It may be a lot to say you first, I received this morning a phone call of Maria Laak, our old abbot Urbanus de Bom died on Saturday. Please pray for him. He was a great man as the master of our Bulgarian Scholar. In powerful years we can say, and then as prior, as Abbot, and for entire Germany, especially by the addition of a German missile. There have been two famous missiles in Germany, one of Beuron, a little bit in contrast to Beuron, in opposition to Beuron, more or less, a bomb of Maria Lark. For 30, 40 years, these two missions have been the great books of the liturgical movement in Germany.

[01:08]

It's finished. And now I try to speak to you about the elements of monastic spirituality. I was preparing this conference already some days ago. It's a good disposition of the divine providence that we could... speak about this now in this tour retreat day. It's a very difficult topic to speak in 40 minutes about elements of monastic spirituality which are given to us in 1400 years of benedictan monastic life. given by the efforts of the entire Benedictine tradition. Therefore, I can try only to give you some, some, some points. For example, remembering the words of the Holy Rule in chapter 58, the novice, therefore every monk, must try always to truly seek God, have eagerness for the work of God,

[02:25]

Opus Dei, ready to be obedient and to trials. The three in Latin famous O, Opus Dei, Opus Dei, work of God, obedientia, obedience, and opprobria, trials. Three fundamental elements of our spirituality. To stay before God, praying, laudation, hymn, Eucharist, really obedient and ready to bear the difficulties of everyday trials. In modern times, this benedictive spirituality has given a special accent to the Opus Dei in the liturgical movement. The modern aspect, because we could not say that the same aspect given by the modern liturgical movement, by Solheim, by Beuron, by Marie Allard, by St.

[03:29]

John's Collegeville here in the States, worship, would have been the elements of Benedictine spirituality in all the 1,400 years. The modern aspect, excellent aspect, beautiful aspect. And then also in modern times we are insisting in a special way, given a certain instance to specific Benedictine values. For example, our spirituality must be founded in the three woes. Stability, we are proud about it. Fidelity to monastic life, conversatio morum. Monastic conversation, monastic life in its entire totality. And finally, again, obedience. Obedience. Always, again, obedience.

[04:32]

And still, another modern aspect would be, and I think it is especially beloved by you here in Mount Xavier, Father Damasus, orientation of all our spirituality towards the spirituality of the old monastic tradition, of the father in the desert, Saint Anthony, with certain possibilities of hermitage, Pacomius, the great son of it, and the rule of the master. And finally, go on not only to the fathers in the desert, but to the last, the most profound fundaments of our entire spirituality. It is the Holy Scripture, the New Testament, the Gospel, and our pneumatic aspect. How do you say? Pneumatic.

[05:32]

Pneumatic of the spirits. In a certain way, we are all very interested about the charismatic aspects a movement, perhaps not sharing in every exaggeration of it, but nevertheless to be filled with the Holy Spirit. In a certain way, if we speak about spirituality here, the Spirit himself is already there. According to this wonderful prayer of the Apostle in the third chapter to the Ephesians, he's praying to God that he may give us, according to the riches of his glory, that we could be strengthened in our inner man by the Spirit. dynamically, by the spirit, spirituality, charismatically, and so on. Therefore, very different elements with certain modern aspects, accentuations.

[06:34]

Now, I try to give you a short synthesis about the main characters of our efforts today, perhaps a little bit subjective, chosen between so many things in the holy rule. And I would say the first point, according to the rule, is that we are establishing or we are ready to live in the scola Dominici Zervizi, In a certain way, these Latin words are always more splendid than every translation could give it. Therefore, we intend to establish a school for the Lord's service. A school, not only a school as a modern boy's school or a modern university school, but a school, a school, a working community, a workgemeinschaft, a community of workers who are working in this service of the Lord's. And we could describe this school for the Lord's service with the words of the prologue of the holy rule.

[07:49]

Here in this school we hope to sit down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome. It's also benedictal spirituality. Our life is not too heavy. Nothing extraordinary. But this simplicity of our daily life done through all the years, that is our greatness. The good of all concerned, however, may prompt us to a little strictness in order to amend faults and to safeguard love. Therefore, do not be downed immediately by fear and run away from the road that leads to salvation. It is bound to be narrow at the outset, but as we progress in this way of life and in faith, we shall run on the path of God's commandments, our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love, never swerving from his instruction.

