The [provisional] Constitutionsof the Community of

Our Lady and Saint Laurence

A Supplement to theRule for Monasteries of

Our Holy Father Benedict of Nursia

The [provisional] Constitutionsof the Community of

Our Lady and Saint LaurenceA Voluntary Association of Canonical Orthodox Monks and

NunsSeeking and Serving God According to the

Teaching of Saint Benedict of Nursiaand the Liturgical Traditions of Western Orthodoxy

Prepared byVen. Schema-monk TheodoreNativity of the Virgin Mary, 2013

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ContentsDedication and Acknowledgements...........................................................2

Preface........................................................................................................5Article I: Regarding the Nature and Status of the Community................10Article II: Regarding the Prior..................................................................11Article III: Regarding the Coenobitic Life................................................12Article IV: Regarding Seniority and Order in the Community.................14Article V: Regarding the Monastic Chapter.............................................15Article VI: Regarding Common Property and Personal Poverty..............15Article VII: Regarding the Monastic Cell.................................................17Article VIII: Regarding Celibate Chastity and Self-sacrificial Love.........18Article IX: Regarding Obedience..............................................................20Article X: Regarding Clothing and Personal Care....................................20Article XI: Regarding Correspondence and Relations with Family and Friends...........................................................21Article XII: Regarding the Work of God...................................................22Article XIII: Regarding the Use of the Oratory........................................23Article XIV: Regarding Labor, Reading, and Mission Service..................24Article XV: Regarding Meals and Fasting................................................26Article VI: Regarding Silence and Recreation..........................................28Article XVII: Regarding Hospitality..........................................................29Article XVIII: Regarding Conduct “in the World”.....................................29Article XIX: Regarding the Sick, Illness, and Death.................................30Article XX: Regarding Qualifications, Novitiate, Tonsuring and Solemn Profession....................................................31Article XXI: Regarding Discipline and Penance.......................................34Article XXII: Regarding Leave, Release, Restoration, or Dismissal.........36

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Dedicated To:

The Glory of God; the Blessed and ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of Our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ under her title of Glastonbury; the Martyric Service of Saint Laurence of Rome; the Visionary Leadership of Saints Tikhon the Confessor and John the Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco in the renewal of Western Orthodox worship and devotion; the ever-memorable Deacon Robert “Polycarp” Sherwood, who labored tirelessly in the promotion and support of Orthodox monastic life according to the Holy Rule of Saint Benedict; His Eminence Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh (Retired), who tonsured me to the Great Schema in a Greek Orthodox Monastery that looked to the Holy Rule of Saint Benedict as its model; and to the honor of all Orthodox monks and nuns who have combined contemplation of God and mission to God’s People in lives of ascetic self-sacrifice.

AcknowledgementsThe provisional Constitutions are an original composition and are not in the public domain. All rights to them are reserved by the Author:

Schema-monk Subdeacon Theodore (Phillips)monk.theodore@gmail.com

Unless otherwise noted, all quotations from the Sacred Scripture are from the Orthodox Study Bible, a special edition of the NKJV, © Thomas Nelson, Nashville, 2008, and meet the criteria for “fair use.”

The images reproduced herein were obtained from the following locations:

Cover: Provisional Coat of Arms, Community of Our Lady and Saint Laurence, 2013, original design by Schema-monk Theodore

Page 1: Ss Benedict and Scholastica, Medieval Icon, San Ambrosio della Massima, Rome, public domain photograph

Page 9: Campus and interior of the Oratory of the Benedictine Fellowship of St. Laurence Retreat Center, 2012; photos by Schema-monk Theodore

Page 10: St. Benedict, Monastery of St. Gilles, Nimes, 1129

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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Benedict_delivering_his_rule_to_the_monks_of_his_order.jpg

Page 38: St Benedict, by the hand of Mary Sullivan Coit, Lancelot Andrewes Press, used by permission.

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PrefaceThe Holy Rule of Saint Benedict of Nursia

The Rule for Monasteries compiled by St. Benedict of Nursia, c. 540 A.D., is a venerable and reliable guide for Orthodox monasticism, regardless of the culture, liturgical rite, or geographical context in which it is lived. Through the Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great, St. Benedict became known throughout the Orthodox world and is hymned in the East as the “sun that shinest with the Mystic Dayspring's radiance, who didst enlighten the monastics of the western lands, [who] art worthily the namesake of benediction…”1Thanks to the gradual renewal of its Western liturgical and spiritual traditions over the last 150 years, Orthodoxy is again blessed to have monasteries (though small and few in number) that model their lives on this Holy Rule.2

The Community of Our Lady and Saint Laurence embraces the Rule of St Benedict as the primary document giving shape and meaning to its life of monastic community, discipline, and mission service. We do so with the knowledge that the interpretation and application of the Rule has varied considerably over time and from place to place. We have the utmost respect for the teaching of St Benedict in his Rule; we maintain that respect within an awareness that his is not the only approach to the monastic life; indeed, we whole-heartedly affirm the truth that, in the Orthodox Catholic Church, there is only one monastic “order,” and that all monastics, no matter what “rule,” “ustav,” or “typikon” they follow, are members of that sacred order and are, therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ and in the ascetic struggle. There is no place in Orthodox monastic life for the kind of elitism or partisanship against which St Paul warned in his First Epistle to the Corinthians.3

While striving always to adhere to the spirit of our venerable Rule, we read it neither in a strictly literal fashion, nor in isolation from the testimony of other Orthodox monastic elders, nor apart from how it was understood and implemented over the centuries. Some portions are inapplicable due to changes in culture; others were deemed by later holy

1 Kontakion for the Feast of St. Benedict, March 14, http://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints/459, accessed February 10, 2011.2 The Monastery of St. Mary of the Latins, also known as the “Amalfion,” since it was founded by monks from Amalfi, Italy, flourished on Mt. Athos until the early fourteenth century. It was founded during the lifetime of St. Athanasios, founder of the Great Lavra and worshipped according to the Latin Rite. Its existence is verified by a number of documents, some of which mention that it followed the Rule of St. Benedict and which show it to have been an “Imperial” Monastery and one of the ruling monasteries of the Holy Mountain. The ruins of its tower still stand on the Holy Mountain. A brief history may be read at: http://allmercifulsavior.net/Liturgy/Amalfion%20Oct%202002.pdf3 cf 1 Cor 3:1-9

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monastic elders to be impractical or unhelpful.4 For this reason, “Benedictine” monasteries – long before the Great Schism – developed constitutions and customaries to interpret and apply the Rule in their particular circumstances. This present document, in all humility, seeks to take its place in that venerable tradition.

The Rule of Saint Benedict in English and Latin, translated and edited by Abbot Justin McCann (published in 1951 by the Congregation of English Benedictines and republished by Lancelot Andrewes Press), shall be considered our standard text, and is the one from which we read together.

The following portions of the Rule, while read for the purposes of study, are not held to be binding legislation for the life of the Community:

Chapters VIII – XVIII (Directions for the Divine Office)Chapter XLI (The hours of meals)Chapters LVIII – LIX (Receiving men and children)

Additionally, the provisions for dormitories, child-oblates, a separate kitchen and refectory for the Abbot and guests, and for corporal punishment are held in abeyance as they have, in practice, long fallen into disuse among virtually all monasteries following the Rule.

In keeping with the prevailing liturgical usage of the Benedictine Fellowship of Saint Laurence, on whose campus we are resident, we currently serve the Divine Office according to the form known as the “Rite of St Tikhon,” which is based on an Orthodox correction of the 16th Century English redaction of the ancient services, as found in the Book of Common Prayer.5 St Benedict himself allowed arrangements other than what he stipulated in his Rule, although he instructed that the whole Psalter should nonetheless be recited each week.6 Upon careful examination, we have found that, when applied in our particular circumstances,7 this requirement poses an obstacle to the balance of worship, prayer, work, and study, for 4 A notable example would be the prescription of corporal punishment such as flogging or beating with the rod, which others, notably St Theodore the Studite, forbade as being against the teaching of the “elders.”5 After corrections to the work of the original, heterodox redactors and restoration of elements such as the invocation of the Virgin Mary and Saints, this Rite was approved by the Holy Synods of both the Church of Russia and the Church of Antioch for use by Orthodox Christians. With some adjustment for monastic context, our texts are those of the Book of Common Prayer, the Saint Dunstan’s Psalter, and the Benedictine Compline: all published by Lancelot Andrewes Press, an affiliate of the BFSL.6 An admonition not, in fact, carried out in all monasteries adhering to the Rule, either due to the need to balance the Divine Office with certain forms of mission or, simply, because of the frequent interruption of the cycle by Psalms assigned for various feasts.7 This realization is not unique to us; monasteries have often found this to be the case, especially when they are involved in the various outreach ministries that followers of St Benedict have traditionally undertaken throughout the ages. Different monastic houses or congregations have adopted varying ways of adapting the requirements of the Rule to their particular circumstances. In the author’s experience, this is no less true of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, where the reading of the traditional arrangement of Kathismata (Psalm Readings), and the choice of which Hours to pray in common, varies greatly.

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which St Benedict is rightly admired. We have, however, chosen to supplement the “Prayer Book Office” in the Rite of St Tikhon with certain materials from the more ancient forms, such as the “Lauds” Psalms8 and a Patristic Lesson at Matins, and the traditional Hours of Sext and Compline, while adhering to its monthly cycle of Psalms in place of the ancient weekly cycle.

In all places where conflicting regulations are found in the Rule and the provisional Constitutions, the legislation of the Constitutions shall prevail in practice.

Additionally, it is understood that the Prior has the authority to apply akribeia or economia with regard to the precepts of the Rule as circumstances may warrant, in order to maintain godly order in the Community and the salvation of its members.

The Constitutions

These provisional Constitutions interpret, apply, and supplement the precepts of the Rule within the context of our circumstances. They also address certain realities and needs of contemporary civil law and custom, and provide a guide to balancing the worship, study, work, and service aspects of monastic life as we are called to live it.

The document draws upon the author’s study and experience of monastic life and mission work for 17 years prior to, and 10 years following his reception into Holy Orthodoxy. The latter time included four years in two Orthodox monasteries living under the Rule of St Benedict: one worshipping according to the Latin Rite and one according to the Byzantine Rite.

