Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Norvene Vest has been involved in Christian formation for 30 years through one-to-one spiritual direction, leading retreats and workshops, and writing books. She is the author of Preferring Christ, Still Listening, and Tending the Holy. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Preferring Christ

A Devotional Commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict

Church Publishing Incorporated

Contents

Foreword
Introduction
The Prologue
Interlude I
Foundational Matters
1. The Various Kinds of Monks
2. What Kind of Person the Abbot Ought to Be
3. Summoning the Community for Counsel
4. The Instruments of Good Works
Interlude II
Monastic Virtues
5. Obedience
6. Restraint of Speech
7. Humility
Interlude III
The Divine Office
8. The Divine Office at Night
9. How Many Psalms Are Sung at the Night Hours
10. How the Night Office Is to Be Sung in Summer
11. How Vigils Is Sung on Sunday
12. How the Office of Lauds Is to Be Sung
13. How Lauds Are Sung on Ordinary Weekdays
14. The Celebration of Vigils on the Anniversaries of Saints
15. At What Times of the Year "Alleluia" Is Sung
16. How the Work of God Is to Be Performed during the Day
17. How Many Psalms Are to Be Sung at These Hours
18. In What Order the Psalms Are to be Sung
19. The Discipline of Singing Psalms
20. On Reverence in Prayer
Interlude IV
Disciplines of Community
21. The Deans of the Monastery
22. How the Monks Are to Sleep
23. Excommunication for Faults
24. Degrees of Excommunication
25. Serious Faults
26. Those Who Associate with the Excommunicated
27. The Abbot's Care for the Excommunicated
28. Those Who Do not Amend after Frequent Correction
29. Whether Those Who Leave May Be Readmitted
30. The Manner of Reproving Children
Interlude V
Domestic Arrangements
31. The Qualities of the Monastery Cellarer
32. The Tools and Possessions of the Monastery
33. Whether Monks Ought to Own Anything
34. Distribution of Goods according to Need
35. Weekly Servers in the Kitchen
36. The Sick
37. The Old and Children
38. The Weekly Reader
39. The Appropriate Amount of Food
40. The Appropriate Amount of Drink
41. At What Hours the Community is to Take Meals
42. That No One May Speak after Compline
Interlude VI
Lukewarmness and Its Remedies
43. Those Who Arrive Late at the Work of God or at Table
44. How the Excommunicated Are to Make Satisfaction
45. Those Who Make Mistakes in the Oratory
46. Those Who Offend in Other Matters
Interlude VII
The Consecration of Mundane Activities
47. Announcing the Hours for the Work of God
48. The Daily Manual Labor
49. The Observance of Lent
50. Those Working at a Distance from the Oratory or Traveling
51. Those on a Short Journey
52. The Oratory of the Monastery
53. The Reception of Guests
54. Letters or Gifts for Monks
55. The Clothing and Footwear of the Monks
56. The Abbot's Table
57. The Artisans of the Monastery
Interlude VIII
Membership and Governance within the Community
58. The Procedure for Receiving Members
59. The Offering of Children by the Noble or the Poor
60. Priests Who Wish to Live in the Monastery
61. How Visiting Monks Are Received
62. Concerning the Priests of the Monastery
63. Rank in the Community
64. The Appointment of the Abbot
65. The Prior of the Monastery
66. The Monastery Porter
Interlude IX
A Few Final Guidelines for the Consecrated Life
67. Those Who Are Sent on a Journey
68. Those Who Are Commanded to Do the Impossible
69. Monks May not Presume to Defend One Another
70. Monks May Not Strike One Another at Will
71. They Should Obey One Another
72. The Good Zeal That Monks Ought to Have
73. The Whole of Observance Is not Contained in This Rule
An Afterword
References/Notes