[09:01]

observing his teaching in the monastery unto death, to patience, share in the sufferings of Christ. Here, all this together is the school of the divine service. And in this school of divine service, according to the prologue, again, we wish to go on by the guidance of the gospel. Here, again, we must be founded on the gospel itself, reading it, knowing it, and living it. With all the modern means of modern exegesis, yes, a little bit, but in the same way following the old fathers and the modern excellent fathers like Answers from Balthasar, ex-Jesuit, but marvelous scripture.

[10:10]

What's his name? Balthasar, Balthasar. And more still, the wonderful Jesuit Henri de Libac, the song spiritual, the spiritual meaning of the Holy Scripture in origin. And then this marvelous... four or five volumes where he shows how we must read the gospel spiritually therefore we can learn much not only from the benedict traditions but also from the shesuits sometimes therefore under the guidance of the gospel really It's our last one, our last rule, the great rule. The rule also for St. Francis of today. And then again in this school of divine service, we must persevere until death in the monastery.

[11:14]

Persevere. We tried to speak about it yesterday, speaking about marriage. The difficulty of marriage is divorce but persevere persevere in all the difficulties of this daily life and the same for us it is marvelous to be a novice perhaps but then later on we are free we can go away but then after our woes we must persevere in every difficulty after the Second Vatican Council, and all the trials after the Council. And doing so, persevering until death in the monastery, sharing in the Passion of Christ, pneumatically, sacramentally, celebrating Eucharist, reading about the Passion, and doing it, doing it every day.

[12:22]

and not in extraordinary things, it's not necessarily too fast, too much, but to be humble, to be obedient, to do what is said in chapter 72 about a good seal, a bono celo of the monk, remain in love, bear the burdens each of another. Therefore, share in the passion of Christ, but then not only to remain in the painful participation of this passion, but in the hope of the glory, to be united with the glorified Christ. Therefore, so the school of divine service, founded in these last fondaments, gospel, Perseverance, participation in the passion and the death and resurrection of our Lord.

[13:27]

And therefore, under another aspect, perhaps a modern aspect, it is very important to see our monastic life as a participation in the Pascal mystery. Pascal mystery, a concept in a certain way given to us by Odo Castle and his vision of the mystery. and all his writings, the passion and resurrection, the entire walk of Christ, the entire mystery, always total, is present in our liturgical celebration that we can share in it. To die with Christ our Lord and to rise up with him. And therefore, no, and this vision, then also given by Bougie, Le Mystère Pascal, the Pascal mystery, and finally approved by the council in a splendid way until this instruction from 63 into a community where this

[14:33]

Roman Commission under Mons. Gero Bongini has given a synthesis of the entire liturgical reform according to the will of the Council. It is our last intention. We must do so that the Pascal mystery could be expressed vitally in our life, in a vital celebration, in a living celebration of liturgy, but then doing it in the entire day, entire life. Die, die, die, die for our egoism. And this instruction is continuing. Mysterium Pascale, death and resurrection, in quo, Filius Dei incarnatus, the son of God incarnated, made obedient until the death of cross, he was then so exalted, that he could give his divine life to us, that we no more be living to ourselves in an egoistic way, but for ours, in the honor of God.

[15:47]

The entire Paschal mystery shared in the passion of Christ, receiving his divine life, that we don't live anymore egoistically. Here is the most important thing. egoistically, but altruistically living for us, giving ourselves as Christ the Lord did it for us. Therefore, this Pascal mystery, we must share in it. Therefore, our monastic spirituality is founded in the profession as a second baptism. Second baptism. We have been baptized to die with Christ, to rise up with him. We could not be baptized a second time. That's impossible. Nevertheless, the tradition was regarding our profession like a second baptism. Therefore, affirmation of our only and unique baptism.

