Dearly beloved, we ought, above all things, to love Almighty God and then our neighbour ; for these are the principal precepts delivered to us in Holy Scripture.
These commands that follow are called a Rule, because in them is expressed the pattern of holy living. Now a rule is so named because it is the source of direction and instruction.
Where we speak of a rule, the Greeks use the term Canon. Hence from the Greek the name canons or regulars is also applied to those who live in religious houses and lead a canonical and apostolical life, according to the precepts of regular observance laid down by the holy Fathers. To such, then, it is said : —
These are the things that we command you to observe, who are gathered together in the monastery.
Unto this end the divine precepts are read to us, that they be understood and carried out. In consideration of this, we must fear the judgment expressed in these words : ” That servant who knows the will of his Lord and does it not, shall be beaten with many stripes” (Luke xii. 47). Hence St Paul says : ” Not the hearers of the law … but the doers of the law shall be justified” (Rom. ii. 13).
Let us then give ear to the behests of our loving Lord, and “be mindful of his commands to do them”(Ps. cii. 18). For as St James says: “He that hath looked into the perfect law of liberty and hath continued therein, not becoming a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” And our Lord says in the Gospel : ” Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it ” (Luke xi. 28). Wherefore let us give humble heed to the things commanded unto us who dwell in the monastery.
First, the reason that you are gathered together in one is that you dwell with concord in the house : and that you possess but one soul and one heart in God.
Here, in the first place, we have counsel regarding unity and agreement : such agreement, namely, as will arise from living together in God. To unite with others for any bad purpose would in itself be evil ; but an agreement to do good, to pursue justice, and to serve God is productive of much good. This is the end for which we are
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gathered in one : namely, that we may have one spirit and one soul in the service of God. And therefore the command is that we dwell together in the same house and have but one soul and one heart in God.
Indeed it is but right that, if we are corporally drawn together, we dwell together spiritually also. For it is of no avail that the same walls encompass us if difference of will separate us — since God regards rather unity of mind than of dwelling. Behold, we are a number of individuals under one roof, with different ways of acting, different hearts, different wills : all which one intention and one love of God must weld together in unity. We must therefore, in this matter, be of a single mind and a single will, that we may give our service to God and love God with our whole heart and with our whole soul and our neighbour as ourselves.
Therefore the virtue of concord is necessary for us, and it will be attained if each sister, as she comes to the convent, sets to work to despoil herself of her own will and imitate Him who says : ” I came not to do my own will ” (John vi. 38) ; and again : ” Father, not as I will but as thou wilt ” (Matt. xxvi. 39). For what chiefly conduces to concord is that each one study to do the will of another unto good, rather than his own. This is the sign of a great humility. Thence also obedience is begotten ; thence charity, peace justice, and all Christian virtues draw their increase. Whereas if I seek to carry out my own will and
another is intent upon following hers, forthwith divisions arise and quarrels, anger and dissensions spring up, all which are the works of the flesh. And as the Apostle says : ” They who do such things shall not obtain the Kingdom of God” (Gal. v. 21). Some are found in the Congregation stubborn in their own views and wise in their own opinion, so that whatever comes into their mind they stand up for as though it were dictated by reason : and they never offer to give way to others, but strive to bend all to themselves. And if they find that they are not humoured they are straightway troubled and disturbed. Such usually withstand the orders of their seniors ; and often the passion of disobedience and impatience gains strong rule over them.
Such persons are not likely to maintain harmony with others. ” For,” according to the expression of the Apostle, ” they became vain in their thoughts and their foolish heart was darkened. For professing themselves to be wise, they became fools ” (Rom. i. 2i, 22). In truth, pride is a blindness of heart, and it is foolish wisdom to wish to prefer oneself to others. And so, on the other hand, the same Apostle says : ” If any man among you seem to be wise … let him become a fool that he may be wise” (1 Cor. iii. 18). The fool in this sense is truly wise, because before God it is great wisdom to judge oneself the inferior of all. So it is written : ” The greater thou art, the more humble thyself in all things ” (Eccles. iii. 20). Thus when
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a dispute arose amongst the disciples as to which of them were the greatest, our Lord at once recalled them to humble agreement amongst themselves in these words : ” He that will be first among you, shall be your servant. Even as the Son of Man is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a redemption for many ” (Matt. xx. 27, 28).
