U.I.O.G.D.

San Beda College Alabang

School of Law
Benedictine Spirituality
1st Handout
"May my ways be firm in the observance of your laws"
(Ps.118:5)
"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."
(The Rule of St. Benedict, Prologue, verse 48)
Introduction
What is Benedictine spirituality? Is there really such a thing as a
spiritual lifestyle and philosophy based upon the teachings of St.
Benedict? How important is such spirituality to people who practice
their professions and careers?
In attempting to answer this, there is a need to clarify one point: that
the only existing document we have that St. Benedict wrote is a fairly
modest volume, his Rule (Regula BenedictiRB). On even a cursory
examination, we discern that the author frequently refers the reader
back to the a most basic Christian text, the Bible. This is the key, for
there most certainly is a "Benedictine" life, with this same Rule as the
cornerstone of a spirituality that thousands of monks, nuns, sisters and
lay persons on every continent of the world practice. The work begun
in the early years of the sixth century, and expanded and perfected at
Monte Cassino is nothing if not a fulfilment of the promise, "seek first
the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will
be given you..." (Mtt. 6:33).
Benedict sought God and the perfect service of God, and to this end
lead every precept of the RB. Yet what is so unique about these
teachings is not so much the content, for many others have espoused
living in imitation of Christ, but their interpretation of this message.
Of one hundred twenty-six biblical citations to be found in the RB,
there are fifty-five from books of the New Testament, and seventy-one
from the Old Testament. Of these seventy-one, fifty are direct
quotations from the Psalms. It is not for nothing that the Psalter has

been called the prayer book of the Benedictines. This then is the pool
from which Benedict fished his spiritual life and teachings. It is from
this same source that he intended we draw our strength, that we might
through perseverance This is the challenge that St. Benedict puts forth
in his RB.
By way of introduction, the St. Benedicts spiritual path of perfection
begins most eloquently in the Prologue to the Rule and in the chapter
concerning humility. This chapter, the seventh, is by far the longest
and in many ways the first among equals, for it presents a virtue that
must by definition include all others. It is in confronting humility that
we are forced, often against our own will, to couple it first with
obedience, and then with good zeal, etc., etc., until the canon is
complete. Ultimately we find that all the virtues are so closely linked
that, when properly interwoven, they produce a truly indestructible
fabric; prayer is the loom on which this cloth is crafted by the monk. He
understands this intrinsically, for without this final element self-will
would forever retain mastery over him.
Chapter 7
It is in chapter 7 of the Rule that Benedict provides us with the
metaphor of a twelve-step ladder, kindling in us the desire to "attain
speedily that exaltation in heaven to which we climb by the humility of
this present life" for which "by our own ascending actions we must set
up that ladder on which Jacob in a dream saw angels ascending and
descending (Gen.28:12)." (RB 7:6)
Benedict then describes precisely what each step represents and, by
so doing provides us not only with an exquisite example of JudeoChristian symbology on which to meditate, but also a dozen profound
lessons in daily living, applicable to monk and lay person alike.
The chapter begins with the exhortation, "everyone who exalts himself
will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted" (Lk.
14:11), and quickly builds on this premise, both admonishing us and
placing us as individuals within a context: "Lord, my heart is not proud;
nor are my eyes haughty. I do not busy myself with great matters, with
things too sublime for me. Rather, I have stilled my soul, hushed it like
a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother's lap, so is my soul
within me."
(Ps. 131:1)
Step I

