Hospitality. Community. Stability. Prayer. Obedience. Humility. Conversation. Discipline. Love. Stewardship.

These ten hallmarks of Benedictine spirituality have been shaping my life for the better part of fifteen years, from attending and working at a Benedictine college to now serving at St. Benedict Classical Academy. Each of these hallmarks draws our hearts toward the Divine and helps us “listen with the ear of our hearts” (Rule of Saint Benedict, 1).

For the past few years, I have helped oversee the Benedictine Guild, a program for our oldest students to grow in skills beyond the academic classroom and to learn to listen with the ear of their hearts.

In the Guild’s first two years, Philippians 4:8 shaped our meetings: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Our quarterly sessions focused on etiquette, conversation-making, serving others, and finding God within our neighbor. Activities and community service projects not only helped students turn their attention outward but also disciplined their hearts to focus on what is true and noble.

This year, we’ve taken a new approach. Our Dean of Academics, Mrs. Karen Celano, suggested we connect each virtue of the month with one of the ten Benedictine hallmarks. September’s virtue of the month is justice, defined as giving each his or her due.

During our first Guild meeting last week, our sixth-grade students reflected on how we decide to treat one another. Beginning in small groups of four, they found simple similarities – “We’ve all been to New Hampshire,” and “We all like swimming.” As we combined groups, statements became broader – “We are not twins,” “We are all girls,” and finally, “We all have eyes.”

At the end of the activity, I led our middle school students in a large-group discussion. It was enlightening! Do they ever treat a classmate differently because they don’t like dogs? Or because they don’t play soccer at recess? No, they discovered. Just as “we all have eyes,” so, too, are they children of God, created with innate dignity and deserving of love – both ours and God’s.

May the Benedictine hallmarks continue to guide our hearts toward all that is good, true, noble, and just.

AUTHOR: Riley Casey, Director of Operations