[16:51]

The tradition was regarding our profession as our yes to this reality given to us in the baptism once forever, that we die every day again to rise up with our Lord. And in a certain way, that is also the terminus, the word is not found in the rule. In the chapter about the, how do we say in good English, about the Lent time. Lent time is not a good word. About 40 days time. Can you say so? Also in German it's not possible to say so, but nevertheless we say so. Lent are the time of 40 days. And these 40 days are guiding us to the east of Israel. And St. Benedict says then, The life of the monk must be always so as observance of the 40-day guiding to the Easter visual.

[18:07]

Because it's not possible, we are too lazy, too feeble, we must try to do it at least in these days. in prayers with tears, in all the good observance of the 40 days. Nevertheless, per se, we must try not only in these 40 days, but in entire monastic life, try to prepare ourselves to a perfect participation in the Pascal mystery. And then, so, dying with our Lord, in the patience of every day, with certain sacrifices, little sacrifices, humbly accepting the difficulties, the trials of every day, doing so, our monastic life must be an unbloody martyrdom, another concept, very dear to our tradition.

[19:14]

Martyrium incruentum. Martyrdom unbloody. We are not martyrs. We are not killed. We have not a grace. We could not do it. But nevertheless, our life in a certain way must be unbloody martyrdom. In the little things of every day, we are ready to be killed, to be had taken away. But we are not ready to accept the difficulties of every day. Here is the greatness of our monastic spirituality, accepting these little difficulties of every day, day for day, year for year, until death is coming. Unbloody martyrdom. Nobody sees it. Only God alone. Try to do it. Patience. humbly, in a certain way also as a witness.

[20:18]

And again, this, our monastic life, the realization of the Pascal mystery, a second baptism, an unbloody martyrdom, is also a bios angelicos, an angelical life, yes, and it's a wonderful conception. Not only chastity, also chastity, yes, evidently, but more still. Bios Angelicos is to stay before God in his presence, to sing his hymns, hymns to him, together with the angels. In every Eucharistic celebration, in our entire divine office, Bios Angelicos, stay in the presence of God, also obedient to his words and giving witness, from this divine reality to everyone who sees us our entire life. And in the same times, this Bios Angelicos is also realizing the eschatological aspect of our life.

[21:25]

Eschatological, therefore, looking towards to this last reality in which we, united with the angels, stay in the presence of the divine trinity. Hoping. looking forwards. And also eschatological in this sense that this present eschatology, we are already in the presence of God. Last times, already, no, no. The last times, times of Christ the Lord, his kingdom is already present. We stay, no, in this reality. In the presence of God, in conspect to Angelorum Salam Tibi, in the... in the face of the angels, I stay before you to sing your praise. And finally, also, we could say, this is our participation in the Paschal Mystery, this second baptism, this unbloody martyrdom, this bios angelicostis, angelical life in his eschatological aspect.

[22:27]

It's also an apostolic life. But apostolic life in the meaning of the altar, Monastic tradition, not only to preach the gospel to other people, sometimes you must do it. But apostolic life is to be united with the apostles in the prayer, as they did it in the upper room in Jerusalem, together with Our Lady, Blessed Virgin Mary. The apostles, disciples, 120 persons, united in prayer for the coming of the Holy Spirit. and remaining so in the first apostolic community. You remember this wonderful book of Germain Morin, La Vie Monastique et les Chrétiens des Premiers Jours, The Monastic Life and The Monastic Life and The Christians of the First Apostolic Times.

[23:30]

Stay together. in charity, in love, in eating joyfully together, celebrating eucharist joyfully together, praying, and having community in every good. That is the first reality of an apostolic life, and then also being witness of this reality of Christ, his gospel before the world, as here the community, a witness to the entire country. anti-United States in a certain way to the entire world. So we must try to share in the Pascal mystery of Christ. And again, we try to see this our monastic spirituality as a synoptical spirituality because the rule of St. Benedict speaks about different kinds of monks. Hermits, the most excellent way, yes, for somebody.

[24:33]

But no, these omnibus omesis, at Cenobitarum fortissimum genus discribendum transeamus, come now to speak about the strongest kind of monastic life, the Cenobits, staying together in charity. in love, in patience, supporting the burdens, building the burdens each of another. The greatness of this is a kind of life. And the workroom where we must do all our good works, according to chapter 4, is the stability in this congregation together. with all its difficulties. And if the difficulties are great, not go away, but bear them. Patience is our participation with the cross of our Lord.