A first faltering step is taken when a monk consciously obeys all of

God's commandments, never ignoring them but always holding within
himself a fear of God in his heart, for "your will be done, on earth as it
is in heaven"
(Matt. 6:10)
Benedict warns that we must always beware of what may be said to us
in the future, lest we should through negligence fall into evil ways and
become useless: "when you do these things, should I be silent?" (Ps.
49[50])
Step IIOur second step is achieved when one thinks not about pleasing
himself but instead follows the injunction of the Lord, "I came...not to
do my own will but the will of the one who sent me" (Jn. 6:38)
Step III
The third step is reached when out of love of God, one obediently
submits to a superior in imitation of the Lord, for "he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death..." (Phil. 2:8)
Such obedience is at the heart of the Benedictine spirit. The obedience
a monk shows to his Abbot, and not exclusively to the Abbot but also
to his seniors and, for that matter to all his brothers, is an indication
that he is actively seeking to do God's will. In the Benedictine tradition
the abbot of a monastery holds the place of Christ, much as a bishop
does in his diocese. For the monk, his superior is the father of his
particular house of God. For this reason, Benedict gave pride of place
in his Rule to the qualities that each individual abbot must possess,
spelling them out in exhaustive detail at the beginning of chapter 2. By
comparison, chapter 1 is but a short treatise on the varieties of monks
and is quickly dispensed with. So seriously did Benedict consider the
abbatial position that he did not hesitate to warn, "he should keep in
mind that he has undertaken the care of souls for whom he must give
an account" (RB 2:34). The saint adds that the abbot must be led to
realize that any lack of good in his monks will be laid at his doorstep.
Benedict also demonstrates his understanding of human frailties when,
after instructing the monk to obey the abbot's commands in all things,
he remarks that should he (the abbot) himself stray from his own path
the monks under him should "do and observe all things whatsoever
they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but do
not practice." (Matt. 23:3)

Step IV
The fourth step is achieved when a monk, under obedience, patiently
and quietly endures all things that are inflicted on him. It should make
no difference whether the trials are painful, unjust or even completely
beyond his understanding; he should neither tire nor give up.
"Whoever endures to the end will be saved"(Matt. 10:22). To this
Benedict adds the consoling promise, "in all these things we conquer
overwhelmingly through him who loved us" (Rom. 8:37)
Step V
The fifth step is reached when a monk humbly discloses to his superior
all the evil thoughts in his heart as well as those faults and evil acts he
has actually committed. Benedict urges us to "give thanks to the Lord,
who is good, whose love endures forever." (Ps. 106:1)
Step VI
To achieve the sixth step a monk must without qualms accept all that
is crude and harsh; at all times he considers himself a poor and
worthless workman.
Step VII
The seventh step is attained when a monk not only confesses that he
is an inferior and common wretch, but believes it to his very core. He
must be willing to humble himself and claim with the prophet that he is
"a worm, hardly human, scorned by everyone, despised by the people"
(Ps. 22:7) and that "it was good for me to be afflicted, in order to learn
your laws." (Ps. 118[119]:71)
Step VIII
A monk reaches the eighth step of humility when he does only that
which is demanded by the common rule of the monastery or by his
seniors.
Step IX
The ninth step can be achieved when a monk, practicing silence, only
speaks when asked a question, for "where words are many, sin is not
wanting; but he who restrains his lips does well." (Prov. 10:19)

The monk is here reminded that humility at all times entails the control
of not only his thoughts but also of his tongue. Benedict was extremely
aware of the ease in which one inflicts injury through careless chatter.
A monk is instructed to use his powers of speech in order to encourage
his brothers.
Step X
The tenth step is climbed when a monk restrains himself from undue
laughter and frivolity.
Benedict firmly believed that a monk should always remain focused on
his calling and upon the reason for his calling.
Step XI
To reach the eleventh step a monk must speak gently, without jests,
but simply, seriously, tersely, rationally and softly.
It is only through silence and limited speech that we are able to listen
to God with the ear of our hearts; only thus can we be attentive to his
divine presence in our monasteries and in our lives.
Step XII
The final step is attained only when a monk can at all times show
humility not only in his appearance and actions, but also in his heart.
St. Benedict felt that it is only upon climbing all twelve steps that a
monk can hope to find that perfect love of God that casts out fear; only
then will he be capable of acting solely out of love for Christ. Indeed
the initial fear which may have been necessary as a motivator can
inspire the renunciation of all externals, including ownership; this in
turn may lead to an inner renunciation that is the very essence of
humility. Fear is eliminated by love, which is revealed as the very
pinnacle of life on earth: upon successfully climbing the twelve steps
one discovers what can only be called an unspeakable respect for God.
It is then that his word is listened to with veneration and his law
lovingly observed.
Accordingly, the person who fears God "guards himself at every
moment from sins and vices." For Benedict, this struggle against the
vices of body and mind is the monk's greatest task (RB 1:5); the
prospect of the amendment of these vices is the greatest hope of the
abbot (RB 2:40).

