THE RULE OF SAINT AUGUSTINE: A way toward being Lovers of Spiritual Beauty. By Bernard MUSONDOLI aa
0. Introduction
May the Lord grant you that you observe all these things as
“Lovers of Spiritual Beauty”
Reading the Rule of Saint Augustine one can see that my understanding seems to go backward. It is clear that the title I have given to this exercise is from the end of Augustine's Rule of life. Our holy Father Augustine might have experienced how people in the first years enter with enthusiasm in religious life with real generosity but soon become careless in their duties. He admonishes us to be faithful to his precepts, and he shows us the spirit in which we should obey the rule: As lovers of Spiritual Beauty. This idea of the spirit in which we should obey the rule attracted and helped me a lot to understand Saint Augustine in his Rule of life.
I. The spiritual Beauty[1]
When you bring Augustine's Rule to its elementary structure you find that he starts with a brief Chapter putting the Love of God and of the neighbor at the beginning. This is followed by chapters of precepts. Towards the end, he exposes in a form of prayer what should be the spirit of these precepts. May the Lord grant you that you observe all these things as “Lovers of Spiritual Beauty”, giving forth the good odor of Christ in the holiness of your conduct, not as slaves under the law, but as free man firmly established in grace.[2]
Finding the idea of Love at the beginning and at the end of Augustine's Rule there is a need to ask why this idea of Love and Beauty. Why didn't he say “as lovers of Supreme Good” or “Divine Truth” or “Absolute Being” but he said “Spiritual Beauty”? What is true is that this is from the notion of Beauty for Augustine. When you read his De musica you find that for him the Transcendental beauty is source of harmony of things, of order in the universe, and in God the elected will contemplate the Supreme Harmony of the Trinity in its pax unitatis.[3]
It seems to me that with this idea all the precepts of Augustine's Rule are totally interconnected to the extent that one can easily take the first and the last precepts as the core of Augustine's Rule of life : “Live together in harmony, being of one mind and one heart on the way to God... as lovers of Spiritual Beauty”. Here we find the summary of the Rule of Saint Augustine.
II. Unanimity of mind and heart
Augustine is convinced that religious life is not reserved to souls already perfect. It is for the Christian decided to look for perfection using the means given by Christ himself. At the outset Saint Augustine places this sentence: The first purpose for which you have come together is to live in harmony in the house of the Lord, and to be of one mind and one heart in God ( R.L. I, 2). In this sentence St Augustine uses variation in Latin of the word “one” four times: unum, unanimes, una unum if you read it in Latin. The purpose of this repetition is not hard to see. He wishes to emphasize the importance of developing unity of heart. It is a whole program of Augustine for the community life to present an entirely God-centered community. The religious community is not founded on material good, but rather has its root in God. How did Augustine come up with this idea? We should remember the controversy with the donatists on baptism. Augustine reflected deeply on the theology of baptism and understood that through baptism we are incorporated in Christ, we form one body with Christ. If we are one body, it is evident that we are one soul and one heart[4].
Deeply, this idea means that community life must mean more than only a means for reaching perfection. In the community man meets God. He says: “Whoever will live in the same roof with me, has God as his possession for I am convinced that God dwells there”.[5] Here is the unique and specific quality of the Augustinian; the community is not simply a means, but an end for the lovers of the Spiritual Beauty. To be of one mind and one heart is for Augustine's sons the primum propter quod, the primary purpose of coming together in religious life. He takes Paul's teaching on the mysterious love of Christ. The religious community should be so intimate with Christ to the extent that our life and the lives of our confreres are no longer separate, but only one life in Christ. Love will lead us to the union of the Trinity if we, though many have one mind and one heart in God.
