Benedictine spirituality
is a sacramental spirituality.
It holds all things—
the earth and all its goods—
as sacred.

We are co-creators with God
of what creation has left unfinished.
What has been left in embryo
is left for us to develop.
What has been developed
God trusts us to bring to full potential.

But not for ourselves alone.

Co-creation,
the human commitment
to continue the work of God
on earth,
requires us to tend the land
and conserve the waters,
to till the garden
and protect the animals,
to use the things of the earth
in ways that enhance all life now—
and preserve them
for later generations, as well.

Benedictine spirituality seeks a balanced life,
one in harmony with all its parts—
earth, fire, air, and water,
animals, plants, females and males—
all alive in the heart of God.

—from The Monastery of the Heart by Joan Chittister (BlueBridge)