There is provision for both monks and nuns to be members of the Community. This is unusual, but not unheard of either historically or in our own time. The most notable, current example is the Monastery of St John the Baptist, Essex, England, founded by the ever-memorable Archimandrite Sophrony, disciple of St Silouan of Mt Athos. Most references to the male gender should, therefore, be understood generically, unless the sense of the text or the Canons require otherwise. In our case, the small size of the Western Orthodox community, the limitations of its resources, and the original constituents of the resident monastic affiliates at St Laurence Retreat, have all combined to bring about this situation.

Our Lady of Glastonbury and Saint Laurence, Archdeacon and Martyr

Glastonbury is sometimes considered the birthplace of English Christianity, believed to have been brought there by St Joseph of Arimathea. 8 Psalms 148 – 150; these form part of the traditional morning service in both the East and the West.

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Legend has it that Christ, himself, went there with St Joseph on a merchant voyage during the time before he began his public ministry.9 Medieval writers also credit both St Patrick and St Brigid with time at Glastonbury, though there is no earlier documentary proof of their time there.

What is documented is that at the time of the Saxon conquest, in the late seventh century A.D., there was already an ancient church there, dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, around which there grew up a monastery. St Dunstan (later Archbishop of Canterbury) became Abbot there in 943 and introduced the Rule of Saint Benedict, under which the Abbey continued to flourish until it was destroyed by Henry VIII, who plundered and dissolved it and executed the last Abbot. It is now but a picturesque ruin.

In view of the arrival of an Icon of Our Lady of Glastonbury here at the BFSL Retreat Center (originally commissioned by a late member of the Board of Directors – now buried outside our Oratory – for a mission church and monastery in Canada), and the “Anglo” style and traditions of the Fellowship and resident monastics, it was decided to name the Community after the Virgin under her title of Glastonbury (Feast, May 12) and draw, prayerfully, not only on her intercession and protection along with that of Saint Laurence, but upon the rich heritage of ancient English Orthodoxy and monastic life as it flourished in Glastonbury for many centuries before the Great Schism.

The choice of St Laurence as our secondary Patron (Feast, August 10), quite naturally, honors our connection to the Benedictine Fellowship of Saint Laurence, on whose Rocky Mountain campus we have been blessed to reside. It also provides inspiration towards self-sacrificial service, evangelization, and serves as a spiritual link to the ancient See of Rome as it existed in the first millennium of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of the Orthodox, prior to its schism from the four ancient Patriarchates of the East.

The Annotations

Along with comments and clarifications on the text of the Constitutions, the annotations present excerpts from other monastic writings intended to provide practical information, context, or help for informed engagement with the Rule and Constitutions. Secondarily, it is hoped that they will be helpful to others who read the Constitutions, enabling them to understand some of the customs and ideals of monastic life as they are presented herein.9 This legend forms the basis of a poem by William Blake, made popular in the film Chariots of Fire, the first two stanzas of which read: And did those feet in ancient time Walk upon England's mountains green? And was the holy Lamb of God On England's pleasant pastures seen? And did the Countenance Divine Shine forth upon our clouded hills? And was Jerusalem builded here Among these dark satanic mills?

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Sources that are cited more than once make use of the following abbreviations:

Ailbe, Rule of....................................................................................RAEBarsanuphius and John, Directions in Spiritual Work of Ss..............DIRBasil, Letters of St..........................................................................LTRSBasil, Longer Rules of St.....................................................................LRBasil, Shorter Rules of St....................................................................SRCassian, St John, Institutes............................................................CASSElizabeth the New Martyr, Martha-Mary Convent, Rule of the...RMMCGregory the Great, Gospel Homilies of St.....................................GREGMonastery of St John in Studios, Rule of the...................................RSJSTheodore the Studite, Testament of St .....................................TESTMT

We commend these provisional Constitutions and our life as an unofficial “community-in-formation” to the loving Providence of God, through the intercession of Saint Benedict, Saint Scholastica, Saint Laurence, Saint Tikhon the Confessor, Saint John the Wonderworker of San Francisco, and, above all, our Gracious Lady the Blessed and Ever Virgin Mother of God our Heavenly Patroness and Protectress.

May God, who has begun this good work in us, bring it to completion in our salvation and deification through his grace and mercy to us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Above: the Saint Laurence Campus looking East

Below: the interior of the Oratory of Saint Laurence

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The [provisional] Constitutions of theCommunity of

Our Lady and Saint Laurence

Article I: Regarding the Nature and Status of the Community

1. The Community of Our Lady and Saint Laurence10 is a voluntary fellowship of Orthodox monastics, tonsured and professed under the authority of canonical Orthodox Hierarchs, whose former monastic communities have ceased to exist or who have freely chosen to affiliate with this “community-in-formation.”

2. The Community will strive to model its life on the Holy Rule11 of Saint Benedict of Nursia (c. 542 A.D.), modified by these provisional Constitutions, and applied with akribeia or economia by the Prior, in consultation with the Chapter.

10 Hereafter, “the Community.”11 The Rule is called “holy” because, although not divinely revealed, it nonetheless embodies the form according to which a monastic puts into practice the doctrine of the Holy Scriptures; it may also be called “holy” because it details what is needed in order for the monastic to be truly holy – i.e. “set apart” to the Lord.

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3. The members of the Community, as individuals, are under the omophorion of the Vicar Bishop for the Western Rite of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America,12 who exercises his hierarchical ministry under the authority of the Metropolitan and Primate.

a. The individual affiliation of the monastics with the Western Rite Vicariate of the Antiochian Archdiocese notwithstanding, the Community as an entity is not at present a canonically erected monastery of any canonical jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church.

i. The Prior may, at his discretion, form an advisory committee of clergy, monastics, and notable lay persons, to assist with relations with the wider Church or to offer practical advice on temporal, legal, or financial matters.

ii. In writings and other materials for public consumption, it shall be made clear that, while we live and worship together with the knowledge of our ecclesiastical authorities, we do not have formal ecclesiastical approbation or status.

b. When the time is right, having demonstrated to ourselves and others that we are able and willing to live an authentic monastic life according to the Rule of St Benedict and our provisional Constitutions, the Chapter may petition the appropriate canonical authorities to grant us the blessing of canonical status as a monastery of the Holy Orthodox Church.

Article II: Regarding the Prior13

1. All that is specified in the Rule regarding the Abbot shall be understood to apply to the Prior14 unless otherwise set forth in these provisional Constitutions.a. The Prior is elected by the Monastic Chapter, 40 days after a vacancy

in the office arises (if necessary, this may be extended as far as 45 days).

b. The Prior exercises his office from the time of his election. Until such time as the Community is granted canonical status, there is no formal process of confirmation or rite of installation, though appropriate prayers may be offered in the Chapter Room, and the senior monastic

12 Hereafter, “the Bishop.”13 All that is said here applies equally should a nun be elected as Prioress.14 A “prior”, is either the second-in-command to the Abbot or is the superior of a small monastic community that has not been granted the status of “abbey” (i.e., headed by an Abbot ), and is thus known as a “Priory.”

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present may present the Prior with a Cross of Office suspended on a red cord.

2. Normally, the Prior is to be chosen from among the tonsured monastics of the Community. Only if there is no suitable candidate may the Chapter look elsewhere for one.a. The nominee must solemnly promise that, if elected, he will live,

govern, and worship according to our Rule and our provisional Constitutions, doing nothing to alienate us from canonical Western Orthodoxy.

3. The Prior serves until death, resignation, or removal by due process.a. He may be removed by the Chapter upon either: (a) a ¾ majority vote

of the Chapter for neglect of his duties, financial impropriety, abuse of a monastic, or mental or physical disability; or, (b) a criminal conviction carrying a prison sentence, or conviction for heresy or immorality by an ecclesiastical court.

4. The monastics are governed by the Prior15 in consultation with the Chapter, subject to the provisions of the Rule and provisional Constitutions.a. Humble communion with the Bishop safeguards our communion with

the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of the Orthodox.b. The Prior is responsible for interpreting the Rule and the provisional

Constitutions.16

c. The Prior may temporarily suspend those portions of the Rule or the provisional Constitutions for which there are not sufficient numbers of monastics to carry them out.

5. Regardless of whether or not he is a priest, when present at the Divine Office, Chapter, or formal meals, the Prior gives the blessing in his role as paterfamilias, unless the Bishop is present.

6. As befits one called to lead by example, the Prior must faithfully adhere to and model our way of life. It is gravely scandalous when one rules as a superior without also living as a faithful monastic.17

15 TESTMT, Rules for the Brothers: “Accept the lord your superior as you all selected him... This is a bond of the Lord… observe the rule of obedience and do not think less of him because he has been recently appointed in the Lord. Nor should you expect anything more than the gifts which were given to him by the Holy Spirit.”16 TESTMT, Rules for the Superior: “You shall not make or do anything according to your own opinion whether regarding a spiritual or a physical matter of any kind. First, you should not act without the advice and prayer of your lord and father [i.e., the Bishop]; second, without the advice of those who are foremost in knowledge and prudence regarding the issue in question. For there is need of one advisor or perhaps two, three, or more as the fathers have instructed us....”17 Although the Prior must not “break” the Rule for his own ends or convenience, he should interpret and apply it prayerfully, firmly, lovingly, and in keeping with its spirit. To do so, he must have a clear understanding of the proper application of akribeia (strictness) or economia (leniency) as means to the salvation of a monastic’s soul. A

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Article III: Regarding the Coenobitic Life1. The monastics of the Community of Our Lady and Saint Laurence are

called to live a coenobitic18 life of monastic discipline, in service to the world, without being of that world.

a. Let us at all times strive to live in a manner that exemplifies our motto, Activa in Oratio et Orantem in Actionis.19

b. The Prior is responsible for ensuring that prayer and ascetic struggle in the way of Saint Benedict remains the primary focus of each monastic’s life and the well-spring of any form of service outside the Community.20

c. The commitment to remain in stable communion with the community of one’s profession is foundational to St Benedict’s understanding of monastic life.

i. Our promise of stability anchors us in place so that we do not quickly or easily run away from the monastic struggle when difficulties or doubts arise.

ii. Only obedience to authority or the rarest and most extreme circumstances can excuse a solemn professed monastic from stability in the Community.

d. A regular horarium is to be established by the Prior and posted in convenient places around the campus.

i. While rare occasions may call for flexibility, the horarium should be varied as little as possible in order to preserve the good order and peace of regular, monastic life.21

2. The monastic residence should be comfortable, healthy, and modestly attractive, but not ostentatious.22

physician who administers the wrong dosage of medicine will not only fail to cure the patient, but may even cause him greater harm.18 St Benedict defines this as life “under a rule and abbot”; it is also, by definition, living together while holding and doing all things “in common.” The name derives from the Greek, koinos bios, meaning “common life.”19 “Active in Prayer and Prayerful in Action”20 GREG, 38: “…you will not neglect the contemplation of God out of sympathy for your neighbor, nor cling more than you should to the contemplation of God and so reject sympathy for your neighbor. Everyone living among others must long for the One he desires without deserting the one he runs with; he must help his companion without losing interest in the One toward whom he is hurrying.”21 Keeping a regular schedule and being prompt are part of the ascesis of daily life that is so prominent in St. Benedict’s monasticism: we bend our wills to the schedule, rather than bending the schedule to ourselves.22 TESTMT, 20: “You shall not spend lavishly either for your own lifestyle or for the reception of guests. This will distract you since it belongs to a life devoted to pleasure.”