There is, moreover, one specific fault to be denounced above all others
by Benedict: murmuring. In fact in the Prologue he cites Psalm 94[95],
"today you would hear his voice; do not harden your hearts". With this
he recalls the entire salvation history of the Israelites. This quotation
serves to remind the monk that an entire people, chosen and formed
by God, ultimately through its murmurings turned away from him,
losing its privileges in the process and eventually failing even to
recognize its savior. For a Benedictine community this is a lesson to be
learned and not forgotten; for us it is a matter of spiritual life and
death.
To a student of the Gospel, the exhortation that begins the Prologue to
the Rule, "Listen carefully, my son, to the master's instructions, and
attend to them with the ear of the heart..." can be summed up as an
urgent invitation for a return to God. Each of its elements: listening,
the call, the promise of true life, is an echo of the cry of Jesus to his
contemporaries. It is as a response to this cry that Benedict asks us to
seek through prayer, renunciation and a conscious sharing in the
sufferings of Christ, a share in his kingdom.
The total spiritual poverty that is demanded of us and to which as
monks we must respond without hesitation, is lovingly granted through
the Beatitudes. It is, according to the teachings to which we adhere,
the door to our own resurrection. It is for this reason we ultimately
follow him. After all, who has trodden the path as he has: from his
baptism in the Jordan through the trials, misunderstandings and
humiliations of rejection, to his glowing obedience to his Father and the
final unblinking act of sacrifice. Truly did he say, "I am the Way."
This is the very heart of biblical spirituality; this is the core of the
Benedictine spirit.
(Adopted from Abbot Philip Lawrence,
http://christdesert.org/Saint_Benedict/St__Benedict_and_His_Order/The
_Spirit_of_Benedictine_Life/)
Guide Questions:
How does the definition of spirituality in the article apply to your
specific situation in life? Mention at least three aspects of Benedictine
Spirituality that you find relevant/applicable to your state of life and
three that are bothersome to you?
As you start your journey to earning an Law degree from SBCA, what
specific step of humility do you find helpful?

Benedictine Spirituality that is vital in my life are the lessons on

obedience, humility and love and restrain. In my life full of various
types of rejection, the promise of the Lord and being with Him, gives
me the feeling of belongingness, the feeling of following His laws, gives
me a sense of purpose.
Rejection by definition is the sense of being unwanted and lost;
which rooted from lust, insecurity, inferiority, false compassion,
paranoia and personal withdrawal from life. But being with Him heals
me. He gives me the feeling that following his path of obedience, love
and humility, is actually the path to everlasting happiness.
However there some things that are bothersome for me are the
following: First is the battle to be constantly waged is emphasized by
the saint's listing of the human elements to be guarded: thoughts,
tongue, self-will and fleshly desires. Secondly is to restrain oneself from
undue laughter. Lastly is to must speak gently, without jests, but
simply, seriously, tersely, rationally and softly.
The reason is that, these things are considered natural to human
beings. God makes sex laughter and free will to express oneself
through words and actions. Although must be use din discreet ways, to
restrain such is to restrain the natural human instinct; which makes it
more difficult to do.
In law school the 6th step is the most helpful. It states that To
achieve the sixth step a monk must without qualms accept all that is
crude and harsh; at all times he considers himself a poor and worthless
workman. It made me realize the perfection process we are into, like a
process of how diamond is made. It was exposed to large amount of
heat and pressure until it became the most precious gem called
diamond; same thing happens in law school, through harsh process
and starting from nothing, is the entryway to glory.