[25:36]

And in one of the chapters, he says, therefore, in monasteries, the gentis, abatem, they be praes desiderant. That is the typical character of of monastic spiritualities. We are remaining in the monastery, and we desire that a man is put over us. We desire it. We must have a superior. All these terrible commandments. No, no, no. We are glad. We wish to and must obey him. And therefore also in 72, he said, there is a wicked seal of bitterness which separates from God and leads to hell.

[26:41]

So it's a good seal which separates from evil and leads to God an everlasting life. This then is the good seal which monks must foster with fervent love. They should each try to be the first to show respect to the other. Supporting with the greatest patience one another's weaknesses of body behavior. Here is our cross. And honestly, competing in obedience to one another, not only obey to the others, but to be obedient one to another, and we know how difficult it is. First I, then I again, and then you don't come, not yet. First I, the old ego is our greatest enemy. No one is to pursue what he judges better for himself, but instead what he judges better for someone else.

[27:48]

To their fellow monks, they show the pure love of brothers, a God-loving fear. To the others, and faint and humble love. Let them prefer nothing forever to Christ. Wonderful picture of monastic spirituality. Therefore, synopedical spirituality. It is good zeal. And this synabitical spirituality is an ascetic reality. It's difficult. We must exercise ourselves to do so, and to crucify ourselves, to bring sacrifice. And therefore, I remember very well when the famous and very saint, Abbot Hilde von Schuster, the later cardinal, last bishop of Milan, has given us in St. Anselmo in 25, 26, 27, two or three times a year on a retreat day.

[28:52]

He said then sometimes, and our old rector of that time, Athanasius Staub of Einsiedel in Switzerland, repeated it, Vita communice, benetentia maxima. The common life, that is the greatest conness, ascetic reality. It is difficult to stay together. And if we wish to do penance, here in the sonopidical life, we have the most wonderful opportunity to do it. Vita communica, as the Italian pronounce it, Vita communica penitentia maxima. The greatest palace, the greatest palace. But it is not only an ascetic reality, it is also a theological reality. We stay together to be the church of Christ, the local church, the body of Christ, assembled around the altar, united by the and Eucharistic body and blood of our Lord, to be one bread, one body, to be united.

[30:01]

And I am always very much impressed by this admonition of the Apostle in the letter to the Ephesians. He is describing the greatest wisdom, the greatest realities of the mystery of Christ in the first three chapters in a synthesis of splendid vision about the greetings of this work done by the love of God in Christ Jesus in which we are going to the inner man. And when he has spoken, when he has spoken about all these marvelous things, he is continuing and now I am contesting you. You must walk in in a dignified manner to the vocation in which you are called. Building yourself one another in the bond of peace.

[31:08]

Conservant unity. That is the most important thing, remaining in love because we are one body, in one faith, with one Lord, with one God and Father of all. Therefore, remaining in this charity, constructing the body of charity in the community of this local church. And so, realizing the intention of Christ in this concrete place here... the wonder of the stability, Benedictine stability. We must realize the church here, and we are doing it by the grace of sacraments and of our faith. And then again, God loves nothing more than good, our Lord. Therefore, the monk is desiring to have an abbot to whom he can obey. And again, in 49,

[32:12]

about the observation in Lent. All our good things during Lent must be committed to the Abbot. He must give the blessing. Otherwise, it's nothing. And in our chapters, let me see, 68, 68, Ah, assignments of impossible tasks to a brother. A wonderful chapter two, because we come in Benedictine spirituality, speak freely with our habit, but our habit is impossible for you to do so. I cannot. Omni fiducia, only fiducia, So should he see, however, that the weight of the burden is altogether too much for his strength, then he should choose the appropriate moment and explain patiently to his superior the reasons why he cannot perform the task.

[33:24]

Okay, he can do so. We must be so free to speak with our superior. But then, if the superior is persisting in his commandment, then confidence the dei attutorio obediate. In the confidence of the help of God, he must obey. That is obedience. Not stupid, not blind. We couldn't discuss it. But finally, trusting in the help of God, obeying. And then in the 72 chapter, and also in chapter 7, where in the degrees of humility, the rule is insisting very much in this necessity of to obey him, to obey him to God, the Father, to obey him to his representative, the abbot, to obey each and other, and so on. The entire chapter of humility is an element of our synophysical spirituality.

