Is it surprising that a sixth-century monastic text, the Rule of St. Benedict, should be a guide for lay Christians living in today's world? In fact, the questions which St. Benedict had to face are still questions which face us today: how do I live with others? With the world? With myself? With God? How do I bring balance into my life? St. Benedict speaks to the heart, and this commentary approaches the Rule in a prayerful and reflective way. It will help many people who today are seeking a contemplative centre in a busy life. St. Benedict's writing is steeped in scripture. In the Middle Ages, his Rule was seen as a digest of the Bible. It therefore crosses the divides of the church and speaks to Christians of all denominations.