The Name of Abbot (II:3)
11 Jan. 12 May. 11 Sept.
Therefore, when anyone receiveth the name of Abbot, he ought to govern his disciples by a two-fold teaching: that is, he should shew forth all goodness and holiness by his deeds rather than his words: declaring to the intelligent among his disciples the commandments of the Lord by words: but to the hard-hearted and the simple minded setting forth the divine precepts by the example of his deeds. And let him shew by his own actions that those things ought not to be done which he has taught his disciples to be against the law of God; lest, while preaching to others, he should himself become a castaway, and God should say to him in his sin: “Why dost thou declare My justice, and take My covenant in thy mouth? Thou hast hated discipline, and hast cast My words behind thee.” And again: “Thou who sawest the mote in thy brother’s eye, didst thou not see the beam in thine own?”
Having spoken of the abbot’s responsibility to live up to his name and give an account of his teaching, Saint Benedict proceeds today to describe how the abbot is to teach. The section is found almost word for word in the Rule of the Master; that is to say, on this subject Saint Benedict is content to hand on faithfully the tradition he has received. While, as has been observed, Saint Benedict is careful to situate his abbot within the structure of the Church’s hierarchy, and to avoid any abuse of the great authority he is given, nonetheless Saint Benedict accepts the basic understanding of the abbot rooted in the tradition of the Desert Fathers, namely, that the abbot’s chief role is to be a teacher in the ways of God. The purpose of his fatherhood in the monastery is to help each monk to advance in holiness of life.
This passage gives two related points about the abbot’s teaching: (1) his teaching should consist in deeds even more than in words; (2) his teaching must take account of the capabilities of the different individuals. The development of these points is rather interesting. The section begins by saying that the teaching must be twofold, i.e. by deeds and words. But almost immediately Saint Benedict proceeds to give pride of place to deeds: factis amplius quam verbis. This, combined with the warnings at the end of the section taken from Psalm 49 and from the Sermon on the Mount, establishes the principle that the abbot’s example is his most important form of teaching, as was already implied in the opening line of the chapter: debet…nomen majoris factis implere, ‘He ought to fulfill the name of superior by his deeds.’
Why are the abbot’s deeds more important than his words? Because what he has to teach is not primarily speculative doctrine (although orthodox theology is certainly an essential precondition for a sound religious life), but rather the practical science of holy monastic living. And a practical science—rather, an art—can only be learned by practice, based on a model. Father Kardong succinctly observes: ‘Facts can be conveyed by words, but one can only teach behaviour by behaviour.’ (Kardong, p. 54)
On a deeper level, the abbot’s example is demanded by the principle that opened the chapter: that he acts on behalf of Christ. And while Christ, the Divine Teacher, does indeed teach us through His words as transmitted by the Apostles in Scripture and Tradition—while Revelation, as our student brothers have learned, can be expressed in propositions—nonetheless the fulness of God’s Revelation consists not just in any particular spoken or written word but in the Person of the Word Himself, become incarnate for us. While Our Lord’s words in the Gospels give us the commandments and counsels we need to live a holy life, His most effective teaching consists in the example of His own life as the God-Man, made obedient even unto death. If, then, the abbot is to be a fitting representative of Christ, the only true Father and Master of souls, then he must give attention first to the teaching conveyed by his example.
But Saint Benedict goes on, with great psychological acumen, to give a further precision to the relationship between deeds and words, as he introduces for the first time the principle that will recur later in the chapter, and will in fact pervade the entire Holy Rule: that the abbot must be attentive to each of his sons individually, with all of their infirmities, and choose the means that will be most effective in leading each one to holiness. In this case, he must recognise that deeds are more important than words because, while for some capable disciples words are enough, there are others whom words will not reach, and who can only be taught by example. And these latter may be impervious to words either because of their lack of intelligence (simplicioribus) or because of the stubbornness of their heart (duris corde). The latter point may be surprising: Father Kardong observes that ‘good example would not seem to be a very effective approach to the stubborn’ (p. 54). It is true that the stubbornness of some may in fact require the abbot to augment his teaching with rebukes and even punishments, as the latter part of this chapter will acknowledge. Still it is also true that at times, when a hard heart prevents the intellect from receiving verbal instruction, the example of a holy life, the joy and the divine charity that shine forth in the conduct of one possessed by the love of God, can soften the heart and accomplish what no amount of teaching or even chastisement could have done. It is thus that the Divine Teacher chose to melt our hard hearts by displaying His love in this, that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. The abbot, if he is live up to his name and to teach as Christ taught, can do no differently.