4. The Essence of the Benedictine Rule


 

The Rule of St. Benedict emphasizes ten core values that guide the monastic and spiritual life. These values are:

1.     Love: Central to all Benedictine values is central to Christian Faith, love for God and others.

2.     Prayer: Regular and structured prayer as a foundation for spiritual life.

3.     Stability: Commitment to a particular community and place; as well as stability in your life and activities.

4.     Conversatio: Ongoing conversion and openness to growth. Dying to Self and arising through and in Christ daily.

5.     Obedience: Listening and responding to God’s will and the community. Steadfastly honoring your Oblation.

6.     Discipline: Self-control and order in daily life. Struggling with the ascetic life taught by the Orthodox Church: prayer, fasting, almsgiving (or hospitality)

7.     Humility: Recognizing one’s limitations and dependence on God.  Understanding your small place within the bigger picture of most human situations.

8.     Stewardship: Responsible use and care of resources.

9.     Hospitality: Love and charity shown to others as Christ.

10. Community: Living and working together in mutual support and respect. Be a Christian Witness in secular communities and the workplace by how you act and treat others.

These values provide a framework for living a balanced, purposeful, and spiritually fulfilling life.

 

An Oblate’s best efforts are always expected by which they receive the salvific and empowering grace of the Holy Spirit.  Being a fallen human doesn’t always guarantee one’s best at every moment.  This is the reason an Oblates’ constant affiliation and contact with the monastery of their Oblation is of great benefit.  The Oblate benefits from the collective and unceasing podvig (spiritual struggle) of the monks by receiving the grace God bestows upon that monastery.

 

NEXT  How Does an Orthodox Lay Christian Become an Oblate?

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