It may be a lot to say you first. I received this morning a phone call of Maria Laack. Our old abbot, Urbanus Bum, died on Saturday. Please pray for him. He was a great man. He's the master of our Begurian School. in powerful years, we can say. And then, as prior, as abbots, 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 Laage. for thirty, forty years.

[01:01]

These two missions have been the great books of the literary movement in Germany. And now I try to speak to you about the elements of monastic spirituality. I was preparing this conference already some days ago. There is a good disposition of the Divine Providence that we could speak about this now in this retreat day. This is a very difficult topic to speak in 40 minutes about elements of monastic spirituality which are given to us in 1400 years of Benedictine monastic life, given by the efforts of the entire Benedictine tradition. Therefore, I can try only to give you some, some, some points.

[02:05]

For example, remembering the words of the Holy Rule in Chapter 58, you know this. Therefore, every monk must try always to truly seek God, have eagerness for the work of God. ready to be obedient and to trials. The three in Latin famous O's. Opus Dei, Opus Dei, work of God. Obediencia, obedience. And Opobria, 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.

[03:06]

In modern times, this benedictine spirituality has given a special accent to the Opus Dei in the liturgical movement. is a modern aspect, because we could not say that the same aspect given by the modern liturgical movement, by Solemne, by Beuron, by Marie Allard, by St. John's, Collegeville, the United States, worship, would have been the elements of Benedictine spirituality in all the 1400 years. It's a 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.

[04:09]

Fidelity to monastic life, conversatio morum. monastic conversation, monastic life in its entire totality. And finally, again, obedience. Obedience. Always, again, obedience. And still, another modern aspect would be, and I think it is especially beloved by you here in Montevideo, 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 and the most profound fundaments of our entire spirituality.

[05:23]

It is the Holy Scripture, the New Testament, the Gospel, and our pneumatic aspect. How do you say? Pneumatic. Pneumatic of the spirits. In a certain way, we are all very interested about in the charismatic movement, perhaps not sharing in every exhilaration 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 is 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. Pranamati dinamayi kathayateinay, Aston Iso Andopon. Kathay, dynamically, by the Spirit. Spirituality, charismatically.

[06:23]

And so on. Therefore, very different elements with the certain modern aspects, accentuations. 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 Schola Dominica Javici. 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 boys' school, or a modern university school, but a working community, a community of workers who are working in this service of the Lord.

[07:35]

And we could describe this school for the Lord's service with the words of the Paul of the Holy Rule. Here in this school we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome, also Benedictine 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

[08:46]

We shall run on the path of God's commandments, our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love, never shriveling from His instruction, observing His teaching in the monastery until death, to patiently share in the sufferings of Christ. 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, per ducatum evangelii, by the guidance of the Gospel. Here again we must be founded on the Gospel itself, reading it, knowing it, and living it. Per ducatum evangelii. With all the modern means of modern exegesis, yes, a little bit, but in the same way following your old fathers and the modern excellent fathers like Hans Urs von Balthasar, ex-Jesuit but marvelous,

[10:05]

And more still, the wonderful Jesuit Henri de Libac, the spiritual meaning of the Holy Scripture in Origen. And then this marvellous four or five volumes, where he shows how we must read the Gospel spiritually. Therefore, we can learn much, not only from the Benedictine tradition, but also from the Jesuits, sometimes. But to cut an evangelist, therefore, under the guidance of the gospel, really, is 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 not 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 all those 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. Theologically, 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 sello of the monk. Remain in love near 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 this school of divine service, founded in these last, last fundaments, gospel, perseverance, participation in the Passion, in 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 Paschal Mystery. Paschal Mystery, a concept in a certain way given to us by Orocastle and his vision of the mystery and all his writings. the passion and resurrection, the entire work 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 Bougier, 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 Roman commission under Monsignor Bongini has given a synthesis of the entire liturgical reform according to the will of the council.

[14:42]

Ita ut mysterium pascale vivendo exprimato. That is our last intention. We must do so that the Paschal 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 to our egoism. And this instruction is continuing it out, Mysterium Paschale vivendo exprimato. Mysterium Paschale, death and resurrection, in quo, filius Dei incarnatus, Son of God incarnated, to practice obedience as God most encourages and made obedient until the death of Christ. He was then so exalted that he could give his divine life to us that we no more be living to ourselves in egoistic way, but for others.

