Mar 4;  July 4;  Nov 3

(RM 14:7-8, 12; 15:26)

CHAPTER 27:  THE KIND OF SOLICITUDE THE ABBOT SHOULD HAVE FOR THE EXCOMMUNICATED

XXVII  QUALITER DEBEAT ABBAS SOLLICITUS ESSE CIRCA EXCOMMUNICATOS

    ¹ It is with all solicitude that the abbot should care for delinquent brothers, for it is not the healthy who have need of a physician, but those who are sick  (Matt 9:12).  ² And thus he should in every way act as a wise physician, sending senpectae, that is older and wise brothers, ³ who can, as it were in secret, console the wavering brother and convince him to make humble satisfaction, thus comforting him, lest he be devoured by excessive sorrow (2 Cor 2:7); ⁴ rather, as the apostle also says, Let love towards him be intensified (2 Cor 2:8) and let all pray for him

¹ Omni sollicitudine curam gerat abbas circa delinquentes fratres, quia non est opus sanis medicus sed male habentibus. ² Et ideo uti debet omni modo ut sapiens medicus, immittere senpectas, id est seniores sapientes fratres, ³ qui quasi secrete consolentur fratrem fluctuantem et provocent ad humilitatis satisfactionem et consolentur eum ne abundantiori tristitia absorbeatur, ⁴ sed, sicut ait item apostolus, confirmetur in eo caritas et oretur pro eo ab omnibus.

    ⁵ With the greatest possible solicitude the abbot should hasten to employ all wisdom and diligence so as not to lose any one of the sheep entrusted to him.  ⁶ For he should know that he has undertaken to care for weak souls, not to exercise tyranny over the strong; ⁷ and he ought to fear the threat of the prophet in which God says:  What you saw to be fat you took for youselves, and what was injured you cast away (Ezek 34:10,4-6).  ⁸ And he should imitate the loving example of the good shepherd, who, leaving the ninety-nine sheep on the mountains, went to seek the one which had lost its way: ⁹ its weakness inspired such compassion that He deigned to place it on His own sacred shoulders and thus carry it back to the flock (Luke 15:5).

    ⁵ Magnopere enim debet sollicitudinem gerere abbas et omni sagacitate et industria currere, ne aliquam de ovibus sibi creditis perdat. ⁶ Noverit enim se infirmarum curam suscepisse animarum, non super sanas tyrannidem; ⁷ et metuat prophetae comminationem per quam dicit Deus: Quod crassum videbatis assumebatis et quod debile erat proiciebatis. ⁸ Et pastoris boni pium imitetur exemplum, qui, relictis nonaginta novem ovibus in montibus, abiit unam ovem quae erraverat quaerere; ⁹ cuius infirmitati in tantum compassus est, ut eam in sacris humeris suis dignaretur imponere et sic reportare ad gregem.

Mar 5;  July 5;  Nov 4 

(RM 13:68-73)

CHAPTER 28:  THOSE WHO,  DESPITE FREQUENT CORRECTION, DO NOT AMEND

XXVIII  DE HIS QUI SAEPIUS CORREPTI EMENDARE NOLUERINT

    ¹ If a brother who is frequently corrected for some fault, or even excommunicated, does not amend, he should receive a more severe correcion: that is, let the punishment of beatings be administered to him.  ² If he then does not correct himself, or even (may it never happen!), inflamed with pride, he wishes to defend his actions, then the abbot should act as a wise physician:

    ¹ Si quis frater frequenter correptus pro qualibet culpa, si etiam excommunicatus non emendaverit, acrior ei accedat correptio, id est ut verberum vindicta in eum procedant. ² Quod si nec ita correxerit, aut forte‑‑ quod absit‑‑ in superbia elatus etiam defendere voluerit opera sua, tunc abbas faciat quod sapiens medicus:

³ if he has applied compresses and the ointment of his admonitions,

the medicine of the Sacred Scriptures,

and ultimately the cautery of excommunication or strokes of the rod;

³ si exhibuit fomenta, si unguenta adhortationum,

si medicamina scripturarum divinarum,

si ad ultimum ustionem excommunicationis vel plagarum virgae,

    ⁶ But if even by this means he is not healed, then the abbot may use the knife for amputation, as the apostle says:  Banish the evil one from you (1 Cor 5:13), and again:  ⁷If the unfaithful one departs, let him depart (1 Cor 7:15), ⁸ lest one diseased sheep infect the whole flock.

    ⁶ Quod si nec isto modo sanatus fuerit, tunc iam utatur abbas ferro abscisionis, ut ait apostolus: Auferte malum ex vobis, ⁷ et iterum: Infidelis, si discedit, discedat, ⁸ ne una ovis morbida omnem gregem contagiet.

Mar 6;  July 6;  Nov 5

(RM 64:1-4)

CHAPTER 29:  WHETHER BROTHERS WHO LEAVE THE MONASTERY MAY BE READMITTED

XXIX  SI DEBEANT FRATRES EXEUNTES DE MONASTERIO ITERUM RECIPI

    ¹ If a brother who through his own evil action departs from the monastery, then wishes to return, he should first promise the complete amendment of that which caused his departure.  ² Then he is to be received back in the lowest place, so that in this way his humility may be tried. ³ If he should again depart, he may be received back up to the third time; but after this he must know that all possibility of return will be denied him.

¹ Frater qui proprio vitio egreditur de monasterio, si reverti voluerit, spondeat prius omnem emendationem pro quo egressus est, ² et sic in ultimo gradu recipiatur, ut ex hoc eius humilitas comprobetur. ³ Quod si denuo exierit, usque tertio ita recipiatur, iam postea sciens omnem sibi reversionis aditum denegari.