Therefore let us dwell together in harmony. ” For it is good and pleasant in God’s sight for brethren to dwell together in unity ” (Ps. cxxxii. 1). Our fasts and prayers are not so agreeable to Him as this harmony, and therefore He says in the Gospel : ” Go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then, coming, thou shalt offer thy gift ” (Matt, v. 24).
And from these words it appears that whoever has not the spirit of concord is unable to offer any sacrifice to the all-powerful God. We must then ponder of how great worth in God’s sight is this virtue of concord without which the very sacrifices whereby sins are cancelled are not acceptable to Him.
We must also take into account that at the time of our change of life we declare perpetual warfare against the devil. Now there is nothing he fears so much as the unity of charity. For if we give away all we possess for God’s sake — this the devil does not fear, because he himself possesses nothing. If we fast, he has no fear of our action because he does not use food himself. If we make
long watchings, again he is not alarmed, for he himself never slumbers. But when we are united in brotherly love, then he is intensely affrighted — because we hold firmly here upon earth the treasure that he thought light of keeping in heaven.
So it is that Holy Church, described as an army in battle array, inspires terror, because as the enemy fears at the sight of the battle line well ordered and compact, so in the same way the devil trembles when he beholds persons of spiritual life armed with the weapons of virtue living together in the unity of concord. He grieves most deeply in his defeat when he fails to break through their ranks and separate them by discord. Hence it is written of our Lord : ” His place is in peace : … there hath he broken the powers of bows, the shield, the sword, and the battle ” (Ps. lxxv. 3, 4). We see then that concord shatters all the weapons of the evil one.
Let there be among you but one heart and one soul in God.
The heart and soul here spoken of are the firstfruits of the spirit that we are to offer to God at the very outset of our conversion to the interior life as Wisdom herself has bidden us, where it is said : ” Son, give me thy heart ” (Prov. xxiii. 26). Through the heart and the will we are first drawn to God, so that if we are cut off from this world in body, let us see that we be united to God in heart and soul that we may say in all truth : ” It is
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good for me to adhere to my God ” (Ps. lxxii. 28). ” For he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit ” with Him (1 Cor. vi. 17).
Let us then cling to Him that we may be strong through Him, that we may be one with Him, that we may be content with Him, and say to Him, ” My soul hath stuck close to thee ” (Ps. lxii. 9). The love of God tears us away from the world, and this same love will link us to God. So will there be amongst us but one heart and one soul in God, if with our whole heart and our whole soul we all love God. ” God is charity, and he that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him ” (1 John iv. 16). And as Charity seeks not her own interest, the next precept is rightly added : —
You shall not therefore call anything your own, but all things shall be in common.
We must look upon nothing as our personal property nor call any object mine or thine. We should rather say our cape, our tunic, our house, and so on of all other things that we use. For we must hold all things in common, and speak of them accordingly.
