Chapters 8-19 in
The Rule of St. Benedict, as noted last week, deal mainly with the Divine Office, the praying of the psalms considered to be the main work of the monks. We come out of that material in Chapter 20 which is entitled "Reverence in Prayer." Benedict instructs:
3We must know that God regards our purity of heart and tears of compunction, not our many words. 4Prayer should therefore be short and pure, unless perhaps it is prolonged under the inspiration of divine grace. 5In community, however, prayer should always be brief...
All I can say is Amen to that.
