St. Benedict of Nursia
About the text: St. Benedict (480–547) fled the worldliness and corruption of the city of Rome and set up a hermitage at Subiaco. His holiness inspired many other monks to imitate his way of life and seek his guidance. During his lifetime, Benedict established a dozen monasteries—including the famed Monte Cassino, where Thomas Aquinas would spend several years studying—and composed a Rule detailing the manner in which the monks were to live; this Rule serves as the foundation of Western monasticism. The monk’s day was broken up into periods of work and periods of prayer. Here we present Benedict’s instructions on work.
—
Idleness is the enemy of the soul. Therefore should the brethren be occupied at stated times in manual labour, and at other fixed hours in sacred reading.
We think, therefore, that the times for each may be disposed as follows: from Easter to the Calends of October [that is, September 14], on coming out in the morning let them labour at whatever is necessary from the first until about the fourth hour. From the fourth hour until close upon the sixth let them apply themselves to reading. After the sixth hour, when they rise from table, let them rest on their beds in all silence; or if anyone chance to wish to read to himself, let him so read as not to disturb anyone else. Let None be said rather soon, at the middle of the eighth hour; and then let them again work at whatever has to be done until Vespers.
If, however, the needs of the place or poverty require them to labour themselves in gathering in the harvest, let them not grieve at that; for then are they truly monks when they live by the labour of their hands, as our Fathers and the Apostles did. But let all things be done in moderation for the sake of the faint-hearted.
From the Calends of October until the beginning of Lent let the brethren devote themselves to reading till the end of the second hour. At the second hour let Terce be said, after which they shall all labour at their appointed work until None. At the first signal for the hour of None all shall cease from their work, and be ready as soon as the second signal is sounded. After their meal let them occupy themselves in their reading or with the psalms.
In Lent, however, from the morning till the end of the third hour, let them devote themselves to reading, and, after that, work at their appointed tasks till the end of the tenth hour. In this time of Lent let them receive a book each from the library, to be read consecutively and straight through. These books are to be given out at the beginning of Lent.
Above all, let one or two seniors be deputed to go round the monastery at the hours when the brethren are engaged in reading, and see that there be no slothful brother giving himself to idleness or to gossip, and not applying himself to his reading, so that he is not only useless to himself, but a distraction to others. If such a one be found (which God forbid) let him be corrected once and a second time; and, if he do not amend, let him be subjected to the chastisement of the Rule, in such a way that the rest may be afraid. Moreover one brother shall not associate with another at unsuitable hours.
On Sunday let them devote themselves to reading, save such as are assigned to the various offices. But if anyone be so negligent and slothful as to be unwilling or unable to read or meditate, he must have some work given him that he be not idle. For weak or delicate brethren let such work or craft be enjoined that they will not be idle and yet will not be oppressed by weight of labour so as to be driven away. The weakness of such brethren must be considered by the Abbot.
—
From The Rule of St. Benedict, with a commentary by Dom Paul Delatte, trans. Dom Justin McCann (New York: Benzinger Brothers, 1921), 304-316.
Leave a Reply