Benedictine-Anselm Grün reveals: So I fight against the summer heat!

Benedictine-Anselm Grün reveals: So I fight against the summer heat!

Under the scorching summer heat, which also hesitates the Benedictine monastery in Münsterschwarzach near Würzburg, Anselm Grün, a renowned Benedictine and bestselling author, has to share a practical liifehack from the monastery. In a current conversation, he explained how he deals with the hot weather. "You wear shorts under the habit," he reveals with a smile. On very warm days, he even pulls out his monky cowl to cool down comfortably. With his long, black religious robe, he looks traditionally, but there is a modern attitude to life behind this facade.

The Benedictines, also known as monks and nuns, who follow the rule of the Holy Benedict of Nursia from the 6th century, are anything but antiquated. This oldest still existing monastic movement of the Catholic Church is firmly anchored in today's life. As for the character and design of their religious life, the Benedictines are guided by a deeply anchored tradition. The rule demands a balanced balance between prayer, work, and study - as the proven motto "Ora et laboratory" (pray and work) shows.

topicality by tradition

In times of change, it is particularly important to keep your own traditions alive. This serves the monk rule, which continuously adapts to the challenges of the time, as the Benediktiner-Web page . With a constant review and joint development, tailored to current questions, this rule remains relevant and useful. Benedictines are involved in a variety of professions, be it as a pastor, teacher or craftsman, and thus devote themselves to current topics.

The order itself has an eventful story that goes back to the first monastery foundations in Subiaco, near Rome, in the early 6th century. Benedikt von Nursia, the founder, has not only reorganized monastery life with his rule, but also raised the spirituality of the work to a new level. Due to the time, however, the social conditions have always changed, and the Benedictines had to adapt without losing their roots.

a path of the community

An important element of Benedictine spirituality is the community. Bundling and working together is in the foreground, as described by the Heiligenlexikon . The preservation of these values ​​leads to a constant dialogue between tradition and modernity, which is fundamental for the survival of the monastic life. For example, there are reforms today that influence the monastery life of the Benedictines in order to be able to react to world events.

Overall, it turns out that the order not only had its value in the past, but still plays an important role today. With Anselm Green, a committed monk gives this legacy a modern note and shows us how you can stay calm even in heat times - maybe not only outside, but also within the walls of the monastery.