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a. At present, the Community makes its home on the campus of the Benedictine Fellowship of Saint Laurence,23 an independent, Colorado not-for-profit corporation dedicated to the support of Western Orthodox monastic life and the spiritual renewal of the clergy and laity according to the spirit of Saint Benedict’s Rule and the martyric witness of St Laurence, Archdeacon of Rome.

i. The Community occupies the campus and buildings of Saint Laurence Retreat in accord with a written agreement between the Monastic Chapter and the BFSL Board of Directors.

ii. The BFSL Board of Directors may not interfere in the internal life of the Community nor with its individual monastics.

b. Because the Community shares the campus with a retreat ministry, the monastics must be careful to cultivate an atmosphere of interior seclusion, which is essential to a life of watchfulness and communion with God.24

3. The monastics normally live together on the BFSL campus.25

a. They may live elsewhere on account of approved external ministries.

b. Extra-claustral monastics (including those described in “c” below) are expected to return to the main residence as often as circumstances allow, but not less than once a year for a full week at the time of the Greater Chapter.

c. Celibate clergy who have been tonsured to monastic rank may be attached to the monastery with the consent of the Bishop and the Prior.

i. Unless they undergo a suitable period of resident formation in the monastic life and make stability to our Community, they are granted voice, but not vote, in

23 Hereafter, “the BFSL.”24LTRS, 2: “…withdrawal from the world does not mean bodily removal from it, but rather the severance of the soul from sympathy with the body.”25 LR, 7: “Community life offers more blessings than can be fully and easily enumerated. It is more advantageous than the solitary life both for preserving the goods bestowed upon us by God and for warding off the external attacks of the Enemy… the Lord by reason of his excessive love for man was not content with merely teaching the word, but, so as to transmit to us clearly and exactly the example of humility in the perfection of charity, girded Himself and washed the feet of His disciples (Jn 13:5). Whom, therefore, will you wash? To whom will you minister? In comparison with whom will you be the lowest, if you live alone? How, moreover, in solitude, will that good and pleasant thing be accomplished, the dwelling of brethren together in one habitation (Ps 132:1), which the Holy Spirit likens to ointment emitting its fragrance from the head of the High Priest” (Ps 132:2).

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Chapter.

4. As an exception to the predominant custom of the Orthodox Church, due to the limited resources of the Orthodox Church’s Western-rite mission, the Community makes provision for a limited common life by monastics of both sexes.

a. In so far as possible, the cells of the monks and of the nuns should be separated in some way.

b. The Oratory, Chapter Room, Refectory, Library, and other common rooms are used jointly by both portions of the community.

i. In the Chapter Room and Refectory the monks and nuns shall be seated on opposite sides; in the Oratory the monks shall occupy the south Choir and the nuns the north Choir.

c. The monks and nuns are not allowed in each others’ cells; nor are they allowed to be alone together except in open, public areas of the buildings and campus.

d. There may be a joint recreation except on days of fasting.e. If there are three or more nuns, one of them should be

appointed Dean, under obedience to the Prior, to assist in their care and governance.

Article IV: Regarding Seniority and Order in the Community

1. With the exception of the Prior, who ranks first and is senior to all, the sole factor in determining seniority shall be monastic rank and, within that, the date and time of entrance to the novitiate. 26

a. In accord with western monastic tradition, the newest members are seated in the front row(s) of the Choir, nearest the Altar.

b. Visiting or attached monastics27 are placed among the community members according to their rank and date of entrance into monastic life.

c. In the absence of the Prior, the senior monastic present shall be responsible for good order, discipline, and the care of the brethren.

Article V: Regarding the Monastic Chapter26 Rule of St Pachomius: “The first to enter the monastery takes the first place sitting, walking, at the recitation of the psalms, being served at table and receiving communion in the church. It is not the age of the brothers, but the date of their profession which counts.”27 This applies equally to monks or nuns.

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1. The Monastic Chapter,28 composed of all novices and tonsured monastics, shall meet at least weekly.

a. The meeting shall begin with prayer and the reading of part of the Constitutions.

b. Notice shall be given of special events or departures from the horarium.

c. All who are present should be given adequate opportunity to speak or ask questions. It is in the discretion of the Prior to end unfruitful or (God forbid) acrimonious debate.

d. The Prior shall call attention to any portion of the Rule or provisional Constitutions that have relevance to a given discussion.

e. In any discussion, the Prior has the right to speak first and last; he votes only to break a tie.

i. The Chapter may not overrule the Prior on decisions that are properly his; neither may he veto decisions reserved to the Chapter.

ii. No vote shall be taken until after a moment of silent prayer.

f. Before the dismissal, opportunity shall be given for those present to call attention to other news, business, or concerns.

2. The Monastic Chapter shall have final authority in the following areas:a. Amendment of the Constitutions.

i. Proposed amendments must be distributed to all monastics and novices no less than 30 days prior to consideration.

ii. They must be passed by a ¾ majority.b. Review, amendment, and approval of a budget, in consultation

with the BFSL Board of Directors.c. Election or removal of a Prior, as stipulated elsewhere in the

provisional Constitutions.d. Relocation or dissolution of the Community, or recommendation

of its elevation to the status of a canonical Priory or Abbey (monastery).

Article VI: Regarding Common Property and Personal Poverty

1. Unless or until it is established as an independent not-for-profit corporation, the Community shall come under the umbrella of the

28 The name derives from the practice of beginning its meetings with a Chapter of the Rule. Our current practice is to read the Rule at the main meal of the day.

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BFSL as a not-for-profit/charitable religious organization in accord with applicable civil law.

a. Its accounts shall be maintained under the auspices of the BFSL, but separately from any non-monastic accounts.

b. All income from the activities of the monastics shall be deposited into the designated account(s) as directed by the BFSL Board of Directors and the monastic Chapter. Benefactors may designate their donations or gifts to the BFSL as being for the use of the monastic community; such gifts may not be diverted to other uses without the consent of the benefactor and the monastic Chapter.

c. The BFSL is responsible for the upkeep and repair of the property, buildings, and mechanical infrastructure. This shall not preclude the monastic Chapter from offering assistance in these areas, either monetarily or through the labor of the monastics.

d. The monastics shall reverently care for the buildings and grounds as being the “house of God,” as Saint Benedict teaches in the Rule.

2. Poverty is, first and foremost, an inner disposition towards the acquiring of true riches: faith, hope, and charity – for these are, as the Apostle says, the three things “that abide,”29 since neither thief, nor moth, nor rust can take them from us.30

3. Our poverty is one of modest communal possessions, open-handed sharing, 31 and right use of created things, rather than a poverty of communal destitution. By these means, we witness to our faith in the loving providence of our Heavenly Father; we practice right stewardship of creation; and we emulate the early, apostolic community in Jerusalem.32

29 1 Cor 13:1330 Mt 6:1931 RAE: “Even though he have possession of the unsavory world, he should not love its treasures. Let him cultivate and share the fruits of the earth.” Also, GREG, 36: “He deals with this world as one having no dealings with it who gathers everything necessary to carry on his outward life, without allowing these things to dominate him; being subordinate, they serve him externally, and never break his mind’s concentration on other matters. For people of this sort every earthly thing is present for their use, and not as something to satisfy desire. They make use of what they need without longing to have anything that would come as a result of sin. Daily they seek a heavenly profit from their possessions, and they rejoice more in good works than in goods owned… For this we have as our helper the Mediator between God and men. We shall more quickly obtain all things through him if we are aflame with true love for him…”32 cf Acts 2:44-47. St. Benedict is adamant about shunning private property or goods (“Of all the vices, this one must be pulled up by the roots…”)! Yet, over and over again in the course of history, this has been mitigated,

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a. We are to live simply, within our means, supporting ourselves as far as possible through our labor for the BFSL or through other crafts or services.33

4. Any monastic who receives a salary, stipend, pension or annuity, honorarium, or money of any kind shall promptly surrender it, in full, to the common purse. 34

a. The Chapter may allow the monastics a small allowance for personal use.

b. The Prior shall make suitable arrangements for the needs and finances of extra-claustral monastics or those who, in extraordinary circumstances, must continue some external obligation.

5. No monastic may give away any thing, even if it is in his/her personal use, without the permission of the appropriate authority.

6. In the event that the Community of Our Lady and Saint Laurence is dissolved or ceases to exist, after all outstanding bills are paid, the following distributions shall be made:

a. Remaining monastics shall be given equal portions of the remaining funds and allowed to divide among themselves and take with them to new monastic homes the possessions of the Community.

b. Any remaining goods and, in the event that there are no remaining monastics, any remaining funds shall revert to the general use of the Benedictine Fellowship of Saint Laurence, Inc.

Article VII: Regarding the Monastic Cell1. Subsequent to St Benedict’s lifetime, Western monasticism

abandoned the use of dormitories in favor of the practice of wrongly spiritualized, or outright disregarded. Both the Prior and the monks need to take seriously the voluntary poverty of having nothing (including money) that they have not been given permission to have and use. To believe that anything is “mine” is to forget that we were “bought with a price” (1 Cor 16:20) and that we no longer have any “right” to ourselves, let alone to material goods.33 It is contrary to the teaching of the Apostles and the Fathers to depend exclusively on donations for the support of monastic life. To do so may lead to idleness and self-indulgence and thus destroy monastic discipline. We should remember the characteristic motto of Benedictine monks, “Ora et labora,” “prayer AND work.”34 2 Cor 8:8-9: “…I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich… It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do… but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have.” Non-retention of monetary gifts protects the equality of brothers regardless of the social/financial status of their relatives and friends.

