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366 Commentary on the Rufe oj St. BenedictThe inst it ution of Iay brothers reach~d its fu Il development in theeleventh century. It was established in Germany, thanks chiefly toAbbot William of Hirschau, who was much influenced, asis weIl known,~' by the Customs of Cluny. Haymo, hi s biographer ,has l ef t U8 a summaryof the Rule for lay brothers at Hirschau. As at Cluny, the business ofthe kitchen was entrusted to them. Lay brothers played an importantpart at the end of the eleventh century. In the twelfth they appearedin all the abbeys of Western Europe. They are found amongtheCamaldolese, Vallombroeians, and Carthusians. But it was at Clteauxabove all that they held an important position. Customs and a Rulewere drawn up for them. Seme of them were to dweIl in the abbey,others in the "granges," others with high secular personages; somewere assigned to the service of the abbeys of Cistercian nuns. Thernore recent Congregat ions of Monte Cassino, Bursfeld, St. Vanne , and

St. Maur also had their lay brothers, There was, moreover, among theMaur is ts , another dass cal led " commis" (of fic ia ls ) who were chargedespeciaIly with external works and the rela tions of the monastery withthe outside world; after probation they took a vow of stabi li ty . FinaIly,there were "perpetual servants," bound to the monastery by civilcontract ..lt should be observed tha t our Const itu tions, taken in thi s case f romthose of theMaur ist s,order tha t none should be admitt ed as l ay brotherssave those who possess aptitude for their work. Above all we shouldnote that they are as truly religious and monks as are the choir monks ..-Therefore they should have such instruction and training aBwil l enablethem to live_up to their vows, They are aIl, whether nov ices or pro-fessed, under the spiritual direction of the lay brother master. Asregards their work they are under the cellarer; apart from him and thefathers ass igned to the charge of them, no one has a right to pu t any du tyon them orto require .their services ; i f lay brothers are not the domesticservants ofthe community, they are sti ll lessthe servants ofany individualmonk, Perfeet cour tesy and considera te charity shou ld regulat e a11ourrelat ions with them; every species of petty familiarity should be severelyrepressed, as well as a ll un jus tif iab le conversat ion ; both thei r interestand ours demand this. Let us also beware of scandalizing simple soulsby certain ways which are scarcely monastic, and by notorious breachesof Rule ...Their'li fe is humble , s ilent , hidden, and more severe in some respectsthan that of the choir monks; and, as the Maurist Dedarations set itdown, they should- not be advanced to Orders nor undertake higherstudies, Strict observance of these two last points is indispensablefor the safeguarding of thei r monasti c vocation ; and those who seek toenter the clericalstate nearly always meet wi th failure. Their labor iousdays may easily become onelong colloquywith the Lord; and thespectade o f such glad and peaceful fidelity is the moat valuable of alltheir services.

CHKPTER LVIIIOF ~HE DISCIPLINE OF RECEIrlNG BRE~HREN IN

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368 Commentary on the Rule of St. Benedictrocation.~We must limit the use of this term and not make it

signify any expression of our activity. We sEeakof the soldier's vocation,the engineer's vocation, the vocation to the married state or commonvocation. These are actual states, the result of strictly personal choice,the product of circumstances; aptitudes, and tastes. Doubtless thesechoices do not escape the laws of Providence, yet they do not imply avery special invitation of Godz'as does vocation properly soca11ed. "Thiscomprises three elements: a special ca11of God=-to a high supernaturalstate-to which ca11the intelligent creature should respond with freeco-operation. And in this sensethere are only three vocations : vocationto the Faith, for heretics and infidels, which is universal and obligatoryunder pain of damnation; religious vocation, which is, as we hope toshow, universal and yet a matter of counsel; vocatiou tothe ecclesias-tical state, whicl, is special and is addressed to a select few, chosen byname fromamongChristian folk and designated by the Church. Herewe are concerned with religious voeation only. -,A general vocation tothe religiouslife may be distinguished from an

individual voeation. The first is the universal invitation addressed byOur Lord to a11the faithful: "If anyone wish to come after me "(Matt. xvi. zf); "If thou wouldst be perfect " (ibid. xix, 21). Thisvcation has been given onee and for 'a11,and Our Lord's words havenever been retracted. Neither the State northe Church hasany powerhere. God hasealled soulsand opened the gates of perfection to them,It isnot merely permission or leave, but a positive invitation addressedto the whole Church, Everyone baptized isbythat act sufficientlyca11edby GO,dto alife which isthe fulfilment of baptism. But, in actualfact, Our Lord's offer does not reach a11efficaciously; it maybe that asoul isinattentive; it may bethat it doesnot consent to follow the divinecounsel; it may be that at the hour when God's call reaches its ear, itfinds that ithas taken on itself obligationswhich forbid it making anyresponse; it may bethat it iswithout certain dispositions of soul orbodywhich are strictly requisite. God respects the play and course ofsecon-dary: causes, arid in practice only a picked few are capable of followingHis call: "Not alltake this word, but those to whom it isgiven.. . Hethat can take, let him take it " (Matt. xix, 11-12).The doctrinal principle of a universal vocation having been carefully

safeguarded, it remains true that there is an individual and, so to speak,a privileged vocation. But our ideasshould be clear with regard to this" special" vocation also. Vocation to the religious life cannot neces-sarily mean a positive call, a revelation, a supernatural and imperativeintiination:" Thou shalt be a religious." Nor is it any more true,necessarily, that vocation isthe command of a confessor. The confessormay advise, he can and should enlighten; he can weigh the chances ofsuccess,beeause he knows the soul's dispositions r but he cannotcommand,in any sense whatever. God himself does not command, .SouISare. free, It isinfinite imprudence, and want of reverence for souls, to claimto choose their state oftlife for them, when the consequences are feit in

