St. Benedict of Nursia - Establishing Monasticism to be Endowed with What Comes out of God's Mouth and to Inherit the Kingdom

 On July 11, the Roman Catholic Church honors St. Benedict of Nursia, and St. Scholastica is his twin sister. He strove to perfect monasticism.

Benedict’s monasticism is for Χριστιανική κοινότητα (Christianiki koinotita), Christian community, where members are committed to peace and well-being of one another through ora et labora (prayer and work). For this, the members treasure God’s commands (Proverbs 2:1). So, they turn to God.

Benedictine taught fellow monks to first humbly turn to God and listen to Him. So he wrote in his Rule:

If we wish to dwell in the tent of this kingdom, we will never arrive unless we run there by doing good deeds. 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) After this question, brothers, let us listen well to what the Lord says in reply, for he shows us the way to his tent. One who walks without blemish, he says, and is just in all his dealings; who speaks the truth from his heart and has not practiced deceit with his tongue; who has not wronged a fellowman in any way, nor listened to slanders against his neighbor (Ps 14[15]:2-3). 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). 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. 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). 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). And again he said: He who boasts should make his boast in the Lord (2 Cor 10:17). 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 ;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).  Prologue, 22-34, the Rule of St. Benedict

This is reflected on these words from the First Reading (Proverbs 2:1-9):

Turning your ear to wisdom, inclining your heart to understanding; Yes, if you call for intelligence, and to understanding raise your voice; If you seek her like silver, and like hidden treasures search her out, then will you understand the fear of the Lord; the knowledge of God you will find; for the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding (vv.2-6).

St. Benedict believes that worldly noises can distract us from listening to God, keeping us from necessary knowledge and understanding that come out  God’s mouth (Proverbs 2:6). After all, we cannot live by bread alone (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4). We may obtain bread but it is difficult to attain what comes out of God’s mouth in the materialistic and hedonistic world. This is why he left his wealthy family and noisy city and sought out a monastic life when he was young.

Benedict’s early life’s personal detachment from his family’s material wealth to listen to God, to be endowed with what comes out of God’s mouth, is reflected in the Gospel Reading (Mathew 19:27-29).

This Gospel Reading follows the narrative of the rich young man forfeiting a possibility of eternal life because he was not able to let go of his personal wealth (Matthew 19:16-22) and the narrative of Jesus’ teaching to the disciples on a lesson to be learned from the rich young man’s choice of letting his personal wealth be an obstacle to receive eternal life (Matthew 19:23-26).

So Peter asked Jesus:

We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us? (Matthew 19:27).

And Jesus replied:

Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:28-29).

And as the disciples of Jesus detached themselves from their personal possessions and worldly affairs, St. Benedict left his wealthy family and materialistic world to enter into a monastic life.

A reward for this choice cannot be measured by the world’s standards. But, as Jesus has said, those who chose to follow him by detaching themselves from their material possessions and worldly interests will enjoy immeasurable rewards and eternal life. Namely, this is the first beatitude: Blessed are anawim (עֲנָוִ֣ים) for there is the Kingdom for them (Matthew 5:3).

This is, in fact, reflected in the Rule of St. Benedict:

Above all, this evil practice must be uprooted and removed from the monastery. We mean that without an order from the abbot, no one may presume to give, receive or retain anything as his own, nothing at all–not a book, writing tablets or stylus–in short, not a single item, especially since monks may not have the free disposal even of their own bodies and wills. For their needs, they are to look to the father of the monastery, and are not allowed anything which the abbot has not given or permitted. All things should be the common possession of all, as it is written, so that no one presumes to call anything his own (Acts 4:32). But if anyone is caught indulging in this most evil practice, he should be warned a first and a second time. If he does not amend, let him be subjected to punishment (The Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 33).

The evil practice refers to hedonism and materialism, as well as, greed, due to inability to detach oneself from material wealth and worldly pleasures. Such things not only keep monks from what comes out of God’s mouth but also are detrimental to peace and harmony of the monastic life.

The monasticism that St. Benedict taught and led is modeled after what Peter led in the nascent Church (Acts 4:32-37), and this is an idealistic life style to inherit the Kingdom. And Chapter 34 of the Rule of St. Benedict reflects this:

It is written: Distribution was made to each one as he had need (Acts 4:35). By this we do not imply that there should be favoritism–God forbid–but rather consideration for weaknesses, Whoever needs less should thank God and not be distressed, but whoever needs more should feel humble because of his weakness, not self-important because of the kindness shown him. In this way all the members will be at peace. First and foremost, there must be no word or sign of the evil of grumbling, no manifestation of it for any reason at all. If, however, anyone is caught grumbling, let him undergo more severe discipline.