Claretpath.com-I have read the book of Saint Benedict’s Rule for monasteries.[1] This rule is become the most popular for the monks in the west.[2] There are 73 chapters of the rule. From these 73 chapters, there are four chapters that caught my attention a lot, namely chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7. These four chapters successively talk about the instrument of good works, obedience, the spirit of silence and humility. All these chapters based it reflection on the holy Scripture. All chapters are concretizations of a sincere appreciation of Scriptures or Scripture that translated into daily practice. These four chapters are very important and become the soul of the entire chapter in the rule of the monasteries and will form the distinctive or unique character of the monks’ lives in the monastery. They are interconnected and animate all the other chapters. In order to be the instrument of good works or tools of spiritual craft, all monks should have to practice all the rule of monasteries, specially living in the spirit of obedience, silence and humility.
- The monks are the instruments of Good Works
All those who entered the monastery were in searching of God and following Christ more closely. They are people who are willing to shape themselves as monks through a very disciplined way of life under the guidance of an Abbot. Discipline is always related to rules. All the rules in the monastery written by Saint Benedict aimed to help each monk to progress in the spiritual life, coming close to know God better by first coming to know themselves better.
In Chapter 4 Benedict wrote that to be instruments of good works, in the first place is to love the Lord God with the whole heart, the whole soul and the whole strength. This is the most important law that Jesus taught. This law is the distinctiveness of being a Christian. This primary law is laid down as the foundation of life for all Monks. The other 71 rules are taken from the essence of the teachings of God in the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament to help them to love Lord God more and more with their whole life in the monastery.
In order to become instruments of good works, there are rules to train discipline in obedience, spirit of silence and humility. For example, to nourish obedience a monk must be discipline in following ways: to deny oneself in order to follow Christ, to chastise the body, not to become attached to pleasures, to love fasting, to become stranger to the world’s ways, to prefer nothing to the love of Christ, not a grumbler, to attribute to God and not to self whatever good one sees in oneself, not to fulfil the desires of the flesh, to hate one’s own will, to obey all things the commands of the Abbot. To foster the spirit of silence a monk should follow the rule below: to guard one’s tongue against evil and depraved speech, not love much talking, not to speak useless words or words that move to laughter, when evil thoughts come into one’s heart, to dash them against Christ immediately. In silence, the monks recognize what evil thought that come into their hearts. And in order to grow in humility, all monks must observe the following rule: to respect all men, to love one’s enemies, not to be proud, to put ones hope in God, not to wish to be called holy, but first to be holy, that one may truly so called, to be aware of haughtiness and respect the seniors, to make peace with one’s adversary before the sun sets, and never to despair of God’s mercy.
- Obedience without delay
Saint Benedict write that the first degree of humility is obedience without delay. It means a total obedience or obedience with heart. They have to do what is commanded without hesitation, delay, lukewarmness, grumbling, or objection. The members do not have the right and opportunity to consider for themselves whether it is good or bad through personal reflection. Whatever has been ordered by the Superior, it is a divine command and can’t be delay or canceled. This is the narrow way that leads to life (Math 7:14). Because Christ Himself also leading by the Holy Spirit to do His Father’s will, not His own will (John 6:38).
Obedience is a hard rule because it always contrary to free will. A monk allows his freedom to be taken away and replaced with the Will of God represented by Superior. Thy will is hard. It is hard like in Gethsemane when Jesus has to say: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Luke 22:39). It means that Christ do not unite His personal free will with God’s will but skip His personal free will and let God’s will be done and work in His life. Saint Benedict wrote about letting God’s will work in monks by first wanting nothing. Obey God’s will completely without complaining or sputtering. Obedience by grumbling and hesitation is not pleasing before God even if the person does what is commanded.
For today’s monks what is happened? One reason why religious life today is difficult as a life choice is because vows of obedience always conflict with personal freedom. The art of dialogue is important to bridge this conflict, because all in the community are called to seek what is pleasing to the Lord and to obey Him. Superior and members of the community are searching together the will of God through reflection and dialogue.
- The spirit of silence
In chapter six, Saint Benedict wrote about the spirit of silence. The spirit of silence is very important. It is a monastic virtue. Every monastery has this kind of virtue even in different degrees. Benedict found the root of silence from the Bible like Proverb and James. Silence helps the monks to keep their tongue from sin as it is written in Psalm 39:1: “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue. I have set a guard to my mouth”. Or in Proverb 10:19 written that in much speaking you will not escape sin. What kind of sin? There are many sins in much speaking: fuels gossip and lies. Both can hurt other deeply. One can fall into the sin of flattery by giving excessive, untrue and insincere praise. “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles. Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” (Proverb 21:23). James also speaks about the dangers of the tongue. Undiscipline tongue will become unruly evil or a deadly poison. Someone praying and blessing by his/her tongue but also cursing other. From the same mouth procced blessing and cursing.
