I am a Benedictine
monk, and I’ve been perplexed ever since I first heard of Dreher’s proposal of
a “Benedict Option.”
In his “Rulebook” for
monks, chapter 66, St. Benedict wrote:
“The monastery should,
if possible, be so constructed that within it all necessities, such as water,
mill and garden are contained, and the various crafts are practiced. Then there
will be no need for the monks to roam outside, because this is not at all good
for their souls.”
In the next chapter,
St. Benedict wrote of monks whom the abbot has for some reason sent on a
journey:
“When they come back
from a journey, they should, on the very day of their return, lie face down on
the floor of the oratory at the conclusion of each of the customary hours of
the Work of God. They ask the prayers of all for their faults, in ease they may
have been caught off guard on the way by seeing some evil thing or hearing some
idle talk. No one should presume to relate to anyone else what he saw or heard
outside the monastery, because that causes the greatest harm. If anyone does so
presume, he shall be subjected to the punishment of the rule.”
St. Benedict clearly
wanted his monks to have little knowledge of and influence from the world
outside the physical enclosure of the monastery. This restriction is a
legitimate aspect of the monastic charism, but it is not something appropriate
for the whole Church.
Here are the “options”
Christ wanted for the Church as a whole.
[Matthew 5:13a,14-16]
You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. A city set on a
hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a
stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before
men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in
heaven.
[Matthew 28:19-20a] Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that
I have commanded you.
[Mark 16:15] Go into
all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.
It would be
exceedingly difficult for the Church to obey Christ in these matters if the
Church as a whole were to live as St. Benedict wanted monks to live.
During his public
ministry— and I emphasize the word “public”— Christ withdrew frequently for
solitude and prayer, but he didn’t live as a Benedictine monk.
Why not propose
instead the original “Gospel Option” that Christ gave for the Church as a
whole? There’s no need to reinvent the wheel.
