If we are to bear fruit - and not just any fruit, but good fruit - we are to remain in Christ. The word rule might be viewed as something negative in our culture, but the Latin regula, translated into our modern day rule, is the original word for trellis found in a vineyard which kept the vine free from predators and disease and allowed the fruit to develop to its full potential. In the same way, we need a rule as a form of structure to assist in organizing our life around an "abiding vine."

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A rule of life is not a modern concept, but one that is steeped in historical tradition developed by monastic communities that date back to the third century Desert Fathers and Mothers. St. Benedict who lived during the 5th century, and is known as the father of Western monasticism, formally established a rule that would become a pattern for the Christian religious.