BENEDICTINE VOWS

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On Saturday, November 11, Br. Francis Michael Woodruff will profess temporary vows to Newark Abbey.  Please, remember to pray for Br. Francis, and for the new monks in the community and those intending to join us soon.  We senior monks can use your prayers as well, of course.

I thought you might like to see a summary of what “vows” entail for a Benedictine. The following borrows heavily from Fr. Michael Casey, O.C.S.O., Introducing Benedict’s Rule.

THE THREEFOLD BENEDICTINE VOW

The content of the Benedictine's promise is the triple commitment to Stability, Conversion of Life, and Obedience. These three Benedictine vows are intimately related to one another.  The three join together into a single stream of freely undertaken obligation. It is almost impossible to keep one without keeping the other two. On the other hand, if one of them is lost, the others lose their meaning.

STABILITY

Outward, literal meaning of the vow of Stability: The monk promises that from now on his life will be physically and spiritually rooted in this particular monastery with these particular brothers, this particular work and these particular problems.

Inward, spiritual meaning of the vow of Stability:

By this vow of stability, the monk is saying "God is not elsewhere." The monk stays put and embraces life as he finds it, knowing that this, and not any other, is his way to God. Stability is an attitude of heart and mind by which he roots himself in God by making God the center of his life.

CONVERSION OF LIFE

Outward, literal meaning of the vow of Conversion of Life (in Latin "Conversatio Morum"): The monk promises an ongoing change of attitude and behavior. He promises from now on to reject the world's goals by means of certain practices: power is rejected by practicing obedience and humility, pleasure is rejected by practicing celibacy and frugality, money is rejected by practicing common ownership of goods.

Inward, spiritual meaning of "Conversatio Morum":

The monk promises that from now on God and not self will be at the center of his life. Since the only way to achieve this is with God's help, prayer becomes essential for leading the monastic life. While the vow of stability calls the monk to remain, conversion of life calls him to change and grow, to be transformed by the Spirit.

OBEDIENCE

Outward, literal meaning of the vow of Obedience: The monk promises that from now on he will submit to the judgments of his superior. This is not a mindless conformity but a conscious and free decision; it is motivated not by compulsion or fear but by love.

Inward, spiritual meaning of the vow of Obedience: The real meaning of obedience is to put others before oneself. It is thus an indispensable ingredient in all human relations, and not just in monasteries. Saint Benedict says that obedience is practiced in imitation of Christ who was "obedient even to death on the cross."