RB 1980- The Rule Of St Benedict

by Saint Benedict

  20Et praecipue ut praesentem regulam in omnibus conservet, 21ut dum bene ministraverit audiat a Domino quod servus bonus qui erogavit triticum conservis suis in tempore suo: 22Amen dico vobis, ait, super omnia bona sua constituit eum.

  LXV. DE PRAEPOSITO MONASTERII

  1 *Saepius quidem contigit ut per ordinationem praepositi scandala gravia in monasteriis oriantur, 2dum sint aliqui maligno spiritu superbiae inflati et aestimantes se secundos esse abbates, assumentes sibi tyrannidem, scandala nutriunt et dissensiones in congregationes faciunt, 3et maxime in illis locis ubi ab eodem sacerdote vel ab eis abbatibus qui abbatem ordinant, ab ipsis etiam et praepositus ordinatur. 4Quod quam sit absurdum facile advertitur, quia ab ipso initio ordinationis materia ei datur superbiendi, 5dum ei suggeritur a cogitationibus suis exutum eum esse a potestate abbatis sui, 6quia ab ipsis es et tu ordinatus a quibus et abbas. 7Hinc suscitantur invidiae, rixae, detractiones, aemulationes, dissensiones, exordinationes, 8ut dum contraria sibi abbas praepositusque sentiunt, et ipsorum necesse est sub hanc dissensionem animas periclitari, 9et hi qui sub ipsis sunt, dum adulantur partibus, eunt in perditionem. 10Cuius periculi malum illos respicit in capite qui talius inordinationis se fecerunt auctores.

  11 *Ideo nos vidimus expedire propter pacis caritatisque custodiam in abbatis pendere arbitrio ordinationem monasterii sui; 12 *et si potest fieri per decanos ordinetur, ut ante disposuimus, omnis utilitas monasterii, prout abbas disposuerit, 13ut, dum pluribus committitur, unus non superbiat. 14Quod si aut locus expetit aut congregatio petierit rationabiliter cum humilitate et abbas iudicaverit expedire, 15 *quemcumque elegerit abbas cum consilio fratrum timentium Deum ordinet ipse sibi praepositum. 16 *Qui tamen praepositus illa agat cum reverentia quae ab abbate suo ei iniuncta fuerint, nihil contra abbatis voluntatem aut ordinationem faciens, 17quia quantum praelatus est ceteris, ita eum oportet sollicitius observare praecepta regulae.

  18Qui praepositus si repertus fuerit vitiosus aut elatione deceptus superbire, aut contemptor sanctae regulae fuerit comprobatus, admoneatur verbis usque quater; 19si non emendaverit, adhibeatur ei correptio disciplinae regularis. 20Quod si neque sic correxerit, tunc deiciatur de ordine praepositurae et alius qui dignus est in loco eius surrogetur. 21Quod si et postea in congregatione quietus et oboediens non fuerit, etiam de monasterio pellatur. 22Cogitet tamen abbas se de omnibus iudiciis suis Deo reddere rationem, ne forte invidiae aut zeli flamma urat animam.

  LXVI. DE OSTIARIIS MONASTERII

  1 *Ad portam monasterii ponatur senex sapiens, qui sciat accipere responsum et reddere, et cuius maturitas eum non sinat vagari. 2Qui portarius cellam debebit habere iuxta portam, ut venientes semper praesentem inveniant a quo responsum accipiant. 3Et mox ut aliquis pulsaverit aut pauper clamaverit, Deo gratias respondeat aut Benedic, 4et cum omni mansuetudine timoris Dei reddat responsum festinanter cum fervore caritatis. 5Qui portarius si indiget solacio iuniorem fratrem accipiat.

  6 *Monasterium autem, si possit fieri, ita debet constitui ut omnia necessaria, id est aqua, molendinum, hortum, vel artes diversas intra monasterium exerceantur, 7ut non sit necessitas monachis vagandi foris, quia omnino non expedit animabus eorum.

  8Hanc autem regulam saepius volumus in congregatione legi, ne quis fratrum se de ignorantia excuset.

  LXVII. DE FRATRIBUS IN VIAM DIRECTIS

  1Dirigendi fratres in via omnium fratrum vel abbatis se orationi commendent, 2et semper ad orationem ultimam operis Dei commemoratio omnium absentum fiat. 3Revertentes autem de via fratres ipso die quo redeunt per omnes canonicas horas, dum expletur opus Dei, prostrati solo oratorii 4ab omnibus petant orationem propter excessos, ne qui forte surripuerint in via visus aut auditus malae rei aut otiosi sermonis. 5 *Nec praesumat quisquam referre alio quaecumque foris monasterium viderit aut audierit, quia plurima destructio est.

  6Quod si quis praesumpserit, vindictae regulari subiaceat. 7 *Similiter et qui praesumpserit claustra monasterii egredi vel quocumque ire vel quippiam quamvis parvum sine iussione abbatis facere.