Mar 7;  July 7;  Nov 6

(RM 14:79-86)

CHAPTER 30:  HOW CHILDREN OF TENDER YEARS ARE TO BE CORRECTED

XXX  DE PUERIS MINORI AETATE, QUALITER CORRIPIANTUR

    ¹ Every age and intellectual capacity should receive the measure proper to it.  ² Thus with regard to boys or adolescents or those who lack the ability to understand the significance of the penalty of excommunication, ³ when these commit faults they are to be afflicted with severe fasting or chastised with sharp strokes so they may be healed.

¹ Omnis aetas vel intellectus proprias debet habere mensuras. ² Ideoque, quotiens pueri vel adulescentiores aetate, aut qui minus intellegere possunt quanta poena sit excommunicationis, ³ hi tales dum delinquunt, aut ieiuniis nimiis affligantur aut acris verberibus coerceantur, ut sanentur.

Mar 8;  July 8;  Nov 7

(RM 16:27-37, 62-66)

CHAPTER 31: THE QUALITIES OF THE MONASTERY CELLARER

XXXI  DE CELLARARIO MONASTERII, QUALIS SIT

    ¹ As monastery cellerar there should be chosen from the community one who is wise, of mature character, temperate, not an excessive eater, not haughty, not turbulent, not harmful, not sluggish, not wasteful, ² but God-fearing; one who can act as a father to the whole community.  ³ He is to have charge of everything; ⁴ he is to do nothing without an order from the abbot.  ⁵ He is to keep custody over his orders; ⁶ he is not to sadden the brothers.  ⁷ If one of the brothers happens to request something unreasonably, he is not to treat him with disdain and thus sadden him, rather he must reasonably and with humility deny the bad request. ⁸ He is to keep custody over his own soul, remembering always that apostolic saying: he who has ministered well acquires a good standing for himself (1 Tim 3:13).

¹ Cellararius monasterii eligatur de congregatione, sapiens, maturis moribus, sobrius, non multum edax, non elatus, non turbulentus, non iniuriosus, non tardus, non prodigus, ² sed timens Deum; qui omni congregationi sit sicut pater. ³ Curam gerat de omnibus; ⁴ sine iussione abbatis nihil faciat. ⁵ Quae iubentur custodiat; ⁶ fratres non contristet. ⁷ Si quis frater ab eo forte aliqua irrationabiliter postulat, non spernendo eum contristet, sed  rationabiliter cum humilitate male petenti deneget. ⁸ Animam suam custodiat, memor semper illud apostolicum quia qui bene ministraverit gradum bonum sibi acquirit.

    ⁹ He is to care for the sick, for children, for guests, and for the poor with all solicitude, knowing without doubt that for all these he will have to give an account on the Day of Judgment (cf .Luke 16:2).  ¹⁰ He is to look upon all the vessels and goods of the monastery as though they were the sacred vessels of the altar.  ¹¹ He is not to neglect anything.  ¹² He is not to be avaritious, not wasteful, not be a squanderer of the monastery’s resources; rather he is to do everything in proper measure and according to the order of his abbot.

    ⁹ Infirmorum, infantum, hospitum pauperumque cum omni sollicitudine curam gerat, sciens sine dubio quia pro his omnibus in die iudicii rationem redditurus est. ¹⁰ Omnia vasa monasterii cunctamque substantiam ac si altaris vasa sacrata conspiciat. ¹¹ Nihil ducat neglegendum. ¹² Neque avaritiae studeat, neque prodigus sit et stirpator substantiae monasterii, sed omnia mensurate faciat et secundum iussionem abbatis.

Mar 9;  July 9;  Nov 8

(RM 16:19, 27-37)

    ¹³ Above all else he is to have humility: when he has nothing material to give to one who makes a request he is to offer at least a kind word, ¹⁴ as it is written:  A kind word is higher than the best gift (Sir 18:17).

    ¹³ Humilitatem ante omnia habeat, et cui substantia non est quod tribuatur, sermo responsionis porrigatur bonus, ¹⁴ ut scriptum est: Sermo bonus super datum optimum.

    ¹⁵ All that the abbot has entrusted to him he is to have in his care, and he is not to presume to do what has been forbidden him.  ¹⁶ To the brothers he is to offer their alloted ration of food without condescension or delay, so that they are not scandalized, remembering what the Sacred Text says is merited by one who scandalizes one of these little ones (Matt 18:6).

    ¹⁵ Omnia quae ei iniunxerit abbas, ipsa habeat sub cura sua; a quibus eum prohibuerit, non praesumat. ¹⁶ Fratribus constitutam annonam sine aliquo typho vel mora offerat, ut non scandalizentur, memor divini eloquii quid mereatur qui scandalizaverit unum de pusillis.

    ¹⁷ If the community is large, helpers are to be given to him, thanks to whose assistance he may retain a peaceful soul while fulfilling the office committed to him.  ¹⁸ Only at the appropriate hours are items for distribution to be distributed, or requested items to be requested; so that no one is perturbed or saddened in the house of God.

    ¹⁷ Si congregatio maior fuerit, solacia ei dentur, a quibus adiutus et ipse aequo animo impleat officium sibi commissum. ¹⁸ Horis competentibus dentur quae danda sunt et petantur quae petenda sunt, ¹⁹ ut nemo perturbetur neque contristetur in domo Dei.