Benedictine Spirituality
We, in Tewkesbury Abbey, are proud and grateful for our Benedictine heritage.
The Rule of St Benedict, written in the 6th century, still holds great relevance for our lives today. Benedict’s wisdom has provided the foundation for Benedictine communities throughout the centuries, and continues to influence many of us here in the Abbey Community. Benedict’s rule calls us to a daily rhythm of listening, obedience, hospitality and conversion of life.
Here are some of the characteristics of Benedictine spirituality:
Grounded in Listening:
For Benedict, the spiritual life was about listening to God – through prayer, Scriptures, the depths of our own experience, through listening to others in our community and the wider church.
Ordered by a rhythm of daily prayer that is Biblical and reflective:
For Benedict, prayer had a particular structure and process. Monastic life was punctuated by the rhythms of prayer during the hours of each day. These prayers, which included the saying or chanting of psalms, are expressed in our Daily Office in the Abbey. Scripture plays an important part in these Daily Offices and provides us with a structured opportunity to reflect upon them.
Rooted in Stability:
Benedictine monks and nuns made a commitment to living in a specific location, within a specific community as the context for their spiritual growth and development. The meaning of stability in our day refers to staying rooted where we are – in relationship with ourselves and with others. However hard we find it, we commit ourselves to each other in order to grow in the spiritual life.
Conversion of Life:
By listening and seeking stability of life, we strive to discern the new path that Jesus is forever calling us to travel. Benedict called this lifelong process conversation morum or conversion of life.
Balance:
Benedictines believe that the Christian life is best lived in the daily context of good, balanced life in community. No one aspect – prayer, work, rest or study – was to be done in the extreme. Instead, holiness of life was to be found through the right balance of these elements in life.
Hospitality:
St Benedict taught that the ‘outsider’ was Christ himself, and on receiving the stranger we receive Christ. Today, hospitality plays an important part in our ministry to pilgrim, visitor and seeker. Be assured you will be our honoured guest when you visit Tewkesbury Abbey.