Spiritual Growth Guide
What Is Benedictine Spirituality?
Benedictine Spirituality – also known as Monastic Spirituality. This religious practice refers to St. Benedict and his spiritual practice. St. Benedict lived in the 6th century. He was born on March 2, 480 AD, in Norcia, Italy. A devoted monk, he established the Rule of Benedict. Which contains 73 chapters about spiritual and administrative knowledge.
Benedictine Spirituality – The Rule of Benedict
Te Rule of Benedict is a book written by St. Benedict. It is used by the Benedictine monks for centuries. And it contains useful information for monks and the followers of monasticism. Also, contains 73 chapters. And it approaches different topics from the classification of monks (Chapter one) to the purpose of the Rule (Chapter 73). Therefore, this book contains the main principles of a spiritual life. And, as a result, it offers guidance for beginners on the path of monasticism.
St. Benedict sorts the monks in 4 different categories. The first category contains the Cenobites. Which are monks serving in a monastery under strict rules. The second kind are the Anchorites or Hermits. Who are able to continue the monk life without the help of a monastery. They rely only on God and his teachings. The 3rd kind of monks are the Sarabaites. They live alone or in gatherings of two or three. They depend on no one. And they have their own rules. And the last kind of monks are the Gyrovagues. They wander from one monastery to the other. And they are the slaves of their own will.
Benedictine Spirituality
Those who follow Benedictine Spirituality have their own model of the monastic life. And it looks like a family. The Abbot is the father. And the monks are brothers. Even woman can follow this model, but only if they have an Abbess. The Benedictine’s routines are simple. They contain daily practices such as private praying, spiritual reading, manual labor and sleeping. But, over the centuries, they added crafts and other manual labor.
In conclusion, Benedictine Spirituality is a religious practice very hard to be followed by people with a normal life. It is practiced by monks and followers of Monasticism.