There are many benefits of keeping silence for monks. Through silence, they are brought into contemplation, through silence they can hear the voice of God and consider many things wisely. Keeping the tongue from speaking help the monks to go deeper into their heart and opening the way of contemplation. There is no contemplation in talking to much. Contemplation is well done in the circle and embrace of silence. In this interior silence, someone can enter into a close relationship with God.
Talk too much is the enemy of listening. Saint Benedict writes: “For speaking and teaching belongs to the master, the disciple part is to be silent and to listen”. Someone can listen better in silence, even the ticking of the watch can be heard clearly in silence. In the silence, a monk can hear the subtle voice of God the true Master. And anyone who wants to hear more clearly the voice of the true Master, he must enter into silence. Silence also helps someone to think more clearly. Deep reflection is a fruit of inner silence.
- Humility
In the chapter seven, Benedict wrote about humility in very specific way. This is a long chapter. He wrote more detail about twelve steps of humility to reach the perfection of the love of God. These 12 steps are like erect the ladder as Jacob saw in his dream on which angles appeared to him descending and ascending. We descend by self-exaltation and ascend by humility. The monk can ascend or descend again depended on the discipline of climbing the ladder. By climbing the ladder of humility step by step will lead the monk to the perfection of humility and reach the perfection love for God and cast out fear. He wrote: “The body and soul are like two sides of a ladder into which God has built various steps. The ladder becomes your life, and as your heart is humbled, so the Lord will lift you up to heaven”[3]. “Everyone who exalt himself shall be humbled, and who humble himself shall be exalted” (Matt 23:12). All exaltation is a pride.
Benedict compiled these 12 steps to the perfection of humility using quotes from the Scriptures. The first step of humility is that a person keeps the fear of God before his eyes and beware of ever forgetting it (Psalm 36: 2). He wrote: “Let a man consider that God is always looking at him from heaven, that his actions are everywhere visible to the divine eyes and are constantly being reported to God by the Angles.” Second step is don’t be true to yourself (self-denial: John 6:38). Third step is don’t follow your dreams (obedience: Phil 2:8). Fourth step is suffered fools gladly (perseverance: Matt 10:22). Fifth step is put your worst foot forward (repentance: Psalm 37:5). Sixth step is be someone’s doormat (serenity). Seventh step is having a poor self-image (self-abasement: Psalm 22:6). Eighth step is thinking inside the box (prudence). Only do what is lawfull and follow the example of your elders. Ninth step is silence. Only speak when you are spoken to. For scripture says: “when words are many, transgression is not lacking (Prov 10:19). Tenth step is laughter is not the best medicine (dignity). Do not be quick to laugh, for it is written: “a fool raises his voices when he laughs” (Sir 21:22). Eleventh step is be unassertive (discretion). If you must speak, do so gently, humbly, earnestly and quietly, with view and sensible words; for it is written: “the wiseman is know by fewness of his words”. Twelfth step is keeping your chin down (reverence). Where you go, bow your head in prayer, remembering the word of publican: “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (Luke 18:13).
Each step has its own virtue that must be live out conscientiously and constantly everywhere and during any activity with head bowed and eyes to the ground.
Religious today (in the west) are grateful for Saint Benedict’s spiritual legacy, especially the rule of monastic life that he created. Most of this rule are still in use today. His greatest legacy besides Lectio Divina and role of the role of Superior are obedience, spirit of silence and humility. That’s why as the religious life must realize how to be Humility, Obedience And Silence as the part of live.
[1] Dom Cuthbert Butler, ed., On St. Benedict’s Rule for Monasteries, trans. Leonard J. Doyle (The Order of St. Benedict, Inc: Minnesota, 1948), chapter 1-73.
[2] Vivian Boland, O.P., History of Spirituality I, (Angelicum: Course Material), 2022.
[3] J. Augustine Wetta, O.S.B., Humility Rules (San Francesco: Ignatius Press, 2017), 17.
ClaretPath.Com adalah ruang pengembangan bakat menulis dan media kerasulan, terinspirasi dari Santo Antonius Maria Claret, Pelindung Pers Katolik.