[34:29]

And in this general biblical spirituality belongs to the chapter six about silence. We can talk, we must talk. But nevertheless, also silence is a great element in our monastic life. And when I was admiring this symposium word of silence, And especially because you have succeeded 10 years ago to receive these guests, 150 of these colored multitude of strange guests remaining in silence. The silence of the monastery has not been destroyed. And so also today, guests are coming and seeing this silence and you remaining in silence.

[35:35]

Also, in a convenient way, you speak with them. But nevertheless, retaining the atmosphere of silence and therefore also the necessity to have self-domination. Not every word must be said immediately. we must be reconnected in ourselves, speaking with our Lord and always in prayer and so on. And then the entire chapter four about the tools for good works and so on. The time is not there to insist in all these elements. But if we wish to know the most imminent elements of our monastic spirituality, in all these chapters we have the presentation of these elements. Therefore, we must always again think it and realize it. And it may be allowed to insist still in describing some modern elements of the true Benedictine spirituality or to insist in some elements of the Benedictine spirituality which has been seen in our modern times.

[36:51]

Therefore, in the last century, in our actual century, after Solheim, after Beuron, after Maritzu with Albert Columba-Magnon, after Louvain with Lombard-Buddwin, after Maria Lark with Ilde von Serrwegen, and Albert Hammelstede, and Urban Bonn, and this, there were the dancers who came here. And then also the other modern learned people studying about the elements of the Benedictine spirituality in the Benedictine order, as the great French... The Bogewein. The Bogewein. the Vogueway, yes, but not from Clairvaux.

[37:54]

John Leclerc, yes. And then the top is all Thomas Merton and the Abbot of Genesee. So many. We are all in a certain way united in seeing these elements which we as modern men wish to underline. And the first would be piety. Pietas. Pietas. as a modern concept, as the attitude of the entire man. Piety not in the meaning of the German pieté, of some strange piety, too subjective, too narrow-minded. But the entire man, our attitude, internal disposition open to the Holy Spirit and filled with the Holy Spirit expressed also in external signs. The ability, the possibility to express myself also staying before the Lord, bowing, kneeling, and doing all these things not in a certain formalism.

[39:10]

You can do it without thinking. No. So that kneeling, adoring, worshiping, and staying before the Lord, it would be the real and the true and sincere expression of my internal life. And at the same time, the internal spiritual life of my soul is made stronger when it can express itself in such external forms. in the totality of this Christian behavior. So, seeing the piety and then the reality of supernatural faith. According to my masters in Rome, Garigula Grange, the Dominican, and then Stolz, the great Benedictine of Gerleve, of our congregation, professor in St. Anselmo, one of the great professors in St.

[40:12]

Anselmo in my young years. He said, to stay in the supernatural faith is to stay in the reality of God. Our faith is obscured. Yes, it's true still. But nevertheless, really real, the beginning of the eternal vision of god because in the supernatural faith we are moved by the grace of the lord so that we are consenting to divine realities which we cannot see but to ascend to them moved and so Also, we don't see them, nevertheless, moved by the Spirit in our ascent of the faith to these divine realities.

[41:14]

We are touching them, staying in them. That is faith. Faith is the beginning of eternal life now. In obscurity, because we don't see it immediately, we cannot see it with our human reason, nevertheless, we are touching it, staying in it, tasting it. Gustara, what's the tasting here? To taste it, yes. A meaning in faith. Meditating it. Trying to go in it. And in this faith, we are strong to overcome any difficulty. Faith, in this contact with God, And always again, our internal life manifested outside. We must be able to stay before God, to show it in a certain way, with chastity, with modesty, humbly, and nevertheless so, that in a certain way, faithful, Christian people, staying in a community, staying before God in reverence, in faith,

[42:31]

in love manifesting in a certain external order, their inner believing must be a structure marvelous. This is really an experiment of the reality of God. In a certain way, it is so. When you come to a monastic community, staying so in the choir, singing, this is to stay the finger of God in a certain way. It's not our marriage. It's the work of God. But nevertheless, we must try to do it, really. And then it may be said, too, this point which I touched already in our modern times, at least we, Maria Lark, we are speaking always about our Benedictine spirituality, about our liturgical spirituality, as... about objective piety.

