The Rule of St Benedict Chapter 32
Of the Tools and Property of the Monastery
Text
Let the Abbot appoint brothers, of whose life and character he is sure, to [manage] the property of the monastery in terms of tools, or clothing, or any other thing and to each of these, as he sees fit, should be given the [duty] to keep them and collect them [after use].
Substantiae monasterii in ferramentis, vel vestibus, seu quibuslibet rebus, provideat Abbas fratres, de quorum vita et moribus securus sit: et iis singula, ut utile iudicaverit, consignet custodienda atque recolligenda.
And let the Abbot keep a note of these: so that as the brothers assigned [to this duty] succeed each other, he may know what is given and what is received.
Ex quibus Abbas breve teneat: ut dum sibi in ipsa assignata fratres vicissim succedunt, sciat quid dat aut quid recipit.
If, however, anyone treats the goods of the monastery poorly or carelessly, let him be corrected; if he does not improve, let him be subject to the discipline of the Rule.
Si quis autem sordide aut negligenter res monasterii tractaverit, corripiatur; si non emendaverit, disciplinae regulari subiaceat.
Comment
This chapter follows on from the one about the Cellarer, in which St Benedict says:
Let him look upon all the vessels and goods of the monastery as though they were the sacred vessels of the altar.
All the property of the monastery must be treated with care, and in order to do that, the Abbot appoints individuals to look after specific items. The Rule does not give a detailed breakdown of the minor offices of the monastery – with St Benedict’s characteristic style, he leaves the detail to the Abbot of each monastery. He does, however, give some clues, specifically mentioning tools and clothing as two clear areas which must be managed.
I mentioned in the last chapter that monks are not given access to vast store cupboards, from which they can pick whatever they want. Instead, they have to ask for what they need. The brother in charge of clothing will ensure that regularly used items are always kept in stock; for example, undergarments. Habits would normally be made to order, with old ones being patched or repaired until it becomes impossible to do so. So this brother might have to go to the Cellarer from time to time to ask him to order new cloth, as his store runs out.
In terms of tools, that can mean anything from gardening tools such as spades, to pens for writing, to items used to maintain the monastery or even build it – they may have a monk who has expertise as a stone mason or glazier, for example. Things may be given them on a temporary basis or permanently, such as books for use in Choir.
But in this, do note that individual monks do not “possess” anything; they are given what they need but it remains the monastery’s property, not theirs.
It sounds a bit socialist, doesn’t it? It is, of course, a principle taken from the Acts of the Apostles (chapter 4 verse 32), where the believers held everything in common and gave all their goods to the Apostles. This verse has given rise to some abuses over the centuries, but the key thing to remember here is that the believers in Acts chose to do this. Monks and nuns today choose to give up the right to all their possessions; when they make their vows, they renounce all ownership, including any money or property they still possess at the time of profession. They also make a will and legal deed handing over their goods to the monastery.
One further thing the traditional orders often do; they never use the word “my” in connection to something they are given as a permanent allocation. Inside their choir books they will write “Ad usum” – for the use of – and their name. When they refer to that book, they will say “our” book; anything they hold on an ongoing basis for use becomes “our”, not “my”. It’s a reminder on a daily basis that they have renounced all property, and whatever they have for their use belongs not to them, but the monastery.
I think we can apply this principle in our lives; take care of what we have to prolong its life so as not to waste anything, but always remember that whatever we possess is ultimately from God. We can’t take any of these things with us when we die, so it’s good to remember they are just on loan.
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