Balance, proportion and harmony are central and underpin everything. Perhaps it’s unrealistic today to approach the world like the great masters of the Renaissance, being skilled in every feld and placing art and science on the same level. Today there is just too much to be known; but what are we losing if we do not?

Are not all the elements of our make-up God-given and worthy of equal respect? Where is the interconnectedness between mind, body and spirit today? If our learning is not integrated into our whole person, then it is not learning at all, it’s an exercise in memory recall. A Benedictine Ethos insists on the acceptance of every element within the person and the acceptance of each member of the community. It sees each activity of the day as valuable and signifcant in its own right and does not encourage extremism, over-activity or workaholism. We are essentially rhythmic creatures and life needs rhythm and balance if it is to be consistently good and not drain from us the possibility of being or becoming whole in ourselves.

Abbot Brendan Coffey OSB