Herein we may take note of the difference between sisters in the flesh and spiritual sisters in religion. The former share between them what was given them in common : the latter bring to one common stock what was divided among them In the case of the first, each one looks for her part ; the others ” seek not the things that are their
own, but the things that are Jesus Christ’s ” (Phil, ii. 21). The spiritual is thus more noble than the natural relationship. That of nature gradually weakens, the spiritual is ever growing ; the natural tends to division, the spiritual to union ; the natural passes away with this world, the spiritual abides even in the world to come. The reason of our living now together in this house is that hereafter we may continue together in the heavenly kingdom. ” We are now the sons of God,” says the beloved apostle, “and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. We know that when he shall appear, we shall be like to him, because we shall see him as he is ” (i John iii. 2). And St Paul : ” We have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come” (Heb. xiii. 14). Wherefore we must not have any private ownership but let all things be in common. Men of the world would fain increase their share of this world’s goods : some covet gold and silver, others houses and families, others a great name, influence, and glory. One is allured by one object, another by something else, and all strive by various paths to achieve their various projects. But the portion of holy souls is God Himself. If we would be possessed of such a portion, such a heritage as is our Lord, it behoves us so to order our life that we may deserve to possess Him and be ourselves possessed by Him. That is to say, if we would possess God as our lot, we must have nought outside of God, for he is avaricious indeed for whose desires God is
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not enough. If we look for any other object, as, for instance, gold, silver, or property, God will disdain to be shared with such things. Here the words of St Jerome are appropriate : ” I take no share of inheritance with the other tribes, but as a priest and levite I live by the tithes : as I serve the altar I am maintained by the offerings made at the altar, and having food and clothing, with these I am content, for ’ blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven ’ ” (Matt. v. 3).
But as long as we are in this life, we are subject to bodily needs, and in reference to these the rule continues : —
Food and clothing shall be distributed to each by your superior.
Our Lord so ordered His Church that some should be free to surrender themselves entirely to a spiritual life, whilst others should serve them in their temporal needs. So, too, He would have some as superiors and others as subjects. It belongs to the superiors to provide the temporal things required by those placed under them, while the service of the subject is to apply herself to spiritual pursuits : to devote herself to reading, prayer, and contemplation, and serve her heavenly Master in psalms and hymns and spiritual canticles. The duty of watching over themselves is the more pressing as they are freed from all outward care to this end.
The Lord has appointed that they who serve
the altar should live by the altar — as He Himself says : ” The labourer is worthy of his hire ” (Luke x. y). If we live thus upon the revenues of Christ, it is but just that we dedicate ourselves to the service of Christ — receiving our wage when we have proved ourselves honest labourers. ” If any man will not work, neither let him eat” (2 Thess. ili. 10), said St Paul. Wherefore if we take our sustenance and do not throw ourselves into our work, we are guilty of so much the greater fault, as we have of our own will put ourselves in the condition of needing this special bounty of God.
Thus it is our duty to serve Him by whom we are fed, if with a safe conscience we will partake of what is distributed ; and all the more earnest must we be in our allotted work, as we receive our maintenance without any grievous labour to procure it.
What wonder is it that those who are engrossed in temporal business and are unable to maintain a high degree of fervour or much religious practice should often transgress in thought and word and deed? The mere contact with the world tends to lead men to sin even against their will. But it is otherwise with those who have been relieved of the cares of the world and of many an occasion of evil. The less virtuously they live the more grievously do they offend the Supreme Judge, nor can even their smallest negligences be overlooked without serious peril to their souls. Let us then
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think why it is that food and clothing are freely distributed to us. The reason is that the one desire of our life may be ” to seek first the Kingdom of God and His justice,” in consequence of which all other things will be added unto us.
Next is explained how the distribution of temporal goods is to be made : —
Not in the same measure to all, because all have not the same need, but rather to each one according as he shall require.
For this direction St Augustine adduces apostolic authority : —
For so you read in the Acts of the Apostles : “All things were common unto them” (iv. 32). ” And distribution was made to every one according as he had need ” {Ibid. 35).
This is not to be taken in the sense that such an allowance was made for the need of every one that they had to endure no want whatever. It is indeed written : ” Neither was there any one needy among them ” (Acts iv. 34) ; but we also find it recorded of the Apostles themselves that “they served God in hunger and thirst, and cold and nakedness ” (2 Cor. xi. 27). We gather, therefore, that while many suffered in the body they were not afflicted in spirit. Those that deny themselves for Christ’s sake can well endure the pains of nature in virtue of the strength they receive in their souls. The love of God, that is stronger than death, is able not only to repress
sinful desires, but also to assuage those feelings of pain that arise from sense and nature.
