Liturgisches Gebet. Raum, Zeit und Gemeinschaft in benediktinischer Perspektive

Abstract

Liturgical prayer constitutes space, time and community in Benedictine monasteries. Recent field-explorations indicate that visitors to abbey churches appreciate liturgical tradition and ascribe sacred meaning to their experiences. Furthermore, monks and nuns describe the shape of the Divine office, their personal attitude and their spiritual experience as constitutive for their spiritual practice. Until now, Monastic sources and their re-invention are not included in these liturgical studies. But what is the liturgical-spiritual motivation of liturgical prayer according to the Rule of Saint Benedict and its historical re-inventions? In this article, we explore this question, by using interpretative keys for selected liturgical spiritual texts from Benedictine tradition. First, we describe the Liturgical Movement in the 19th century as an example, especially the Abbey of Solesmes, using key texts of its founder Prosper Guéranger. After that, we read and interpret passages from the Rule and the Vita of St Benedict on space, time and community in liturgical prayer. Finally, we summarize our analysis by presenting reflective questions that offer an instrument for liturgical-spiritual reflection that can be helpful for liturgical studies and liturgical practice, inside and outside monasteries.