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The Prologue
to the Rule of St. Benedict
Do battle for
Christ, the true King
Listen carefully, my son, to the master's instructions, and attend
to them with the ear of
your heart. This is advice from a father who loves you: welcome it,
and faithfully put it
into practice. The labor of obedience will bring you back to him from
whom you had drifted through the sloth of disobedience. This message of
mine is for you, then, if you are ready to give up your own will, once
and for all, and armed with the strong and noble weapons of obedience to
do battle for the true King, Christ the Lord.
First of all, every time you begin a good work, you must pray to him
most earnestly to
bring it to perfection. In his goodness, he has already counted us
as his sons, and therefore we should never grieve him by our evil actions.
With his good gifts which are in us, we must obey him at all times that
he may never become the angry father who disinherits his sons nor the dread
lord, enraged by our sins, who punishes us forever as worthless servants
for refusing to follow him to glory.
Let us get up then, at long last, for the Scriptures rouse us when they
say; “It is high time
for us to rise from sleep” (Romans 13:11). Let us open our eyes to
the light that comes from God, and our ears to the voice from heaven that
every day calls out this charge. “If you hear his voice today, do not harden
your heart” (Psalm 95:7-8). And again, “You that have ears to hear, listen
to what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:7). And what does
he say? “Come and listen to me, sons. I will teach you the fear of the
Lord” (Psalm 34:11). “Run while you have the light of life, that the darkness
of death may not overtake you” (John 12:35).
The Lord has called
us
Seeking his workman in a multitude of people, the Lord calls out to
him and lifts his
voice again. “Is there anyone here who yearns for life and desires
to see good days?” (Psalm 34:12). If you hear this and your answer is “I
do,” God then directs these words to you:
“If you desire true and eternal life, keep your tongue free from vicious
talk and your lips
from all deceit: turn away from evil and do good: let peace be your
quest and aim” (Psalm
33:12-14). Once you have done this, my eyes will be upon you and my
ears will listen to your prayers. “And even before you ask me, I will say
to you, 'Here I am'” (Isaiah 58:9). What, dear brothers, is more delightful
than this voice of the Lord calling to us? See how the Lord in his love
shows us the way of life. Clothed then with faith and the performance of
good works, let us set out on this way, with the Gospel for our guide,
that we may deserve to see him “who has called us to his kingdom” (1 Thessalonians
2:12).
If we wish to dwell in the tent of this kingdom, we will never arrive
unless we run there by
doing good deeds. But let us ask the Lord with the Prophet [King David]:
“Who will dwell in your tent, Lord; who will find rest upon your holy mountain?”
(Psalm 15:1).
He has foiled
the evil one
After this question, brothers, let us listen well to what the Lord
says in reply, for he shows us the way to his tent [dwelling place]. “One
who walks without blemish,” he says, “and is just in all his dealings,
who speaks the truth from his heart, and has not practiced deceit with
his tongue, who has not wronged a fellow man in any way, nor listened to
slanders against his neighbor” (Psalm 15:2-3). He has foiled the evil one,
the devil, at every turn, flinging both him and his promptings far from
the sight of his heart. While these temptations were still “young, he caught
hold of them and dashed them” against Christ [Psalm 15: 4; 137: 9]. These
people fear the Lord, and do not become elated over their good deeds. They
judge that it is the Lord's power, not their own, that brings about the
good in them. They praise (Palms 15:4) the Lord working in them, and say
with the Prophet [King David]: “Not to us give the glory, but to your name
alone” (Psalm 115:1).
In just this way Paul the Apostle refused to take credit for the power
of his preaching. He declared, “By God's grace I am what I am” (1 Corinthians
15:10). And again he said, “He who boasts should make his boast in
the Lord” (2 Corinthians 10:17). That is why the Lord says in the Gospel,
“Whoever hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who
built his house upon rock. The floods came and the winds blew and beat
against the house, but it did not fall. It was founded on rock (Matthew
7:24-25).
Benedict and monks eating
Prepare your hearts
With this conclusion, the Lord waits for us daily to translate into
action, as we should, his teachings. Therefore our life span has been lengthened
by way of a truce, that we may amend our misdeeds. As the Apostles
says, “Do you not know that the patience of God is leading you to repent”
(Romans 2:4). And indeed the Lord assures us in his love, “I do not wish
the death of the sinner, but that he turn back to me and live” (Ezekiel
33:11).
Brothers, now that we have asked the Lord who will dwell in his tent,
we have heard the instruction for dwelling in it, but only if we fulfill
the obligations of those who live there. We must, then, prepare our hearts
and bodies for the battle of holy obedience to his instructions. What is
not possible to us by nature, let us ask the Lord to supply by the help
of his grace. If we wish to reach eternal life, even as we avoid the torments
of hell, then – while there is still time, while we are in this body and
have time to accomplish all these things by the light of life – we must
run and do now what will profit us forever.
A school for the
Lord's service
Therefore we intend to establish a school for the Lord's service. In
drawing up its regulations, we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing
burdensome. The good of all concerned, however, may prompt us to a little
strictness in order to amend faults and to safeguard love.
Do not be daunted immediately by fear and run away from the road that
leads to salvation. It is bound to be narrow at the outset. But as we progress
in this way of life and in faith, we shall run on the path of God's commandments,
our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love. Never swerving
from his instructions, then, but faithfully observing his teaching in the
monastery until death, we shall through patience share in the sufferings
of Christ that we may deserve also to share in his kingdom. Amen.
[Translation from The
Rule of St. Benedict in Latin and English with Notes, edited by
Timothy Fry, OSB, St. Benedict's Abbey, Atchison, Kansas 1981.] |
