Christ Our Hope: The Papal Addresses of the Apostolic Journey to the United States Book

Introduction to the rule of Saint Benedict 1

Prologue to the rule 45

1 Four approaches to monastic life 51

2 Gifts needed by an Abbot or Abbess 53

3 Calling the community together for consultation 57

4 Guidelines for Christian and Monastic good practice 59

5 Monastic obedience 63

6 Cherishing silence in the monastery 65

7 The value of humility 66

8 The divine office at night 74

9 The number of psalms at the night office 74

10 The night office in summertime 76

11 Vigils or night office on Sunday 76

12 The celebration of Solemn Lauds 78

13 Lauds on ordinary days 78

14 The celebration of vigils on feasts of Saints 80

15 When the Alleluia should be said 80

16 The hours of the work of God during the day 81

17 The number of psalms to be sung at the hours 82

18 The order for reciting the psalms 83

19 Our approach to prayer 85

20 The ideal of true reverence in prayer 86

21 The deans of the monastery 87

22 Sleeping arrangements for the community 88

23 Faults that deserve excommunication 89

24 Different degrees of severity in punishment 90

25 Punishment for more serious faults 91

26 Unlawful association with the excommunicated 92

27 The superior's care for the excommunicated 92

28 The treatment of those who relapse 94

29 The readmission of any who leave the monastery 95

30 The correction of young children 95

31 The qualities required by the cellarer 96

32 The tools and property of the monastery 98

33 Personal possessions in the monastery 99

34 Fair provision for the needs of all 100

35 Weekly servers in the kitchen and at table 101

36 The care of the sick in the monastery 103

37 Care for the elderly and the young 104

38The weekly reader 105

39 The amount of food to be made available 106

40 The proper amount of drink to be provided 107

41 The times for community meals 109

42 The great silence after compline 110

43 Latecomers for the work of God or in the refectory 111

44 The reconciliation of those excommunicated 113

45 Mistakes in the oratory 114

46 Faults committed elsewhere 115

47 Signaling the times for the work of God 116

48 Daily manual labor 117

49 How lent should be observed in the monastery 119

50 Those whose work takes them a long distance from the oratory 121

51 Those on local errands or work 122

52 The oratory of the monastery 122

53 The reception of guests 123

54 The reception of letters and gifts in the monastery 126

55 Clothing and footwear for the community 127

56 The table for the superior and community guests 129

57 Members of the community with creative gifts 129

58 The reception of candidates for the community 130

59 Children offered by nobles or by the poor 133

60 The admission of priests into the monastery 134

61 Monastic pilgrims from far away 135

62 The priests of the monastery 137

63 Community order 138

64 The election of an Abbot or Abbess 140

65 The prior or prioress of the monastery 143

66 The porter or portress of the monastery 145

67 Those who are sent on a journey 146

68 The response to orders that seen impossible 147

69 No one should act as advocate for another 148

70 That offense of striking another 148

71 Mutual obedience in the monastery 149

72 The good spirit that should inspire monastic life 150

73 This rule is only a beginning 151