Ofthe Discipline of receiving Brethren into Religion 369'time and in eternity. Da parents and meddling, merciless directorsbear the consequences of the decision which they impose by main force-ona too docile and trustful soul? Vocation is a personal matter.

But, we may ask further, what isthe form under which God speaksto souls, when He would draw them to Him 1 To confine the infinitevariety of His methods within the compass of a formula or a catalogueisimpossible. For God a n means are good. Vocation may be a matterof sensible attraction, an inclination of the heart towards the religiouslife, the love ofthe chant and of beautiful services: a form which it verynaturally takes among the young. But this sensible attraction isnot anindispensable element. Vocation issometimes an impression that datesfrom infancy ; we have never contemplated our life in any other thanmonastic surroundings; we are influenced, perhaps, by the exampleof a relative. Or it may be an ideal of perfection that suddenly forcesitself upon us. .Vocation may consist in an intellectual appreciation of the moralsui~Eiorhy of there~igio;; illj!_and ii'"the st~_o.Rgesolve: , e It'..i th,;bejter way andl will follow it.': Perhapsthis is the purest type ofvocation. Sometiinee a m a r i ' I s ' guided by a'sort of practical and utili-tarian impulse: " I shall have no more visits to receive or make, no moreconfess.ions, no more sermons, no doniestic worries. I shall have leisurefor prayer and study and shall live in peace." This sort of vocationisthe vocation of middle age, of one who has already been wounded bycontact with life.Or it may be suffering which turns soulstowards God; or again dis-content, moral unrest, inability to be happy elsewhere. Our Lord,when He would direct us towards His ends, sows secret bitterness overall the joys of our life, and we meet naught but sadness and bruises ifwe step aside from the way traced by Hirn, a way, asthe prophet says,that ismarked out with hewn stones: "!Jshath shut uy-m.-y~ayswithsquare ston~!.." (Lam. Iii. 9)' Finally, there mcases\v'liere the religiousfiIe, whrr~remaining in the abstract a counsel of perfeetion, yet becomesin the concrete an obligation: aswhen experience forces us to recognizethat we need the cloister, thatthere only is our eternal salvation per-fectly secure. In brief, ~cation..is never lacking ; God'scall takes so. --~any forms, that one of them IS always at hand and he who entersalways has good reasons for entering.1 .Again, we must not fail to remark-and the verywords of the Ruleinvite us to do so-that a11these diverse ways in which the universalcall manifests itself to the individual do but constitute the materialand determinable element in vocation; the formal and determinantelement .is the firm resolve to seek God and perfection. "If thouwouldst be perfect ?"Do you wishit ? " Who is the man that wouldhave life and desirestosee good days1" said St. Benedict in the Prologue.When all is said, this is the essential element and often the only one

1 Abbot Paphnutiu8 explained to CASSUN thai there were threekind. of vocation:Primus e Deo ' I t , s eCUH4usp '" homitu1ll , t". ,iUi ex tuC~lit4U (COftlat. , 111 :, lli.-v.) 24

'f .

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370 Commentary on the Rufe of St. Benedictthat marters. For, ofthe two other elements,. the concrete manifestationof God's counsel and personal aptitude, wehavesaid that the first.is neverlacking; and of the second we may saythat it is sometimes created orat least developed, when the will isgenerously determined. This explainswhy our Holy Father's ordinances for the admission of a postulant andthe training of a novice have astheir sole purpose the testing of his will.

Should there be long deliberation and much consultation?St. Themas says not.! What, he asks, shall we deliberate about? . Onthe excellence of the proposed resolution f : But it cannot be disputedthat it is a good thing, nay, a very good thing; and to doubt this, thoughit were but for an instant, would be to give the lie to Our Lord. Mustwe deliberate about our powers, whether we have the necessary strengthto carry out our resolve ? Some of our friends will tell us that we aredoing a foolish thing, a thing impossible for our nature. Others, betteradvised, will reply: "Y ou have the resources of your will, which are

LI boundless; prayerwil.l procure you the infinite strength ofGod. S!;tildrenLa _...;.and_o~en have done i!; you can surely do as...!!!!lc.1::."St. Thomasadniits" that there may be deliberation Oll three points: 18 our health .sufficient? Have we debts? What form of religious life suits us best?Here we may consult and interrogate;but we should ask few peopleand such as are discreet, prudent, competent in supernatural matten,well ..informed on the character of the monastic life, and even predisposedtin its favour.. One may deliberate, too, with oneself, but let it bedonequickly. And above all we should reflect on the most expeditiousmeans to rid ourselves of all obstac1es.After having seen what religious vocation is in general, it will not

be euperfluous to say a wordas to the qualifications prudently requiredfor the contemplative life, and in particular'the monastic and Benedictinecontemplative life. An immortal soul-the same baptized-the samefrom that moment endowed with the supernatural faculties of whichcontemplation isthe proper exercise: this is enough, no more isneeded.Does the condition seem simple andeasy to be realized ] Yet it istheprincipal one of all, and the fundamental one;it might almest be saidthat it isthe sole condition, given a determined will.

