This site was put together by meditators living in community and exploring the Rule of St. Benedict as a guide, both for their life together and for personal growth. This project has bourne fruit in the residential community at Bonnevaux, the international retreat centre of the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM). The central house at Bonnevaux was founded as a French Benedictine monastery in the 12th century and now the core community includes Oblates, other residents and long-term guests from all over the world. The daily round, built on the monastic rhythm of prayer, work and study; hospitality; and care for others; is the quiet heart of the retreat centre with its in-person and online program.
Part of the community life at Bonnevaux is to gather and reflect on the Rule of St Benedict, written in the 6th century, and to see what it means for us today. Prior to the opening of the centre in 2019 this model of reflection on the Rule had already been part of the WCCM residential community. Notes were taken and edited by Andrew McAlister and are here available to all as a window onto community life and to the relevance of an ancient but perennial wisdom text to the life of today.
This is what makes these reflections unique, based as they are on a communal reflection done by Christian meditators on a communal Rule. There are 122 in total: each is based on a section or on the whole of every chapter of the Rule. Each concludes with a piece of scripture that can then be used for meditative reading – Lectio Divina.
As these reflections are the fruit of sharing we hope that anyone reading them, anyone new to or interested in Christian meditation, may feel they are also part of that community and can participate by posting comments and reflections from their own life. This is an ongoing conversatio – which forms part of Benedict’s vows on Oblate life – but extends to all who feel drawn to the spiritual tradition that shapes monastic life.
The below sets of chapter titles and dates are linked to corresponding reflections. Working down each column, simply click on a date set to find each daily reflection.
Prologue (1)
Prologue (2)
Prologue (3)
Prologue (4)
Prologue (5)
Prologue (6)
Prologue (7)
Chapter 1: The Kinds of Monks
Chapter 2: The Qualities of the Abbot (1)
Chapter 2: The Qualities of the Abbot (2)
Chapter 2: The Qualities of the Abbot (3)
Chapter 2: The Qualities of the Abbot (4)
Chapter 2: The Qualities of the Abbot (5)
Chapter 2: The Qualities of the Abbot (6)
Chapter 2: The Qualities of the Abbot (7)
Chapter 3: Summoning the Monks for Counsel (1)
Chapter 3: Summoning the Monks for Counsel (2)
Chapter 4: The Tools for Good Works (1)
Chapter 4: The Tools for Good Works (2)
Chapter 4: The Tools for Good Works (3)
Chapter 4: The Tools for Good Works (4)
Chapter 5: Obedience (1)
Chapter 5: Obedience (2)
Chapter 6: Restraint of Speech
Chapter 7: Humility (1)
Chapter 7: Humility (2)
Chapter 7: Humility (3)
Chapter 7: Humility (4)
Chapter 7: Humility (5)
Chapter 7: Humility (6)
Chapter 7: Humility (7)
Chapter 7: Humility (8)
Chapter 7: Humility (9)
Chapter 7: Humility (10)
Chapter 7: Humility (11)
Chapter 7: Humility (12)
Chapter 7: Humility (13)
Chapter 7: Humility (14)
Chapter 7: Humility (15)
Chapter 7: Humility (16)
Chapter 8: The Divine Office at Night
Chapter 9: The Number of Psalms at the Night Office
Chapter 10: The Arrangement of the Night Office in Summer
Chapter 11: The Celebratin of Vigils on Sunday
Chapter 12: The Celebration of the Solemnity of Lauds
Chapter 13: The Celebration of Lauds on Ordinary Days (1)
Chapter 13: The Celebration of Lauds on Ordinary Days (2)
Chapter 14: The Celebration of Vigils on the Anniversaries of Saints
Chapter 15: The Times for Saying Alleluia
Chapter 16: The Celebration of Divine Office During the Day
Chapter 17: The Number of Psalms to be Sung at These Hours
Chapter 18: The Order of Psalmody (1)
Chapter 18: The Order of Psalmody (2)
Chapter 18: The Order of Psalmody (3)
Chapter 18: The Order of Psalmody (4)
Feb. 24 (in a leap year, otherwise add to Feb. 23), June 25, Oct. 25
Chapter 19: The Discipline of Psalmody
Chapter 20: Reverence in Prayer
Chapter 21: The Deans of the Monastery
Chapter 22: The Sleeping Arrangements of the Monks
23: Excommunication for Faults
Chapter 24: Degrees of Excommunication
Chapter 25: Serious Faults
Chapter 26: Unauthorized Association With the Excommunicated
Chapter 27: The Abbot’s Concern for the Excommunicated
Chapter 28: Those Who Refuse to Amend After Frequent Reproofs
Chapter 29: Readmission of Monks Who Leave the Monastery
Chapter 30: The Manner of Reproving Boys
Chapter 31: Qualifications of the Monastery Cellarer (1)
Chapter 31: Qualifications of the Monastery Cellarer (2)
Chapter 32: Tools and Goods of the Monastery
Chapter 33: Monks and Private Ownership
Chapter 34: Distribution of Goods According to Need
Chapter 35: Kitchen Servers of the Week (1)
Chapter 35: Kitchen Servers of the Week (2)
Chapter 36: The Sick Monks
Chapter 37: The Elderly and Children
Chapter 38: The Reader for the Week
Chapter 39: The Proper Amount of Food
Chapter 40: The Proper Amount of Drink
Chapter 41: The Times for the Monk’s Meals
Chapter 42: Silence After Compline
Chapter 43: Tardiness at the Work of God or at Table (1)
Chapter 43: Tardiness at the Work of God or at Table (2)
Chapter 44: Satisfaction by the Excommunicated
Chapter 45: Mistakes in the Oratory
Chapter 46: Faults Committed in Others Matters
Chapter 47: Announcing the Hours for the Work of God
Chapter 48: The Daily Manual Labor (1)
Chapter 48: The Daily Manual Labor (2)
Chapter 48: The Daily Manual Labor (3)
Chapter 49: The Observance of Lent
Chapter 50: Monks Working at a Distance or Traveling
Chapter 51: Monks Sent on a Short Journey
Chapter 52: The Oratory of the Monastery
Chapter 53: The Reception of Guests (1)
Chapter 53: The Reception of Guests (2)
Chapter 54: Letters or Gifts for Monks
Chapter 55: The Clothing or Footwear of the Monks (1)
Chapter 55: The Clothing or Footwear of the Monks (2)
Chapter 56: The Abbot’s Table
Chapter 57 The Artisans of the Monastery
Chapter 58: The Procedure for Receivng Monks (1)
Chapter 58: The Procedure for Receivng Monks (2)
Chapter 59: The Offering of Sons by Nobles or by the Poor
Chapter 60: The Admission of Priests to the Monastery
Chapter 61: The Reception of Visiting Monks (1)
Chapter 61: The Reception of Visiting Monks (2)
Chapter 62: The Priests of the Monastery
Chapter 63: Community Rank (1)
Chapter 63: Community Rank (2)
Chapter 64: The Election of an Abbot (1)
Chapter 64: The Election of an Abbot (2)
Chapter 65: The Prior of the Monastery (1)
Chapter 65: The Prior of the Monastery (2)
Chapter 66: The Porter of the Monastery
Chapter 67: Monks Sent on a Journey
Chapter 68: The Assignment of Impossible Tasks to a Monk
Chapter 69: The Presumption of Defending Another in the Monastery
Chapter 70: The Presumption of Striking Another Monk at Will
Chapter 71: Mutual Obedience
Chapter 72: The Good Zeal of Monks
Chapter 73: This Rule Only the Beginning of Perfection
The Rule of Benedict 