So abundant was the outpouring of spiritual grace in the Early Church, that not only were the faithful content with little, but they esteemed it joy of the highest kind to feel that they had nothing of their own. ” Having nothing, yet possessing all things” (2 Cor. vi. 10). So another saint has said : ” Our poverty was sufficient for us that we might account it as riches” (Job v. 25). And again the Apostle says : ” Godliness with contentment is great gain… . Having food and wherewith to be covered, with these we are content” (1 Tim. vi. 6, 8). In this matter, then, regard must be had, not to the desires of the flesh, but to each one’s natural constitution. The satisfaction of the desires of sensuality involves much more than bare necessity. So that under the precept of providing what is needed for every one, the practice to be adopted is that the flesh be nourished in such a way that it may be fit to give its due service, and on the other hand, that it be kept under so that it may not proudly revolt against the spirit. Let the needs of nature be attended to so that at the same time the abundance begetting concupiscence may be retrenched.
Let those that had property in the world at the time of their entry into the monastery, be prepared willingly to place all in common.
This is what was done by the brethren of the
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Early Church. To them it seemed right, that having the grace of faith in common, they should also hold their worldly substance in common : having one spirit they should have but one source of maintenance. With reason, too, is the term libenter willingly, used ; for ” God loves the cheerful giver” (2 Cor. ix. 7). Willingly should we surrender earthly, in order to acquire heavenly goods. The Kingdom of Heaven is well worth all that you are possessed of. Nothing is bought more cheaply, nothing is more precious to keep when once acquired. Two things we must renounce for God’s sake : the right to possess and the wish to acquire. Therefore our Lord says in the Gospel : ” Every one of you that doth not renounce all that he possesseth cannot be my disciple ” (Luke xiv. 33). And again : ” If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself” (Luke ix. 23). The first of these divine utterances refers to earthly goods : the second to the will. For it is not enough to give up exterior possessions, unless we cut off all interior concupiscence as well. Whence it is added : —
Those that had not property in the world must not in the monastery look for those things that outside they were unable to have.
Even those persons who had nothing outside may find within the monastery something to forsake for God, and that is the will to possess. It is written : ” Thou shalt not covet ” (Exod. xx. 17)
— because God looks rather to our desires than to what we actually have. So it is said by the mouth of the wise man : ” My Son, give me thy heart ” (Prov. xxiii. 26). And this cannot be done if carnal desires be not first cut away. First, then, we are bidden to forsake what we have; then to refrain from seeking earthly goods, that we may after this more freely yearn for heavenly goods. They who were poor in the world are commanded not to expect more in the monastery than they previously enjoyed. Still, lest it might be thought, in consequence of this order, that necessaries were not to be meted out to them also, this further injunction follows : —
Nevertheless they also shall have out of the common what their need or infirmity requires, although their former poverty was such that they wanted even the necessaries of life.
All that enter the service of Christ justly live by the revenues of Christ, be they rich or poor, of noble or of humble birth, for “the labourer is worthy of his reward” (1 Tim. v. 18).
Yet they must not think themselves happy because in the cloister they have found such food and raiment as they could not find out of it.
There are some that enter upon the religious vocation less with a view to their soul’s salvation than to corporal necessity: whose first thought is rather personal need than God, and of whom
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the Apostle may be understood to say : ” Whose god is their belly” (Phil. iii. 19). To such as these our Lord says in the Gospel : ” Amen, I say to you, you seek me, not because you have seen miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves” (John vi. 26). The one thought and happiness of this class of persons is set upon their food, clothing, and temporal well - being. Inasmuch as they hanker after worldly things they forfeit heavenly pleasures. “They have,” as our Lord says, ” received their reward ” (Matt. vi. 16). Wherefore above all things should we beware lest we cling to these temporal benefits, according as the psalm admonishes us: “If riches abound, set not your heart upon them” (Ps. lxi. 11).
For the sweetness proceeding from God has in itself a certain wonderful and limitless abundance; so that these words have been spoken concerning it : ” Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him ” (1 Cor. ii. 9). Whence again it is written: “I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear ” (Ps. xvi. 15). This kind of satiety must be our happiness.