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Holy Rule for March 22
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St. Mary's Monastery
Mar 21, 2025, 4:46:32 PMMar 21
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Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
March 22, July 22, November 21
Chapter 43: On Those Who Come Late to the Work of God or to Table (1-12)
At the hour for the Divine Office, as soon as the signal is heard, let them abandon whatever they may have in hand and hasten with the greatest speed, yet with seriousness, so that there is no excuse for levity. Let nothing, therefore, be put before the Work of God.
If at the Night Office anyone arrives after the "Glory be to the Father" of Psalm 94 - which Psalm for this reason we wish to be said very slowly and protractedly - let him not stand in his usual place in the choir; but let him stand last of all, or in a place set aside by the Abbot for such negligent ones in order that they may be seen by him and by all. He shall remain there until the Work of God has been completed, and then do penance by a public satisfaction.
The reason why we have judged it fitting for them to stand in the last place or in a place apart is that, being seen by all, they may amend for very shame. For if they remain outside of the oratory, there will perhaps be someone who will go back to bed and sleep or at least seat himself outside and indulge in idle talk, and thus an occasion will be provided for the evil one. But let them go inside, that they many not lose the whole Office, and may amend for the future.
At the day Hours anyone who does not arrive at the Work of God until after the verse and the "Glory be to the Father" for the first Psalm following it shall stand in the last place, according to our ruling above. Nor shall he presume to join the choir in their chanting until he has made satisfaction, unless the Abbot should pardon him and give him permission; but even then the offender must make satisfaction for his fault.
REFLECTION
For too many years, I have read this chapter as just one more outline of punishments for offenses. I missed completely the message found in its title and I suspect many others have, too. The Work of God and Table are lumped together. They are not exactly equal, but they have many similarities.
Now, this is not something most people would have guessed, especially with all the details about times of fasting and amounts of food and drink, but it is true nonetheless. St. Benedict links the places and times where body and soul are nourished because he esteems both. Like any truly orthodox monastic, he escapes the heretical trap of making body and matter evil and spirit alone good. Because we sometimes unconsciously fall into that trap ourselves, it is easy to misread him.
Neither St. Benedict nor monastic life itself hates the body. Both wish to discipline and control it, to remove the obstacles it presents to our spirits, but neither can hate the body, because God created it and God Himself assumed it. Our bodies are sacred temples of the Holy Spirit.
Talk all you will of bodily mortifications, but the bottom line is that nobody (quite literally, "no body",) is getting to the spiritual banquet without a truck to take them and that truck is the body. Kill it and you will not only have no means of allowing the soul to grow in time, but you will have violated the 5th commandment, as well, thereby fouling up your total efforts rather messily. I am aware that some saints seem to have had vocations to extremely penitential lives, but most of us do not. Extreme austerity should be undertaken only when there is a clear call for it, confirmed by a wise spiritual director or confessor who knows one well.
Monastic reforms over the centuries have frequently proclaimed a return to the "full rigor of the Rule." Whoops! Missed something there, folks. The Rule ain't rigorous. Says so himself, right in the Prologue: "...nothing harsh or burdensome." Being observant is one thing, but rigorous is quite another. To go beyond the Holy Rule in laxity OR austerity is a perilous mistake. Our Rule is balance and moderation. Take those away and the critter you are left with is no longer Benedictine.
If the literal Rule is what you want, then take it, but always, always remember that the literal Rule cuts a LOT of slack and demands a lot of balance. Miss that and you might miss the boat entirely.
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
March 22, July 22, November 21
Chapter 43: On Those Who Come Late to the Work of God or to Table (1-12)
At the hour for the Divine Office, as soon as the signal is heard, let them abandon whatever they may have in hand and hasten with the greatest speed, yet with seriousness, so that there is no excuse for levity. Let nothing, therefore, be put before the Work of God.
If at the Night Office anyone arrives after the "Glory be to the Father" of Psalm 94 - which Psalm for this reason we wish to be said very slowly and protractedly - let him not stand in his usual place in the choir; but let him stand last of all, or in a place set aside by the Abbot for such negligent ones in order that they may be seen by him and by all. He shall remain there until the Work of God has been completed, and then do penance by a public satisfaction.
The reason why we have judged it fitting for them to stand in the last place or in a place apart is that, being seen by all, they may amend for very shame. For if they remain outside of the oratory, there will perhaps be someone who will go back to bed and sleep or at least seat himself outside and indulge in idle talk, and thus an occasion will be provided for the evil one. But let them go inside, that they many not lose the whole Office, and may amend for the future.
At the day Hours anyone who does not arrive at the Work of God until after the verse and the "Glory be to the Father" for the first Psalm following it shall stand in the last place, according to our ruling above. Nor shall he presume to join the choir in their chanting until he has made satisfaction, unless the Abbot should pardon him and give him permission; but even then the offender must make satisfaction for his fault.
REFLECTION
For too many years, I have read this chapter as just one more outline of punishments for offenses. I missed completely the message found in its title and I suspect many others have, too. The Work of God and Table are lumped together. They are not exactly equal, but they have many similarities.
Now, this is not something most people would have guessed, especially with all the details about times of fasting and amounts of food and drink, but it is true nonetheless. St. Benedict links the places and times where body and soul are nourished because he esteems both. Like any truly orthodox monastic, he escapes the heretical trap of making body and matter evil and spirit alone good. Because we sometimes unconsciously fall into that trap ourselves, it is easy to misread him.
Neither St. Benedict nor monastic life itself hates the body. Both wish to discipline and control it, to remove the obstacles it presents to our spirits, but neither can hate the body, because God created it and God Himself assumed it. Our bodies are sacred temples of the Holy Spirit.
Talk all you will of bodily mortifications, but the bottom line is that nobody (quite literally, "no body",) is getting to the spiritual banquet without a truck to take them and that truck is the body. Kill it and you will not only have no means of allowing the soul to grow in time, but you will have violated the 5th commandment, as well, thereby fouling up your total efforts rather messily. I am aware that some saints seem to have had vocations to extremely penitential lives, but most of us do not. Extreme austerity should be undertaken only when there is a clear call for it, confirmed by a wise spiritual director or confessor who knows one well.
Monastic reforms over the centuries have frequently proclaimed a return to the "full rigor of the Rule." Whoops! Missed something there, folks. The Rule ain't rigorous. Says so himself, right in the Prologue: "...nothing harsh or burdensome." Being observant is one thing, but rigorous is quite another. To go beyond the Holy Rule in laxity OR austerity is a perilous mistake. Our Rule is balance and moderation. Take those away and the critter you are left with is no longer Benedictine.
If the literal Rule is what you want, then take it, but always, always remember that the literal Rule cuts a LOT of slack and demands a lot of balance. Miss that and you might miss the boat entirely.
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
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