The Benedictine Sisters of Saint Benedict’s Monastery follow the Rule of St. Benedict as do Benedictines throughout the world.
Written by St. Benedict in the sixth century, the Rule is a practical and spiritual guide to living a life for God and others according to Gospel teaching. For over 1500 years, Benedictines have used the Rule as their guide to finding God in the ordinary circumstances of daily life. The Rule is also a spiritual guide for lay people of all denominations.
St. Benedict was born in Italy in 480. Disillusioned with the life he saw as a student in Rome, he left that city and went first into the nearby countryside of Subiaco, where he lived as a hermit. He was joined by others attracted by his simple and holy lifestyle who wished to be his disciples.
Benedict then went to Monte Cassino, where he built his first monastery. It was there that he and his monks began a way of life that was to have a profound influence not only on the Europe of his time but on the world up to this present day. The Church celebrates the Solemnity of St. Benedict on March 21 and the Feast of St. Benedict on July 11.
While Abbot at Monte Cassino, Benedict wrote his Rule based on Sacred Scripture and influenced by the spiritual writings of Basil, Evagrius, and Cassian. The Rule of St. Benedict, considered one of the most important documents of Western Civilization, challenges us to a life of ongoing conversion, a life of growth and inner transformation.
The Rule of St. Benedict answers the question "How ought we to live?" It challenges us to listen to the voice of God in Scripture, in the voice of the prioress, in each other, in all the circumstance of ordinary life.
The Rule of St. Benedict is a holistic approach to life which calls for
- a balance of prayer and work
- stability and commitment lived in community in which Christ is seen in each person
- stewardship of all created things which come from the hand of God
- hospitality which receives and cares for each person as Christ.
St. Scholastica was the twin sister of St. Benedict. She founded a monastery for women near Monte Cassino. The Church celebrates the Feast of St. Scholastica on February 10 and the Feast of St. Benedict on March 21.
For more information on the Rule of St. Benedict, visit www.osb.org/gen/rule.html or www.osb.org/rb/text.
Source: http://www.duluthbenedictines.org/mission_ruleofstbenedict.cfm