[15:45]

in the honor of God. Entire paschal mystery share in the passion of Christ, receiving his divine life, that we don't live anymore egoistically, here is the most important sin, egoistically, but altruistically living for others, giving ourselves as Christ the Lord did it for us. Therefore, this paschal 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 arise up with our Lord. And in a certain way, there is also the terminus. The word is not found in the rule. In the chapter about, how do you say in good English, about the length time. Length time is not a good word. About 40 days time. When you say so, also in German it's not possible to say so, but nevertheless we say so. Land are the time of forty days. And these forty days are guiding us to the East of Israel. And St. Benedict says then, Lichet, Vita Monarchi, Omnitempore, Debe tabere, Cauda regimalis, Vita observationem per se, the life of the monk must be always so as

[17:59]

observance of the 40 days guiding to the Easter Vigil. Because it's not possible, we are too lazy, too feeble. We must try to do it at least in these days. Omni puritate, vita nostrum custodiere, in omnipotenti. 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 Paschal 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 incroentum. 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 taken away. But we are not ready to accept the little 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. Unruly 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, realization of the paschal mystery, a second baptism, an unbloody martyrdom, is also a meios angelicos, an How do we say in English? Angelic life. Angelic life, yes, and it's a wonderful conception. Not only chastity, also chastity, yes, evidently, but more still. Bios angelikos is to stay before God in his presence, to sing his hymns, hymns to him together with the angels in the titheum, in every Eucharistic celebration, in our entire divine office. Bios angelikos, 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 angelicus is also realizing the eschatological aspect of our life.

[21:24]

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 are 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, conspecto angelorum salam tibi, conspect in the face of the angels that stay before you to sing your praise. And finally also we could say it is our participation in the Paschal Mystery, the Second Baptism, this unbloody martyrdom, this bios angelicus, this angelical life in its eschatological aspect is also an apostolic life.

[22:29]

But apostolic life in the meaning of the old monastic tradition, not only to preach the gospel to other peoples around. 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 Jérôme Morin. La vie monastique et les chrétiens des premiers jours. The monastic life and the christian of the first apostolic times stay together in charity, in love.

[23:33]

and eating joyfully together, therefore 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, entire United States, in a certain way to the entire world. So we must try to share in the paschal mystery of Christ. And again, we try to see this monastic spirituality as a cenobitical spirituality, because the rule of St. Benedict speaks about different kinds of monks, hermits, the most excellent way for somebody Saravaiti, Yerovadin.

[24:38]

But now, this omnibus omnisis ad cenobitarum fortissimum genus discriminum transeamus. We come now to speak about the strongest kind of monastic life, cenobit. Staying together in charity, in love, in patience, supporting the burdens, bearing the burdens, each of another. the greatness of this, you know, communitarian kind of life. And the officina, the workroom, where we must do all our good works according to Chapter 4, is stabilitas in congregazione, the stability in this congregation, together, with all its difficulties. And if the difficulties are great, not Go away, but be of them. Patience is our participation with the cross of our Lord. In one of the chapters he says, therefore, in monasteries, degentes, abatem zibi praese desiderant.

[25:50]

That is the typical character of monastic spiritualities. We are remaining in the monastery and we desire that a man is put over us. Abatem zibi praese desiderant. We desire it. Not only, oh, we must have a superior. all his terrible commandments. No, no, no, we are glad, we wish to can and to 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. So is a good seal which separates from evil and leads to God and everlasting life. Then is the good seal which monks must foster with fervent love.

[26:51]

They should each try to be the first to show respect to the other. Honore the iblis in prevenientes. supporting with the greatest patience one another's weaknesses of body or behavior. Here is our cross, and honestly competing in obedience to one another, not only obey to the other, but to be obedient one to another, and we know how difficult it is. First I, then I again, then you don't come, not yet. First I, the old egoism is our greatest enemy. No one is to push you what he judges better for himself, but instead what he judges better for someone else. To their fellow monks they show the pure love of brothers.

[27:53]

God-loving feel to the others and faint and humble love. Let them prefer nothing whatever to Christ. Wonderful picture of monastic spirituality. Therefore, Cenobitical Spirituality is a good seal. And this Cenobitical Spirituality is 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 Albert Ildefond Schuster, the later cardinal of St. Joseph of Milan, has given us in San Tanselmo in 25, 26, 27 two or three times a year on a retreat day. He said then sometimes, and our old rector of that time, Athanasius Taub of Einsiedeln in Switzerland, repeated it, Vita communis, beneditentia maxima.

[29:03]

The common life, that is the greatest penance. Ascetic reality. It is difficult to stay together. And if we wish to do penance, here in the synaptical life, we have the most wonderful opportunity to do it. Vita communis, as the Italians pronounce it, vita communis penitentia maxima. The greatest balance, the greatest balance. 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 Eucharistic body and blood of our Lord, to be one bread, one body, to be united. I am always very much impressed by this admonition of the Apostle in the letter to the Ephesians.

[30:10]

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 greatness of this work done by the love of God in Christ Jesus in which we are growing to the inner man. And when he has spoken about all these marvelous things, he is continuing and now ego victus in domino ad iuro vos, o digna ambolite vocation of avocati estis. I am contesting you. You must walk in a dignified manner to the vocation in which you are called. Soportantes in vicem in vincolo pacis, building yourself, one another, in the bond of peace. Soportantes in vicem in caritate, Conservative unity 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.

