Of the Works of Monks E-Book

Saint Augustine

• Herausgeber: Cervantes Digital
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

"Of the Works of Monks" by Saint Augustine offers profound insights into the contemplative life and the spiritual practices of monastic communities. In this treatise, Augustine reflects upon the virtues and vices inherent in monasticism, providing guidance for monks as they strive for spiritual perfection.

At the heart of Augustine's discourse lies a deep appreciation for the asceticism and devotion of monks, whom he views as spiritual warriors engaged in the battle against sin and worldliness. He celebrates the virtues of humility, obedience, and poverty embraced by monastic communities, recognizing their potential to cultivate spiritual growth and deepen one's relationship with God.

However, Augustine also cautions against the dangers of spiritual pride and self-righteousness that can arise within monastic life. He reminds monks of the importance of humility and self-awareness, urging them to guard against the pitfalls of vanity and arrogance.

Moreover, Augustine emphasizes the importance of genuine piety and sincerity in the pursuit of holiness. He warns against the temptation to perform religious rituals and observances merely for outward show, stressing the need for authenticity and integrity in one's spiritual life.

In "Of the Works of Monks," Augustine offers practical advice for monks on a range of spiritual disciplines, including prayer, fasting, and meditation. He encourages them to cultivate a deep interior life, rooted in contemplation and communion with God.

Through his reflections, Augustine seeks to inspire monks to pursue spiritual excellence with zeal and diligence, while also reminding them of the need for humility, sincerity, and charity in their interactions with others.

Overall, "Of the Works of Monks" stands as a timeless testament to the enduring relevance of monastic spirituality and the quest for holiness. Augustine's insights continue to inspire and challenge readers, inviting them to embrace the virtues of simplicity, humility, and devotion in their own spiritual journeys.

Leseprobe

Copyright 2023

Cervantes Digital

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ISBN: i978-1-312-12448-6



Of the Works of Monks

From the Retractations, ii. 21: To write the Book on the Work of Monks, the need which compelled me was this. When at Carthage there had begun to be monasteries, some maintained themselves by their own hands, obeying the Apostle; but others wished so to live on the oblations of the faithful, that doing no work whence they might either have or supply the necessaries of life, they thought and boasted that they did rather fulfill the precept of the Gospel, where the Lord says, Behold the fowls of heaven, and the lilies of the field, Matthew 6:26. Whence also among laics of inferior purpose, but yet fervent in zeal, there had begun to arise tumultuous contests, whereby the Church was troubled, some defending the one, others the other part. Add to this, that some of them who were for not working, wore their hair long. Whence contentions between those who reprehended and those who justified the practice, were, according to their party affections, increased. On these accounts the venerable old Aurelius, Bishop of the Church of the same city, desired me to write somewhat of this matter; and I did so. This Book begins, "Jussioni tuæ, sancte frater Aureli."

This work is placed in the Retractations next after that "On the Good of Marriage" which belongs to the year 401.

1. Your bidding, holy brother Aurelius, it was meet that I should comply withal, with so much the more devotion, by how much the more it became clear unto me Who, out of you, did speak that bidding. For our Lord Jesus Christ, dwelling in your inner part, and inspiring into you a solicitude of fatherly and brotherly charity, whether our sons and brothers the monks, who neglect to obey blessed Paul the Apostle, when he says, "If any will not work, neither let him eat," are to have that license permitted unto them; He, assuming unto His work your will and tongue, has commanded me out of you, that I should hereof write somewhat unto you. May He therefore Himself be present with me also, that I may obey in such sort that from His gift, in the very usefulness of fruitful labor, I may understand that I am indeed obeying Him.

2. First then, it is to be seen, what is said by persons of that profession, who will not work: then, if we shall find that they think not aright, what is meet to be said for their correction? "It is not," say they, "of this corporal work in which either husbandmen or handicraftsmen labor, that the Apostle gave precept, when he said, 'If any will not work, neither let him eat.'" For he could not be contrary to the Gospel, where the Lord Himself says, "Therefore I say unto you, be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat, neither for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Consider the fowls of heaven, that they sow not, nor reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not rather of more worth than they? But who of you by taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? And concerning raiment, why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they labor not, neither spin; but I say unto you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these. But if the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, God so clothes; how much more you, (O you) of little faith! Be not therefore solicitous, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be clad? For all these things do the Gentiles seek. And your heavenly Father knows that you need all these. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these shall be added unto you. Be not therefore solicitous for the morrow: for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Lo, say they, where the Lord bids us be without care concerning our food and clothing: how then could the Apostle think contrary to the Lord, that he should instruct us that we ought to be in such sort solicitous, what we shall eat, or what we shall drink, or wherewithal we shall be clothed, that he should even burden us with the arts, cares, labors of handicraftsmen? Wherefore in that he says, "If any will not work, neither let him eat;" works spiritual, say they, are what we must understand: of which he says in another place, "To each one according as the Lord has given: I have planted, Apollos has watered; but God gave the increase." And a little after, "Each one shall receive his reward according to his own labor. We are God's fellow-workers; God's husbandry, God's building are you: according to the grace which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder I have laid the foundation." As therefore the Apostle works in planting, watering, building, and foundation-laying, in that way whoever will not work, let him not eat. For what profits in eating spiritually to be fed with the word of God, if he do not thence work others' edification? As that slothful servant, what did it profit to receive a talent and to hide it, and not work for the Lord's gain? Was it that it should be taken from him at last, and himself cast into outer darkness? So, say they, do we also. We read with the brethren, who come to us fatigued from the turmoil of the world, that with us, in the word of God, and in prayers, psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, they may find rest. We speak to them, console, exhort, building up in them whatever unto their life, according to their degree, we perceive to be lacking. Such works if we wrought not, with peril should we receive of the Lord our spiritual sustenance itself. For this is it the Apostle said, "If any one will not work, neither let him eat." Thus do these men deem themselves to comply with the apostolic and evangelic sentence, when both the Gospel they believe to have given precept concerning the not caring for the corporal and temporal indigence of this life, and the Apostle concerning spiritual work and food to have said, "If any will not work, neither let him eat."

3. Nor do they attend to this, that if another should say, that the Lord indeed, speaking in parables and in similitudes concerning spiritual food and clothing, did warn that not on these accounts should His servants be solicitous; (as He says, "When they shall drag you to judgment-seats, take no thought what you shall speak. For it will be given you in that hour what you shall speak: but it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks in you." For the discourse of spiritual wisdom is that for which He would not that they should take thought, promising that it should be given unto them, nothing solicitous thereof;) but the Apostle now, in manner Apostolical, more openly discoursing and more properly, than figuratively speaking, as is the case with much, indeed nearly all, in his Apostolic Epistles, said it properly of corporal work and food, "If any will not work, neither let him eat:" by those would their sentence be rendered doubtful, unless, considering the other words of the Lord, they should find somewhat whereby they might prove it to have been of not caring for corporal food and raiment that He spoke when He said, "Be not solicitous what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, or wherewithal you shall be clothed." As, if they should observe what He says, "For all these things do the Gentiles seek;" for there He shows that it was of very corporal and temporal things that He spoke. So then, were this the only thing that the Apostle has said on this subject, "If any will not work, neither let him eat;" these words might be drawn over to another meaning: but since in many other places of his Epistles, what is his mind on this point, he most openly teaches, they superfluously essay to raise a mist before themselves and others, that what that charity advises they may not only refuse to do, but even to understand it themselves, or let it be understood by others; not fearing that which is written, "He would not understand that he might do good."