Over time, the Benedictine tradition has taken on the motto Ora et Labora, Prayer and Work. These two streams of our life are intricately woven together. As our prayer flows into our work, so our work should lead back into our prayer. Action and contemplation are two rails of the same ladder. Both are necessary for a full and meaningful monastic life.
Prayer, in essence, is a transformative process. In prayer, we pay attention to God and try to discern what seems to be God’s will. If we are not on the road God is choosing for us, with prayer, we begin to notice the discrepancy. With prayer, we are called to conversion of heart. We are drawn toward a more life-giving way.
As we are drawn toward God’s will for us, we begin to look around. How do our behaviors and those of wider society fit into what we now sense of God’s love and mercy for all people? Are our actions fitting testament to our status as sons of God? Do we also acknowledge every other person as God’s beloved child? What are we doing to bring about the reign of God in the world today?
Prayer starts with the personal, but eventually it also applies to both the social and systemic aspects of life. This is what should guide our work.
Each religious order has its own charism, its own gift, its own flavor. The Benedictine order gets its flavor from the words of our founder in the Rule of St. Benedict. Here we give you just a taste of some of the values Benedictines hold dear to their hearts.
Seeking God is at the heart of the spiritual journey. It is also the foundation of our lives as Benedictines. We invite you to join with us in seeking and discovering God in everyday life.
Walk with us on this spiritual journey. God is with us. God is all around us. We need only to be mindful, to be attentive to the ordinary moments in our day.
The Benedictine monastic life is a special way of living in a religious community. For Benedictines, the term "monastic" means living according to the ideals set down in the Rule of Benedict, in a monastery, under the guidance of a prior or abbot. The monastic life involves living the ordinary life extraordinarily well.
The Benedictines strive to live a life of balance between "ora" (prayer) and "labora" (work). This ideal was of utmost importance for Benedict, and most chapters in his rule were written to regulate this balance:
Balance in prayer — a set number of psalms each day, the format for each prayer time, the times for prayer;
Balance in work — the types of work to be done by his followers (monks), the times for work, etc.
Benedictines believe that the monastic lifestyle has great spiritual value for the world today. The monastic lifestyle defines the life values of community living, contemplation, and personal transformation and challenges us to a mindfulness that focuses on the right things in life.
No comments:
Post a Comment