Very ordinary health is adequate to our monastic duty. But theimportant thing required of a candidate for 1:hecontemplative life is a.certain eq~~.Eise ?f temperamen~, a thing not always very. com~on inour age of ImpulsIve andneurotic natures. A'man who vows hirnselfto the monastrc life with a rather weak head and defective intellect willthere lose allthat isleft, or at least will become a burden to .hisbrethrenand a.danger to the community. An exaggerated preoccupation withhealth, with oneself, with the honour and attention one deserves, i8 averybad omen; hypertrophy of the ego may be the first sign of insanity.Yet we do not reject acandidate because we'find in him certain slightfaults or egoistic tendences; otherwise no one would be chosen. .

A man need not, be a Plato or anAristotle for the work of Christiancontemplation, But it would certain1y bepresU1liptuou8 to-day to

1lI.-JI., fJ . c:huU:., a, re,

Of the Discipline oj receiving Brethren into Religion 37 Ienter the contemplative life and to become a choir monk, we do notsaywithout some previous education-for that isforbidden by the HolySee-but without a real taste for the things of the mind. . 'the con-te~plitive life does not consist in dreaming and doing nothing. Bewareof those who neglect study on the ground that we are vowed only topure' contemplation, or that, according to the Apostle, "knowledgepuffeth up." Taking our life .asa whole, a taste for true and whole-some doctjine is a guarantee of perseverance, of worthiness, and ofprogress, safer often than a certain kind of piety. .. The postulant must intend to take his faith seriously and raust bevaliant. IIIa monastery our livelihood is assured ; we have not theexternal prick of necessity, nor the stimulus that action brings with it.If a contemplative be not courageous, he will quickly become a loiterer,a deserter of perfection, a useless thing. There is required of him alsoa love of quiet and-silence, a certain detachment from the world, frompolitics, from external activity, from a ministry which he has freelyabandoned, even, we would fain add, from the affairs of his family..We havenot to provide for our brothers arid sisters, nephews and nieces;our prayers and our fidelity will be more efficacious with God thanhuman aetivities forwhich we are no Ionger competent. The eandidateshould also have a good charaeterand a certain youthfulness of soul;critieal, peevish, and unsoeiable temperaments are poorly suited to arule which requires continual contact with brethren and filial submissionto the Abbot, .Finally, an excellent sign of a vocation to the contemplative lifeis described in the passage of Ecclesiasticu8: Pulchritudinis studiumhabenteJ, pacificanteJ in domibuJ JU: the just men of old studiedbeauty, they caused peace and order in their houses. Study of beautydoes not necessarily mean artistic taste or artistic talent; but itirnplies. !1!~..,.habitof ~oing-EOJ.hLngbr..h~lves, of realizing perfect purity, and adelicacy of disposition that doesnot suffer the petty passlOnsof the worldwe have renounced to enter our souls again under any disguise.Courtesy and refinement also, in our relationswith God as with ourbrethren, flow from this love of beauty; as do Iikewise an intelligentlove of the Divine Office, ef its rites and ofits chants.Tbe reception of candidates.-A man believes that God is calling hirnto the Benedictine life; he is " converted "; he comes and knocksat thedoor. Strange to say, it does not open at onee, and his reception isveryreserved, not to say disagreeable: Non eifacilis tribuatur ingressus.. ltwas the same among the Fathers of the East.1 St. Benedict's first

1 Si f/Uis accesserit ad ostium.monasterii f loll1Us4culo renuntiare, etfratrum aggregarinumero, non bah llbi t int ra tu li l iber tawn , sei lpriw nun tiah itUt ' Patri monas teri i, e t maneb it. paucis diebus Joris ante januam (5. PACH., Reg ..xlix.).-Hehdomada pro Joribus jaceant;"ul li cum l Ii sde j rat rwus junganlur , e t semper dura e t labor iosa -e isproponan tur. S i oeropersllf /t iraverint pulsantes, eis Mn negetur ingressus (Reg. 1. 55. PATRUM, vii.).-Ambiensquis. i fl tTa cmnoh ii rec ip i d iscipl inam non anu pr01'S1Uadmit ti tu r, quam diebus decem veleoamt,l iw p ro j or ibw e xc ubam i tu li ci um per sef le ra nt u, .' . . dllmomtra'Verit ( C A l I 8 . , Inst.,IV., l.). There are also reaetnblanc:eabetween thia ebapter oi St.. Benedic:t andaeveral pastage. in ST. B.wL (Cf. Reg.Jw., x, sg.). .