The church is the people of God called together
to proclaim the reign of God and to prepare the way for the coming of Christ.
It is a communion in the Risen Christ, a sacrament of unity which witnesses
to the life of the Trinity and to humanity redeemed by grace. It is a people
both gathered to give thanks and sent forth to serve. In this ecclesial
community, daily prayer and regular celebration of the Eucharist, as well
as the festive marking of Sunday and the great feasts and seasons of redemption
are special moments of attending to God's presence. In this way the church
is constituted as a community of worship.
The Rule of Benedict organizes the monastic community, too, as a community
of worship, centering its life in the celebration of the Liturgy of the
Hours and lectio divina. The opus Dei or Liturgy of the Hours is an essential
element of Benedictine life, one necessary for the development of the attitude
of prayer which permeates the whole life of the cenobite. In this opus Dei
the praying assembly listens to, receives, and responds to the Word of God
(RB 19:1, 2). It is truly the prayer of Christ praising the Holy and Compassionate
One; it also continues God's self-revelation to the world.
The mystery of Christ evokes from the whole church and so also from the
monastic community the uninterrupted praise of God. Benedict structured
the opus Dei to point to the centrality of the paschal mystery of Christ's
dying and rising. Further, his arrangement of the opus Dei according to
the hours of the day and the seasons of the year emphasized the underlying
principle: reverence for the order of creation influences both the time
and place of prayer. This unceasing praise has given rise to a liturgical
cycle through which all time is made holy.
The Benedictine community arranges the Liturgy of the Hours in order that
common prayer will be integrated into the rhythm of the day and scheduled
in such a way that the members can participate consciously and actively.
"We must know that God regards our purity of heart and tears of compunction,
not our many words" (RB 20:3).
As preparation for prayer, Benedict prescribes both individual and communal
asceticism, which should be practiced in moderation (RB 4, 5, 6, 7). Such
asceticism prepares the monastic community to pray with attentiveness "in
such a way that our minds are in harmony with our voices" (RB 19:7).
Benedictine fidelity to lectio divina provides a basic foundation for monastic
living. The Benedictine woman prepares for communal praise and intercession
by receiving the Word of God in lectio and pondering it unceasingly in her
heart in the spirit of Mary, whose canticle she sings daily at evening prayer.
This lectio is scripturally oriented but not limited to scripture alone,
because the Word of God may be heard in every text which invites the reader
to love (RB 73:2-7). Benedictine communities live a life which fosters prayerful
reflection in order to encourage this ancient practice of lectio divina
and so to enable their members to hear and contemplate Divine Wisdom.
Whenever lectio divina prepares Benedictine women for communal prayer by
a deepened experience of the Word of God, it also makes possible a communal
growth in faith and obedience. Insights into God's Word which are shared
within community promote mutual understanding at a deeper level of human
existence; such experiences can be personally liberating. In keeping with
the monastic tradition, the Word of God heard and responded to is shared
also with those outside the monastic community. It is the foundation for
all ministries of the community.
Daily celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours and fidelity to lectio divina
come to their fulness in the Eucharistic celebration of the paschal mystery.
The Hours and Eucharist together give Benedictine life a contemplative orientation.
The monastic who welcomes this orientation lives an integrated life. Her
work flows naturally from her prayer and leads back to it; what she does
is an expression of who she is. She demonstrates for contemporary society
the mystery that life can take on its fullest meaning only through the contemplative
awareness of the wonder and wholeness of life. Thus she is for the world
not only a sign of contradiction but also a hopeful symbol of the full human
life to which all are called.
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© Federation of St. Scholatica, 1997