anything of the first chapter of the rule of creation. Third, the second paragraph of our faith, Sarah Bikes, the child faith, confess to the word, Sarah Bikes, the most disturbing pictures of domestic conflict. LAUGHTER But there are these two kinds, you know, against which then, in the building, puts them, fortissimum zenus, and the seraphites, and those who, in actibus sui cervantes seculofide, in their works and their actions, they still conform to the standards of the world.

[01:07]

Those two things, of course, here, they are, let's say, presented in their decadent form. So in the, you know, in the cerebrates as well as the jarubates. But there are, of course, two tendencies which, in the monastic life, monastic movement, have exercised a great influence and constantly come again. they in some way belong to the how would I say to some correspond to something which is which is really not only foolishness but which is very very acute movement and one is the Theravites now they they represent that a tendency in the monastic movement which looks for smaller groups you know very well that we also in our days we experience that very very acutely what is let's say the ideal size of a monastic community and then we range you know from

[02:31]

300, you know, to maybe 12, or less. And there are, of course, there is, you know, in the tendency of monasticism to smaller size communities. I think we can understand it very well, and in general, of course, we tend and are disposed in the same direction. We don't exist. of monasticism from the tremendous big monastery, what we call institutions, you know, institutions. We fear that the monastic life, and that's of course spiritual life in the spirit, of course, the same needs also a setup which to a maximum degree gives room to that freedom of the spirit. to that also then that closeness and that intimacy which of course in a big monastery I cannot possibly achieve it's impossible but for example we always have this question how many say it's possible for an abbot for example really to have contact with I must confess it just

[04:03]

as we grow beyond 30, you know, is of course, it's a real, it presents a real problem. It's impossible practically for one and average, you know, to keep sufficiently really in contact with every member of such already rather large family. So there is that tendency to smaller communities, because smaller communities give a greater, let's say, personal closeness, and at the same time guarantee a greater freedom from material, the whole weight of the material machine, which of course is bigger. monastery necessarily needs, you know, to maintain itself and to first to get established already.

[05:13]

So, therefore, this tendency which is there is a tendency which, of course, which presents a problem. Then the same thing also is for the gyrobates. The child wakes didn't come into existence just, you know, to say, out of mischief, you know, or malice, you know. But behind it, of course, the idea of the peregrinus, of the one who is a stranger in this world. And there is a specific form of monastic ascesis, which consists in this, you see, not to have anywhere a real home. And of course, again, you know, that too, why is it? In order to keep the monk in that status in which his only home is heaven, and therefore the wandering monks.

[06:22]

For example, a form of monastasism, it was very... frequent among the early monasticism among the Irish they want therefore imitating our lord who does not have anything you know the foxes have their place where they can rest you know but the son of man does not and imitating this this aspect and you know again you know also from our own experience that the stability, or let us say the idea, you know, that the monk has his monastery, and this monastery is a home for him, has its great advantages and its good and divine aspects, but at the same time also it can be, it can lead astray, it can lead to abuse, for example, too much an identification, for example, with the national surroundings, you know, let us say, the monastery as an incarnation, let us say, of the local spirit, or something like that.

[07:45]

We have that in monasticism, too, and especially in Benedictine Monastery. A certain, uh, how can I say, a certain, uh, how do you call it, local, uh, hmm? Yeah, that, you know, this, this kind of... So these, these two, you know, they, they are those two, uh, dangerous habits. Now... seems to me, you know, that a, I don't know, a solution, but St. Benedict, of course, what he points out, of course, very good, you know, is that these small little groups that get together just because they, let's say, on a certain affinity or something or other, these are not approved by an irregularity.

[08:50]

they have nulla regula apobati, there is no rule, everybody lives in the end, the monastic life as he understands it, and in the end as it fits himself, and in the end there is no conversion, it is simply then a servan seculo fidem, or the other one is to experientia magistra, the experience is not a teacher, experienced knowledge. And that's, of course, another thing. You see, these, let us say, the seraphite, baitic form of monasticism, and easily be a dilettantism. The getting together of unexperienced people who have a little pipe dream, you know, and then have really the experience is not represented. We know that from our own experience again, too, that, for example, in a monastery, it is important that there are seniors and that there are those who really have the experience of the monastic life and in that way can train the younger ones and allow the younger ones to grow into a certain form of the monastic life as it is lived at the place

[10:18]

for a long time, and therefore has a certain solidity and has, as St. Benedict calls, a certain strength which these smaller communities are lacking. I must say, in looking forward, in looking for the future of the monastic movement, I often, you know, think about these things, about these problems. For example, if we here at Mount Xavier now, And of course, in some way, we still, you know, this whole experientia magista for us, you know, is still there, as I say, a certain question mark. The experience is not yet there in its fullness. Maybe it's never there. But one can see already that, for example, our way of life is... is determined also by many kind of accidental circumstances which came into our life through the very concrete development of the place.

[11:32]

There were good points, never bad points, never strong points, never weak points of doctrinal kind, of personal kind, you know, all these things. I ask myself very often now the product of all these things, you know, what as a community, you know, rises out of it, you know. If one considers then the future and the question, for example, of a congregation, you see, in our days, of course, the, let's say, the weakness of the individual group, that's why the church insists on congregations, this kind of counteracted one. tries to counteract it by the bigger grouping of the congregation, which then gives to the individual monastery a certain greater solidity.

[12:34]

But of course, right away, the question arises, what is a congregation? How does a congregation, let us say, get together and form? For example, in our case, You have a monastery like Mount Saviour, which has and begins, you know, to have certainly a certain face, you know, and as I say, it's the product of many accidental circumstances. You cannot put them all and consider them all as absolute. And therefore I cannot say, we are the mother house, you know, to my mind. And therefore, everybody else and everything that is founded, let us say later on from here, has to be exactly the same. That was the idea of the 19th century. It was not the idea of the big, you know, Benedictine tradition. But the 19th century, of course, for example, the foundation, you know, in that way, it's very interesting, the foundation of Solem.

[13:43]

as well as the foundation of Boervon, with this idea of maintaining a stability and solidity, to a certain degree, accepted resistertion version of a central authority. For example, the Abbot of Solemne is called superior general of the Conviation de France. is, of course, not exactly a monastic concept. And the, uh, in 4.1, the 4.1, his congregation, yes, at half the time.

[14:25]

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