Benedectines in Europe

The European monk of today

The Benedictine Monk in Europe The Benedictine monk of Europe receives and lives out his vocation, following in the footsteps of Christ in the Church, as he confronts the historic and geographic realities in which he lives moment by moment, in stability and without losing sight of that point beyond all things and that fullness to which each and every person.

The Benedictines in Europe must deal with two temptations: that of falling back on their past and that of trying to flee into the future. Europe's historical past is very well known, and the monastic life makes up a special portion of that past. St. Benedict, in fact, became Co-patron of Europe at a time when the European reality of today was still foggy.

The Ideal of God The followers of St. Benedict live that realty in a very limited way today since they have no other desire than to live, day by day, solely for God to whom is due service first of all and then for that which the Rule prescribes. An idealistic idea of the past can sound the alarm for those monastic communities that are too nostalgic for a period when religious life was almost a barometer.

Haven't we often seen it happen in European culture that monasteries become just high-ranking museums for the conservation of religious and cultural patrimony? On the other hand, however, the place which the future holds in the European mind is becoming more and more well-known: it is necessary to think of tomorrow's Europe and live as if already thrust into the future-- monasteries have always been ahead of their times.

At times, monastics seem to dream of playing this anticipatory role by pointing out different obstacles in a social life that is always more complex. Haven't we seen many small communities based on human, family like ideals and which are very open to society's emarginated peoples of every type? Haven't we also seen those communities that discretely use the resources of advanced technology at their disposition for inventing a monasticism that is more "relevant" and adapted to the convivial society of tomorrow's world? Monasticism head on Each of these temptations must be overcome for the Benedictine monk of today to have the possibility to be that which God want for today's Europe.

The monastic life belongs neither to the past nor to the future; it is to be lived in the present, pure and simple. Thus we can consider a "charismatic" option, so to speak. Today's Benedictine monk of Europe is to live the work of the Spirit day by day. He is to live the "today" of God in order to unite the inheritance of the past with the unknown of the future. The Monk of the old continent ought to act as a reference point, like a wise old sage, who speaks very few but important words to the ones who know how to listen.