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providing every monastic with a small, private room known as a “cell.”

a. Each of our monastics shall have a private cell.

b. The primary purposes for which the cell is used are prayer, reading, and sleep.

i. We commend to ourselves the words of St Romuald of Ravenna (d. 1027), who was formed in a Benedictine monastery before he founded the Camoldolese Hermits:“Sit in your cell as in paradise. Put the whole world behind you and forget it. Watch your thoughts like a good fisherman watching for fish. The path you must follow is in the Psalms — never leave it. If you have just come to the monastery, and in spite of your good will you cannot accomplish what you want, take every opportunity you can to sing the Psalms in your heart and to understand them with your mind. And if your mind wanders as you read, do not give up; hurry back and apply your mind to the words once more. Realize above all that you are in God's presence, and stand there with the attitude of one who stands before the emperor. Empty yourself completely and sit waiting, content with the grace of God, like the chick who tastes nothing and eats nothing but what his mother brings him.”

c. The monastics are allowed to have sacred iconography and modest personal items in their cells. Hoarding or accumulation of superfluous material goods, garments, books, or recordings is forbidden and such items must be relinquished at the discretion of the Prior. 35

Article VIII: Regarding Celibate Chastity in Communityand Self-sacrificial Love

1. Though chastity is mentioned in the Rule only as the 63rd instrument of good works, by its very nature and definition monastic life presumes celibate chastity on the part of each and every monastic.

35 A transparent witness to the non-value of accumulated “stuff” is much needed in our time and place. So, while it is now considered acceptable for a monk to have a few personal effects, mementos, or sacred art in his cell, this must always be contingent upon the Prior having allowed them, and the monk’s readiness to relinquish them.

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2. Celibate chastity in community is first and foremost a commitment to abstain from any form of sexual activity with any person, cleaving only to our Lord Jesus Christ,36 dwelling in charity with our God-given brothers and sisters, and bearing one another’s burdens.37

a. Celibacy is not a sign of disdain for the married estate; it is rather a dedication of our whole selves, as persons and as a community, to the love of God through which, paradoxically, we are freed from self-interest or indulgence and enabled to love others with respect for each person’s integrity.

b. Mindful of our human weakness and the tepidness of our love, let us constantly recall the fruitful and perpetual virginity of the Most Holy Mother of God and seek her constant protection and intercession.

3. Faithful, celibate chastity prepares us to love others as Christ loves them:38 not for what we gain by our love, but for what we can give by means of it.39

a. True asceticism teaches us to “be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another,”40 which requires the constant, hourly struggle “not to think of [oneself] more highly than [one] ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith,”41

b. Let no person, regardless of ethnicity, socio-economic status, religion, or life-circumstances42 be considered unworthy of our attention, respect, and caring service. 43

i. We must never give the impression that our love and assistance are contingent upon someone’s conversion to the Orthodox faith44 or their support of the

36 cf Matt 9:1237 cf Gal 6:238 1 Jn:3:1639 cf Lk 67:3540 Rom 12:1041 Rom 12:342 SR, 186: “We are taught to show love unto death on behalf of both the righteous and sinners, making no distinction.”43 RAE, XI: “Mourn with each man his sins; should he err, give him aiding counsel: Do not leave the poor without visitation, without the value of their love in all things.”44 DIR, 127: “Never dispute about faith. God does not demand this of you, but only that you should believe rightly in what you received from the holy Church at baptism, and that you should keep His commandments. Keep to this

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Community. At the same time, we should always respond to genuine interest in the faith or monastic life with humility, warmth, and honest answers.

4. Do or say nothing that manipulates or marginalizes anyone. Rather, be present to others as true brothers or sisters in Christ,45 sharing in their sufferings and struggles in ways that are compatible with our profession.

a. This neither absolves us from speaking the truth in love,46 nor allows us to wink at behaviors not approved by God. Rather, when necessary, we should speak forthrightly, but also humbly and objectively, without judging or condemning.47

5. Be quick to resolve disputes with others – asking for and offering forgiveness – even if through humility you must accept injustice at their hands. Give no place to the Evil One to use your anger or resentment against you.48

a. Daily, at the conclusion of Compline, the monastics shall ask from, and offer to each other mutual forgiveness, beginning with the Prior.49

– and you will be saved.”45 cf Gal 6:246 cf Eph. 4:1547 “We must realize that our passion for justice in the face of another’s evil must never cause us to lose the virtue of gentleness… We must support those we challenge and challenge those we support. If we neglect this, our work will lack either courage or gentleness,” St Gregory the Great, Homily, in Be Friends of God, trans. John Leinenweber (Cambridge, MA: Cowley Publications, 1990), 100-102.48 DIR, 100: “(To a man who received a blow from a brother and wanted to part from him.) Do not give way to indignation, lest you do something precipitate, especially in relation to a man thrown into confusion by thoughts suggested by the envious devil… a man who is tempted destroys his soul but is not aware of it, for the enemy makes him drunk with the passion of his disease and always distorts everything in his eyes, in order to cast him into the moat of destruction. He is worthy of pity and compassion rather than anger and revenge. Through such people God allows us too to be tempted, but does so deliberately, to test our skill before Him. So let us be tolerant to our neighbor in time of his physical and mental distress; for it is said: ‘Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ’ (Gal 6:2). Do not attempt to leave your place and part with your brother, for this would not be doing God’s will but the will of the devil… Better pray for your brother with your whole soul and love him in Christ Jesus, our Lord.”49 While not a traditional custom of western monasticism, this practice has been adopted from the Monastery of St John of Shanghai and San Francisco (OCA) in which the Author lived for just under a year. It was imported there from the Monastery of Valaam, Russia. It forms a very fitting and “monastic” conclusion to the day and is a key expression of the humility and love we must constantly renew in the company of our brothers and sisters.

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Article VIX: Regarding Obedience1. Obedience is essential to the spiritual life and the primary means

for overcoming pride and self-deception. “To obey is better than sacrifice,”50 and only by obedience are we able to find perfect freedom in the service of God.51

a. Obedience begins with listening humbly and responsively to those who hold positions of authority or guidance over us. This requires that we strive for interior silence by quieting the competing voices or impulses within ourselves, which come from the demons or from self-will. 52

Article X: Regarding Clothing and Personal Care2. The monastics shall be clothed in a traditional monastic habit,

which is to be worn at all times except as stipulated below or by special permission of the Prior.53

b. The full habit of a monk consists of a black, ankle-length, tunic; a leather monastic belt; a black scapular with hood; a cuculla (worn only in the monastic Oratory); and a black skull cap54 for covering the tonsure.

c. The full habit of a nun consists of a black, ankle-length tunic; a leather monastic belt; a black scapular (with no hood); a white

50 1 Sam 15:2251 SR, 114: “If we are given an order which fulfils the commandment of the Lord, or contributes to its fulfillment, we must thus receive it eagerly and carefully as the will of God, fulfilling the saying, ‘being patient with one another in the love of Christ (Eph 4:2). But when we receive an order from anyone which is contrary to the commandment of the Lord, or destroys or corrupts it, then it is time to say, ‘We must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29), remembering the Lord’s words, ‘A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers (Jn 10:5)’; and those of the Apostle, who for our safety dared to attack even angels, when he said, ‘But if even we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be anathema’” (Gal 1:8).52 TESTMT, Rules for the Brothers: “Stick to the race of obedience until the end so that you will ‘obtain the unfading crown of righteousness’ (cf. I Pet. 5:4 and II Tim. 4:8). Led by humility, you should always deny your own will and pattern yourselves only after the judgments of your superior. If you keep in mind these things and if you should guard them to the end, you will be blessed. For the chorus of martyrs will receive you. Wearing crowns in the kingdom of heaven, you will enjoy the eternal blessings.”53 The wearing of distinctive vesture is attested from the earliest days of monastic life. While the form was no doubt influenced by the dress of the time, it also differed from it as an expression of the renunciation of worldly ways that lies at the heart of monastic observance. To abandon or belittle the “habit” (Greek, schema) indicates both ignorance and pride. The monastic habit should be clearly identifiable by its consistency with the fundamentals of the tradition since the days of the Egyptian desert fathers: tunic; leather belt; cowl/veil; and, cloak. This basic form remains discernable in the various versions of the traditional monastic habit. St. Basil the Great (reg.fus. 22-23) teaches that the distinctive dress of monks provides a common witness, manifests the profession of the devout life, and teaches the wearer not to act in a way that is at variance with his profession.54 But note that only prelates may wear a skull cap (a.k.a. zucchetto or solideo) in the Sanctuary during the Sacred Liturgy of the Mass.

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coif; a long, black veil; and a cuculla (worn only in the monastic Oratory).

d. The scapular may be removed or fastened under the belt during manual labor; alternately, when performing dangerous or dirty manual labor, or other work that might damage the habit, black secular clothing may be worn.

e. A grey habit may be worn from the Eve of Pentecost to the Eve of Michaelmas. During this period, at the discretion of the Prior, the cuculla may be omitted due to hot weather.

f. No jewelry or other adornment is to be worn except the following:

i. A baptismal/chrismation cross, under the tunic;ii. Simple watches, medic-alert bracelets or pendants;iii. Ecclesiastical awards or insignia.

g. Each monastic is to be provided with two sets of the habit, excluding the belt and choir mantle. They should also be provided with appropriate sweaters, cloaks or coats (black) as may be required by their health or the climate.

h. Each monastic should be provided with a pair of shoes and any special footwear appropriate to his/her work, medical needs, or the climate.

2. Each monastic is to bathe him/herself, launder his/her clothes and linens regularly, and maintain good personal hygiene, while at the same time remaining mindful that we have laid aside vanity and set our hearts on the beauty that comes from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

a. Hair is worn short. The monks are to be bearded.

i. Tonsured monks are to preserve the tonsure on the crown of the head.55 Tonsured nuns are to keep their hair no longer than shoulder-length.

b. The use of products designed to enhance personal appearance or to hide the effects of aging is vain and inappropriate for monastics who have rejected the world’s standards of beauty in favor of God’s standards.

