Saint Benedict

1221 Words3 Pages

Seven centuries separate the Benedictines and the Poor Sisters of St. Clare. Nonetheless, the orders are quite similar in their respective rules. The Rule of Saint Benedict and Saint Clare’s Forma Vitae are two very different documents with an identical purpose: to bring people to God though a life of prayer and work: Ora Et Labora. Saint Benedict laid the groundwork for Saint Clare, to the point where it is safe to say that Saint Clare directly based much of her rule on the rule of Saint Benedict and then adapted it for the life of the cloister.
The Rule of St. Benedict is a very thorough document. It goes into considerable detail regarding many varying matters of the monastery, from the type of man the abbot should be to how much laughter …show more content…

Despite the poverty of words, her rule still outlines life as a Poor Sister just as well as Benedict does for the Benedictines. Her rule is simple and focused. Poverty is the focus of her rule, being the central virtue of Saint Francis, her inspiration. As such, the sisters are to have nothing to call their own. They wear a simple, poor habit, and remain cloistered in the convent. One sister is designated as the porter and mans the door and parlor, where visitors may be received and spoken to. Aside from speaking to visitors and speaking liturgically, the sisters are to keep their words short and …show more content…

Of course, they maintain the schedule of each day, building it around the divine office and working amidst the prayer: Ora Et Labora. Benedictines also had a stress on poverty, but Clare made it central to the life in her order. Additionally, obedience is another central pillar of Benedictine life that Clare amplified. The Benedictines had to obey their abbot and their superiors, but that was in a time when the Church (but especially the papacy) was much smaller. The Poor Sisters had to obey the abbess and the local Bishop with the Pope above all. The Sisters even preserved the Benedictine tradition of a year-round fast with breaks around the major

Open Document