  LXVIII. SI FRATRI IMPOSSIBILIA INIUNGANTUR

  1 *Si cui fratri aliqua forte gravia aut impossibilia iniunguntur, suscipiat quidem iubentis imperium cum omni mansuetudine et oboedientia. 2Quod si omnino virium suarum mensuram viderit pondus oneris excedere, impossibilitatis suae causas ei qui sibi praeest patienter et opportune suggerat, 3non superbiendo aut resistendo vel contradicendo. 4 *Quod si post suggestionem suam in sua sententia prioris imperium perduraverit, sciat iunior ita sibi expedire, 5et ex caritate, confidens de adiutorio Dei, oboediat.

  LXIX. UT IN MONASTERIO NON PRAESUMAT ALTER ALTERUM DEFENDERE

  1 *Praecavendum est ne quavis occasione praesumat alter alium defendere monachum in monasterio aut quasi tueri, 2etiam si qualivis consanguinitatis propinquitate iungantur. 3Nec quolibet modo id a monachis praesumatur, quia exinde gravissima occasio scandalorum oriri potest. 4Quod si quis haec transgressus fuerit, acrius coerceatur.

  LXX. UT NON PRAESUMAT PASSIM ALIQUIS CAEDERE

  1 Vitetur in monasterio omnis praesumptionis occasio; 2atque constituimus ut nulli liceat quemquam fratrum suorum excommunicare aut caedere, nisi cui potestas ab abbate data fuerit. 3Peccantes autem coram omnibus arguantur ut ceteri metum habeant. 4Infantum vero usque quindecim annorum aetates disciplinae diligentia ab omnibus et custodia sit; 5sed et hoc cum omni mensura et ratione.

  6Nam in fortiori aetate qui praesumit aliquatenus sine praecepto abbatis vel in ipsis infantibus sine discretione exarserit, disciplinae regulari subiaceat, 7quia scriptum est: Quod tibi non vis fieri, alio ne feceris.

  LXXI. UT OBOEDIENTES SIBI SINT INVICEM

  1 *Oboedientiae bonum non solum abbati exhibendum est ab omnibus, sed etiam sibi invicem ita oboediant fratres, 2scientes per hanc oboedientiae viam se ituros ad Deum. 3Praemisso ergo abbatis aut praepositorum qui ab eo constituuntur imperio, cui non permittimus privata imperia praeponi, 4de cetero omnes iuniores prioribus suis omni caritate et sollicitudine oboediant. 5Quod si quis contentiosus reperitur, corripiatur.

  6 *Si quis autem frater pro quavis minima causa ab abbate vel a quocumque priore suo corripitur quolibet modo, 7vel si leviter senserit animos prioris cuiuscumque contra se iratos vel commotos quamvis modice, 8mox sine mora tamdiu prostratus in terra ante pedes eius iaceat satisfaciens, usque dum benedictione sanetur illa commotio. 9 *Quod qui contempserit facere, aut corporali vindictae subiaceat aut, si contumax fuerit, de monasterio expellatur.

  LXXII. DE ZELO BONO QUOD DEBENT MONACHI HABERE

  1 *Sicut est zelus amaritudinis malus qui separat a Deo et ducit ad infernum, 2ita est zelus bonus qui separat a vitia et ducit ad Deum et ad vitam aeternam. 3 *Hunc ergo zelum ferventissimo amore exerceant monachi, 4id est ut honore se invicem praeveniant, 5 *infirmitates suas sive corporum sive morum patientissime tolerent, 6oboedientiam sibi certatim impendant; 7 *nullus quod sibi utile iudicat sequatur, sed quod magis alio; 8caritatem fraternitatis caste impendant, 9 *amore Deum timeant, 10abbatem suum sincera et humili caritate diligant, 11 *Christo omnino nihil praeponant, 12 qui nos pariter ad vitam aeternam perducat.

  LXXIII. DE HOC QUOD NON OMNIS IUSTITIAE OBSERVATIO IN HAC SIT REGULA CONSTITUTA

  1 *Regulam autem hanc descripsimus, ut hanc observantes in monasteriis aliquatenus vel honestatem morum aut initium conversationis nos demonstremus habere. 2 *Ceterum ad perfectionem conversationis qui festinat, sunt doctrinae sanctorum patrum, quarum observatio perducat hominem ad celsitudinem perfectionis. 3Quae enim pagina aut qui sermo divinae auctoritatis veteris ac novi testamenti non est rectissima norma vitae humanae? 4Aut quis liber sanctorum catholicorum patrum hoc non resonat ut recto cursu perveniamus ad creatorem nostrum? 5Necnon et Collationes Patrum et Instituta et Vitas eorum, sed et Regula sancti patris nostri Basilii, 6 *quid aliud sunt nisi bene viventium et oboedientium monachorum instrumenta virtutum? 7 *Nobis autem desidiosis et male viventibus atque neglegentibus rubor confusionis est.

