环球英语 — 654：The Rule of St. Benedict
Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Liz Waid.
Voice 2
And I'm Adam Navis. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
"Listen carefully, my son, to the master's instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This comes from a father who loves you. Welcome it and faithfully put it into practice."
Voice 1
These are the first words of the Rule of St. Benedict. Today's Spotlight is on this ancient writing. The Rule of St. Benedict is a book written by Benedict of Nursia. It contains rules for governing a community of Christian monks. Monks are religious men who spend their time praying, reading the Bible, and working. Many monks promise to be poor, not marry, or even not speak.
Voice 2
Benedict of Nursia was born in the year 480, in Italy. He was born to a wealthy family. So, he had many things that most people did not. Most importantly, he received an education. Part of his education was the study of the Christian Bible. He saw that the people around him were not living the way the Bible said to live. They were wild and did not care about other people.
Voice 1
So Benedict left the wealth and life of his family. He became a monk. He lived alone in the desert for three years. He prayed and read the Bible. He began to understand the Christian way of life. People began to see him as a holy man. There were other monks living nearby. When the abbot, their leader, died, they asked Benedict to lead them.
Voice 2
Benedict had many ideas about how monks should live. But the monks thought he had too many rules. There is a story is that the monks tried to poison Benedict's food. But his prayers over the food made the poison useless. Soon Benedict went back to the desert to live alone.
Voice 1
Because of this bad experience, Benedict wrote his Rule to govern the life of the monks. Then he created several small communities that lived by the Rule. We do not know much else about the life of St. Benedict. But his Rule became a famous and popular way to govern monks. About fifty years after Benedict died, Pope St. Gregory the Great wrote:
Voice 4
"If anyone wished to know his character and life, he may find it in the Rule. Here is a complete picture of Benedict's life. For the holy man cannot have taught other than as he lived."
Voice 2
The Rule of St. Benedict became popular because of its balance. It balances personal faith with a community structure. Benedict understood that people were not perfect. But he encouraged people to not let that stop them from trying to be better. To be more faithful followers of Jesus Christ.
Voice 1
Let us look at a few of Benedict's Rules. First, the rule that governs the sleeping situation of the monks:
Voice 3
"The monks are to sleep in separate beds. If possible, all are to sleep in one place. A light must burn in the room until morning. They sleep clothed. But they should remove their knives, in case they accidentally cut themselves in their sleep. This way the monks will be ready to rise without delay. The younger brothers should not have their beds next to each other. On rising for the Work of God, the monks will quietly encourage each other, because sleepy people like to make excuses."
Voice 1
Another rule governs the amount of food that monks should get.
Voice 3
"Two kinds of cooked food should be enough for all the monks. If there is a fruit or fresh vegetable then a third food may be added. One pound of bread is enough for a day, whether for only one meal or for both dinner and supper. Should it happen that the work is harder than usual, the abbot may decide to give something more. Above all the monks should avoid eating too much food. Because then they will experience a sick stomach."
Voice 1
And when all the food has been eaten, there is even a rule to govern who should clean up.
Voice 3
"The monks should serve one another. No one will be excused from food service unless he is sick or doing some important business for the community. Because such service increases love."
Voice 1
But the rules are not just about eating or sleeping or cleaning. This was a Christian community. So, many of the rules were about issues of Christian faith. Here is what Benedict wrote about monks following orders.
Voice 3
"The first step of humility is to obey. This will be natural to those who love Christ above all. Because of the holy service they have promised or because of fear of hell, they will carry out the abbot's order as quickly as if the command came from God. This will be accepted by God only if it is done without making faces or slowly or half-hearted. God sees his heart. The monk will receive no prize for service of this kind. Just the opposite, he will get punished, unless he changes for the better and makes things right."
Voice 2
Benedict did not mean for his Rule to be the only thing a Christian community needed. He believed that both the Christian Bible and the writings of the Church leaders were much more valuable than his Rule. Also, he wrote the Rule only for monks. It was not written for other Christians. Even so, the Rule of St. Benedict has influenced much Christian thinking.
Voice 1
Some ideas that have influenced wider Christianity are:
Christians should obey authority. Christians should work hard. Christians should pray and read the Bible every day. Christians should not be late for work. And whatever they do, it should be done with moderation. For example, it is not good to have too much food or drink.
Voice 2
But some people are influenced by St. Benedict more than most. There are still Benedictine Communities all over the world. Reverend Timothy Fry was one of these monks. He wrote an introduction to the Rule of St. Benedict. In it he explains the continued appeal of the Rule.
Voice 5
"It is a gentle method to order personal relationships. But it is a method based on God. As Benedict says, ‘That in all things God may be glorified.' Benedict was always looking toward God. He led similar people on the road of Good News of Jesus Christ."
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