The Rule of Saint Benedict

We have written this Rule, that, by its observance in monasteries, we may show that we have in some measure uprightness of manners or the beginning ot religious Jife. But for such as hasten onward to the perfection of holy life there are the teachings of the

Holy Fathers, the observance whereof leads a man to

124 THE RULE OF ST. BENEDICT

the heights of perfection. For what page or what passage of the divinely inspired books of the Old and the New 'l'estament is not a most perfect rule for man's life? Or what book is there of the Holy Catholic Fathers that doth not proclaim this, that by a direct course we may come to our Creator? Also, what else are the Co//ations of the Fathers, their Institutes, their Lives, and the Rule of our Holy Father St. Basil, but examples of the virtues, of the good living and obedience of monks? But to us who are slothful, and lead bad and negligent lives, they are matter for shame and confusion.

Do thou, therefore, whosoever thou art who hasteneth forward to the heavenly country, accomplish first, by the help of Christ, this little Rule written for beginners, and then at length shalt thou come, under God's guidance, to the lofty heights of doctrine and

virtue, which we have spoken of above.

NOTES

1 The beginning of this Prologue suggests that St. Benedict had before him in writing the Latin translation of St. Basil’s Admonitio ad filium spiritualem, which commences with the words ‘* Audi fili admonitionem patris tui, et inclina aurem tuam." The invitation in the Prologue to the Rule is considerably longer than that of St. Basil's tract.

? 1 Rom. xiii. 2. INDSCXiv. 293.

3 Ps. xciv. 8, 13 Ps, cxiii, 1.

* Apoc. ii. 7. 14 1 Cor. xv. 1o.

5 Ps, xxxill. 12. ab Cor XA 7.

$ Joan. xii. 35. 16 Matth. vii. 24 seg. 7 Ps, xxxiii. 13. 17 Rom. ii. 4.

8 Ps; xxxiii. 14, 15. 18 Ezech. xviii. 23.

9 Isai. Ixv. 24. 19 Matth. vii. 13.

10 Eph. vi. 14, 15. 22 Cor, 1.7.

1 Ps. xiv. 4.

21 The Rule is written for monks who live together in community life under an abbot. This method of life St, Benedict considers the best to attain the end of all religious life, the realization of the supernatural and the closer union oi the soul with God. For this reason he calls those who tead the cenobital or community life the fortissimum genus.

22 Rom. viii. 15. 9 Ps, xxxix th ^ ZI +f

24 Tsai. i. 2.

?5 1 Cor. ix. 27. Ps-xlix. 16, 17. 27 Matth. vii. 3. 28 1 Cor. xii. 13. 29 Eph. vi. 9.

30 2 Tim. iv. 2.

31 1 Reg. ii. 11, 12.

32 Prov. xxiii. 13. 33 Prov. xxiii. 14. 34 Matth. vi. 33. 35 Ps, xxxili. I9. 36 Eccl. xxxii. 24. 37 Deut. vi. 5.

38 Luc. x. 27.

39 Luc. xviii. 20 40 Matth. xix. 18, 42 Exod. xx. x5. £ Deut. vi. 21.

43 Marc. x. 19.

44 1 Pet. il. 17.

4 Tob. iv. 16.

48 Luc. ix. 23.

41 y Cor. ix. 27. 48 2 Pet. ii. 13.

49 Joel i. 14.

50 Tob. iv. 7.

51 Ts, lviii. 7.

52 Matth, xxv. 36.

NOTES

53 Tob. i. 21.

54 Ts, i, 17.

55 1 'Thes. v. 14. 56 Jac. i. 27.

57 Matth. x. 38. 58 Matth. v. 22. 59 Eph. iv. 26. UI SES RECS

61 Rom. xii. 18, € y Pet. iv. 8. 63 Matth. v. 33-37. Si PsXiv 3:

So Te Desv Lop 66 y Cor. vi. 7. 87 Luc. vi. 27. Shr Pets Alters.

69 Matth. v. 10. 70 Tob. iv. 14.

T re Pim eilis59 PE cel xs xia 7s 19 Prov. eXX. Dg. 74 Rom. xii. 11, 15 «GOD XU TO. 78 Sap. 4. TI. MPs, Ixxii. 28. 8 oTa Cotenivang: 79" Os» xil. 9.

90 Joby xxxi. 14s 81 Matth. x. 28.

e2g2855295 288

8 8

100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 10

Phil?i: 23: Matth. xxiv. 42. Deut. iv. 9. Prov. v. 21.

Ps. cxxxvi. 9. Eccl. viii. 11. Ps, xxxiii. 13. Prov.) x: 19: Matth. xii. 36. EccL xxi. 23. Luc. xi. 28. Col. iv. 2. Ps;v1- 7;

Gal. v. 16.

Eccl. xviii. 30. Matth. xxiii. 30. Matth. vi. 1. Eccl. vi. 37.