III. Prayer and asceticism
Saint Augustine was a great man of prayer though his Rule has little to say about it. This is seen mostly in his writings and sermons. His injunctions are contained in two short sentences which includes the essential of Augustine's prayer. He always says: “Let us live together in harmony and love”. In this prayer he presupposes harmony as a condition for good prayer. Daily, common liturgical prayer is the bond which attaches the soul more and more securely in a holy community with God. He is convinced of the community-forming power of the liturgy. He wrote: “Men can be really united to a religious community, only if they are joined to one another through common participation in visible signs or sacraments”.[6]
With all their care and esteem for community prayer, Augustine's monasteries never neglected private prayer. Remember that before his time it was customary to follow the example of the Eastern monasteries in which one and the same room was used both for work and prayer. But Augustine prescribed: “In the Oratory let no one do anything except that for which it was ordained, from which also it has its name”. The reason is very important. “If any of the confreres, even outside the hours appointed for prayer wish to pray there during their free time, they should not be disturbed by others who think they have something else to do there”(R.L. II, 11-13).
Augustine knew how difficult prayer is. He says When you pray to God in psalms and hymns, ponder in your hearts what your lips are saying; Sing what is to be sung because the chants incites the soul to piety and inflames the heart with divine love. But we must be on our guard against singing with a loud voice, while the heart remains silent”.[7] In his commentary on Psalm 140 he says that, if you are conversing with me, and suddenly you turn to your servant and leave me there should I not take this as an insult? That is what you do to God every day because very poor is the manner in which we pray. Our father Augustine wants us to collect our thought before prayer, “you must close your door”, in other words, you must control your senses and your imagination if you wish to pray (Mat 6, 6).
There is a spiritual relationship between prayer and asceticism in Augustine's thought. The religious life can develop freely only when bodily desires are kept in proper check. What is the purpose of asceticism as prescribed by the Rule? To subdue the flesh. This means not to kill the inclinations and passions of human nature, but restrain them. It is to treat the body, not as enemy but to bring it under sound discipline. It is to bring all powers of passions into good order and thereby make this nature capable of, and disposed toward, good (R.L. III, 14).
IV. Safeguarding celibacy
St. Augustine's warning about not paying too much attention to external appearances is only an introductory thought to his treatment of chastity. He loved the virtue of continence since he had violated it in his early years. For him, the beauty of celibacy consists, not in sexual continence as such, but in the total consecration to God which it makes possible. He certainly knew the danger facing the pursuit of this high ideal. From his own experience he knew human weaknesses. He says: Let no one say that he has no temptation to fear. Whoever promises himself peace, lays himself open to attack.[8] In his Rule he gives us valuable advice to protect purity of heart. In your walk, in your posture, in your attire, in all your actions, let there be nothing which may appear offensive to others, but only what benefit your holy vocation (R.L. IV, 20-21). The Saint gives a strong reason for this prescription: We are religious because we have consecrated ourselves to God; we are therefore more closely observed by men, and can give offense to others by small transgressions.
Moreover, we will be able to protect purity of heart only if we keep our senses in check especially the eye. In his Rule Augustine takes the words of Sirach: It is not forbidden to see women. But our gaze must not rest on them with lust or desire. The unchaste eye is a sign of an unchaste soul (R.L. IV, 22). Convinced that the consciousness of being observed or seen by others is a great help in our struggle against temptation, Augustine prescribes that when you leave the monastery, go together; when you have reached your destination remain together (R.L. IV, 20).
V. Self-detachment
In the first part of the Rule, Augustine proposed as our model the words of the Acts of the Apostles, “they had all in common... and distribution was made according as any one had need” (Acts 4:32). Here for Augustine it is the spirit which counts. Peace and contentment must be the soul of our community life. There must be no murmurings in which someone complains that he has received worse clothing, or that it is beneath his dignity to be less dressed than some other confreres (R.L. V, 30). The Saint clearly shows how such discontentment is the sign of great imperfection because the person is troubled about the dress of the body and is not concerned about the garment of grace which make the soul beautiful not only to men but also of God.
Augustine demands of us, not only community of possessions. We must freely and generously place our talents and abilities at the disposal of the community. No one shall do anything for himself alone, but all your work shall be for the community, done with more constant diligence than if each one worked for his own profit (R.L. V, 31). We must learn to feel more and more with the community asking ourselves “of what use can I be for the community?” not “what use is the community for me?”. For Augustine, the more you care for the interests of the community before your own interests the more you may know that you have made a progress in becoming a lover of the Spiritual Beauty.