  8 *Quisquis ergo ad patriam caelestem festinas, hanc minimam inchoationis regulam descriptam, adiuvante Christo, perfice, 9 *et tunc dem
um ad maiora quae supra commemoravimus doctrinae virtutumque culmina, Deo protegente, pervenies. Amen.

  THE RULE OF SAINT BENEDICT

  PROLOGUE (English)

  1 * Listen carefully, my son, to the master’s instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from a father who loves you; welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice. 2 * The labor of obedience will bring you back to him from whom you had drifted through the sloth of disobedience. 3 * This message of mine is for you, then, if you are ready to give up your own will, once and for all, and armed with the strong and noble weapons of obedience to do battle for the true King, Christ the Lord.

  4 * First of all, every time you begin a good work, you must pray to him most earnestly to bring it to perfection. 5 In his goodness, he has already counted us as his sons, and therefore we should never grieve him by our evil actions. 6 With his good gifts which are in us, we must obey him at all times that he may never become the angry father who disinherits his sons, 7 nor the dread lord, enraged by our sins, who punishes us forever as worthless servants for refusing to follow him to glory.

  8 Let us get up then, at long last, for the Scriptures rouse us when they say: It is high time for us to arise from sleep (Rom 13: 11). 9 *Let us open our eyes to the light that comes from God, and our ears to the voice from heaven that every day calls out this charge: 10 If you hear his voice today, do not harden your hearts (Ps 94 [95]:8). 11 And again: You that have ears to hear, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches (Rev 2:7). 12 And what does he say? Come and listen to me, sons; I will teach you the fear of the Lord (Ps 33[34]: 12). 13 Run while you have the light of life, that the darkness of death may not overtake you (John 12:35).

  14 Seeking his workman in a multitude of people, the Lord calls out to him and lifts his voice again: 15Is there anyone here who yearns for life and desires to see good days? (Ps 33[34]: 13) 16If you hear this and your answer is “I do,” God then directs these words to you: 17 If you desire true and eternal life, keep your tongue free from vicious talk and your lips from all deceit; turn away from evil and do good; let peace be your quest and aim (Ps 33[34]:14-15). 18 * Once you have done this, my eyes will be upon you and my ears will listen for your prayers; and even before you ask me, I will say to you: Here I am (Isa 58:9). 19 What, dear brothers, is more delightful than this voice of the Lord calling to us? 20 * See how the Lord in his love shows us the way of life. 21 Clothed then with faith and the performance of good works, let us set out on this way, with the Gospel for our guide, that we may deserve to see him who has called us to his kingdom (1 Thess 2:12).

  22 If we wish to dwell in the tent of this kingdom, we will never arrive unless we run there by doing good deeds. 23 But let us ask the Lord with the Prophet: Who will dwell in your tent, Lord; who will find rest upon your holy mountain? (Ps 14[15]: 1) 24 After this question, brothers, let us listen well to what the Lord says in reply, for he shows us the way to his tent. 25 One who walks without blemish, he says, and is just in all his dealings; 26 who speaks the truth from his heart and has not practiced deceit with his tongue; 27 who has not wronged a fellowman in any way, nor listened to slanders against his neighbor (Ps 14[15]:2-3). 28 * He has foiled the evil one, the devil, at every turn, flinging both him and his promptings far from the sight of his heart. While these temptations were still young, he caught hold of them and dashed them against Christ (Ps 14[15]:4; 136[137]:9). 29 * These people fear the Lord, and do not become elated over their good deeds; they judge it is the Lord’s power, not their own, that brings about the good in them. 30 They praise (Ps 14[15]:4) the Lord working in them, and say with the Prophet: Not to us, Lord, not to us give the glory, but to your name alone (Ps 113[115: 1]:9). 31 In just this way Paul the Apostle refused to take credit for the power of his preaching. He declared: By God’s grace I am what I am (1 Cor 15:10). 32 * And again he said: He who boasts should make his boast in the Lord (2 Cor 10:17). 33 * That is why the Lord says in the Gospel: Whoever hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house upon rock; 34 the floods came and the winds blew and beat against the house, but it did not fall: it was founded on rock (Matt 7:24-25).

  35 * With this conclusion, the Lord waits for us daily to translate into action, as we should, his holy teachings. 36 Therefore our life span has been lengthened by way of a truce, that we may amend our misdeeds. 37 As the Apostle says: Do you not know that the patience of God is leading you to repent (Rom 2:4)? 38 * And indeed the Lord assures us in his love: I do not wish the death of the sinner, but that he turn back to me and live (Ezek 33: 11).

