CHAPTER IV The Instruments of Good Works · 3 of 65
The Rule of Saint Benedict
English, translated by Cardinal Francis Aidan Gasquet, translator — Cardinal Francis Aidan Gasquet, translator, 1925
First of all, to love the Lord God with all our
heart, with all our soul, with all our strength.97
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. Then, to love our neighbour as ourself.38 . Then, not to kill.??
. Not to commit adultery.”
. Not to steal.4!
. Not to be covetous.£
. Not to bear false witness.43
oN QN Uu Bp Q3
. To respect all men.**
9. Not to do to another what one would not have done to oneself.55
IO. To deny oneself in order to follow Christ.*9
11. To chastise the body.*?
12. Not to be fond of pleasures.
13. To love fasting.*?
14. To give refreshment to the poor.5?
15. To clothe the naked.5! 2
16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 235
22.
23:
25. 26. ok 28. 29. 30.
THE RULE OF ST. BENEDICT
To visit the sick.9?
To bury the dead.°%
To come to the help of those in trouble.5* To comfort those in sadness.55
To become a stranger to the ways of the world.59 To prefer nothing to the love of Christ." Not to give way to wrath.59
Not to harbour anger for any time.9?
Not to foster deceit in the heart.®
Not to make a false peace.
Not to depart from charity.
Not to swear at all, lest one forswears.9? To speak the truth with heart and lips. Not to return evil for evil.©
Not to do an injury, but patiently to suffer
one when done.®
31. 12.
To love one's enemies.97
Not to speak ill of those who speak ill of one,
but rather to speak well of them.®
33-
To suffer persecution for justice sake.9?
THE RULE OF ST. BENEDICT tg
34. Not to be proud.”
35. Not to be a winebibber."1
36. Not to be a great eater.72
37. Not to be given to sleep.?
38. Not to be slothful.7*
39. Not to be a murmurer.%
40. Not to be a detractor.76
41. To put one's trust in God.77
42. When one sees any good in oneself to attribute it to God, not to oneself./?
43. That a man recognize that it is he who does evil, and so let him attribute it to himsel£,79
44. To fear the day of judgment.®?
45. To be afraid of hell.
46. To desire life everlasting with entire spiritual longing.*?
47. To have the vision of death before one’s eyes daily.
48. To watch over the actions of one’s life every hour of the day.*4
20 ‘THE RULE OF ST. BENEDICT
49. To know for certain that God sees one everywhere.55
50. 'To dash at once against Christ (as against a rock) evil thoughts which rise up in the mind.56
51. And to reveal all such to one's spiritual Father.87
52. To guard one's lips from uttering evil or wicked words.88
53. Not to be fond of much talking.9?
54. Not to speak idle words, or such as move to laughter.
55. Not to love much or boisterous laughter.?!
56. Willingly to hear holy reading.??
57. Often to devote oneself to prayer.
58. Daily with tears and sighs to confess to God in prayer one’s past offences, and to avoid them for the future.%
59. Not to give way to the desires of the flesh : 95 and to hate one's own will.
60, In all things to obey the abbot’s commands,
THE RULE OF ST. BENEDICT 21: even though he himself (which God forbid) should
act otherwise, remembering our Lord's precept, Wat they say, do ye, but what they do, do ye not.
61. Not to wish to be called holy before one is so ; but to be holy first so as to be called such with truth.%
62. Daily in one’s acts to keep God’s commandments.%
63. To love chastity.100
64. To hate no man.!?!
65. Not to be jealous or envious.!02
66. Not to love wrangling.10?
67. To show no arrogant spirit.104
68. To reverence the old.105
69. To love the young.1%
70. To pray for one’s enemies for the love of Christ.107
71. To make peace with an adversary before the sun sets,108
72. And, never to despair of God's mercy.)
22 THE RULE: OF ST. BENEDICT
Behold these are the tools of our spiritual craft ; when we shall have made use of them constantly day and night, and shall have proved them at the day of judgment, that reward shall be given us by our Lord, which He has promised, Which eye hath mot seen, nor ear heard, mor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive what God hath prepared for those that love Him.) Steadfastly abiding in the community, the workshop where all these instruments are made use of is the
cloister of the monastery.