St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries
Translated from the Latin by Leonard J. Doyle
THE LITURGICAL PRESS St John’s Abbey Collegeville, Minnesota
This translation of the Holy Rule of St. Benedict was made from the third edition of the text as edited by Dom Cuthbert Butler of Downside Abbey in England (St. Louis: B. Herder Book Co., 1935).
Nihil obstat: Basil Stegmann, O.S.B., Censor librorum. Imprimi potest: ✠ Alcuin Deutsch, O.S.B., D.D., Abbot, St. John's Abbey, January 5, 1947. Imprimatur: ✠ Joseph F. Busch, D.D., Bishop of St. Cloud, January 8, 1947.
Copyright 1948 by The Order of St. Benedict, Inc., Collegeville, Minnesota.
ST. BENEDICT’S RULE FOR MONASTERIES
Listen, my son, to your master’s precepts, and incline the ear of your heart. Receive willingly and carry out effectively your loving father’s advice, that by the labor of obedience you may return to Him from whom you had departed by the sloth of disobedience.
To you, therefore, my words are now addressed, whoever you may be, who are renouncing your own will to do battle under the Lord Christ, the true King, and are taking up the strong, bright weapons of obedience.
And first of all, whatever good work you begin to do, beg of Him with most earnest prayer to perfect it, that He who has now deigned to count us among His sons may not at any time be grieved by our evil deeds. For we must always so serve Him with the good things He has given us, that He will never as an angry Father disinherit His children, nor ever as a dread Lord, provoked by our evil actions, deliver us to everlasting punishment as wicked servants who would not follow Him to glory.
Let us arise, then, at last, for the Scripture stirs us up, saying, “Now is the hour for us to rise from sleep.” Let us open our eyes to the deifying light, let us hear with attentive ears the warning which the divine voice cries daily to us, “Today if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” And again, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” And what does He say? “Come, My children, listen to Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Run while you have the light of life, lest the darkness of death overtake you.”
Abbot of Monte Cassino Saint Benedict
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Jan. 1—May 2—Sept. 1
Jan. 2—May 3—Sept. 2
Jan. 3—May 4—Sept. 3
Jan. 4—May 5—Sept. 4
Jan. 5—May 6—Sept. 5
Jan. 6—May 7—Sept. 6
Jan. 7—May 8—Sept. 7
Jan. 8—May 9—Sept. 8
Jan. 9—May 10—Sept. 9
Jan. 10—May 11—Sept. 10
Jan. 11—May 12—Sept. 11
Jan. 12—May 13—Sept. 12
Jan. 13—May 14—Sept. 13
