The sense and purpose of life within the Benedictine order is to liberate oneself for the search for God, which is the focal point for this sort of life. St. Benedict’s Rule requires the monks to:
- Remain in their original monastery
- Retreat from a secular life
- Strive for perfection
- Obey the Abbott
Central to the theme of monastic life according to the Rule is to participate in the communal prayer of the group which occurs several times each day, then in reading of the Bible or works of theological or spiritual authors and actively performing work. It is the principle of “ora et labora”, or of prayer and work.
The Benedictine Rule attempts to show a way a member of the Order can make the Evangelium (the Bible) become reality through a specific lifestyle, namely according to the teaching and example of Christ. Note that outside of the monastery, even when one has no part of the monastic life, one can nevertheless find worthwhile stimulation and encouragement for finding and guiding one’s own life following these principles.
Interesting References regarding the Order and the monastic life:
Interesting Books:
The Rule of the Order of St. Benedict, in German, also in German with Latin, published by the Conference of Abbotts, Beuron, 1992
St. Benedict’s Search for God in Daily Life , Ester De Waal, in German, Münsterschwarzbach, 1992
The Order of the Benedict`s, in German, Schütz Christian/Rath, Topos-Taschenbuch 245, Matthias-Grünewald-Verlag 1994
