Listening with the ear of my heart. A Benedictine oblate blog

I listened to a music program, “Claudio Monteverdi: Vespers of the Blessed Virgin” on EWTN. I listened as part of my preparation for an oblate retreat — the retreat where beauty is the theme of my preparation (not the theme of the retreat). I have not watched many EWTN music programs, but when I heard “Vespers,” I thought I would listen in — and it was beautiful.

My leaning toward beauty has caused me to wonder where such an inclination came from. And that question once again brought to my mind a frequent question I have: what is it about Benedictine spirituality that causes a deepening of my life?

The answer I like so far is:

1. Everything about Benedictine spirituality is part of what makes it “work.” It is all regular and well-known elements, put together in an ancient form which has stood the test of time.

2. Benedictine practices increase the spiritual porosity of my life. There is less and less distinction between the spiritual parts of my life and those activities I used to consider secular or related to worldly matters.

Maybe Benedictine spirituality helps me hear all of the music.

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Additional Information

1. Summary of this music. "Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers are rightly considered to be one of the greatest monuments of Baroque church music." Source.

2. General Description of the work:

"In 1610 Monteverdi published one of his finest works, the Vespers, comprising a Mass, 2 Magnificats, 11 "motets," and an orchestral sonata. In it he combines solos, ensembles, choral writing for one and two choirs of up to five voices each, orchestral ritornelli (some in six real parts), in addition to a sonata, and obbligati for various instruments. The style ranges from the old to the new, from richly imitative seven-part polyphony to highly affective monody, from rhythmically clear-cut, ear-catching melodies to complex highly virtuosic melismas. As Denis Arnold (1963) said, "Passion and magnificence - these two are inseparable words when describing this volume."" Source

3. A CD of the music at Amazon

Benedictine Balance

Benedictines sometimes talk about the Benedictine Balance. Most often Benedictine Balance is viewed (in somewhat of an oversimplification) as integrating work and prayer (ora et labora) into one mode of living.

Benedictine oblate and author Wil Derkse also notes that he believes Christians can be enriched by other beliefs. He said that "Buddhism, Taoism, [and] the environmental movement appear to be capable of being fruitful in the Christian practice of life." This welcoming view of other traditions is also part of the Benedictine Balance.

With typical Benedictine balance, one of Wil Derkse’s example is the following Zen encouragement: "Before the enlightenment: cut wood and draw water; after the enlightenment: cut wood and draw water."

Background Info.

Benedictines — These are people from all walks and religious traditions who are interested in or live according to the Rule of St. Benedict. The Rule of St. Benedict describes how monks should live communally in a monastery and St. Benedict compiled the Rule about 530 AD. The Rule became the widest Rule used by monks. If you have a general idea of monks in black robes living in a monastery and copying scrolls — it’s probably the Benedictine monks you are thinking about.

Wil Derkse wrote:"The Rule of Benedict for Beginners," Liturgical Press, 2003.

Oblates — (the word comes from a Latin word meaning offering or gift to God) are lay men and women who live in the world, but who follow the Rule of St. Benedict as their circumstances in life allow. Oblates at Catholic and Anglican monasteries come from many religious background such as Baptists or other Protestant traditions.

Work & Prayer — A more historically accurate view of the ora et labora concept is that monks living under the Rule of St. Benedict combined work, reading, and liturgical prayer in a harmonious whole.