VI. Forgiving offenses
To be of one mind and one heart in God as lovers of Spiritual Beauty is the high ideal proposed to us by Saint Augustine. He knew weaknesses of human nature; he knew the tensions and strong emotions to which even a community of men consecrated to God can be exposed. At the outset of his sermon he says: “Either do not have quarrels, or if they begin, put an end to them at one” (R.L. VI, 41). Augustine's message is not only that there must be reconciliation, but that it must take place as soon as possible. He might have read the words of the Apostle of the gentles: “Let not the sun go down upon your anger” (Eph 4:26).
Augustine insists on prompt and sincere reconciliation for two reasons: if anger delays in the soul it turns into hatred. And an uncharitable heart, or a heart filled with hatred robs our prayers of all worth and renders them useless before God. For him, anyone who wishes to say, 'forgive me my sins' must first honestly say, ' as I forgive my trespassers'.[9] Because anyone who is angry with his brother may indeed praise God with his lips, but in his heart he is a liar.[10]
Closing this chapter on reconciliation he says: “Be sparing, therefore, in the use of harsh words. If they have escaped your lips, let those same lips be prompt to heal the wound they have made” (R.L. VI, 42). This will create in the community a spiritual milieu proper to lovers of Spiritual Beauty.
VII. Obedience and authority
“Obey your superiors as a father.” Here we see Augustine's distinctive feature of obedience. He conceives the religious community as a spiritual family where the superiors take the place of father and mother. Their authority is grounded in the authority of God, as he says in the commentary on psalm 70, ' to obey one's father is to obey God.' he is convinced that one can hear God's voice even in the words of unworthy or bad superiors because God's operation is like a ray of light. Even when it passes through a dirty glass, it is not soiled.
With great love Saint Augustine describes the relationship of mutual responsibility between superiors and subjects. He says: let your superior not deem himself happy in using his authority, but in serving you with love. Let him seek to be loved by you more than feared. Let him give you good examples (R.L. VII, 46).
VIII. The conclusion
Saint Augustine specifically recommends the Rule as a mirror of religious virtues. When you find that you have observed what is written, give thanks to God. But if anyone sees that he has failed in anything, let him be sorry and be on his guard for the future (R.L. VII, 49).
To end, Unity of ideals and hopes, life lived in common, respect for the needs and dignity of the human person: these are the “colors” which characterize an Augustinian spirituality and community. Longing to experience and reflect the love and communion that exists within the Holy Trinity, Augustinian community seeks to become, on earth, even if imperfectly, a vision of the heavenly city. In his Homily on Ps. 4:10 and in his Sermon Denis 11, 7 Augustine says: “Let us live alone and simply, which means separated from the multiplicity of the worldly things which die. Let us love only the Eternity and the Unity, if we want to be united to our Lord and God. Let us live in prayer that God may deliver us from human agitations”[11].
In an Augustinian community “obedience” becomes collaboration to a common vision and mutual support. Poverty becomes sharing. Chastity becomes a means of expanding the human heart to love fully in the context of fraternity. Embracing these evangelical counsels enables the believer to see that the "burdens" of a common life are outweighed by the beauty of friendship. Christ, who is present in the community, not only enforces the person’s unique personality, but increases true freedom of the individual to become lover of Spiritual Beauty.[12]
[1] “Vers la beauté Spirituelle” (Par les Praecepta uiuendi à la spritualis pulchritude. “Pythagores”, Le De Ordine de Saint Augustin et sa Règle), Augustiiana XXII (1972), pp. 469-510.
[2] Adolar ZUMKELLER, The Rule of Saint Augustine with a commentary (De Pere Wisconsin: St. Norbert Abbey, 1961), p.59.
[3] Luc VERHEIJEN, Nouvelle approach de la règle de Saint Augustin (Abbayie de Bellefontaine, 1980),pp.201-2o2.
[4] Athanase SAGE, La vie religieuse selon Saint Augustin (Paris: La vie Augustinienne, 1972), p. 46.
[10] Augustinian studies II (1971), pp. 17-36.
[11] Athanase SAGE, Idem, p. 61.
[12] Paul HENDY, La vision d’Ostie. Sa place dans la vie et l’oeuvre de Saint Augustin (Paris:plotin et l’Occident,1938), p.44.
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