St Benedict begins his Rule with an invitation: ‘Listen’ he says. Listen to the voice of God in your hearts, in the community and in the Bible. Benedict describes how God is calling to us in midst of the crowd: ‘Is there anyone here who yearns for life and desires to see good days? If you hear this and answer ‘I do’, God then directs these words to you’. The monastic life is for those who want to respond positively to this call through the obedience of community living, through the stability of community prayer and through the conversion of serving others.

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"Hearken my Son" - the opening words of the Rule of St Benedict. Image taken from a triptych at Worth Abbey