A COMMUNITr CHALLENGED Br THE CHURCH REFLECTIONS BY A BISHOP INIRCIXJCTICN question raiserl title of this article calls for a of by the above good deal '!be way :reflection if wet re to to grips it in a cnre with such as avoid apprax:Unations, to confusion, and ambiguity. is wlqr' devote 'lhis want to the f irst section of this a study of a paper to prel.iminazy f61V questions. PARI' ONE: PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS 1 WHICH M:>NASTIC cn.MJNITY ARE WE DISOJSS!l\G? to distinguish an e s s e n t i a def inition of the We have 1 nmastic cx:mmmity, we f ind it, for instance, in the Rule of saint a.S such m u on Benedict, fran the t i p h i s t o r i c f o r m s taken l 1e by the course nonastic camunities throughout of history. The f irst stable, and underlies second. These multiple historic forms, on is the the contrary, evolve, and is desirable, since it makes possible this an adaptation of these cormn.mities to changing of and place. the cnnditions tine a-. m:mastic c:amrunity is f irst of all canposerl of m o n k s. That The is obvious. The is has chosen serve alone, the nnich a man who to and by monk God roonk whole of his life, whatever might to activity in oonc:rete. "The is be his day day the the . . man :religious He 's a who is oonsecrated This particular sine aildito. to God • • • consecration to will pressed by means of visible signs: withdrawal f inn the be God world, for solitude silence, repose in And all love and God. above tne devotion for word of for for psalros: psalms in public, and the the Gospels and chanted God, oeaselesJ1ruminated private. great attraction for interior prayer in A and for early soon called, at an early date, ''perpetual nonks what tl'le ,, 1 Testament. pr '' -a fran teim borrowed the New
A COMMUNITr CHALLENGED Br THE CHURCH REFLECTIONS BY A BISHOP INIRCIXJCTICN '!be question raiserl by the above title of this article calls for a good deal of :reflection if wet re to cnre to grips with it in such a way as to avoid apprax:Unations, confusion, and ambiguity. 'lhis is wlqr' want to devote the f irst section of this paper to a study of a f61V prel.iminazy questions. PARI' ONE: PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS 1 WHICH M:>NASTIC cn.MJNITY ARE WE DISOJSS!l\G? We have to distinguish an e s s e n t i a 1 def inition of the nmastic cx:mmmity, such a.S we f ind it, for instance, in the Rule of saint Benedict, fran the m u l t i p 1e h i s t o r i c f o r m s taken on by nonastic camunities throughout the course of history. The f irst is stable, and underlies the second. These multiple historic forms, on the contrary, evolve, and this is desirable, since it makes possible an adaptation of these cormn.mities to the changing cnnditions of tine and place. a-. The m:mastic c:amrunity is f irst of all canposerl of m o n k s. That nnich is obvious. The monk is a man who has chosen to serve God alone, and by the whole of his life, whatever might be his day to day activity in the oonc:rete. "The roonk is the :religious sine aildito. . . He 's a man who is oonsecrated to God • • • This particular consecration to God will be pressed by means of visible signs: withdrawal f inn the world, love for solitude and silence, repose in God. And above all devotion for the word of God, for the Gospels and for tne psalros: psalms chanted in public, and oeaselesJ1ruminated in private. A great attraction for interior prayer and for what tl'le early nonks soon called, at an early date, ''perpetual ,, 1 pr '' -a teim borrowed fran the New Testament.
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