Jan. 14—May 15—Sept. 14
Jan. 15—May 16—Sept. 15
Jan. 16—May 17—Sept. 16
Jan. 17—May 18—Sept. 17
Jan. 18—May 19—Sept. 18
Jan. 19—May 20—Sept. 19
Jan. 20—May 21—Sept. 20
Jan. 21—May 22—Sept. 21
Jan. 22—May 23—Sept. 22
Jan. 23—May 24—Sept. 23
Jan. 24—May 25—Sept. 24
Jan. 25—May 26—Sept. 25
Jan. 26—May 27—Sept. 26
Jan. 27—May 28—Sept. 27
Jan. 28—May 29—Sept. 28
Jan. 29—May 30—Sept. 29
Jan. 30—May 31—Sept. 30
Jan. 31—June 1—Oct. 1
Feb. 1—June 2—Oct. 2
Feb. 2—June 3—Oct. 3
Feb. 3—June 4—Oct. 4
Feb. 4—June 5—Oct. 5
Feb. 5—June 6—Oct. 6
Feb. 6—June 7—Oct. 7
Feb. 7—June 8—Oct. 8
Feb. 8—June 9—Oct. 9
Feb. 9—June 10—Oct. 10
Feb. 10—June 11—Oct. 11
Feb. 11—June 12—Oct. 12
Feb. 12—June 13—Oct. 13
Feb. 13—June 14—Oct. 14
Feb. 14—June 15—Oct. 15
Feb. 15—June 16—Oct. 16
Feb. 16—June 17—Oct. 17
Feb. 17—June 18—Oct. 18
Feb. 18—June 19—Oct. 19
Feb. 19—June 20—Oct. 20
Feb. 20—June 21—Oct. 21
Feb. 21—June 22—Oct. 22
Feb. 22—June 23—Oct. 23
Feb. 23—June 24—Oct. 24
(Feb. 24 in leap year; otherwise added to the preceding)—June 25—Oct. 25
Feb. 24 (25)—June 26—Oct. 26
Feb. 25 (26)—June 27—Oct. 27
Feb. 26 (27)—June 28—Oct. 28
Feb. 27 (28)—June 29—Oct. 29
Feb. 28 (29)—June 30—Oct. 30
Mar. 1—July 1—Oct. 31
Mar. 2—July 2—Nov. 1
Mar. 3—July 3—Nov. 2
Mar. 4—July 4—Nov. 3
Mar. 5—July 5—Nov. 4
Mar. 6—July 6—Nov. 5
Mar. 7—July 7—Nov. 6
Mar. 8—July 8—Nov. 7
Mar. 9—July 9—Nov. 8
Mar. 10—July 10—Nov. 9
Mar. 11—July 11—Nov. 10
Mar. 12—July 12—Nov. 11
Mar. 13—July 13—Nov. 12
Mar. 14—July 14—Nov. 13
Mar. 15—July 15—Nov. 14
Mar. 16—July 16—Nov. 15
Mar. 17—July 17—Nov. 16
Mar. 18—July 18—Nov. 17
Mar. 19—July 19—Nov. 18
Mar. 20—July 20—Nov. 19
Mar. 21—July 21—Nov. 20
Mar. 22—July 22—Nov. 21
Mar. 23—July 23—Nov. 22
Mar. 24—July 24—Nov. 23
Mar. 25—July 25—Nov. 24
Mar. 26—July 26—Nov. 25
Mar. 27—July 27—Nov. 26
Mar. 28—July 28—Nov. 27
Mar. 29—July 29—Nov. 28
Mar. 30—July 30—Nov. 29
Mar. 31—July 31—Nov. 30
Apr. 1—Aug. 1—Dec. 1
Apr. 2—Aug. 2—Dec. 2
Apr. 3—Aug. 3—Dec. 3
Apr. 4—Aug. 4—Dec. 4
Apr. 5—Aug. 5—Dec. 5
Apr. 6—Aug. 6—Dec. 6
Apr. 7—Aug. 7—Dec. 7
Apr. 8—Aug. 8—Dec. 8
Apr. 9—Aug. 9—Dec. 9
Apr. 10—Aug. 10—Dec. 10
Apr. 11—Aug. 11—Dec. 11
Apr. 12—Aug. 12—Dec. 12
Apr. 13—Aug. 13—Dec. 13
Apr. 14—Aug. 14—Dec. 14
Apr. 15—Aug. 15—Dec. 15
Apr. 16—Aug. 16—Dec. 16
Apr. 17—Aug. 17—Dec. 17
Apr. 18—Aug. 18—Dec. 18
Apr. 19—Aug. 19—Dec. 19
Apr. 20—Aug. 20—Dec. 20
Apr. 21—Aug. 21—Dec. 21
Apr. 22—Aug. 22—Dec. 22
Apr. 23—Aug. 23—Dec. 23
Apr. 24—Aug. 24—Dec. 24
Apr. 25—Aug. 25—Dec. 25
Apr. 26—Aug. 26—Dec. 26
Apr. 27—Aug. 27—Dec. 27
Apr. 28—Aug. 28—Dec. 28
Apr. 29—Aug. 29—Dec. 29
Apr. 30—Aug. 30—Dec. 30
May 1—Aug. 31—Dec. 31