Article XI: Regarding Correspondence and Relationswith Families and Friends

55 In some traditions, the form of tonsure differs for clerics and non-ordained monks. In our case, in order to emphasize St Benedict’s ideal of a fraternity where clerical rank is acknowledged only in the liturgical services, we have appointed the same form of tonsure for all. Additionally, in keeping with Orthodox sensibilities regarding the covering of the head by monastics, we appoint the use of the skull-cap for all (Western customs differ in this regard from community to community).

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1. Although, in keeping with the Rule, all incoming or outgoing mail is first given to him, the Prior shall not withhold letters or parcels from the monastics.

a. Under no circumstances shall a monastic be deprived of knowledge of a death or important event among his/her immediate family, nor shall s/he be prohibited from communicating with family at such times.56

2. Correspondence with persons outside the Community is allowed.

a. Discretion dictates that we not maintain too many outside friendships that require frequent correspondence.

b. Phone conversations should be minimal and brief. Frequent or prolonged conversations should have the permission of the Prior.

c. Blogging, posting comments on web sites, use of social media networks, or instant messaging are forbidden without permission from the Prior.

i. The Prior may, for serious cause, monitor and/or restrict the use of electronic mail or the internet in general;

ii. The Prior may also, for serious cause, monitor or restrict postal communications with anyone other than family members of the monastics.

Article XII: Regarding the Work of God1. It is our privilege and our solemn duty to take part daily in the Divine

Office – the “Work of God” – and, when possible, the Sacred Liturgy of the Mass.57

56 Undue interference with the relations between monastics and their families, in particular, is not called for; the individual monastic should determine how much contact, within reason, is good for him and demonstrates the respect for parents that the Scriptures and the Lord Himself command (cf Ex 20:12; Deut 5:16; Mt 15:4-6; Mk 7:9-11). Sadly, the author knows of instances in which serious psychological harm has been done by superiors who withheld knowledge of the death of parents for an extended period of time. Thus, the monk was not given the opportunity even to pray for the repose of an Orthodox relative during the period in which the Church encourages such pious observances.57 RAE, XVI, XXIIa: “He should be active at praying; the Canonical Hours he should not neglect; in mind he must submit thereto, without vanity, without boasting… The perfect observance of the Canonical hours is reckoned the chief rule;” and, RAE, XXX: “The striking of the little bell should be long, that all may be about it; a ready step with joyfulness, with profound humility.”

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a. Every novice and monastic58 is obliged to pray the Divine Office as set forth in the Customary; this shall be done as closely as possible to the canonical hour for each.

b. The Divine Office, with the exception of the Confession/Absolution at Compline, is properly chanted.59

c. The Sacred Liturgy of the Mass should be celebrated in the Oratory on a regular, if not daily basis, provided a priest is available.

i. If no priest is available for Sundays or major Feasts, at the discretion of the Prior the monastics may journey to an Orthodox parish church or monastery (of any Rite) for the Sacred Liturgy.

d. The Divine Services are normally served according to the “Rite of St Tikhon,”60 and according to the customs and rubrics specified in the Customary.

i. Other canonical rites of the Orthodox Church may be served on occasion and for good cause.

2. The monastics shall promote worship that is beautiful both in its inward sincerity and in its outward expression, so that it may lead all who experience it to a deeper commitment to, and union with, Jesus Christ in the beauty of holiness.61

a. Let us strive always to pray the services with attention and from the heart.62 To this end, the length of services should not be so

58 LR, 7: “If some should find themselves at a distance, owing to the nature of the work or the locality, they must of necessity perform where they are all that is prescribed for common observance without any hesitation, ‘for,’ says the Lord, ‘where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them’ (Matt 18:20).”59 Attention must be given to the musical abilities of the monastics, and musical settings chosen accordingly. If there are not sufficient persons present to carry the singing antiphonally, in a reasonably tuneful and edifying manner, it is more prudent to recite the office, in order to fulfill our commitment to edifying worship. With regard to the Lessons, see #83, above.60 On Sundays and Solemnities, at the discretion of the Prior, the Rite of Saint Gregory may be served instead.61 cf 1 Chron 16:29; 2 Chron 20:21; Ps 95:762 God is not “served” by the lips only, but by attention to, and practice of, what is sung in His honor. The chanting of Psalms in the Benedictine tradition is largely a meditative exercise, allowing them, by repetition, to enter the mind and descend to the heart where their Christological context opens up within us a spiritual understanding of the economy of salvation, which, in turn, moves us to deeper repentance and, ultimately, intimate union with God in Christ. Also, GREG, 2: “In the sight of God no hand is ever empty of a gift if the ark of the heart is filled with good will. The psalmist says, ‘The offerings of praise which I will make to you, O God, are in me’ (Ps 55:12). He means, ‘Although I have no gifts to offer outwardly, yet I find within myself something to place on the altar of your praise. You who have no need of anything we can give are better pleased with an offering of our heart.”

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long as to cause undue weariness since the Lord, who searches the heart, has more regard for the quality of our prayer than for its quantity.63

3. An audible signal is to be given 10 minutes prior to Compline, and 15 minutes prior to all other services. At this signal, unless they have been blessed to do otherwise, all are to cease any work or other activities, quickly and properly put away tools, and go to the Oratory to prepare for the Work of God.64

4. A Customary65 is to be maintained by the Prior, who is the “Ordinary” of the Oratory, detailing our particular customs and rites proper to the Community.

Article XIII: Regarding Use of the Oratory1. While the Oratory is set aside primarily for prayer and worship, given

the physical nature of our current facilities and outreach, it is not possible to fulfill the Rule’s exclusion of all other activities from the Oratory.

a. Appropriate events, talks, or gatherings may be held in the main Church, but not within 10 minutes of any scheduled service.

b. Conversation in the Oratory is to be avoided as rigorously as possible.

c. If possible, let there be a smaller, private Oratory that can be used for private prayer, in the event the main Church is needed as specified above.

Article XIV: Regarding Labor, Reading, and Mission Service

1. We labor not for our own personal satisfaction, but in order to supply our common needs. Undertaken in this spirit, work is consecrated,

63 cf Matt 6:764 This is a key concept for St. Benedict and an important aspect of his understanding of monastic life as an “academy of the Lord’s service” (Rule, Prologue). Other, ostensibly good, work may press urgently upon a monk, tempting him to relegate the Opus Dei to a secondary place on a given occasion. This is an insidious process if allowed to go unchecked. One of the greatest challenges to the ego is to have to put aside “my” good work or service of others, unfinished, in order to take up the work and service of God. For St. Benedict, it is a matter of remembering Whose we are, and to Whom we offer service, and letting that awareness establish the context of our lives, rather than vice versa.65 The Western equivalent to the local Typikon in the Eastern Church.

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and becomes a life-giving partnership with God in creation, rather than drudgery or a burden.66

a. With the permission of the Prior, the monastics may minister in the wider Church, or – if necessary for the support of the Community – in secular jobs.

b. When performed for God, and out of love for the brethren, all labor is equal in honor and importance regardless of its prestige or financial recompense.

c. The demands of intra- or extra-claustral employment or mission must not be allowed to overshadow the very life the work is meant to support.67

i. This applies equally to volunteer ministry and to pastoral or secular employment – we cannot give to the world what we have denied to ourselves.68

2. We may solicit and accept donations of money or goods provided that:a. They are freely given without conditions that bind the BFSL or

the Community to inappropriate demands by the donor;b. They do not place the welfare of the donor, or the donor’s

business or family in jeopardy.c. Under no circumstances shall donors be told that specific

spiritual benefits will accrue to themselves or to their loved ones as a consequence of their generosity.

3. The Prior shall assign each monastic duties to assist with running the Community, service of the brethren, and/or the care of the buildings and grounds. He should, when possible, make use of the natural talents of each person.69

66 cf Gen 3:17-1967 LR, 38: “…one may recommend the choice of those crafts that preserve the peaceful and untroubled nature of our life, needing neither much trouble to get the requisite material, nor much anxiety to sell what has been made, and which do not involve us in undesirable or harmful meetings with men and women. But in everything we must consider that simplicity and [affordability] are set before us as our proper aim, and we must avoid serving the foolish and harmful desires of men by working to satisfy their requirements.”68 RMMC, 7-9: “Martha was full of life and impetuous love, always ready to serve Christ. He even cautioned her about this: ‘Martha, Martha, thou art… troubled about many things’ (Lk 10:41-42). She was not aware that there are times in life when bodily needs give way to spiritual ones… Meek Mary gave herself completely to contemplation [and] in humble devotion remained at home. How meek and deep was her faith. With what reverence she listened to His discourses… [We hope] to acquire their wonderful virtues and to offer our lives to God and neighbor, attaining faith and love – in service, and prayer – in humility.”69 LR, 37: “Since our Lord Jesus Christ says, ‘Worthy of his food is’ – not just any or every one but, ‘the laborer’ (Matt 10:10) and the Apostle commands us to labor and do honest work with our own hands so that we might be

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a. The Prior shall assign himself a share in this work,70 so that he may exemplify the faithful diligence that should mark our mutual service: For this work is, in a very special way, a labor of love among the brethren.

i. The Prior may – and if possible, should – rearrange assignments periodically, at his discretion.

ii. We do not own our work – much less should we allow it to own us; rather, we perform it as an offering to God and to our brothers and sisters, for so long as the Prior deems it appropriate for us and for the Community.71

b. God Incarnate, our Exemplar and Master, deigned to perform manual labor,72 so is it fitting that both ordained and non-ordained monastics engage in manual labor.

4. Under no circumstances may the monastics bear arms against other persons.73

a. We should be ready to lay down our lives in the service of, on behalf of, or in place of others, even as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ did for us.74

5. The practice of reading, not only lectio divina but also broader study, has long been understood as central to the lives of St Benedict’s disciples. So long as it is not pursued out of vanity or as a means of avoiding manual labor, “intellectual labor” is a valued part of our way of life.

able to share with those in need (Eph 4:28), it is clear that one should work diligently. For we must not treat the ideal of piety as an excuse for idleness or as an escape from hard work, but rather as an opportunity for spiritual combat, for more abundant labors and for patience in tribulations.”70 cf 2 Cor 12:14, 15; 1 Thess 2:9; 3:871 DIR, 137: “To see that the thing you make is clean and beautiful is not improper if it is done for the sake of the use it serves, without passionate attachment. For the Lord rejoices in all kinds of clean workmanship. But if you observe in yourself a passionate attachment to anything, remember the end which awaits it, since it is subject to rot and corruption, and you will find peace. For not a single thing remains constantly in the same state, but all are subject to change and corruption.”72 cf Matt 13:55; Mk 6:373 cf Matt 5:1-11; 43-4874 cf Jn 15:13; 1 Jn 3:16

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a. The Sacred Scriptures are to receive priority in our practice of lectio divina. It is in them, as St Benedict teaches (Rule, Chapter 73), that we find the most perfect rule of life.75

b. In keeping with the level of literacy envisioned by St Benedict and long a noted aspect of his form of monastic life, each monastic should spend no less than an hour each day in the study of the Fathers of the Church, the venerable elders of monastic life, the lives of the saints, or other works on theology and spiritual life.

c. The reading of appropriate secular materials is allowed, provided it does not displace lectio divina and the explicit study specified above.