I Tim. v. 22. Levit. xix. 17. James iii. 14-16. 2 Tim. ii. 24. Ps, €xxx. 1, Levit. xix. 32. I Line v.d. Matth. v. 44. Eph. iv. 26. Ps, li, ro.

1 Cor, ii. 9.

NOTES

in

Ps. xvii. 45.

I1? Luc. x. 16.

113 114 115 116

138 139

Matth. vii. 14. Jo. v. 30. Luc.-x. 16.

2 Cor. ix. 7. Ps. xxxviii, 2, 3. Prov. xviii. 21. Luc. xiv. 11. Ps, cxxE 33 2; Ps. vii. 10.

Ps. xciii. 11. Ps. cxxxviii. 3. Ps. lxxv. 11. Ps. xvii. 24. Eccl. xviii. 40. Matth. vi. 1o. Prov. xvi. 25. Psy lire2.

Ps. xxxvii. 10. Eccl. xviii. 30. Psa lita.

Ps, xlix. Z1. Jo. vi. 38. Phil. ii. 8 Matth. xxiv. 13 Ps. xxvi. 14. Ps.exlili. (22; Rom. viii. 37.

128 NOTES

140 Ps, Ixv. 10, t1. 149 Ps. cxviii. 7. M1 ps: Ixvict2. 10 Prov. x. 19. 12202 COREXI.E26; bl Ps, cxxxix. I2 LDUDSWOCXORVIS SA 162 Eccl. xxi. 23. 144 Ps, cv. 1. 153 Eccl. x. 14.

1 ps xxxl.-5, 154 Luc, xviii. 13. 146 Ps" xxii. 22, 23. I5 Ps, cxviii. 107. 147 Ps. xxi. 7. 156 Ps, Ixix. 2.

M$ Ps, ]xxxvii. 16. 187 Ps, |. 17.

158 The number of twelve psalms is said to have been revealed to the Fathers of the desert when they were uncertain what number to say for the night office. (Cf. Cass. Coll. Lib. ii. c, $).

159 Ps. cxviii. 164. Yn y Tim. iii. 15. 10 Ps. cxviii. 62. 12 Ecc]. xviii. 17. SITES Toa uu 173 Matth. xviii. 6, 162 Ps, xlvi. 8. V4 Acts iv. 32.

i0 Ds dXX Vlil. 175 Acts iv. 35.

I6 1. Gor. v5. 16 Ps, ]xxxv. 18. 165 Matth. ix. 12. 17 Ps, lxix. 2.

166 2 Cor. ii. 8. 18 Matth. xxv. 36-40. 167 Ezech. xxxiv, 3. ES Ds»:

165 Luc. xv, 4. 190 Luc. Xxi. 34. 16 y Cor. v. 13. 18 i Cor, vii. 7. I? i Cor, vii. 15. Ui d9 db On

183 Tt may be useful here to say something about the hours named in the Rule. The division of time, according to the Romans, was into twelve hours for the day and twelve for the night. The length of the hour, however, varied according to

NOTES . 129

the seasons of the year, the division of day and night being different : in winter the night hours were longer than theday hours, in summer they were shorter. 'Thatis, in winter, each hour of the night was roughly eighty minutes, and each hour of the day forty minutes. In saying, therefore, that the night office was to begin at the eighth hour, from November to Easter, St. Benedict probably intended to indicate our 3 a.m. (Cap. viii. Lauds was always to begin *tabout the break of day " In the summer months this would be about 3.30 to 4, aad Matins would be during that time, probably about 2.30-3 a.m.

In the same way the midday meal in the susamer time was to be at the sixth hour of the day, or midday. From September 13 to the beginning of Lent the dinner was to be at the ninth hour, or from 1.20-2 o'clock, and during Lent the one meal was to be taken in the evening, at such a time as *£ all be done by daylight." This, allowing for an interval after the meal, and for Compline, would put the single meal at about our 5 o'clock (Cap. xli.).

184 The fourth hour would have been in summer about 9.20 a.m.

18 The sixth hour would have been about midday.

186 None would thus be said about 3.20 p.m.

187 In the winter months the end of the second hour would correspond to our 9.20 a.m.

188 j.¢, 1.20 p.m. 192 Ps, xlvii, 10. 16. 10 p.m. 183 Acts iv. 35. 10072. 2.40 p.m, 193 Acts v. I—IO.

191 Matth, xxv. 35. 195 1 Jo, iv. 1.

130 NOTES

196 Ps. cxviii. 116. 201 Is. xlii. 3.

19? Matth. vii. 12. 2 Gen. xxxiii. 13. 198 1 Reg. vii. 15, cf Dan. 299 Matth. xxiv. 47. xiii. 51, segg. 204 Tob. iv. 16;

19 Rom. xii. 10. 25 Rom. xii 19:

200 Matth. xiii. 52.

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