Life, Rule & Works 50

Although, God being favorable, we made a rule for you at the beginning of the monastery's foundation, yet afterward on many occasions we added or diminished something in it: for, weighing and testing what you could fulfill, we have now determined this, which was suited both to reason, and to possibility, and to holiness. For, as far as we could grasp by diligent experiment, the rule itself has been so tempered by God's inspiration that with God's help you may keep it entirely; and therefore before God and His angels we adjure you that nothing further be changed or diminished therein. Wherefore whatever sheets we made before, we will that they be void:

but this one, in which I have written the Recapitulation with my own hand, I ask and admonish that, with God as helper, you fulfill faithfully and happily without any diminution; ceaselessly imploring the help of God, lest the ancient enemy hinder you with his venomous counsel, who is wont to drag down those who consent to him, from the very summit of heaven to the depths of hell. Wherefore, holy and venerable daughters, I admonish you to strive with all strength and most watchful solicitude to repel his suggestions: and so run with God's help that you may be able to lay hold (1 Cor. 9): because not he who has begun, but he who has persevered unto the end, this one shall be saved (Matt. 24).

And although I believe that the things written above your holy devotion both always keeps in memory, and, with Christ's help, strives to fulfill not only faithfully but even happily, yet, that the things we have established may cleave the more tenaciously to your holy heart, we will that this little Recapitulation, which I have written with my own hand, be made: which I ask that, God inspiring, you both gladly receive, and continually strive with God's help to keep. I. For this is what we especially wish to be observed by you without any diminution: that none of you, even until her death, either be permitted or presume by herself to go out of the monastery, or out of that basilica in which you have your gate. II.

That none have a private cell; that she have no familiarity or any secret fellowship, whether with religious or with lay persons, whether men or women. III. Nor let one alone be permitted to speak with one alone even for a moment of time: nor let her receive their garments to wash, or dye, or keep, or sew, and, as we established in the rule itself, let her not dare secretly to send anything from within to outside, or to receive anything from outside within. IV. Let none possess anything of her own, either outside or within, nor reserve anything for her own disposal; but, as we said above, having made deeds to whomever she will, let her be free from every entanglement; on account of that which the Lord says:

'If anyone does not renounce all that he possesses, he cannot be my disciple' (Luke 14). And this: 'If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself' (Matt. 16). She who has been commanded to deny herself, with what face does she presume to reserve for herself anything of the entanglements of this world? And does she not rather shudder at what is written, that the entanglements of the world have made us wretched? And diligently heed that word of the Apostle: 'I wish,' he says, 'you to be without solicitude' (1 Cor. 7). And she who faithfully observes these things may say with secure conscience: 'The world is crucified to me, and I to the world' (Gal. 6). And this: 'I have counted all things as dung, that I may gain Christ' (Phil. 3). V.

Let no banquet be prepared either for the bishop of this city, or of another, or for any of men, as we ordained in this rule. VI. Let letters of no man, not even of kinsfolk, be received secretly, nor without the abbess's permission let any letters whatever be sent to anyone. VII. I admonish more especially that, as we have already said, they never have in use garments that are shining, or black, or with purple, or hyacinth-dyed, but only natural and milk-white. Let them never bind their heads higher than the measure we have made in this place with ink. Let them do all their works in common. VIII. Whoever comes to conversion, let the rule be read to her rather often in the parlor;

so that if with ready and free will she has professed that she will fulfill all the institutions of the rule, let her remain there as long as shall seem just and reasonable to the abbess; but if she says she cannot fulfill the rule, let her not be received at all. IX. Let the gate of the monastery never be made outside the basilica by your will or with your permission; and at the hours of evening, night, and midday let it never lie open, yet so that at those hours when it is closed, the abbess keep the keys with herself. X. Yet that very abbess of the holy congregation, to whom it is permitted neither to possess anything, nor to have anything of her own, I adjure, with God as mediator, that as far as possibility allows, she provide the things that are necessary for her sisters. XI.

Let feather-work, and ornaments, and purple garments, and every kind of damask never be made in the monastery, on account of that word of the Apostle: 'No man that warreth for God entangleth himself with secular business, that he may please Him to whom he has proved himself' (2 Tim. 2). XII. As often as the holy abbess shall depart to God, let none of you, out of carnal affection, or for the sake of birth, or of kindred, wish anyone less capable to be made abbess; but all of you, Christ inspiring, unanimously choose a holy and spiritual woman, who can both effectively keep the rule of the monastery, and wisely render a response with edification and compunction and holy affection to those who come; so that all people, who seek you out with great faith and reverence for their own edification,

may bless God the more abundantly, and rejoice spiritually both over your choice, and over the conversation of her whom you choose. XIII. And although, holy daughters and to me alone in Christ venerable with singular charity, I am secure concerning the obedience of your holy devotion, yet out of fatherly solicitude, because I desire you to be like the angels, again and again I ask, and by almighty God I adjure you, that you permit nothing to be diminished of the institution of the holy rule, but with all your strength labor that it be kept, the Lord helping; knowing that each one shall receive her own reward according to her own labor (1 Cor. 3).

