The Monk's Habit (Part 2)

Did you Know???
Because the symbolism of the Habit is so significant, there are special prayers that accompany each part.

Tunic: "Cloth me O Lord with the man who has been created according to God in Justice and Holiness of Truth"

Cincture: "Gird me O Lord with the cincture of gladness. Cleanse me and purify my heart that the virtues of Continence and Chastity may ever abide with me"

Scapular: "O Lord you said 'my yoke is easy and my burden is light', grant that I may accept it with that I may receive the reward of my labor"

Cowl (hood): "Place O Lord the Helmet of Salvation upon my head that I may overcome the assault of the devil"

Hallmarks of Benedictine Education (Part 10)

At Saint Vincent Archabbey many of our monks are involved in our College Apostolate. Some serve as Professors in departments such as Theology, Philosophy, Mathematics, English, Science or Business, while others work in the Library or Campus Ministry. Needless to say, our Benedictine Heritage influences the way that we educate our students as a WHOLE human person, Body, Mind, and Soul.

Thus, this series of posts will focus on the 10 Hallmarks of a Benedictine Education. 

10. Community: call for service to the common good and respect for the individual

Benedictine monastic community is rooted in a particular place in which mutual service, especially
in the mundane areas of everyday life, is demanded of everyone with no other reward than the building up of the community. Yet for Benedictines community also stretches across time and place. There is an awareness of community with the past, with the millennia-old tradition, with past
community members and friends of the monastery, with the communion of saints. There is also
solidarity with other communities across the world, monastic and non-monastic, Christian and non-
Christian, religious and non-religious, that make practical efforts to foster human well-being. Though directly grounded in a particular place, the commitments and aspirations of Benedictine life are
catholic and universal, rather than provincial.

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10 Hallmarks of Benedictine Education (Part 9)

At Saint Vincent Archabbey many of our monks are involved in our College Apostolate. Some serve as Professors in departments such as Theology, Philosophy, Mathematics, English, Science or Business, while others work in the Library or Campus Ministry. Needless to say, our Benedictine Heritage influences the way that we educate our students as a WHOLE human person, Body, Mind, and Soul.

Thus, this series of posts will focus on the 10 Hallmarks of a Benedictine Education. 

9. Hospitality: call to openness

The practice of listening and humility in a Benedictine monastery enables a generous hospitality to friends and strangers. Benedict urges that the weaknesses of all should be supported with the greatest patience (RB 72.5). Particular attention is to be given to those who are weak, poor or marginalized because, as Benedict says of the guest, Christ is found especially in them. Every
attempt is to be made to extend a gracious and respectful welcome to these persons as the sisters
and brothers they truly are.

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10 Hallmarks of Benedictine Education (Part 8)

At Saint Vincent Archabbey many of our monks are involved in our College Apostolate. Some serve as Professors in departments such as Theology, Philosophy, Mathematics, English, Science or Business, while others work in the Library or Campus Ministry. Needless to say, our Benedictine Heritage influences the way that we educate our students as a WHOLE human person, Body, Mind, and Soul.

Thus, this series of posts will focus on the 10 Hallmarks of a Benedictine Education. 

8. Stewardship: respect for the beauty and goodness of creation as a sacrament of God

At its core the Rule seeks to foster a fundamental reverence toward the creation that God has
made. Benedict exhorts his followers to regard all the tools and goods of the monastery as the
sacred vessels of the altar (RB 31.10). Benedictine monastics do not simply use up what has been
given to them, nor do they aim at poverty. Instead, they prize good stewardship, the wise and
moderate use of material things for the good of all, both present and future. This appreciation of
the good use of material things leads to a sacramental stance toward all creation and the
cultivation of beauty as modes of experiencing the presence of God.

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10 Hallmarks of Benedictine Education (Part 7)

At Saint Vincent Archabbey many of our monks are involved in our College Apostolate. Some serve as Professors in departments such as Theology, Philosophy, Mathematics, English, Science or Business, while others work in the Library or Campus Ministry. Needless to say, our Benedictine Heritage influences the way that we educate our students as a WHOLE human person, Body, Mind, and Soul. 

Thus, this series of posts will focus on the 10 Hallmarks of a Benedictine Education. 

7. Humility: acceptance of the demand for realism and accountability

Humility is Benedict's word for wisdom. He begins his extended description of the twelve degrees of
humility with awe at the abiding presence of God and ends with the love that casts out fear (RB 7).
Benedictine humility accepts the reality of the day-to-day world - nature, events, other people -
and our true place within it. This practical realism demands honesty and accountability of everyone
in a Benedictine house. Each monastic seeks to acknowledge his or her faults and weaknesses.
Each strives to recognize their own gifts and the gifts of others with gratitude, seeking to contribute
as much as possible to the good of the whole and accepting the care of others.

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