Benedict of Nursia

Listen carefully, my son, to the master's instructions,
and attend to them with the ear of your heart.
This is advice from a father who loves you;
welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice.

Indeed, so important is silence that permission to speak should seldom be granted even to mature disciples, no matter how good or holy or constructive their talk... For speaking and teaching are the master's task; the disciple is to be silent and listen.

Let us get up then, at long last,
for the Scriptures rouse us when they say:
It is high time for us to arise from sleep.

Let us open our eyes to the light that comes from God,
and our ears to the voice from heaven
that every day calls out this charge:
If you hear his voice today, do not harden your hearts.

We intend to establish a school for the Lord's service.
In drawing up its regulations,
we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome.

The good of all concerned, however,
may prompt us to a little strictness
in order to amend faults and to safeguard love.

Idleness is the enemy of the soul.
Therefore, the brothers should have specified periods
for manual labor as well as for prayerful reading.

On hearing the signal for an hour of the divine office,
the monk will immediately set aside what he has in hand
and go with utmost speed...
Indeed, nothing is to be preferred to the Work of God.

Brothers, divine Scripture calls to us saying:
Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled,
and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

In saying this, therefore, it shows us
that every exaltation is a kind of pride...
We descend by exaltation and ascend by humility.

The first step of humility is unhesitating obedience,
which comes naturally to those who cherish Christ above all...
Such people as these immediately put aside their own concerns,
abandon their own will,
and lay down whatever they have in hand, leaving it unfinished.

Just as there is a wicked zeal of bitterness
which separates from God and leads to hell,
so there is a good zeal
which separates from evil and leads to God and everlasting life.

This, then, is the good zeal 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 or behavior.

No one is to pursue 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;
to God, loving fear;
to their abbot, unfeigned and humble love.

Let them prefer nothing whatever to Christ,
and may he bring us all together to everlasting life.

All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ,
for he himself will say:
I was a stranger and you welcomed me.