Holy Rule of Saint Benedict

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Holy Rule Of Saint Benedict

Translated by Rev. Boniface Verheyen, OSB of St. Benedict's Abbey, Atchison, Kansas

1949 Edition

Table Of Contents

Prologue
Chapter I Of the Kinds or the Life of Monks
Chapter II What Kind of Man the Abbot Ought to Be
Chapter III Of Calling the Brethren for Counsel
Chapter IV The Instruments of Good Works
Chapter V Of Obedience
Chapter VI Of Silence
Chapter VII Of Humility
Chapter VIII Of the Divine Office during the Night
Chapter IX How Many Psalms Are to Be Said at the Night Office
Chapter X How the Office Is to Be Said during the Summer Season
Chapter XI How the Night Office Is to Be Said on Sundays
Chapter XII How Lauds Are to Be Said
Chapter XIII How Lauds Are to Be Said on Week Days
Chapter XIV How the Night Office Is to Be Said on the Feasts of the Saints
Chapter XV At What Times the Alleluia Is to Be Said
Chapter XVI How the Work of God Is to Be Performed during the Day
Chapter XVII How Many Psalms Are to Be Sung at These Hours
Chapter XVIII In What Order the Psalms Are to Be Said
Chapter XIX Of the Manner of Reciting the Psalter
Chapter XX Of Reverence at Prayer
Chapter XXI Of the Deans of the Monastery
Chapter XXII How the Monks Are to Sleep
Chapter XXIII Of Excommunication for Faults
Chapter XXIV What the Manner of Excommunication Should Be
Chapter XXV Of Graver Faults
Chapter XXVI Of Those Who without the Command of the Abbot Associate with the Excommunicated
Chapter XXVII How Concerned the Abbot Should Be about the Excommunicated
Chapter XXVIII Of Those Who Having Often Been Corrected Do Not Amend
Chapter XXIX Whether Brethren Who Leave the Monastery Ought to Be Received Again
Chapter XXX How Young Boys Are to Be Corrected
Chapter XXXI The Kind of Man the Cellarer of the Monastery Ought to Be
Chapter XXXII Of the Tools and Goods of the Monastery
Chapter XXXIII Whether Monks Ought to Have Anything of Their Own
Chapter XXXIV Whether All Should Receive in Equal Measure What Is Necessary
Chapter XXXV Of the Weekly Servers in the Kitchen
Chapter XXXVI Of the Sick Brethren
Chapter XXXVII Of the Aged and Children
Chapter XXXVIII Of the Weekly Reader
Chapter XXXIX Of the Quantity of Food
Chapter XL Of the Quantity of Drink
Chapter XLI At What Times the Brethren Should Take Their Refection
Chapter XLII That No One Speak after Complin
Chapter XLIII Of Those Who Are Tardy in Coming to the Work of God or to Table
Chapter XLIV Of Those Who Are Excommunicated - How They Make Satisfaction
Chapter XLV Of Those Who Commit a Fault in the Oratory
Chapter XLVI Of Those Who Fail in Any Other Matters
Chapter XLVII Of Giving the Signal for the Time of the Work of God
Chapter XLVIII Of the Daily Work
Chapter XLIX On the Keeping of Lent
Chapter L Of Brethren Who Work a Long Distance from the Oratory or Are on a Journey
Chapter LI Of the Brethren Who Do Not Go Very Far Away
Chapter LII Of the Oratory of the Monastery
Chapter LIII Of the Reception of Guests
Chapter LIV Whether a Monk Should Receive Letters or Anything Else
Chapter LV Of the Clothing and the Footgear of the Brethren
Chapter LVI Of the Abbot's Table
Chapter LVII Of the Artists of the Monastery
Chapter LVIII Of the Manner of Admitting Brethren
Chapter LIX Of the Children of the Noble and of the Poor Who Are Offered
Chapter LX Of Priests Who May Wish to Live in the Monastery
Chapter LXI How Stranger Monks Are to Be Received
Chapter LXII Of the Priests of the Monastery
Chapter LXIII Of the Order in the Monastery
Chapter LXIV Of the Election of the Abbot
Chapter LXV Of the Prior of the Monastery
Chapter LXVI Of the Porter of the Monastery
Chapter LXVII Of the Brethren Who Are Sent on a Journey
Chapter LXVIII If a Brother Is Commanded to Do Impossible Things
Chapter LXIX That in the Monastery No One Presume to Defend Another
Chapter LXX That No One Presume to Strike Another
Chapter LXXI That the Brethren Be Obedient to One Another
Chapter LXXII Of the Virtuous Zeal Which the Monks Ought to Have
Chapter LXXIII Of This, that Not the Whole Observance of Righteousness Is Laid Down in this Rule
Index of Scripture References

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PROLOGUE

Listen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master, and incline the ear of thy heart, and cheerfully receive and faithfully execute the admonitions of thy loving Father, that by the toil of obedience thou mayest return to Him from whom by the sloth of disobedience thou hast gone away.

