Концепт гостољубља и трпезно правило у уставима Св. Бенедикта Нурсијског и Св. Саве Српског

Abstract

У раду разматрамо прописе о монашкој трпези у Правилу Св. Бенедикта Нурсијског и Хиландарском и Студеничком типику Св. Саве Српског. Св. Бенедикт је пред очима имао поуке Св. Јована Касијана, док се Св. Сава угледао на типик Евергетидског манастира у Цариграду. Оба аутора велику пажњу поклањају, не само врсти и количини хране и пића која се износи пред монахе, већ и понашању за трпезом. Монашка трпезарија представља једну од главних просторија манастирског комплекса. У православном свету она припада култном простору, док у бенедиктинским опатијама чини прелаз између сакралне и стамбене зоне. Заједничко обедовање представља наставак богослужења у обе традиције, због чега му се и поклања велика пажња. Без обзира на то што постоје извесне разлике, обе традиције веома држе до гостољубља, јер присуство гостију, посебно оних који су сиромашни, болесни, одбачени од породице и шире заједнице, као и ходочасника, монахе подсећа на непрекидно служење Христу кроз одрицање од властите удобности и прихватање другог и другачијег.

This paper examines the ordinances regulating the dining rules for monks as defined in the Rule of St Benedict of Nursia as well as the Chilandar and Studenica Typikons of St Sava of Serbia. St Benedict had kept in mind St John Cassian’s recommendations, while St Sava look to the typikon of the Evergetide Monastery in Constantinople. Both authors paid great attention not only to the type and the quantity of food and drinks laid before the brethren, but also to the behaviour at the dining table. The dining room is considered one of the main rooms in a monastery complex. In the Orthodox world it is part of the cult area, while in the Benedictine abbey it is a transitory place between sacral and residential zones. Both traditions consider communal meals a continuation of the worship, which is why they much attention is paid to them. St Benedict and St Sava have both regulated that the monks should arrive to meals on time, that they should dine in silence, without exaggerated movements and gestures, so they can concentrate not only on eating and drinking, but also on the listening of the excerpts from the Holy Bible or hagiographies which are read by one of the brothers. Monks are supposed to have maximum two meals a day and both before sunset. All three sets of rules insist on orderly kitchens and dining rooms, hygiene rules and restraint from excessive intake of food or drinks. Food preparation and consumption outside the dining room is forbidden both to the Benedictine order monks and to the Serbian monks on Athos and in Studenica. The duties of a cellerariusi.e. of the dining table attendant and their assistants were defined in detail. Gluttony and negligent behaviour were punished first by oral reprimand and if it failed to give result, then by removal from the dining table and other punishments decided upon by the priors of the monasteries: abbots i.e. hegumen. St Sava assigned much more attention to the eating during Easter, Christmas or St Peter’s fasting periods, while St Benedict mentioned fasting in the passing, as something taken for granted. As far as the concept of hospitability is concerned, it is evident that the two communities for which the rules were written, differ in some aspects. As it happens, Montecassino as St Benedict’s endowment and Studenica as the endowment of rulers, were much more open to receiving guests – some of whom were quite eminent. Moreover, it is regulated that many events of significance to the monastic community should take place in the presence of representatives of both civil and church governments. St Sava has regulated how to greet the guests in the Chilandar typikon, as copied from the Evergetide typikon, but this was probably hard to implement consistently on Mount Athos where access was quite restricted to strangers, in comparison to other monasteries. Regardless of evident differences, both traditions show much respect for the concept of hospitability, because the presence of guests, especially those of poor station, the sick, the abandoned by their families or wider communities, as well as pilgrims, remind the monks of the continuous service to Christ through relinquishing personal comforts and acceptance of others and otherness.