Louis Malaybalay

1ALM

The Ten Benedictine Hallmarks:

Conversatio: The Way of Formation and Transformation
Generally, Conversatio is the transformation of one’s life towards God so that God’s image
and likeness becomes transparent and manifest from their lives by commuting it through their
actions, beliefs and perceptions. The way of conversatio basically starts in small steps and leads to
larger ones over a lifetime. The Benedictine word for this way for life of transformation and
formation is “conversatio”.

Benedictines haven't chosen an English term that directly interprets from this Latin word.
John McQuiston’s phrase “always we begin again” offers a useful explanation. Saint Benedict
emphasizes that monks are to improve and heighten their relationship with God and others every
day by continuous practice. During the morning, they wake with prayers regarding new life, within
the evenings their prayers are regarding attainment of internal peace by laying their burdens to
rest, forgiving themselves and others. This daily cycle is simply one representation of their vow
to wake with chance to recommit to the monastic routine in order that they'll work toward an
ultimate goal which is to serve God and others. As humans, we have our downfalls. Generally,
we tend to be impatient or feel too busy for things which are actually important in the preservation
of critical values in our lives. Benedictines, through conversation, delivers us the message to
recommit every morning to it which is a necessity in our lives. It is a chance to forgive ourselves
and others for that we’ve done wrong or failed to do. The vow of conversatio invites the most
effective versions of ourselves to show up every day. Invariably we start again from our humble
beginning.

Conversatio, is given emphasis by Joel Rippinger, OSB, on the commitment to practice the
transformation of one’s life into the likeness of Christ on a course of a lifetime. This strongly
asserts that the way to Christian formation must be centered in our lives and in our actions. It
should be our lifelong commitment to engage in conversatio because internal transformation does
not happen for a certain period in time or perfected by a single instance or occurrence but it does
happen through deliberate commitment for it to be manifested upon an individual. Conversatio
does not solely revolve upon a choice of personal conversion but also, it is channeled by how an
individual affect other by emanating the qualities of the way to conversatio. To secure its
culmination for practice, conversatio requires stability, discipline, faithfulness and resilience.

Conversatio Today: A Symbol of Benedictine Education

San Beda University and various Benedictine colleges, universities and communities
which attributes to education, are called out to break the barriers of conventional learning methods
inside a class to move outside of their comfort zone for the sake of learning, integrity and
application of what has been learned inside the four walls of the classroom. This necessitates that
learning should not be confined within the scope of academe, it should break free and reach out
the world to serve others by way of Christian formation and transformation, which is conversatio.
The such serves as a strong foundation in giving an excellent quality of education by instilling it
on the process of learning for many students. This inculcates the values of transformation by way
of giving them a chance to live their lives with a choice to gravitate back to God despite the distance
which separates them.

Benedictine education carries conversatio by having the courage to focus on the mind by
virtue of teaching which requires many years to develop. This can be seen through programs
offered throughout the years which teaches the students the formation of Benedictine spirituality
among themselves. In curricular or extra-curricular programs, conversatio seeks to challenge the
realities which we take for granted to foster intellectual and personal breakthroughs. To nurture
the minds of the students in giving them proper education and spiritual awareness is to transform
them to live a life of conversatio which they will carry and practice for a lifetime.

References
Bockman A. (2005), OSB, Perspectives on the Rule of Saint Benedict: Expanding Our Hearts in
Christ (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2005), 163-194.
Leclerq J, OSB (1982), The Love of Learning and the Desire for God: A Study of Monastic
Culture, 3rd ed., (NY: Fordham University Press, 1982).
Rippinger J. (1990), OSB, The Benedictine Order in the United States: An Interpretive Essay
(Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1990), 116-29.