Like many, I imagine, I came across St Benedict and his Rule through reading Esther De Waal’s now classic, Seeking God: The Way of St Benedict in my early twenties. I went on to read the Rule itself, and have continued a regular pattern of reading the Rule ever since, usually including a section at Evening Prayer. I go on retreats, stay in religious houses, and follow a pattern of spiritual reading all within the Benedictine tradition. I should also say that I trained for ord

An excellent question. Why do I daily celebrate St Benedict, in a world that celebrates a lot of other saints. Simply the impact he has had on my spirituality. So, what is that impact? A Rule that is over 1,500 years old that is still guiding monks, nuns, and laypeople around the world. A guide to spiritual living that influences me and thousands of others in a very different world to the one it was written in. Clearly what Benedict says in the Rule has depth of understanding

St. Benedict lived in the 5th century, yet his teachings remain relevant today, particularly for young people. Henri Nouwen, a prominent Catholic writer and priest, believed that St. Benedict’s insights have much to offer lay people as well as monastics. Using his writings and inspiration we will look at what that relevance is as we celebrate St Benedict’s feast day. Nouwen recognized that in a world that emphasises success, prestige, and power, St. Benedict’s Rule emphasise

Once a year the oldies of the church, the revered ones, get a day of celebration and so in July Benedict gets his. A moment in the limelight, to remember his place in building up the Church. I’ve no way of knowing what he’d make of it although I think he’d probably have mixed feelings. It’s right and proper to be pleased they remember you and that the Rule is still there in the life of the universal Church but it’s also right to be humble and self-effacing. I’m a bit like tha

In a divided and divisive world, the voice of St Benedict calls us to come together despite all our differences, to find meaning, purpose and fellowship. His monastery is above all a place of welcome – in chapter 2 (RB2) he stresses that “God shows no partiality among persons.” (Rom 2:11). The only criteria which matter for living the monastic life are good works and humility. Social origins do not matter – whether you are born a slave or born free you are welcome. His Rule p

Looking back, a young student’s decision to visit Worth Abbey for an Easter retreat in 1980, based on no particular connection, was life-forming. The Seed Over three days I was immersed in something different from anything else I had experienced. The psalms, the interweaving of communal and personal prayer drew me in, and I wanted more. It planted a seed that has grown in different directions and yielded many fruits. The Lay Community became the lifelong ‘schola’ of prayer an

Dom Michael Casey ocso, wrote, ‘there no doubt the Rule of St Benedict is a profound document. This, however, is no excuse for spending the rest of our lives on the first page of the Prologue.’ [1] This quote at the beginning highlights the vital impetus of the monastic life. Since God is limitless, so too then should be our search for him, it is ultimately a process of gaining since God is holiness. There is no earthly terminus for the monastic life, it is ultimately the co

Here it is, the great calling bell of St Benedict, located at the very beginning of his Rule: ‘Listen, child of God’. (RB Prologue) I am listening today. I am listening to P, a vulnerable adult who talks to me of being institutionally abused and hangs around after our weekly Roman Catholic Mass which she sometimes attends. I am not the designated Day Chaplain in the cathedral on this particular Friday, but I will walk down the nave with her, listening, and maybe we’ll find

I recently visited the National Gallery’s Franciscan exhibition and came away refreshed and grateful. The star of the show is of course St Francis, the quintessential eco-saint – ‘a pious pin-up for our times’ in the words of Ann Wroe who has written so movingly of him in ‘Francis: A Life in Songs’. One small thing caught my attention: friars wear sandals or go barefoot, which allows for a life of movement. The feet make a statement. By contrast Benedictines wear shoes, for a

I was corrected at a meeting that I was chairing recently when I said, “Enough Guys”. It was pointed out to me that I was the only “Guy” present. This was quite a formal meeting, and my intervention wasn’t appropriate. After the meeting, I was giving thanks for a successful outcome and got thinking - how do I greet God? Am I, casual, informal or formal, what is the balance, and does it matter? In my life is God just a deity I pray to or is he the most important mate I have va

The first promise a Benedictine monk makes is one of stability. Saint Benedict is very clear. The person seeking to join the monastic community must promise stability, commitment to the monastic lifestyle and obedience before all in the oratory. He describes four types of monks in Chapter 1 of the Rule and two these, the sarabaites and gyrovagues, are condemned for their lack of stability. What does stability mean for a Benedictine? Stability is about “standing firm” in one’s

This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ - Jeremiah 6:16 Life is full of crossroads. Like so many other young people, I stand at a particular set of crossroads. What will be the path of my future? It feels increasingly difficult to discern that path when there are so many things in the world distracting us f

I talked to my friend on the phone about Easter with the LCSB at Cefn Lea. I tell her what a rich and tumultuous time it was, filling me...

Ash is a strange symbol with which to mark a beginning, but here we are, at the beginning of Lent, using ashes to remind ourselves of the journey we are about to undertake. Photo by Adrien Olichon on Unsplash The words with which we receive our ashes remind us of the final end of our journey on earth – ‘Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’ A bleak reminder of our origins and of the end which awaits us all. The creation account in the second chapter of Ge

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. - The Rule of St Benedict, Prologue 49-50. The story of Jesus being presented in the

Christmas is coming. It is a time for rules and rituals. For my Christmas, it is a space where the whole family can gather together. We...