spirituality it has fostered and maintained.

 Today is a good day to give thanks to God for the gift of his wisdom!

Notes

 Note 1: Note that in RB 19, St, Benedict does speak about praying with humility and brevity:” ²How much more important, then, to lay our petitions before the Lord God of all things with the utmost humility and sincere devotion. ³We must know that God regards our purity of heart and tears of compunction, not our many words.  ⁴Prayer should therefore be short and pure, unless perhaps it is prolonged under the inspiration of divine grace. ⁵In community, however, prayer should always be brief; and when the superior gives the signal, all should rise together.”  The phrasing suggests he is referring primarily to prayers of petition. 

Note 2:  Annotated editions of the Rule such as the large red RB1980 provide references to the many works upon which  St. Benedict seems to have drawn.

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