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The Obedience and Loyalty of Saint Benedict

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Saint Benedict hoped to establish stability, obedience and loyalty to the monastic way; as well as to train followers with a set of detailed directions on how to worthily enter Christ’s kingdom. The rule was created to also establish a “school” for the Lord’s service, in other words how to praise the Lord the right way. Three of the most important sections of the rule include: the duties of the abbot, the discipline and penal code and the internal administration on the monastery. These are particularly important because the internal administration of the monastery provides evidence of hierarchy within the monastery (obedience). The penal/discipline codes provide evidence of what was done to maintain order and to ensure loyalty to the monastic way. The description of duties of the abbot shows a great deal of stability and how they were to manage their lifestyles and how to uphold their image. Throughout the rule, Benedict clearly stresses the need of loyalty to the monastic way and the administering of a community through the abbot; he deals with leadership principles and exercise of authority. “Lead his disciples by a twofold teaching: by word and example” (ch.2, verse 11) the abbot is to also “Show not too great concern for the fleeting and temporal things of this world. He achieves the amendment of his own faults.” (Ch. 2, verse 33). Benedict clearly appoints most of the power to the abbot, over the monastic community. Benedicts requires a high standard of qualifications from a good abbot: In chapter 2, the ability of choosing the right words and actions as well as the proper priorities and values of each task is discussed. In all, prudence and wisdom is what the abbot is to strive for. Although Benedict gives the abbot the ultimate responsibility and authority concerning his community, he is not to make all the decisions alone. The passage of verses 7 – 11 contain a similar restraint and try to prevent any willful

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