To thee, therefore, my speech is now directed, who, giving up thine own will, takest up the strong and most excellent arms of obedience, to do battle for Christ the Lord, the true King.

In the first place, beg of Him by most earnest prayer, that He perfect whatever good thou dost begin, in order that He who hath been pleased to count us in the number of His children, need never be grieved at our evil deeds. For we ought at all times so to serve Him with the good things which He hath given us, that He may not, like an angry father, disinherit his children, nor, like a dread lord, enraged at our evil deeds, hand us over to everlasting punishment as most wicked servants, who would not follow Him to glory.

Let us then rise at length, since the Scripture arouseth us, saying: "It is now the hour for us to rise from sleep" (Rom 13:11); and having opened our eyes to the deifying light, let us hear with awestruck ears what the divine voice, crying out daily, doth admonish us, saying: "Today, if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts" (Ps 94[95]:8). And again: "He that hath ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches" (Rev 2:7). And what doth He say?--"Come, children, hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord" (Ps 33[34]:12). "Run whilst you have the light of life, that the darkness of death overtake you not" (Jn 12:35).

And the Lord seeking His workman in the multitude of the people, to whom He proclaimeth these words, saith again: "Who is the man that desireth life and loveth to see good days" (Ps 33[34]:13)? If hearing this thou answerest, "I am he," God saith to thee: "If thou wilt have true and everlasting life, keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile; turn away from evil and do good; seek after peace and pursue it" (Ps 33[34]:14-15). And when you shall have done these things, my eyes shall be upon you, and my ears unto your prayers. And before you shall call upon me I will say: "Behold, I am here" (Is 58:9).

What, dearest brethren, can be sweeter to us than this voice of the Lord inviting us? See, in His loving kindness, the Lord showeth us the way of life. Therefore, having our loins girt with faith and the performance of good works, let us walk His ways under the guidance of the Gospel, that we may be found worthy of seeing Him who hath called us to His kingdom (cf 1 Thes 2:12).

If we desire to dwell in the tabernacle of His kingdom, we cannot reach it in any way, unless we run thither by good works. But let us ask the Lord with the Prophet, saying to Him: "Lord, who shall dwell in Thy tabernacle, or who shall rest in Thy holy hill" (Ps 14[15]:1)?

After this question, brethren, let us listen to the Lord answering and showing us the way to this tabernacle, saying: "He that walketh without blemish and worketh justice; he that speaketh truth in his heart; who hath not used deceit in his tongue, nor hath done evil to his neighbor, nor hath taken up a reproach against his neighbor" (Ps 14[15]:2-3), who hath brought to naught the foul demon tempting him, casting him out of his heart with his temptation, and hath taken his evil thoughts whilst they were yet weak and hath dashed them against Christ (cf Ps 14[15]:4; Ps 136[137]:9); who fearing the Lord are not puffed up by their goodness of life, but holding that the actual good which is in them cannot be done by themselves, but by the Lord, they praise the Lord working in them (cf Ps 14[15]:4), saying with the Prophet: "Not to us, O Lord, not to us; by to Thy name give glory" (Ps 113[115:1]:9). Thus also the Apostle Paul hath not taken to himself any credit for his preaching, saying: "By the grace of God, I am what I am" (1 Cor 15:10). And again he saith: "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (2 Cor 10:17).

Hence, the Lord also saith in the Gospel: "He that heareth these my words and doeth them, shall be likened to a wise man who built his house upon a rock; the floods came, the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a rock" (Mt 7:24-25). The Lord fulfilling these words waiteth for us from day to day, that we respond to His holy admonitions by our works. Therefore, our days are lengthened to a truce for the amendment of the misdeeds of our present life; as the Apostle saith: "Knowest thou not that the patience of God leadeth thee to penance" (Rom 2:4)? For the good Lord saith: "I will not the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live" (Ezek 33:11).

Now, brethren, that we have asked the Lord who it is that shall dwell in His tabernacle, we have heard the conditions for dwelling there; and if we fulfil the duties of tenants, we shall be heirs of the kingdom of heaven. Our hearts and our bodies must, therefore, be ready to do battle under the biddings of holy obedience; and let us ask the Lord that He supply by the help of His grace what is impossible to us by nature. And if, flying from the pains of hell, we desire to reach life everlasting, then, while there is yet time, and we are still in the flesh, and are able during the present life to fulfil all these things, we must make haste to do now what will profit us forever.

We are, therefore, about to found a school of the Lord's service, in which we hope to introduce nothing harsh or burdensome. But even if, to correct vices or to preserve charity, sound reason dictateth anything that turneth out somewhat stringent, do not at once fly in dismay from the way of salvation, the beginning of which cannot but be narrow. But as we advance in the religious life and faith, we shall run the way of God's commandments with expanded hearts and unspeakable sweetness of love; so that never departing from His guidance and persevering in the monastery in His doctrine till death, we may by patience share in the sufferings of Christ, and be found worthy to be coheirs with Him of His kingdom.