3 2us - Totus2us

Abbot Kevin Taggart OSB: "When St Benedict fled to Subiaco many wanted to come and lead the life he was embarking on and they wanted him as their leader and so he wrote his rule. It's a wonderful document well known for its humanity and its simplicity of living, much of it going into considerable detail about how to pray what is called the Divine Office in Church, but preceded and followed by some wonderful spiritual advice to people who wanted to lead the monastic life. I suppose his most famous chapters are on obedience and humility. The other thing St Benedict stresses is stability within the community. So for a Benedictine, a monk takes 3 vows - obedience, stability and a third vow called 'conversatio morum' which is really conversion of life. For me, that's a wonderful vow because it gives one the whole of one's life to convert into a better way of life and that ties in so much with St Benedict's idea of a monk never despairing of the love and the mercy of God, and that continues right through one's life