Commentary Par XXII 46-48

46-48.  Once again (see C.Par.XXII.1) the text indicates the special nature of the monastic vocation, a combination of prayerful meditation and labor, in Benedict's own prescription for cenobitic activity, 'ora et labora.'

The souls that Dante had in mind as models for this kind of ecstatic appreciation of God are, according to Di Fonzo (Difo.1997.1), Anselm, Benedict, Bonaventure, and (especially) Bernard.