Becoming a Community of Disciples

8

Becoming a Community of Disciples

for them to have to change their attitudes.” 1 After the monks tried to poison Benedict (!) he left the monastery and returned to his cave. Soon Benedict founded other monasteries near his cave. Yet, due to ongoing difficulties, Benedict placed all the monasteries he built under the leadership of other monks and moved south to start a new monastery. This monastery is called Monte Cassino and is his most famous monastery. It caused him to write his Rule .

Benedict of Nursia

Moves into a cave at Subiaco

Born in Nursia

Dies

493

530

480

504

547

Leaves home to study in Rome

Founds a monastery at Monte Cassino; writes his Rule

So, the goal of this book is to introduce you to some of what is in the Rule of Benedict and the “Rule” of Basil. I will do this by including texts grouped under eight different headings, which in turn are grouped under two higher level headings:

Administrative Teachings Organization of the Monastery

The Role of the Abbot Other Monastic Offices

1 Terrence G. Kardong, The Life of St. Benedict by Gregory the Great: Translation and Commentary (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2009), 21.