6. Both at the retreat center and beyond its campus, we endeavor – as God gives us opportunity – to bring cooling streams of prayerful love, daily worship, and caring service to the vast, spiritual desert of contemporary society.

a. We are called to show forth the fruits of repentance76 by serving others77 and by encouraging those around us to join in this mission by almsgiving, prayer, and service.

Article XV: Regarding Meals and Fasting1. Meals are taken as follows, with necessary accommodations being

made for the sick or those with permission from the Prior to eat otherwise: 78

75 St. Benedict’s approach to Scripture is very much in harmony with the praxis of the desert Fathers: It is read not only for instruction or edification, but to inspire and enliven our daily struggle against the passions and our practice of the Great Commandments to love God and neighbor (cf Deut 6:4, 5; Lev 19:18; Mk 12:29-34; Mt 22:35-40). If we hear it not only with our ears, but in our hearts, the living and true Word of God will take root and grow within us shaping our thinking, praying, and acting. As he writes in the Rule’s Prologue, “Our Lord… waits daily for us to answer His holy admonitions with our deeds” (Emphasis added).76 cf Matt 3:8; Lk 3:877 DIR, 3: “Do not lose heart in sufferings and in labors of the flesh, which you bear for the sake of the community, for this too means ‘to lay down our lives for the brethren’ (1 Jn 3:16), and I hope the reward for this labor will be great. As the Lord placed Joseph in Egypt in the position to feed his brethren in time of famine (Ps 33:19), so He placed you in the position to serve the community. And I repeat to you the word of the Apostle: ‘Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus’ (2 Tim 2:1).”78 LR, 19: “…as different people have different needs which vary according to age and occupation and proportionately to the state of the body, so also there are different amounts of food required and different customs regarding its use… having defined the measure to be observed by those of the ascetics who are in health, we allow those responsible for administration to make wise deviations from it to meet individual circumstances… Whether it is the sick who need food to increase their strength, or someone exhausted after strenuous work, or one who needs food to prepare for a journey or other hard task, the Superiors will always arrange things according to the need, as in the saying, ‘distribution was made to each as any had need’” (Acts 4:35).

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a. In general, three meals may be eaten:i. An optional, light, informal breakfast, following Matins

(and the Mass, if celebrated that day), eaten in complete silence;

ii. The formal, main meal, eaten in silence at midday, with a book chosen by the Prior being read aloud by the appointed Lector,79 at which the monastics observe a weekly rotation as servers/ kitchen assistants;

iii. A light, informal, optional meal after Vespers, at which quiet conversation is permitted;

iv. No food is taken between meals, nor is food to be eaten in the cells, except with the permission of the Prior.80

v. Coffee, tea, cocoa, or other soft beverages (when available) may be taken at any time except during the pre-Communion fast, and may be consumed in the cell; water is allowed at any time.

vi. On Sundays and Solemnities, the Prior may alter this arrangement at his discretion.

b. Fasting and abstinence are observed as follows:81

i. Red meat may be served only on Sundays and during the Octaves of Pascha and the Nativity.

ii. Dairy products and seafood are allowed at all times except those days designated below for Strict Fast and Abstinence; poultry, eggs, and wine or beer are allowed on all but days of abstinence.

iii. On days of fasting, no food is eaten until the midday meal; nor should we eat to satiety at this or the evening meal.

2. Fasting and/or abstinence are observed on the following days:79 When there are only a few present, an audio recording may be played, instead.80 The avoidance of snacking or of what the Fathers call “secret eating” is an important aspect of St. Benedict’s teaching that the life of a monk should be a perpetual Lent (Chapter 49). The provision here for certain beverages to be freely accessible is a reflection of the practice in the monasteries where the Editor has lived (Eastern and Western). It is humane and takes account of the weaknesses of some and the variances of climate that can affect the need for proper hydration or a warming beverage in cold seasons.81 DIR, 25: “About the measure of abstinence in food and drink, the fathers say that one should partake of the one and the other in a measure somewhat less than one’s actual need, that is, not to fill the stomach completely. Everyone should establish a measure for himself, whether in cooked food or in wine. Moreover the measure of abstinence is not limited to food and drink but embraces also conversations, sleep, garments and all the senses. Each of these should have its own measure of abstinence.”

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a. Wednesdays and Fridays are days of fast and abstinence, except: during the Octaves of Christmas and Pascha; or when falling concurrent with a Solemnity.

b. Ember days are days of fasting and abstinence, including Saturday; if they concur with a Solemnity, they are days of abstinence, only.

c. The Vigils of Solemnities or Feasts are days of abstinence, even when they fall on a Saturday or Sunday.

d. On Ash Wednesday and the following Thursday and Friday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Christmas Eve, Epiphany Eve, Whitsun Eve, the Eve of Our Lady of Glastonbury (May 11), the Eve of the Solemnity of St Benedict (July 10), the Eve of St Laurence (August 9), the Eve of the Assumption (August 14), and the Eve of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Sept. 13), we observe Strict Fast and Abstinence: there is only one meal and no poultry, dairy, eggs, seafood, wine, or beer may be consumed.

e. Monastics who desire to observe a stricter dietary discipline must have the permission of the Prior to do so. Setting oneself apart from, or above, the common struggle springs as often from pride as from true ascesis.82

82 “Again, I will instruct you by a parable about the brothers who are the lowliest in the Koinonia, who do not give themselves up to great practices and to an excessive ascesis, but walk simply in the purity of their bodies and according to the established rules with obedience and obligingness. In the view of people who live as anchorites, their way of life does not seem perfect and they are looked upon as the lowliest… [But they] will be found perfect in the law of Christ (cf Gal 6:2) because of their steadfastness. They practice exercises in all submissiveness according to God. They are far superior to those who live as anchorites, for they walk in the obligingness the Apostle walked in, as it is written, ‘By the love of the Spirit, be servants of one another in a kindly spirit and in all patience before our Lord Jesus’ (cf Gal 5:13; Eph 4:2, 32),” Bohairic Life of St Pachomius, 105

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Article XVI: Regarding Silence and Recreation1. The practice of silence, and a witness to its value, may be one of the

greatest gifts we can offer to the people of our time, in which silence has come to be feared and avoided. 83

a. In the practice of silence, all other disciplines are integrated and made fruitful. 84

b. Discretion must be exercised in the use of electronic media, both to preserve an atmosphere of silence and to protect our souls.

c. As is clear from the Rule, silence is the “default” mode of daily life in a monastery.85

2. A specific portion of non-fasting days is to be set aside for quiet conversation and/or recreation. 86

a. Outside of recreation time, talk should be minimal.87

83 RAE, XLVIId: “Two-thirds of piety consists in silence.”84 LR, 13: “Silence both leads to forgetfulness of the past through lack of practice and provides leisure for what is good.”85 Why is this so? Silence allows one to hear the “still, small voice” of God (1 Kings 19:11-13). Refraining from constant chatter is integral to fulfilling the command to “Watch and pray” (Mk 14:38); it is also essential to our ability to “hear” non-verbal communication. Silence is more than the mere absence of sounds; it is, rather, the precondition to recognizing the presence of God. This receptiveness to God’s Word may be compared to the silent openness of the Most Holy Mother of God, who was so empty of self, that she was able to be filled with the Word of God. Such silence is not valued by the world. However, silence must not become a mask for selfishness or irritability; thus, it may not be used as a weapon or tool for ignoring or disrespecting others, or evading acts of charity.86 LR, 13: “…there is a tone of voice, a moderation in speech, an appropriateness to the occasion, and a special vocabulary which are proper to religious people and can only be learned by one who has unlearned his former habits.”87 RAE, IIa, IV: “Let him labor in silence: Let the words he shall speak be few… Without haughtiness, without double-dealing, let him be joyous without laughter, without shouting, without self-sufficiency, without arrogance; let him shun pride and idleness.”

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3. On Mondays (unless a Solemnity or major Feast should fall on that day), the Community observes a “desert day.” 88 No common observances are scheduled on this day until Compline in the evening.

a. Great Silence extends until 10:00 a.m. on this day; it resumes again at 9:00 p.m., rather than immediately after Compline.

b. Only necessary or urgent manual labor is performed.c. At the Retreat Center, meals are taken individually, in silence.d. The appointed Psalms for the day are to be prayed privately.e. The monastics may, with permission, leave the campus for

modest recreational activities, preferably in groups.f. It is preferable that no outside groups be scheduled to hold

events on the premises between Sunday afternoon and Monday evening. Individual guests should be apprised in advance of the distinct nature of this day and that they will need to attend to their own prayers and meals.

Article XVII: Regarding Hospitality1. In accord with the teaching of the Rule, we should strive to make our

residence a place of hospitality, safety, and retreat for those who come to visit.

a. In keeping with Orthodox tradition, we impose no fee upon our individual guests, but invite those staying longer than two days to share in some aspect of our manual labor.

i. If guests desire to make a donation, it should be accepted with humble gratitude to them and to God.

b. No one under the age of 18 may stay as a private guest of the Community without written permission of a parent/legal guardian and the presence of an adult chaperone.

i. The monastics are not to be alone in closed rooms or isolated areas with anyone under the age of 18, either here or elsewhere.

c. Guests are not allowed in the monastic cells; monastics are not allowed in occupied guest rooms.

d. Guests are expected to be present for Divine Service and for formal meals.

e. Groups scheduling meetings or retreats may be charged an appropriate fee and may be allowed to hold their own services

88 Though St. Benedict’s Rule envisions Sunday as a day of worship and reading, experience has shown the beneficial nature of having a complete day to pray in private, rest, and with the Prior’s blessing, engage in recreational activities that do not fit with the scope of a day ordered according to the normal provisions of the Rule. Given the present need to travel up to three hours each direction in order to participate in Sunday Mass, it becomes more important to provide a different day for such things. However, this is not a day for laxness or frivolity: These detract from, rather than restore, our physical and spiritual stamina.

