The Instruments of Good Works

Fear the Day of Judgment: be in dread of hell. Ardently desire everlasting life with deep spiritual longing. Keep death daily before your eyes.

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 4

The Instruments of Good Works

Put your hope in God. Attribute any good that you see in yourself to God and not to yourself; but recognize and always impute to yourself the evil that you do.

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 4

The Instruments of Good Works

Do not murmur or speak evil of others.

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 4

The Instruments of Good Works

Do not be proud, nor given to wine (Titus 1:7, 1 tim. 3:3). Do not be a glutton, nor given to much sleeping, nor slothful (Rom. 12:11).

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 4

The Instruments of Good Works

Do not render evil for evil (1 Thess 5:15; 1 Pet. 3:9). Do no wrong to anyone; rather, bear patiently the wrong done to yourself. Love your enemies (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27). Do not render cursing for cursing, but rather blessing. Bear persecution for justice's sake (Matt 5:10).

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 4

The Instruments of Good Works

Not to gratify anger; not to harbor a desire of revenge, not to foster guile in your heart, not to make a feigned peace, not to forsake charity. Not to swear, lest perchance you perjure yourself; to utter truth from your heart and your mouth.

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 4

The Instruments of Good Works

To keep aloof from worldly attractions; to prefer nothing to the love of Christ.

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 4

The Instruments of Good Works

To deny yourself, in order to follow Christ (Matt 16:24; Luke 9:23). To chastise the body (1 Cor. 9:27): not to seek after delicate living: to love fasting. To relieve the poor; to clothe the naked, to visiti the sick (Matt. 25:36), to bury the dead. To help in affliction; to console the sorrowing.

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 4

The Instruments of Good Works

Then, to love your neighbor as yourself. you are not to kill, not to commit dultry, not to steal, not to covet (Rom. 13:9). You are not to bear false witness (Matt 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20). You must honor all (1 Pet. 2:17). You must not do to another what you would not have done to yourself (Tob. 4:16; Matt 7:12).

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 4

The Instruments of Good Works

In the first place, to love the Lord God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength [and to love your neighbor as yourself]. (Matt 22:37-39; Mark 12:30-31; Luke 10:47).

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 4

Obedience to God, the Rule, the Abbot and the Community

Let all, therefore, follow the Rule in all things as their guide, and from it let no one rashly turn aside. Let no one in the monastery follow the will of his own heart: nor let anyone presume insolently to contend with his Abbot, either within or without the monastery. But if he should dare to do so, let him be subjected to the Rule. The Abbot himself, however, must do everything with the fear of God, and in observance of the Rule: Knowing that he will have without doubt to render to God, the most just judge, an account of all his judgments.

If it happens that less important matters have to be transacted for the advantage of the monastery let him take counsel with the seniors only, as it is written: Do all things with counsel, and you will not afterwards repent of it (Sir. 32:24).

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 3

Community meetings

As often as any important matters have to be transacted in the monastery, let the abbot call together the whole community, and himself declare what is the question to be settled. And, having heard the counsel of the brethren, let him weigh it within himself and then do what he shall judge most expedient. We have said that all should be called to the council, because it is often to the younger that the Lord reveals what is best. But the brethren give their advice with all the restraint of humility, and not presume stubbornly to defend their own opinion; but rather let the matter rest with the Abbot's discretion, that all may submit to whatever he shall consider best. Yet, even as it becomes disciples to obey their master, so does it behoove him to order all things prudently and with justice.

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 3

Those in Authority must always remember they are under judgment

Let the abbot know that he who has undertaken the government of souls, must prepare himself to render an acount of them. And whatever may be the number of the brethren under his care, let him be certainly assured that on the Day of Judgment he will have to give an account to the Lord of all these souls, as well as of his own. And thus, being ever fearful of the coming judgment of the shepherd concerning the solicitous also of his own. And so, while correcting others by his admonitions, he will be himself cured of his own defects.

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 2

Spider Man Principle and Getting Priorities Right

The abbot ought always to remember what he is, and what he is called, and to know that to whom more is committed, from him more is required. And he must consider how difficult and arduous a task he has undertaken, of ruling souls and adapting himself to many dispositions. Let him so accomodate and suit himself to the character and intelligence of each, winning some by kindness, others by reproof, others by persuasion, that he may not only suffer no loss in the flock committed to him, but may even rejoice in their virtuous increase.