And this above all I ask, that your holiness receive our admonition not fleetingly: for we speak not out of our own presumption, but according to what is read in the canonical Scriptures, and is most abundantly contained in the books of the ancient Fathers, we wholesomely admonish you with great affection and true charity; and because you read that whoever shall neglect one least commandment shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5), do not despise the words of our humility as though least, on account of that which is written: 'He that despises you, despises me' (Luke 10). And this: 'He that despises small things shall fall little by little' (Sir. 19).

For just as in any carnal contest each one is the more cast down, the smaller and weaker the person who overcomes; so also in the spiritual contest, upon him who has been negligent in the least things shall be fulfilled that which is written: 'Whoever keeps the whole law, but offends in one point, is become guilty of all' (James 2).

Thinking on this with great not only fear but even trembling, while my soul dreads lest even any small sins creep upon you, I not only admonish, but likewise implore and adjure, and with great affection of charity beseech you, that I may deserve happily to see you come together without confusion into that eternal blessedness, into the fellowship of the angels and of all the saints, and with holy Mary and with all the other virgins to receive crowns of glory, and to follow the heavenly Lamb: that with all your heart and all your soul you strive to fulfill the commands set forth above, through which you may happily attain to eternal rewards. XIV.

This too—which I do not believe, nor will God in His mercy suffer to happen—if at any time whatever abbess should attempt to change or relax anything of the institution of this rule; or, for the sake of kindred, or for any condition whatever, should wish to have subjection or familiarity to the bishop of this city, do you, God inspiring you, by our permission in this matter resist with reverence and gravity, and by no reasoning permit this to be done; but according to the sacred charter of the most holy pope of the city of Rome, strive by the Lord's help to fortify yourselves in all things. But especially concerning the Recapitulation written below, which I have written and subscribed with my own hand, I adjure that nothing whatever be diminished.

For whatever abbess, or whatever prioress, shall attempt to do anything against the institution of the holy rule, let them know that they have a case to plead with me before the tribunal of Christ. And if perchance—which God forbid—there be any of our daughters so obstinate of mind that she disdains to fulfill the recapitulation of this rule, wholesomely written and according to the institution of the holy Fathers, remove her from the assembly of your holy congregation, kindled with the zeal of the Holy Spirit; and let her be kept apart in the cell of the parlor for so long as, doing worthy penance, she humbly begs pardon; and until she corrects herself according to the institutions of the rule, let her not return within.

We say these things for this reason, because it is to be feared lest, while the negligence of one is indulged, and she is not corrected according to the rule, others, who could have made progress, be corrupted. But we trust, by the mercy of God, that while you holy women act spiritually, and correct with true charity those who are negligent, you may happily and together come to the eternal rewards, our Lord Jesus Christ bestowing them, to whom is honor and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen. XV. Let the mother of the monastery strive so to temper the fast from Pentecost until the calends of September, according as she shall see strength or possibility; and from the calends of September until the calends of November, one must fast on the second, fourth, and sixth day of the week.

But from the calends of November until the Lord's Nativity, except for feast days or the Sabbath, one ought to fast on all days. Before Epiphany one must fast seven days. But from Epiphany until the week of Lent one must fast on the second, fourth, and sixth day. On the Lord's Nativity and Epiphany one must keep vigil from the third hour of the night until daylight. XVI. We have thought that the order of the meal too should be inserted into this rule. On all days of fasting, let three dishes be prepared, at the midday meal only two. On the greater feasts let additional courses be added at the midday meal and at supper; and as they leave it, sweets are to be added.

But on ordinary days at the midday meal in summer they shall receive two portions of hot food, in winter at the midday meal two portions of hot food; at the light refreshment three portions of hot food; but at supper two portions of hot food suffice. The younger, however, shall receive two portions at the midday meal, at supper, and at the refreshment. XVII. Fowl are to be provided only to the sick: for in the community they are never to be served. But flesh-meat shall never at all be taken as food by anyone. If perchance any be in desperate infirmity, let her receive it by the command of the provident abbess. XVIII.

You at length, most devout sisters, before the Lord God I beseech and implore, that to my lowliness, and to your holy mothers, that is, to the founders of the rule and the establishers of the monastery, you render this thanks in perpetuity: that for us day and night the intercession of your charity may keep watch, that the entreaty of your holiness may prevail by public prayer whether in the daily solemnities or in the nightly vigils, so that your entreaty, ascending to the sight of the Lord, may constitute me a worthy bishop for His Church, or those women worthy to be set over the service of the holy virgins, and may grant it:

and that when we shall have begun, before His tribunal, to render an account of the talents entrusted to us, if there be any faults or negligences, whether mine regarding the care of the Church, or your mothers' regarding those committed to them, the Lord may, by your intercession, deign to remit them to us, and to heal the wounds of our faults with the medicine of remission. Because faults are not amended unless He remit them at the prayers of the saints; nor does He remit them, unless they have been amended. XIX.

And because, for the safekeeping of the monastery, certain doors—whether in the old baptistery, or in the school, or the weaving-room, or in the tower beside the orchard—have been shut and condemned, let no one ever presume to open them under any pretext of usefulness whatever: but let it be permitted to the holy congregation to resist, and let them not permit those things to be done which they perceive to be unsuited to their good name or their quiet.