Skip to content
St. Benedict's Rule for MonasteriesBenedict, Saint, Abbot of Monte Cassino

St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries

by OpenStories

Original author: Benedict, Saint, Abbot of Monte Cassino

CompletedPublished Updated

"St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries" by Abbot of Monte Cassino Saint Benedict is a book of precepts written in Latin around 530. Designed for monks living communally under an abbot, it establishes guidelines for monastic life centered on the motto "pray and work." The Rule charts a moderate path between individual zeal and rigid institutionalism, addressing the needs of community living through order, human relationships, and spiritual growth. Used by Benedictines for fifteen centuries, it became one of the most influential guides in Western monasticism.

St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries, by Benedict, Saint, Abbot of Monte Cassino. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #50040.

  • 20,634words
  • 73chapters
  • 0stars
  • 0bookmarks
  • 0hits
Start reading

73 Chapters

  1. 1.Front Matter656 words
  2. 2.Prologue: Jan. 1—May 2—Sept. 11,135 words
  3. 3.Chapter 1: On the Kinds of Monks313 words
  4. 4.Chapter 2: What Kind of Man the Abbot Ought to Be1,101 words
  5. 5.Chapter 3: On Calling the Brethren for Counsel304 words
  6. 6.Chapter 4: What Are the Instruments of Good Works617 words
  7. 7.Chapter 5: On Obedience411 words
  8. 8.Chapter 6: On the Spirit of Silence214 words
  9. 9.Chapter 7: On Humility1,784 words
  10. 10.Chapter 8: On the Divine Office During the Night124 words
  11. 11.Chapter 9: How Many Psalms Are to Be Said at the Night Office265 words
  12. 12.Chapter 10: How the Night Office Is to Be Said in Summer Time96 words
  13. 13.Chapter 11: How the Night Office Is to Be Said on Sundays330 words
  14. 14.Chapter 12: How the Morning Office Is to Be Said72 words
  15. 15.Chapter 13: How the Morning Office Is to Be Said on Weekdays277 words
  16. 16.Chapter 14: How the Night Office Is to Be Said on the Feasts of the Saints51 words
  17. 17.Chapter 15: At What Times “Alleluia” Is to Be Said84 words
  18. 18.Chapter 16: How the Work of God Is to Be Performed During the Day137 words
  19. 19.Chapter 17: How Many Psalms Are to Be Said at These Hours236 words
  20. 20.Chapter 18: In What Order the Psalms Are to Be Said530 words
  21. 21.Chapter 19: On the Manner of Saying the Divine Office125 words
  22. 22.Chapter 20: On Reverence in Prayer120 words
  23. 23.Chapter 21: On the Deans of the Monastery150 words
  24. 24.Chapter 22: How the Monks Are to Sleep162 words
  25. 25.Chapter 23: On Excommunication for Faults102 words
  26. 26.Chapter 24: What the Measure of Excommunication Should Be132 words
  27. 27.Chapter 25: On Weightier Faults128 words
  28. 28.Chapter 27: How Solicitous the Abbot Should Be for the Excommunicated229 words
  29. 29.Chapter 28: On Those Who Will Not Amend After Repeated Corrections185 words
  30. 30.Chapter 29: Whether Brethren Who Leave the Monastery Should Be Received Again76 words
  31. 31.Chapter 30: How Boys Are to Be Corrected60 words
  32. 32.Chapter 31: What Kind of Man the Cellarer of the Monastery Should Be392 words
  33. 33.Chapter 32: On the Tools and Property of the Monastery115 words
  34. 34.Chapter 33: Whether Monks Ought to Have Anything of Their Own145 words
  35. 35.Chapter 34: Whether All Should Receive in Equal Measure What Is Necessary114 words
  36. 36.Chapter 35: On the Weekly Servers in the Kitchen368 words
  37. 37.Chapter 36: On the Sick Brethren232 words
  1. 38.Chapter 37: On Old Men and Children80 words
  2. 39.Chapter 38: On the Weekly Reader275 words
  3. 40.Chapter 39: On the Measure of Food228 words
  4. 41.Chapter 40: On the Measure of Drink207 words
  5. 42.Chapter 41: At What Hours the Meals Should Be Taken209 words
  6. 43.Chapter 42: That No One Speak After Compline265 words
  7. 44.Chapter 43: On Those Who Come Late to the Work of God or to Table497 words
  8. 45.Chapter 44: How the Excommunicated Are to Make Satisfaction243 words
  9. 46.Chapter 45: On Those Who Make Mistakes in the Oratory59 words
  10. 47.Chapter 46: On Those Who Fail in Any Other Matters135 words
  11. 48.Chapter 47: On Giving the Signal for the Time of the Work of God110 words
  12. 49.Chapter 48: On the Daily Manual Labor586 words
  13. 50.Chapter 49: On the Observance of Lent226 words
  14. 51.Chapter 50: On Brethren Who Are Working Far From the Oratory or Are on a Journey86 words
  15. 52.Chapter 51: On Brethren Who Go Not Very Far Away61 words
  16. 53.Chapter 52: On the Oratory of the Monastery130 words
  17. 54.Chapter 53: On the Reception of Guests527 words
  18. 55.Chapter 54: Whether a Monk Should Receive Letters or Anything Else119 words
  19. 56.Chapter 55: On the Clothes and Shoes of the Brethren436 words
  20. 57.Chapter 57: On the Craftsmen of the Monastery179 words
  21. 58.Chapter 58: On the Manner of Receiving Brethren720 words
  22. 59.Chapter 59: On the Sons of Nobles and of the Poor Who Are Offered204 words
  23. 60.Chapter 60: On Priests Who May Wish to Live in the Monastery214 words
  24. 61.Chapter 61: How Pilgrim Monks Are To Be Received353 words
  25. 62.Chapter 62: On the Priests of the Monastery234 words
  26. 63.Chapter 63: On the Order of the Community410 words
  27. 64.Chapter 64: On Constituting an Abbot543 words
  28. 65.Chapter 65: On the Prior of the Monastery505 words
  29. 66.Chapter 66: On the Porters of the Monastery195 words
  30. 67.Chapter 67: On Brethren Who Are Sent on a Journey178 words
  31. 68.Chapter 68: If a Brother Is Commanded to Do Impossible Things115 words
  32. 69.Chapter 69: That the Monks Presume Not to Defend One Another73 words
  33. 70.Chapter 70: That No One Venture to Punish at Random126 words
  34. 71.Chapter 71: That the Brethren Be Obedient to One Another183 words
  35. 72.Chapter 72: On the Good Zeal Which Monks Ought to Have124 words
  36. 73.Chapter 73227 words