The Feast of St. Benedict: Ad Deificum Lumen

Last updated on: November 24, 2018 at 4:39 pm by Carl "Skye" McColman

The Feast of St. Benedict: Ad Deificum Lumen 2018-11-24T16:39:56-04:00 Carl "Skye" McColman

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Today is the feast of St. Benedict.

St. Benedict, by Fra Angelico (c. 1395-1455) Source: Wikimedia Commons.

This morning at mass, Father Tom Francis (who works with me at the Abbey Store) preached on the Rule and on his life experience as a Trappist monk for over 50 years now. During the sermon, he mentioned a conversation that he and I and another Lay Cistercian had a while back about a phrase in the prologue to the Holy Rule of St. Benedict: et apertis oculis nostris ad deificum lumen, which is often translated as “Let us open our eyes to the light that comes from God,” but which might more properly be translated as “Let us open our eyes to the deifying light.” I asked Fr. Tom about this, and he agreed with me that this is a rare example of a western mystic acknowledging the mystery of deification — and expanded on this in this morning’s sermon, which, by permission of Father Tom, I am happy to reprint here:

11 July 2008 — Feast of St. Benedict — Homily by Fr. Thomas Francis, OCSO

In 1951, I was given a copy of the Rule of St. Benedict, which eventually had to have its cover replaced, as the original one wore out. I can now say, “See, I have kept the Rule all these years!” I remember an aphorism of those days, given by both the Abbot and Novice Master and in all Religious Orders: “You keep the Rule and the Rule will keep you.” Of course that was a bum steer, a cliché of Religious life since the Council of Trent, when motivation for the following centuries was based mostly on “Keeping rules and regulations.” We are fortunate indeed to have had the Vatican Council re-examine these worn-out cliches, and restore us to Gospel values, rather than emphasizing conduct based on written law..

Two weeks ago in the Abbey Store, we had an interesting conversation in our store, between Carl, our book buyer, Paco and myself. It concerned the Latin word used in the Prologue : in the expression, “Let us open our eyes to the deifying light.”. The term deificum is a rare Latin word, translated from the Greek word for “making divine”, what they referred to as “theosis” = divinizing, making God-like. That was their term for striving, as the Latin West preferred to say, for holiness, sanctification, perfection. The Greek Fathers, to this day, urge both monks and laity to Theosis, striving to become God-like, divinized. Benedict seized on the term, and used its adjectival form “deificum lumen.” Thomas Merton quoted the line in our reading from The Waters of Siloe at the Night Office this very morning.. Unfortunately neither he, nor Benedict, nor the vast majority of Latin writers unpacked the meaning of both the word and its full significance. Benedict used the adjective to modify “light”, a symbol for “divine meaning, intelligibility.”

But in order NOT to be repetitive of past views, I would hope to be a bit creative with this term, and apply it to silence: silentium, “deificum silentium” — a value that pervades the Rule of Benedict

Silence, as you all know, is not a virtue, like charity ,patience or humility. One does not make acts of silence. Rather it is a condition, a milieu, an environment in which something else takes place. We have been sharing on silence and solitude in our community discussions recently. As is well known, Benedict not only devoted a chapter (chapter 6) to this “condition”, but all through the Rule brings up its importance and value. For instance, in chapter 42, it is announced as the guiding principle of the whole of monastic life: “ At all times silence is to be cultivated by the monks, especially at night.” Complete silence in refectory and oratory; It’s value is mentioned in chapter 4 (good works), chapter 7 (humility), and elsewhere. So far I have merely repeated when and where this value of silence is expected.

But as is my usual procedure, I’d like to start pushing the envelope. In the teaching of Jesus Himself on Prayer, He instructs all of us, “When you pray, go into your chamber ( your heart), close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.” The operative phrase, as I see it, is “close the door” = keep completely still, silent = shut down your normal consciousness, with its operations of thinking, desiring, imagining and remembering, especially and particularly the religious, biblical, ascetical, ideas, symbols, values, quotations.

“Be still (silent), in the depths and totality of your be-ing, and know that I am God. I am the God that is divinizing you, making you God-like, and your principal role is to be silent, let the “deifying silence” of God divinize you. And let me push the envelope even further: “let the Triune God trinitize you = make you aware of the Trinity dwelling within you and the cosmos. Such is the kind of prayer Benedict wants for us monks; indeed, it is for all Christians.

Let me end by quoting a line from our own Blessed Rafael Baron: “Let us be silent. Let us keep silence, for in it we will find our treasure, which is God” Triune! And so, whether you stick to the “deifying light” of the literal Rule, or the Trinitizing Love of a more “complete” interpretation, do have an enjoyable day!

I told Father Tom after the mass that I believe this is the first time I have ever heard the Mystery of Deification addressed from a Christian pulpit. I hope it won’t be the last.

Enjoy reading this blog?
Click here to become a patron.

Mysticism

deification

Monastery of the Holy Spirit

St. Benedict

Previous Post

January 5, 2008

Remembering John O'Donohue

Next Post

September 5, 2009 Five Marks of Authentic Mysticism (Underhill)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Activism Announcements Art Books Catholicism Celtic Christianity Christian mysticism Christianity Contemplation Current events Etc. Family humor interfaith dialogue Interfaith Wisdom Interspirituality Lay Cistercians Living the Faith Meditation movies Mysticism Mystics nature Poetry Reviews Scripture silence Spirituality Uncategorized Writing

Select a Month February 2025 January 2025 November 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 March 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 August 2023 June 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 October 2013 September 2013 July 2013 May 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 March 2012 December 2011 September 2011 October 2010 August 2010 March 2010 September 2009 July 2008 January 2008 December 2007 September 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: In Revelation, the New Jerusalem has ten gates, each made of a single pearl.

Select your answer to see how you score.

FALSE TRUE

Support this
Column