Heck Yeah Benedictines

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Let each one take into account that he is constantly observed by God from heaven and our deeds everywhere lie open to the divine gaze and are reported by the angels at every hour.

Rule of St. Benedict 7:13: On Humility

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Thus the first step of humility is to utterly flee forgetfulness by keeping the fear of God always before one's eyes. We must constantly recall the commandments of God, continually mulling over how hell burns the sinners who despise God, and eternal life is prepared for those who fear God. We should guard ourselves at all times from sins and vices, that is, of thoughts, tongue, hands, feet or self-will, but also desires of the flesh.

The Rule of St. Benedict, 7:10-12: On Humility

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Do not wish to be called holy before you really are; first be holy, and then the term will be truer in your case.

Rule of St. Benedict, 4:62

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Listen intently to holy readings. Give yourself frequently to prayer. Confess your past sins to God with tears and groaning at daily prayer. Correct these sins for the future.

Rule of St. Benedict 4:55-58: “What are the tools of good works?” 

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You should become a stranger to the world's ways. Prefer nothing to the love of Christ. Do not act under the impulse of anger. Do not wait for vengeance. Do not plot deceit. Do not give a false peace. Do not abandon charity. Do not swear oaths for fear of swearing falsely. Speak the truth both in your heart and with your mouth.

Rule of St. Benedict, 4:20-28

Commentary by Terrence G. Kardong, OSB:

“[T]his verse [20] must be understood together with the one that follows: we leave aside whatever prevents us from following Christ. [...] “The love of Christ” is antithetical to the “world’s way of acting.” As used in the special biblical and Benedictine sense, the latter is sin, whereas “Christ’s way of acting” refers to his sacrificial love on the cross. [...] This is not a prohibition of anger as such, which is a legitimate and healthy emotion when evil is encountered. The point here seems to be to ensure that our actions are shaped by reason as well as emotion. [...] A spontaneous eruption of justified anger may be preferable to smoldering resentment which grows over time. This verse serves as a bridge from anger to internal aggressivity. [...] If [Benedict] is following Matthew 5:34-37 here, as seems likely, this verse [28] simply calls for candor without any of the mental reservations so dear to certain moralists.” 

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O Queen of heaven rejoice! alleluia:

For He whom thou didst merit to bear, alleluia,

Hath arisen as he said, alleluia.

Pray for us to God, alleluia.

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Sr. Mary Fatima, OSB, 1959

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Final Vows, 1970

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Benedictine nuns breaking ground for a new hospital, 1977

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Benedictine nuns singing the Divine Office

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[O]nly one Benedictine heart beats at the bottom of our universal diversity ... there is no doubt that we are going through a historical moment of darkness and we need a light, precisely like St. Benedict, which shines on high and gives us clarity in the midst of darkness.

Sister Maricarmen Bracamontes de Torreon

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The Benedictine way leads to a process of integration that embraces the different dimensions of the human conscience: cognitive (the mind), affective (the heart), ethics and morals (the will and all its capacities), religious (the soul). This integration enables us to love in a unified way and it is the condition to advance on the path of conversion. “However, the workshop where we must practice all these things diligently is the enclosure of the monastery and stability in the community” (Rule of Benedict, 4.78). The monastic dynamic animates the processes of integration in those who live in the “monastery,” which is the place where we ask God with the most insistent prayers to bring to completion the divine work of our lives: that they all may be one. If we persevere, trying to live in the “conversatio,” the experience of God’s unconditional love gradually integrates all the dimensions of our being, and thus we become unified inourselves and in the diversity and plurality that characterizes us. The result of all this is that we live with transparency and consistency, that we do not separate our judgments from our feelings, or our conduct from our belief. In this way, our integrity and social and personal responsibility will not allow us “to say one thing and do another,” or to establish ourselves in a life of contradictions and inconsistencies.

Sister Maricarmen Bracamontes de Torreon, a Benedictine sister from Mexico 

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- Benedictine sisters meet to discuss the virtue of hope, Rome, 2010

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“This mural is found in our Refectory. It is based on Rublev's famous "Trinity" icon. In the center is a large scale version of the icon itself, with the Trinity, represented by three angels, seated at Table. To the viewer's right is Sarah and to the viewer's left is Abraham. Behind Abraham is St. Benedict, St. Francis, St. Juan Diego, Mary, and the Burning Bush. Behind Sarah is St. Scholastica, St. Claire, Bl. Kateri Tekatwita, St. John the Baptist, and an "Agnus Dei" representation.”

Monastery of Christ in the Desert

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The Benedictine monk should have three notable traits in his character. He should be genuine and authentic in his search for God. He should have a love of the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours. And he should be obedient and able to fit into the daily round of community life.

St. Benedict’s Abbey, Bartonville, Illinois

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Saint Benedict and Saint Scholastica - Prague