{"id":707,"date":"2024-03-16T10:34:10","date_gmt":"2024-03-16T10:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/abbayedeleffe.spinternet.be\/fr\/?page_id=707"},"modified":"2026-04-10T14:50:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T14:50:11","slug":"augustin","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.abbaye-de-leffe.be\/en\/augustin\/","title":{"rendered":"1.2 Saint Augustine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Saint Augustine<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Saint Augustine – sculpture at Leffe Abbey<\/mark><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Augustine of Hippo (now Annaba in Algeria) is an important figure for the Premonstratensians. Although he lived nearly seven centuries before Saint Norbert, his influence should not be underestimated: Saint Norbert chose the Rule of Saint Augustine as the rule of life for his nascent order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Augustine was born in 354 in Thagaste (now Souk Ahras in Algeria). Living in the Roman Empire, he taught philosophy and rhetoric in Carthage, Rome and Milan. A follower of Manichaean dualism, he met the Bishop of Milan, Saint Ambrose, and turned to Christianity. He was baptised on Easter night in 387.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After his baptism, he returned to Thagaste where he founded a community of laypeople. In 391, he was ordained a priest, then in 395 elected coadjutor bishop of Hippo. From 396 until his death in 430, he was bishop of that city. There, he founded a community of clerics in his episcopal residence. It was for this community that he wrote his Praeceptum<\/em>, the monastic rule still followed today by the Premonstratensians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Monastic Rule of Saint Augustine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Saint Augustine wrote the Rule primarily for a community of lay men and women whom he called \u2018servants of God\u2019. This \u2018Precept\u2019 (Latin: Praeceptum<\/em>) was composed around 397.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Augustine\u2019s Rule comprises eight chapters heavily inspired by the Bible. The fundamental principles of this fairly concise Rule are organised around the ideal of the first Christian community in Jerusalem, described in chapter four of the Acts of the Apostles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each chapter of the Rule describes an aspect of community life:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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La r\u00e8gle de saint Augustin dans son int\u00e9gralit\u00e9 (traduction de l’abb\u00e9 Raulx)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Saint Augustin – manuscrit de la r\u00e8gle de Saint Augustin – Abbaye de Leffe<\/mark><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Chapitre 1<\/em><\/strong>

La vie communautaire qu\u2019Augustin envisage se fonde sur la mise en commun des biens, \u00e0 la suite de la premi\u00e8re communaut\u00e9 chr\u00e9tienne de J\u00e9rusalem. L\u2019amour fraternel et l\u2019\u00e9galit\u00e9 des membres y trouvent leur origine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapitre 2<\/em><\/strong>

Dans un tr\u00e8s bref chapitre sur la pri\u00e8re, Augustin invite \u00e0 ce que les paroles que prononcent les l\u00e8vres  vivent \u00e9galement dans le c\u0153ur.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Chapitre 3<\/em><\/strong>

Dans ce chapitre Augustin parle des repas et du je\u00fbne. Avec compassion et souci des plus petits, Augustin n\u2019\u00e9rige pas l\u2019aust\u00e9rit\u00e9 en principe absolu mais pr\u00eate une attention particuli\u00e8res aux malades et faibles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapitre 4<\/em><\/strong>

Augustin traite dans ce chapitre de la mani\u00e8re de se rapporter au monde ext\u00e9rieur. Il invite \u00e9galement \u00e0 la correction fraternelle qui ne vise pas tant \u00e0 sanctionner qu\u2019\u00e0 prendre soin les uns des autres puisque Dieu habite en nous et au milieu de nous.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Chapitre 5<\/em><\/strong>

Dans cette partie de sa R\u00e8gle, Augustin donne des \u00e9l\u00e9ments tr\u00e8s pratiques pour la vie quotidienne de la communaut\u00e9 : la gestion des v\u00eatements et de dons, l\u2019hygi\u00e8ne personnelle, la sant\u00e9, le traitement des malades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapitre 6<\/em><\/strong>

Ici, Augustin nous m\u00e8ne au c\u0153ur d\u2019un domaine essentiel dans la vie de la communaut\u00e9 : vivre ensemble en fr\u00e8res capables de se pardonner et de se r\u00e9concilier. Se r\u00e9concilier est le signe ext\u00e9rieur de cette r\u00e9alit\u00e9 int\u00e9rieure que nous essayons de vivre : l\u2019Evangile.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Chapitre 7<\/em><\/strong>

\u00c0 la fin de la r\u00e8gle, Augustin traite du service de l\u2019autorit\u00e9 et de l\u2019amour qui doit toujours guider chaque membre de la communaut\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapitre 8<\/em><\/strong>

En conclusion de la R\u00e8gle, Augustin invite \u00e0 lire cette r\u00e8gle chaque semaine afin que, comme dans un miroir, chacun puisse y voir les progr\u00e8s qu\u2019il fait dans son engagement communautaire.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Our coordinates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Place de l’Abbaye 1
5500 Dinant (Belgique)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

T\u00e9l. +32 (0)82 22 23 77
Contact us by email<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Daily schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Throughout the week<\/strong>
7 am Matins and Lauds
(Mondays and Saturdays 7.30 am)
11 am Eucharist
6 pm Adoration
6.30 pm Vespers
8.30 pm Compline (not on Mondays)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Sundays and holidays<\/strong>
7.30 am Matins and Lauds

10.30 am Eucharist
6 pm Adoration
6.30 pm Vespers
8.30 pm Compline<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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