[31:26]

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 benedictine stability, we must realize the church here and we are doing it by the grace of sacraments of our faith. And then again, God loves nothing more than God, our Lord. Therefore, the monk is desiring to have an abbot to whom he can obey. And again, in 49, about 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 the other chapters,

[32:30]

Let me see, 68. 68. Ah. Assignment of impossible tasks to a brother. A wonderful chapter, too, because we can, in Benedictine spirituality, speak freely with our Abbot, but the Abbot is impossible for me to do so. I cannot. 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. 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, Confidens de Dei a tutorio obbediate.

[33:35]

In the confidence of the help of God, he must obey. That is obedience. Not stupid, not blind. We can'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 whole is insisting very much in this necessity to obey, to obey to God, the Father, to obey to his representative, the abbot, to obey each another, and so on. The entire chapter of humility is an element of our Cernobytical spirituality. And this Cernobytical spirituality belongs to the chapter six about silence.

[34:40]

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, then especially because you have succeeded ten 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, 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.

[35:48]

Not every word must be said immediately. We must be recollected 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 on all these elements. But if we wish to know the most eminent 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 have been seen in our modern times, therefore in the last century.

[36:53]

in our actual century. After Solem, after Beuron, after Maritzu with Albert Columba Mamio, after Louvain with Lombert Beaudoin, after Maria Laack with Ildefons Herwegen, and Albert Hammenstede, and Urban Böhm, and discovered Damasus 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 Vogel way. The Vogel way, yes, but not from Clairvaux.

[37:54]

John Leclerc. John Leclerc, yes. And then there's Happisdal, Thomas Merton, and the Albert 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. as a modern concept, as the attitude of the entire man. Piety not in the meaning of the German pietet, of some strange piety, too subjective, too narrow-minded, but the entire man, 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, you can do it without thinking, no, so that kneeling, adoring, worshipping,

[39:16]

bowing and staying before the Lord, it would be the real and the true and the 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. So, in the totality of this Christian behavior, so seen the piety and then the reality of supernatural faith. According to my masters in Rome, Garigou Ladrange, the Dominican, and then Stolz, the great benedictine of Guerlain, of our congregation, professor in San Canselmo, one of the great professors in San Canselmo in my young years. He said, to stay in the supernatural faith is to stay in the reality of God.

[40:24]

Our faith is Obscure, yes, it's true still. But nevertheless, already 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, 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.

[41:31]

Tasting. Gustare. What's that? Tasting? Yes. Taste. To taste it, yes. A meaning in faith. Meditating it. try 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 and 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, in love, manifesting in a certain external order their inner believing must be

[42:39]

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 merit, it's the work of God, but nevertheless we must try to do it really so. And then it may be said too, this point which I touched already, in our modern times, at least we in Maria Laage, we are speaking always about our benedictine spirituality, about our liturgical spirituality as about an objective piety. And objective piety, a word of Albert Ildefons, was misunderstood already in his times.

[43:41]

Some would say 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 extraordinarily, but founded in the objective greatness of the dogma, of the faith, of the revelation. take this fire, this tragedy, this love, this joy, and this excitement, not from elements of second degree, but of the first degree. Therefore, Paschal mystery, incarnation of our Lord, his passion, his cross, his resurrection. And so we must give to these objective fundaments our subjective living. joyful answer.

[44:44]

That would be objective piety. I would say, for example, it is allowed to say, sometimes, forty years ago, sometimes we were fighting against the devotion of the Sacred Heart, excuse me if I say it, because it was too sweet to too strange. But the real Sacred Heart, the open side of our Lord, from which are going out the waters of the Spirit's 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, perhaps 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 book of the last century, which are too sweet and too feeble.

[45:56]

But going with our entire life, with the greatest and warm feeling in the living answer of our heart, going to the last fundaments, which are finally the Trinity. God the Father, who sent us the Son, that we can stay in the Holy Spirit, filled by Him in a charismatic 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. We are not Eastern. We like the Eastern Church, but we are not Byzantines. We are Westerns.

[46:59]

We are Romans in a certain way, Europeans and North America. Western, therefore, in the sobria ebrietas of the Roman missal, of these wonderful old orations. Sobria ebrietas, 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 liturgy could do it. For example, I would remember always this extraordinary oratio super oblata today in the Missal on the Holy Thursday and the second Sunday in the year. Concide nobis domine sancta misteria celebrare.

[48:02]

All the times we are celebrating this memorial sacrifice, the work of redemption is fulfilled. pronunciation in some walls of the greatness of the Eucharistic sacrifice. And so every one of these small orations is a masterpiece, sometimes too great for our modern feelings, and therefore we need some commentaries and some adjoint elements. Nevertheless, the sobriety of the Roman liturgy And it's an excellent thing and we must also try to retain it. Also, according to the words of St. Benedict, when we stay together, then our prayer, our personal prayer, must be very short.

[49:05]

It's a relative mission. Very short for somebody is ten 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, a sense of possibility, convenient 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. So for 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 are all, that we may be able all to do, 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.

[50:21]

We can come back after the discussion. You should take the mask for Father Urgo. Yeah, if I can. I think so. 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 us, 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 in directing choirs, also in theory, in science of the Gregorian chant. Great man.

[51:19]

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