Above all let him not, overlooking or undervaluing the salvation of the souls entrusted to him, be more solicitous for fleeting, earthly, and perishable things; but let him ever bear in mind that he has undertaken the government of souls, of which he shall have to give an account. And that he may not complain for want of wordly resources, let him remember what is written: Seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you (Matt. 6:33), and again: Nothing is wanting to them that fear him (Ps. 34:9).

Being Gentle and Stern

For in his teaching the Abbot should always observe the recommendation of the Apostle, in which he says: Reprove, convince, rebuke. (2 Tim. 4:2). That is, he should suit his action to the circumstances, mingling gentleness with sternness; showing now the rigor of a master, now the loving affection of a father, so as sternly to rebuke the undisciplined and restless, and to exhort the obedient, mild, and patient to advance in virtue. And such as are negligent and haughty we charge him to reprove and correct. let him not shut his eyes to the faults of offenders; but as soon as they appear, let him strive, as he has the authority for tht, to root them out, remembering the fate of Eli, the priest of Shiloh (1 Sam 2:11-4:18). Those of good disposition and understanding let him correct, for the first or second time, with words only; but such as are troublesome and hard of heart, proud or disobedient, let him chastise with bodily stripes at the very first offense, knowing tht it is written: The fool is not corrected with words (Prov. 29:19), and again, Strike your son with a rod and you will have freed his soul from death (Prov. 23:14).

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 2

The abbot is not to make any distinction of persons in the monastery. He should not love one more than another unless he finds one better in good actions and obedience. A free-born man is not to be put before a slave who becomes a monk, except for some other reasonable cause. Although, if justice requires it, the abbot may see fit to change anyone's rank. Otherwise let each keep to his regular place, because whether we are slaves or free, we are all one in Christ (Gal 3:28), Eph. 6:8) and serve alike in the army of the Lord; for with God there is no partiality among persons (Rom. 2:11).

Solely in this only are we distinguished in his sight: if we are found t surpass others in good works and in humility. Therefore, let the abbot show equal love to all and impose on all the same discipline, according to their merits.

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 2

Teaching by words and deeds

Therefore, when anyone receives the name of abbot he is to govern his disciples by a twofold teaching: that is, he must show forth all that is good and holy more by deeds than by words; declaring to receptive disciples the commandments of the Lord with words, but demonstrating the divine precepts to the stubborn and the simple-minded by the example of his deeds. And all of the things which he teaches his disciples are contrary (to the law of God) - it should be seen from his own actions that these are not to be done, lest while preaching to others, he himself be found reprobate (1 Cor. 9:27); and God say to him in his sin: How is it that you recite my justice and declare my covenant with your mouth, when you hate discipline and cast my words behind you (Ps. 50:16-17)? And also this: How is it that you can see a speck in your brother's eye, and not notice the plank in your own (Matt. 7:3)?

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 2

Parental responsibility

Let the abbot remember always that at the fearful judgment of God both his (the Abbot's) teaching and the obedience of his disciples -- both of these matters -- will be examined. the abbot must, therefore, know that the shepherd will be considered at fault if the father of the household (paterfamilias) finds that the sheep have yielded no profit. If, on the other hand, he has exercised all pastoral diligence over a restless and disobedient flock, always striving to heal their unhealthy ways; then the shepherd will be acquitted at the Judgment of the Lord, and will say to the Lord with the prophet: I have not hidden your justice in my heart; I have declared your truth and your salvation (Ps. 40:11), but they condemned and spurned me (Isa. 1:2, Ezek. 20:27). Then at last the sheep disobedient to his care will be punished by overpowering death.

Rule of Benedict, Chapter 2

The Abbot

An abbot who is worthy to govern a monastery must always remember what he is called, and fulfill his title through his deeds. For he is believed to hold the place of Christ in the monastery, since he is addressed by a title of His (Christ's), as the Apostle has said, "You have received the spirit of adoption of sons by which we cry, 'abba, father" (Rom. 8:15).

Therefore, the abbot should never teach or enact or command anything contrary to the teaching of the Lord; rather let his commands and his teaching, like the leaven of divine justice, suffuse the minds of his disciples.


Rule of Benedict, Chapter 2

Kinds of Monks part 4

The fourth kind of monks are those called gyrovagues, who spend their whole lives seeking hospitality in province after province, monastery after monastery, staying three or four days at a time; always wandering and never stable, they are slaves to self-will and the snares of appetite: they are in all things worse than the Sarabaites.

Of the most wretched life of all these it is better to remain silent than to speak. Leaving these behind us, therefore, let us proceed, with the help of God, to make provision for the Cenobites -- the strong kind of monks.


Rule of Benedict, Chapter 1