Quid in omni actu agendum
The Threefold Measure of Every Action
Every act must be weighed by how reverently we serve God, how cheerfully we serve our neighbor, and how modestly we attend to our own needs.
In every act, this is what matters: how sacred and divine mysteries are to be fulfilled, and how human duties — those that pertain to the use of the body — are to be carried out fittingly. How reverent, how attentive, how devoted and religious a person ought to show themselves in the service of God — and how willing, how cheerful, and how ready to offer themselves in relieving the needs of their neighbors. How restrained, how honorable, and how troublesome to no one they ought to be in seeking and accomplishing the things that pertain to themselves — so that they are always modest toward themselves, ready to help their neighbor, and devoted to God!
Breaking the Will to Yield to Others
The novice must learn in all things to surrender personal will and submit to the rightful authority of others.
How they should grow accustomed to breaking their own will in all things, and to bending themselves to the will of others — as far as what is right and proper has been established — let them learn through all things to yield.
The Interior Person in Every Posture of Life
The novice is called to examine what kind of person they are in every posture and activity, from sitting to fasting to silence.
What kind of person should they be when sitting, when lying down, when walking, when speaking, when silent, when eating, when fasting — what kind of person, finally, when doing anything at all, and when at rest?
Read the original Latin
In omni actu, hoc est qualiter sacra et divina mysteria impleri oporteat, qualiter humana officia, et quae ad usum corporis pertinent exercere conveniat. Quam timoratum, quam sollicitum, quam devotum ac religiosum in Dei servitio homo exhibere se debeat, quam spontaneum, quam hilarem, et quam paratum offerre in sublevandis necessitatibus proximorum. Quam parcum, quam honestum, et quam nulli importunum in iis quae ad se pertinent quaerendis ac perficiendis praestare, ut semper et sibi sit parcus, et proximo promptus, et Deo devotus! Qualiter assuescat suas in omnibus voluntates frangere, et alienis se voluntatibus (quantum fas et decens esse constiterit) per omnia discas inclinare. Qualis sedens, qualis jacens, qualis ambulans, qualis loquens, qualis tacens, qualis comedens, qualis jejunans, qualis denique aliquid agens, et qualis vacans esse debeat.
De Institutione Novitiorum (On the Instruction of Novices) companion
Keep the novice's rule going, one morning at a time
The Chosen Portion app serves a short historic devotional reading and prayer each day, so your new rule has content waiting for you every morning.
Hugh trained novices with fixed daily portions of instruction; Chosen Portion continues that method by delivering one fixed devotional portion each day.
- A 2-minute historic reading and prayer delivered every morning
- Texts drawn from 78 works of royal and monastic devotion, 1000-2020
- Free on iOS — start day 8 of your rule the moment you finish the checklist