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and, if need be, prepare their own food.

2. As an expression of hospitality and an invitation to learn about and share in our mission, the Community and the BFSL shall jointly host an annual pilgrimage on August 10th, the Feast of Saint Laurence.89

a. The Bishop should be invited to preside at the Sacred Liturgy for the pilgrimage.

b. The celebration is to include a Memorial Service for our departed monastics, benefactors, family members, friends, and those buried on the grounds.

Article XVIII: Regarding Conduct “in the World”1. Our openness to mission in the world means that we may find

ourselves outside the confines of the monastic residence on a regular basis. We must at all times be mindful of ourselves when in public, and conscious that we will be seen as

representative of Orthodox Christianity and monastic life not only by those with whom we consciously interact, but even by those who merely see or overhear us.

2. In so far as it lies within our power, we should avoid activities, situations or companions that militate against the discipline, interior peace, propriety, and purity befitting Christian monastics.

a. Discrete custody of the eyes is a way of protecting our souls from undue disturbance and serves as a mark of respect for the dignity of other persons by not objectifying them for our own selfish ends.

b. Let us strive to act and speak quietly and gently,90 so that those around us may see that rectitude is compatible with kindness, and modesty with joy.91

Article XIX: Regarding the Sick, Illness, and Death89 As noted elsewhere, this may be transferred to the Saturday nearest the actual Feast.90 RAE, XV: “With friendliness, devoid of harshness, without contention, without lust, humble, patient, gentle, without weakness, shall his countenance be.”91 LR, 17: “…to be overcome by unrestrained and immoderate laughter is a sign of intemperance, of a lack of control over ones emotions… It is not improper, however, to reveal a joyful soul by a cheerful smile, though only as far as Scripture allows when it says, ‘a joyful heart makes a cheerful face’ (Prov 15:13), but raucous laughter and an uncontrollable shaking of the body is not fitting for one who has his soul under control, is of proven virtue, or has mastered himself” (cf Sirach 21:20).

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1. Because the sick and the weak are, in a special way, sacred icons of Christ,92 the Community is to be diligent in providing, as best we are able, proper and compassionate care for the sick and elderly among us.

a. Ideally, health care insurance or participation in government programs should be obtained in order to assist in this. When this is not possible, let the monastics have recourse to the goodness of God, and seek pious medical professionals who will treat us in the spirit of the Holy Unmercenaries.

b. The Infirmarian should be trained in first aid, CPR, and similar techniques.93

2. Sickness and frailty provide us with an opportunity for the practice of patience and for offering our involuntary suffering in union with the voluntary and saving Passion of Christ and the holy suffering of the martyrs.94

3. We have been freed from the power and fear of death through our Baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord, for which our monastic life and profession are a preparation; therefore, we accept and welcome the time of our release from this “vale of tears,”95 and a fuller entrance into the joys of Paradise.96

a. Therefore, while it is appropriate to do all we can to mitigate pain, it is not our way to attempt to prolong life beyond its natural end through the use of extraordinary means that offer no hope of recovery or that endanger the fiscal health of the Community.

b. Each tonsured monastic shall have completed a standard Living Will and a standard Last Will and Testament (as set forth in the Customary), and have given them into the keeping of the Prior.

92 cf Mt 25:4093 In fact, this training would be salutary for all the monks.94 DIR, 50: “(To a sick man who has lost heart.) Kiss the sufferings of our Savior – as though, together with Him, you were suffering abuses, wounds, degradations, the insult of being spat upon, the disgrace of the scarlet robe, the shame of the crown of thorns, the vinegar with gall, the pain of the nails, the piercing with the lance, the flow of water and blood – and from this receive solace in your sickness. The Lord will not let your efforts go unrewarded. He lets you suffer a little sickness in order that you should not be a stranger to the saints when you behold them at that hour, endowed with the fruit of their endurance of affliction and made glorious, but so that you should be companion to them and to Jesus, and with the saints have daring before Him. So do not grieve: God has not forgotten you, but cares for you as for a sincere son…”95 cf Salve Regina, Anthem to the Mother of God sung daily at the end of Compline.96 cf Phil 1:23

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Article XX: Regarding Qualifications, Novitiate, Tonsuring,and Solemn Profession

1. Candidates must be at least 18 years of age; Orthodox Christians in good standing; not actively addicted to alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs; single, widowed, legally divorced, or legally separated from their spouse by mutual consent; and free of financial dependents or obligations.

a. Normally, an enquirer should visit the main residence and then depart to allow time to reflect on the visit, and for the Prior to discern if s/he is a suitable candidate.

b. The Prior shall request confidential references from at least one priest97 and two lay persons in order to further guide him in his discernment.

2. Clergy who desire to enter the Community normally undergo the same testing and formation as lay candidates. However, the Prior may modify the process somewhat if he believes it appropriate based on the manner of life of the clergyman in the world.

a. The clergyman must spend no less than six months as a novice prior to being allowed to petition for tonsure as a junior.

3. A tonsured monastic seeking, with the blessing of his/her Superior or elder, to be joined to the Community may be received by the Prior for a probationary period.

a. S/he is to be given a place according to his/her monastic rank and the date of his/her admission as a novice.

i. S/he shall have seat and voice in Chapter, but not vote.b. After the probationary period, s/he may be admitted to full

membership in the Community by vote of the Chapter, or may be asked to depart.

4. The Prior, at his discretion, shall determine how long a person remains in the status of a guest/newcomer.

a. Such persons are not monastics. They retain the use of their financial resources and may depart or be dismissed by the Prior at any time.98

97 In the case of a tonsured monastic, this should be his/her Superior or elder. In the case of a deacon or priest, it should be his bishop. Tonsured monastics are exempted from the requirement for two lay references.98 RSJS, No. 24: “It should be known that when we receive brothers, either those from another monastery or laymen seeking the monastic life, we require them to stay in the hospice for two or three weeks to see and to

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b. They wear no special religious attire and are addressed simply by their Baptismal names, unless they are in Holy Orders.

5. After consulting with the Chapter, the Prior may admit a newcomer as a novice, using the Rite in the Customary, and grant him/her the tunic, belt, [simple white veil for women], and style of “brother” or “sister.”

a. While the normal duration of the novitiate is one year, the Prior may adjust the length at his discretion.

b. Novices have seat and voice in Chapter, but not vote.c. Novices surrender the use, but not the ownership, of any

financial resources or property.i. No novice shall be prohibited from giving material

assistance, from his/her own resources, to family members in time of need.

ii. Under no circumstances may the Prior or any member or agent of the Community make use of the novice’s financial resources.

d. The Prior shall adapt formation to the needs of the individual novice, including: study of the Rule and provisional Constitutions; mentoring in prayer and asceticism; manual labor; training in the use of the voice; and the theology, history, and praxis of monastic life.

e. Novices may depart or be dismissed by the Prior at any time, for any reason.

f. When the Prior believes a novice ready for advancement, he shall consult the Chapter.

g. If the Chapter has no significant objections, the Prior may allow the novice to petition the Bishop for tonsure.

6. The Prior, using the Rite in the Customary, may tonsure a novice99 and admit him/her to the Juniorate, clothing him/her in the scapular [and short black veil].

a. Juniors retain their baptismal name, but are granted the style of “father” or “Mother.”

b. Juniors have seat, voice, and vote in Chapter and may hold any office except Prior, Dean, or Novice Master/Mistress.

c. The duration of the Juniorate is at the discretion of the Prior.d. The Prior may, for good cause, allow juniors limited use of their

funds.

experience the monastery. Then, if he remains steadfast in his decision, after the superior has informed him of what awaits him, he, thereupon, introduces him to instruction and enrolls him into his flock.” 99 If the Prior is not a priest, the Bishop or a priest-monk shall perform the tonsure.

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7. A junior may be released or dismissed from the Community and allowed to return to life in the world.

a. Release requires the consent of the Prior; dismissal requires a majority vote of the Chapter; both require a written release from the Bishop.

b. Either action frees the junior from any responsibilities towards the Community; they also free the Community and the BFSL from any responsibilities towards the departing junior, except to provide him/her, if s/he lacks the ability to afford it, with transportation to a reasonable location.

c. The Prior shall recover all habits and any goods belonging to the Community or the BFSL; afterwards, he will return to the former monastic any financial instruments or documents held in trust for him/her.

8. After a suitable length of time, a junior may ask the Prior for permission to petition for solemn profession.

a. The Prior shall submit such requests to the Monastic Chapter.100

A majority vote of the Chapter is required to proceed.

b. Upon an affirmative vote, the Prior shall forward the petition to the Bishop.

9. Prior to solemn profession, a junior will dispose of any and all properties, monies, bank accounts, trusts, income, or other financial instruments in one or more of the following ways:

a. They may be donated to the poor, either directly or through a recognized charity, in accordance with the teaching of the Lord;101

b. Also in accordance with the Lord’s teaching,102 they may be placed in trust for the benefit of one’s parents, siblings, or children, particularly if they are in need of material assistance due to age, illness, or hardship.

c. They may be signed over to the Community [via the BFSL], in keeping with the teaching of the Apostles103 and the Fathers,

100 This is intended, not as a venue for expressing personal dislike, but for pointing out genuine obstacles to the candidate’s aptitude or willingness to live monastic life as it is set forth in the Rule and provisional Constitutions.101 cf Mt 19:21; Mk 10:21; Lk 12:33, 18:22. Also, GREG, 6: “It is written in the Law, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ (Lev 19:18; Matt 22:39). A person who does not divide with his needy neighbor what is necessary to him proves that he loves him less than himself.”102 cf Mk 7:10-12103 cf Acts 4:32-36

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provided that it is clearly understood that the monastic has no further interest or say in their use, nor any special standing in the community on account of such generosity.