  39 Brothers, now that we have asked the Lord who will dwell in his tent, we have heard the instruction for dwelling in it, but only if we fulfill the obligations of those who live there. 40 We must, then, prepare our hearts and bodies for the battle of holy obedience to his instructions. 41 * What is not possible to us by nature, let us ask the Lord to supply by the help of his grace. 42 If we wish to reach eternal life, even as we avoid the torments of hell, 43 then—while there is still time, while we are in this body and have time to accomplish all these things by the light of life— 44 we must run and do now what will profit us forever.

  45 Therefore we intend to establish a school for the Lord’s service. 46 * In drawing up its regulations, we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome. 47 The good of all concerned, however, may prompt us to a little strictness in order to amend faults and to safeguard love. 48 * * Do not be daunted immediately by fear and run away from the road that leads to salvation. It is bound to be narrow at the outset. 49 * * But as we progress in this way of life and in faith, we shall run on the path of God’s commandments, our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love. 50 * Never swerving from his instructions, then, but faithfully observing his teaching in the monastery until death, we shall through patience share in the sufferings of Christ that we may deserve also to share in his kingdom. Amen.

  [HERE BEGINS THE TEXT OF THE RULE]

  [It is called a rule because it regulates the lives of those who obey it]

  CHAPTER 1. THE KINDS OF MONKS

  1 *There are clearly four kinds of monks. 2 First, there are the cenobites, that is to say, those who belong to a monastery, where they serve under a rule and an abbot.

  3 *Second, there are the anchorites or hermits, who have come through the test of living in a monastery for a long time, and have passed beyond the first fervor of monastic life. 4*Thanks to the help and guidance of many, they are now trained to fight against the devil. 5 *They have built up their strength and go from the battle line in the ranks of their brothers to the single combat of the desert. Self-reliant now, without the support of another, they are ready with God’s help to grapple single-handed with the vices of body and mind.

  6 *Third, there are the sarabaites, the most detestable kind of monks, who with no experience to guide them, no rule to try them as gold is tried in a furnace (Prov 27:21), have a character as soft as lead. 7Still loyal to the world by their actions, they clearly lie to God by their tonsure. 8Two or three together, or even alone, without a shepherd, they pen themselves up in their own sheepfolds, not the Lord’s. Their law is what they like to do, whatever strikes their fancy. 9 *Anything they believe in and choose, they call holy; anything they dislike, they consider forbidden.

  10* Fourth and finally, there are the monks called gyrovagues, who spend their entire lives drifting from region to region, staying as guests for three or four days in different monasteries. 11*Always on the move, they never settle down, and are slaves to their own wills and gross appetites. In every way they are worse than sarabaites.

  12* It is better to keep silent than to speak of all these and their disgraceful way of life. 13*Let us pass them by, then, and with the help of the Lord, proceed to draw up a plan for the strong kind, the cenobites.

  CHAPTER 2. QUALITIES OF THE ABBOT

  1* To be worthy of the task of governing a monastery, the abbot must always remember what his title
signifies and act as a superior should. 2He is believed to hold the place of Christ in the monastery, since he is addressed by a title of Christ, 3as the Apostle indicates: You have received the spirit of adoption of sons by which we exclaim, abba, father (Rom 8:15). 4* Therefore, the abbot must never teach or decree or command anything that would deviate from the Lord’s instructions. 5On the contrary, everything he teaches and commands should, like the leaven of divine justice, permeate the minds of his disciples. 6Let the abbot always remember that at the fearful judgment of God, not only his teaching but also his disciples’ obedience will come under scrutiny. 7The abbot must, therefore, be aware that the shepherd will bear the blame wherever the father of the household finds that the sheep have yielded no profit. 8Still, if he has faithfully shepherded a restive and disobedient flock, always striving to cure their unhealthy ways, it will be otherwise: 9the shepherd will be acquitted at the Lord’s judgment. Then, like the Prophet, he may say to the Lord: I have not hidden your justice in my heart; I have proclaimed your truth and your salvation (Ps 39[40]: 11), but they spurned and rejected me (Isa 1:2; Ezek 20:27). 10Then at last the sheep that have rebelled against his care will be punished by the overwhelming power of death.

  11Furthermore, anyone who receives the name of abbot is to lead his disciples by a twofold teaching: 12**he must point out to them all that is good and holy more by example than by words, proposing the commandments of the Lord to receptive disciples with words, but demonstrating God’s instructions to the stubborn and the dull by a living example. 13Again, if he teaches his disciples that something is not to be done, then neither must he do it, lest after preaching to others, he himself be found reprobate (1 Cor 9:27) 14and God some day call to him in his sin: How is it that you repeat my just commands and mouth my covenant when you hate discipline and toss my words behind you (Ps 49[50]:16-17)? 15And also this: How is it that you can see a splinter in your brother’s eye, and never notice the plank in your own (Matt 7:3)?