The Rule of St. Benedict: Chapter 22
Long ago Benedictines saw fit to re-imagine this chapter and adopt cells for sleeping quarters in monasteries rather than the dormitory Benedict describes here. The re-imagining of the Rule is far from unprecedented. The process of adaptation must be careful, however, to preserve the spirit behind the specific instructions when the specifics are set aside.
In the case of the Canon Communities of St. Benedict, Benedictine life is re-imagined once again. Here the very notion of living in a monastery is set aside, but what is preserved is the mutual support and encouragement along the path of Benedictine spiritual formation, which, I believe, is the spirit behind this chapter.
Ours is to be a community in which gentle encouragement is the posture the members assume with each other. We each have a "bed" out of which we struggle to rise, and we each have a kind nudge to apply to a brother or sister.
Br. Chad
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