10. Solemn profession is made according to the Rite in the Customary. It binds the monastic to life-long ascetic struggle in the company of our particular Community and according to the Rule of St Benedict and the provisional Constitutions of the Community of Our Lady and Saint Laurence.

a. The vow is not an end in itself; it is intended to lead us into the total renunciation of self to which our Lord summons us through the Holy Gospels, 104 so that we may be freed from attachment to earthly things in order to attain more fully to the liberty of the sons of God.105 The newly professed, therefore, must eschew any sense of having “made it” in monastic life;106 rather, let him/her understand that s/he has only just set out on the road of true asceticism, taking up his/her cross anew day by day and following Christ107 on the path of self-sacrificial love.108

b. The newly professed monastic is given a new name and Patron Saint by the Prior, is clothed in the cuculla, and is granted the style of “Dom” or “Dame.”

104 GREG, 32: “It may not be difficult for a person to abandon his possessions, but it is very difficult for him to abandon himself. Renouncing what one has is not so much, but renouncing what one is amounts to a great deal… we who are coming to the public contest of the faith are taking up a struggle against evil spirits. Evil spirits possess nothing of their own in this world. WE who are naked have to struggle with other naked beings. If someone who is clothed begins to struggle with one who is naked he is quickly thrown to the ground, since there is something by which he can be held. What are all earthly things except a kind of covering for the body? So let anyone who is preparing for a contest with the devil cast aside this clothing so that he will not be overcome. He should possess nothing in this world by his love for it… lest the desires with which he is clothed be grasped and bring about his downfall.”105 cf Rom 6:22; Gal 5:13106 GREG, 25: “Surely the essence of every good work is perseverance, and Truth has told us that ‘the person who perseveres to the end is the one who will be saved’ (Matt 24:13); and the Law commands that the tail of the victim is to be offered in sacrifice (Lev 3:9). Now the tail is the end of a body, and that person makes a perfect offering who carries out the sacrifice of a good work to its due completion. Joseph is described as the only one of his brothers to have a tunic reaching to the ankles (Gen 37:3). A tunic reaching to the ankles is a good work reaching completion.”107 cf Matt 16:24; Mk 8:34; Lk 9:23108 GREG, 32: “We… deny ourselves, when we escape what we were in our old state and strive toward what we are called to be in our new one. Let us consider… Paul, who… immediately after saying, ‘It is no longer I who live…’ added, ‘but Christ who lives in me’ (Gal 2:20)… Paul is saying what Christ says: ‘[The] person who wants to come after me must deny himself.’ Unless a person forsakes himself he does not draw near to the one who is above himself. He cannot take hold of what is beyond himself if he does not know how to sacrifice himself… The seeds of things disappear when they are mixed with earth, and spring up more fruitfully for the renewal of their kind; they receive the ability to manifest what they were not from appearing to have lost what they were.”

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Article XXI: Regarding Discipline and Penance1. The Prior, when he observes or learns of faults in any of the brothers

or sisters, may impose secret or public penance on them.

a. The object of penance is the reform and restoration of the fallen, not retribution or punishment. The Prior must remember that he, too, is in need of God’s mercy, and thus temper his exercise of authority.109

b. Penance may include imposition of additional fasting, work, prayers, or penitential acts; it may also involve deprivation of privileges, goods, or participation in communal activities or recreations.

i. No penance may include anything likely to cause physical or psychological harm to the one carrying it out.

ii. Penance must be such that the one given it can understand the reason for it and be capable of profiting by it, lest the Prior do nothing but heap burdens on one who cannot bear them.110

iii. Although provided for in the Rule, excommunication from the Oratory or the Refectory should be very rare, and reserved only for the gravest or most persistent offenses against community.

iv. It is absolutely forbidden for the Prior or any other monastic to strike or to impose violent corporal punishment on anyone whomsoever. All places in the Rule that call for such punishment shall be understood as referring to other, suitable penance

c. The other monastics may not subvert a penance imposed on one of their brothers or sisters; neither may they be in any way cruel to the penitent since even the Lord himself has no desire to break a bruised reed.111

2. We have no right to judge or condemn our brothers or sisters when we see them falling short of their calling and profession, for only the

109 cf Lk 6:36110 cf Mt 23:4; Rom 15:1111 cf Is 42:3; Mt 12:20

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Lord searches the heart.112 To do so is, in itself, a serious sin. Therefore, ponder the saying of the Blessed Augustine: “Strive to acquire the virtues you think your brothers lack, and then you will no longer see their defects, because you yourselves will not have them.”113

a. If, however, a monastic is known to engage in behavior by which s/he may cause harm to him- or herself or to others, or actions that are criminal or may cause grave scandal towards the Community or the Orthodox Church, it must be reported to the Prior.

i. This report may neither be based on hearsay, nor made anonymously.

ii. The Prior may discretely inquire of others if investigation is needed.

iii. The Prior shall meet with the endangered monastic and call him/her to amendment of life in a spirit of humility and charity.

3. Any monastic who solicits or engages in sexual relations with a minor, or with an enquirer, a novice, or a monastic who is under his/her supervision or authority, has not only sinned against chastity, but has grievously violated the trust placed in him/her by the Community and the Church. S/he is to be reported immediately to the competent ecclesiastical authority.

a. This means to the Prior and the Bishop.

b. In the case of the Prior, this means to the Bishop and the Primate.

c. The ecclesiastical authority will determine what action is to be taken.

d. If a minor was involved, the civil authorities must also be notified, in obedience to civil law.

112 cf 1 Chron 28:9; Ps 44:21; Jer 17:10; Rom 8:27; Rev 2:23113 Commentary on Psalm 30: 2, 7

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Article XXII: Regarding Leave, Release, Restoration, or Dismissal

1. When storms of temptation, loneliness, frustration, or anger rise up against us and toss us to and fro, we should not immediately lose heart.114 With humility, we should reach out to our sisters or brothers and, with them, cry out to the Lord and listen for His voice, reassuring us, “It is I,”115 as He calms the waves and comforts our hearts.

2. We are to accept each other as gifts from God and brothers or sisters in Christ and strengthen each other with fraternal love, exercising care that neither negligence nor pride lead to the harming or loss of another. 116

3. When the imperfections of a brother or sister or some perceived laxity in the Community weigh upon us, let us cast ourselves before the Lord and cry out with the Publican, “God, be merciful to me a sinner,”117 knowing that we dare not lift up our eyes to heaven if we have shut them to our companions. Then let us wait patiently: The Lord will not leave us without guidance if our minds are patient and our hearts are pure.118

4. When a monastic is unable to be at peace with the day to day struggles of life in the Community, yet is unclear whether or not to seek a release, the Prior may grant a leave of absence for a period not to exceed one year, in which the doubting monastic may live either in a different monastery or in the world, provided in the latter case that s/he has a means of self-support.

a. The ex-claustrated monastic must be in communication with the Prior not less than once each month.

b. Failure to return to the main residence when told to do so will automatically begin the process for dismissal from the Community.

114 DIR, 5: “Above all beware of the spirit of despondency, from which all evil and a variety of temptations are born. Why does your heart weaken and despair because of sufferings caused you by Christ’s flock? Listen attentively to my words: longsuffering is the mother of all blessings. Look at Moses, who chose ‘rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; (Heb 11:25).”115 Mt 14:27116 Ibid, “From where do strugglers in the spiritual life receive help? The first and fundamental helper is the Church herself and her rules. The organization of the community ‘according to the rules’ makes everyone equal, humbles them, and takes away their own wisdom, uniting the members as one family, obliging all to mutual help and prayer, and giving a rule to the life of both the spirit and the body.”117 Lk 18:11118 GREG, 14: “Let us enkindle our hearts, my friends, let our faith again grow warm in what it believes, let our desire for heavenly things take fire. So to love is to be already on the way… We must let our hearts yearn for our heavenly home with all our desire; let them seek nothing in this world which they must leave quickly.”

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2. Notwithstanding the above, and because there are times when a person, for whatever reason, becomes convinced that it is truly impossible to continue in stability – may the Lord have mercy! – a solemnly professed monastic may request a release from the Community by submitting a written request to the Prior.

a. The Prior shall consult the Bishop regarding the request.i. They may propose reasonable measures prior to granting

the request, in order to ensure that the brother or sister is not acting hastily or on account of something that can be remedied.

b. A solemnly professed monastic can be released from the obligations of common life in community, but cannot – by any human agency – be released from vows that were made to God. S/he should know that s/he will be answerable for them in the sight of the merciful Lord and the Company of Heaven.119

c. A monastic who leaves without a release will be entitled to no help from the Community until such time as s/he submits to the proper procedure for gaining release.

3. A former brother or sister120 who, after having been released, petitions to return to the Community should be welcomed with kindness.

a. If s/he is able to give account of why s/he departed, what has transpired in the interim, and why s/he now wishes to be restored to the community, then let the Prior invite him/her to visit for a period of at least one month, during which s/he shall abide in the guest quarters and obediently accept all that is assigned or given him/her.

b. At the end of this time, the Prior shall bring the request before the Chapter, which shall consider the matter and give or withhold its consent.

c. If the Chapter has given its consent, the Prior shall readmit the former monastic in the lowest rank in the Community (even if previously solemn professed).

d. If, after one year, the repentant monastic has persevered and continues to desire restoration to his/her previous rank, the Prior shall prayerfully consider the request and render his decision either to restore the person to full rank in the Community (or allow him/her to solemn profession if not

119 LR, 14: “Surely, everyone who has been admitted to the community [i.e., professed] and then has retracted his promise should be looked upon as a sinner against God, win whose presence and to whom he pledged his consent to the pact. But, ‘if a man shall sin against God,’ says the Scripture, ‘who shall pray for him?’ (I Sam 2:25); for, if he has consecrated himself to God and has afterward turned aside to another mode of life, he is guilty of sacrilege by having committed the theft of himself and stolen an offering made to God.”120 This applies to both Juniors and Solemn Professed monks.

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previously made), or to extend the time of probation, or to dismiss the person if s/he has proven disinclined to abide by the Rule and live in obedience and loving communion with the other monastics.

e. Those who were previously in solemn vows shall be restored through use of the Rite appointed in the Customary. They thereupon reacquire their previous place in the order of seniority.

4. Solemnly professed monastics may be dismissed for criminal activity, or for serious, willful, or prolonged disobedience of the Rule, the provisional Constitutions, or the Prior.

a. All possible means should be employed to correct and help a monastic prior to considering dismissal as a final means of protecting the integrity of the community as a whole.

b. Dismissal requires a ¾ majority vote of the Chapter.

c. The Chapter may provide a released or dismissed monk with a reasonable amount of voluntary alms to assist with his transition. The Prior may also allow him to take items of a personal nature with him.

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