[43:32]

And objective piety, a word of Abed Ildefons, was misunderstood already in his times. Somebody with objective piety is cold piety. It's nothing. We must be filled with the fire of God. And really, we must do so. We must be... filled with the fire of God, with his charity, with his love, extraordinary, but founded in the objective greatness of the dogma, of the faith, of the revelation. We must take this fire, this charity, this love, this joy, and this excitement, not from elements of second degree, but of the first degree. Therefore, pascal history, incarnation of our Lord, his passion, his cross, his resurrection.

[44:33]

And so we must give to these objective fundaments our subjective, living, joyful answer. That would be objective piety. I would say, for example, it is allowed to say sometimes 40 years ago, sometimes we were fighting against the devotion of the Sacred Heart. Excuse me if I say it. Because it was too sweet, too strange. But the real Sacred Heart, the open side of our Lord, from which are going out the waters of the Spirit Heart, that is the most objective greatness in which we are enjoying. And we can say the reform of the office of the Sacred Heart given by Pius XI, 40 years ago, or 30 years ago, was in this intention to show the greater fundament and deepness of the real devotion of the Sacred Heart, founded in the objective last norms, not only in some sweet prayer booklets of the last century.

[45:50]

which are too sweet, too, [...] too filled by him in a charismatical renewal and so on. The real objective piety. Therefore, Abbot Ildefons, defending himself, said objective piety is the subjective answer, the living subjective answer of the last objective fundaments of our faith. And then the last point would be in this modern... Elements of Benedictine spirituality, sometimes we are insisting in so-called Western elements.

[46:52]

We are not Eastern. We like the Eastern Church, but we are not Byzantines. We are Westerns. We are Romans in a certain way. Europeans and North America. Westerns, therefore... In the sobria alpriotas of the Roman missal, of these wonderful old orations, sobria alpriotas, very short, but very fine, splendid formulations, not exaggerated. We don't like prayers which never are ending. But a short oration, which is the excellent expression of the most fundamental things, as the Roman literature could do it. For example, I would remember always this extraordinary Oratio Superoplata today in the Missal on the Holy Thursday and the second Sunday in the year.

[48:03]

All the times we are celebrating this memorial sacrifice, the walk of redemption is fulfilled. Pronunciation in some words of the greatness of the Yucatan sacrifice. And so in every one of these small orations is a masterpiece. sometimes too great for our moral feelings. And therefore, we need some commentaries and some adjoined elements. And nevertheless, the sobriety of the Roman liturgy is an excellent thing, and we must also try to retain it. Also, according to the word of St. Benedict, in communi, oratio, then popravieto, When we stay together, then our prayer or personal prayer must be very short.

[49:05]

It's a relative mission. Very short for somebody is 10 seconds. Very short for some praying people is also a minute. Otherwise, we are staying there for half an hour praying and we are sleeping. It is better to do it in five minutes, but really... tend to stay there for hours and hours sleeping. It would be, therefore, the sense of reality, of sense of possibility, convening to the old Roman liturgy, the old Roman people, which must be also a good heritage for Western nations in Europe and in North America, and South America perhaps too, in the Latin church, in the Catholic church. Therefore, so I try to give you some ideas of this very complex, very manifold thing, which we call monastic spirituality, in the hope that we may be able all to realize it, to stay here in the honor of God, to give a witness of the greatness of God for every people, for our own salvation.

[50:24]

After all, this was here. You should take the mask for Father Erdo. Yeah, if I can. Thank you. Okay, yes. He was here too, I think, to see you. When was he here? He came the first time to the States, 38, to already preparing as the place of refuge for the... Case that Hitler would suppress, 38. But then he came also to see you here. There was a music convention in Chicago. He was a master in the piano. He was a master in singing and directing choirs, also in theory, in science of Gregorian science. Great man.

[51:25]

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