The origins of the monastic life made its appearance within the third century. Many hermits desired to live a solitary life, soon after this lifestyle became so sought after, that communities of monks arose across the desert. Eventually, rules and guidelines were created the felicitate the daily activity of everyday hermits. During the fifth century, a monk, Saint Benedictine, entered into a heritage already rich in tradition. Amid these years many biographies were written, describing their way of life. Referencing scripture, Saint Benedict wrote a “brief and highly practical guide to monastic life based on his years as an abbot and as an observer of human behavior in communal life”1, thus, The Rule of Saint Benedict. By providing step by step instruction the Rule, Saint Benedict ensured the most efficient way to serve God through obedience. …show more content…
These guidelines provide a monk with the necessary tools to living a life both physically and mentally rewarding. Through these procedures, the “journey that leads to god and everlasting life”2 was made accessible. Alongside these steps Saint Benedict included instructions of repercussions of disobeying the Rule. “He demanded that his followers from the higher strata learn to do manual labor and that his illiterate monks learn to read”3. The contrast between the chaos of original monastic communities and the structure of the monasteries is as day and night. “This is more than a physical reality; it is a psychological and spiritual as well. In the common life, monastics seek God together.”4 Benedictines live in the