Sunday Special: Ora et labora.

There are two Benedictine abbeys on the Isle of Wight.

St Cecilia’s Abbey in Ryde is a place of tranquillity. It is a strict cloister, the contact with the outside world is really limited for the women who chose to spend their lives there.

Then there is Quarr Abbey in Fishbourne. It is not as quiet as St Cecilia. There is a tea shop, a pig pen, a gift shop, abbey tours on Tuesdays and various retreats.

These two abbeys are very different yet there is one thing that they have in common: the Rule of St Benedict as their foundation.

The Rule is a short document, you can easily read it over the course of a single evening, but it is so rich in its spirituality that one needs to come back to it again and again to truly appreciate this abundance of wisdom from St Benedict.

The Rule might at first seem to be rather irrelevant in our times. It was written for sixth century monks. And indeed, many parts of it are concerned with practicalities of living in a monastic community (and St Benedict was a truly practical man, he describes the bed linen that each monk should get, their clothing and footwear, the meals to be eaten and what to do if you are travelling and you are not able to get back in time for scheduled prayers). But in the midst of all these seemingly irrelevant instructions, there is something timeless that we can all apply to our lives.

The Rule of St Benedict is often abbreviated to ora et labora. Pray and work. St Benedict places prayer at the centre of the monastic life, especially prayer through Psalms (Liturgy of the Hours, anyone?). He also says that idleness is the enemy of the soul. He wants the monks to be always engaged in some activity that brings them into the unity with God. It might be in time of prayer, it might be through work for the monastery or the neighbour.

What does the Rule have to offer for us? Here are three ideas from St Benedict to enrich our busy lives.

If you get your hands on the Rule, read Chapter 19 and Chapter 20. They talk about the approach to prayer. Benedict gave a strict guidance as to the regularity of prayer, but just turning up when you are supposed to will not cut it. For Benedict, being intentional and truly present during the time of prayer was key for spiritual growth.

Benedict recommended the monks to be always busy, so work (manual labour in the Rule) was an essential part of his spirituality. It wasn’t an inconvenience interrupting the times of prayer. Work for Benedict was a part of Christian life. God worked for six days and then rested after creation: and since all that God does is holy, work must be holy too. My work doesn’t feel holy most of the time at all. But it’s all about offering your time and effort up to God and performing your duties as if you were serving the Lord directly.

Finally, hospitality. It is not merely entertaining guests at dinner parties. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Hospitality is making sure people feel welcomed around you. They should feel at peace when interacting with you, should feel valued and important for only one reason: because they are a fellow human being and are made in the image of God. Hospitality can be exercised in all circumstances, at home, at work, when on holidays or just relaxing in a café. It’s paying attention to the needs of another and treating those we encounter with deep respect.

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I'm looking forward to exploring more of the benedictine spirituality in the coming weeks and visiting more benedictine abbeys. They are places of such tranquility that even if I only visit for a couple of hours, I feel spiritually replenished. Next on my list is Worth Abbey.