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Living Spiritually Benedictine Spirituality
Timeless guidance for everyday living
It may seem odd that some of the best guidelines for achieving balance in our world today, where "stress"has become the norm, come from a Sixth centuryItalian monk who at one point chose to live by himselfin a cave. Yet through the centuries, millions havefoundthe teachings of St. Benedict of Nursia and his Rule for monastic life key to their own spiritual wholeness. The spirituality of St. Benedict has offeredthosewho follow its path a way to faith-filled living through work, prayer, learning and living in community. This is not a spirituality that requires a departure from everyday life, but rather a way of being that embraces and becomes fully engaged in the holiness that permeates our daily existence andthe call to follow Christ in all that we do. The following pages are a selection of thoughts, essays, quotes and suggestions on what it means to follow the teachings of St. Benedict to a more authentic and integrated being. These offerings pose questions as to how a Benedictine focuscan change the way we think about ourselves, treat one another andspend our time. They ask us to identify what is really important in our lives— what outweighs all ourdesires for money, status and success, and points to the authentic spiritual selfdeep within. And they respond to concerns about the difficulty of nurturing spiritual health in a world where the sacredis seen as something separate from everyday living. When we live an integrated life, we expressthe true identity that God created for each of us.Our every encounter and activityrevolves around our longing to be connected to God.St.Benedict's wisdom can helpus center ourselves in Godeven while we live day in and day out in a culturethat may work against us. Moreover, it shows us how those who share our lives are part of the spiritual way.
First things first
The Rule of St. Benedict
The Rule of St. Benedict establishes a way of life rooted in the Gospel andgrounded in the scriptural principles of charity, humility, stability, and faithfulness. It sets forth an outline for Christian discipleship drawn from the heart of Jesus’ ministry.
Two books that bring the Rule closer to home
Living with Contradiction
The Rule of St. Benedict addresses itself to us, each of us, just as we are. St. Benedict understands human nature, its strengths and weaknesses, limitations and potential. He respects the mystery that each person is, and the result of this is that the thrust of the Rule is never towards dictating, rather it is towards the inner disposition of the heart. So begins the third chapter of Esther de Waal's compelling book. Read here de Waal's insights about how the rule can help us to wholeness in this fragmented world.
Always We Begin Again
A busy attorney looking for balance in his daily life found thekey in the Rule of Saint Benedict. Read here excerpts from John McQuiston's popular book, which reinterprets the rule for contemporary life and offers An Example Weekday Schedule with Seven Stopping Points
More ways to understand Benedictine spirituality and some practices to get you started
What Does It Mean to Be Holy?
We may think that being holy is something reserved for a privileged few whostand several wrungs higher than ourselves on the spiritual ladder. Yet based on the Benedictine understanding of spirituality, being holy is more abouthonoring the sacred in our everyday world. Collected here are thoughts about the nature of holiness,plus what it is that makes us whole.
Holy Realism
Benedictine spirituality does not ignorethe difficulties that can plague our lives. It sees life as a whole, with bothjoys and sorrows, pain and goodness.
Knowing Who You Are
There is always a balance in Benedictine spirituality. Growing closer to God depends on our getting to know our own true selves,in all ourlights and shadows.
We Can't Go It Alone
"Benedictine spirituality is intent on our realizing that the presence of the other is also essential to my own development as well. Community is a Benedictine value. Do we need it now? We exist to be miracle workers for one another, and it is in community that we are called to grow."
Attaining Balance
"[Saint] Benedict was quite precise about it all. Time was to be spent in prayer, in sacred reading, in work and in community participation.... It was public as well as private; it was private as well as public. It was balanced."
