+ St. Benedict was born at Nursia, in central Italy in 480. He studied in Rome, but was
soon disgusted with the rampant immorality that he saw there, and so he “headed
for the hills:” he went up Mount Subiaco and lived in a cave there as a hermit
for a year. Others found him, however, and asked to join him in his monastic
observance: and so he set up 12 deaneries with 10 monks each. Soon though he
left the region and went to Monte Cassino, near Naples, where he finished his Rule borrowing inspiration from Sts.
Basil, John Cassian, and Augustine and other “monastic writers” of the times.
His Rule emphasized authority and
obedience (modeled after the Incarnation and Crucifixion of Jesus), and stability and community life (the only
way to progress in spiritual life is the
given tension of life-together that is lasting, not just temporary and
fleeting). The duties of the monk are to pray the Office and read complementary
readings and texts; and manual labor. The flexibility of the Rule allowed it to
be instrumental in shaping centers of scholarship, agriculture, medicine and
hospitality.
Benedict stayed at Monte Cassino for the rest
of his life. Though never becoming a priest and not intending to even found a
religious order, St. Benedict soon became known as the Father of Western Monasticism: sometimes your destiny has your name
written all over it. St. Benedict is one of the most widely known saints in
Church history, along with his sister St. Scholastica, who founded an order of
nuns who followed his Rule. His patronage is of monks, of course, but also
against the forces of evil and Pope Paul VI named him a patron saint of all of
Europe. He died in 550 and was buried near his sister! In the year 2000 there
were 8,000 Benedictine monks, and 7,000 Benedictine nuns and 10,000 active
Benedictine Sisters.
The
purpose and goal of the monastic life is to seek and find God, using the tools
of poverty, humility and obedience – and then to do his holy will. The
Benedictine way is a sure-fired way to do that – not only in a formal way by
joining the Order proper, but there are thousands who belong in the Professed
Oblate Program – and there are many other organizations and groupings that
adhere to the chief tenets of the grand and glorious, tried, tested and true Rule of St. Benedict! [We are such an
association – and we are thankful to Benedict, and for his Rule.]
Just as Jesus assures Peter
(in the gospel passage) that he will receive a great deal for his sacrifice,
the Lord assures us the same; and Peter received his reward because he did all for love of Jesus; may we do
the same – armed by the mighty and ancient Holy Rule of the Saintly Patriarch
of Nursia!
The key to advancement along
the Benedictine way is to begin in silent listening, any day, any project, any
undertaking: thus many statues of St. Benedict have him placing a finger on his
lips to encourage stillness and quiet as a starting point: BE STILL AND KNOW GOD; BE STILL AND BE INSPIRED; BE STILL SO THAT YOU
WILL HAVE MUCH TO SAY AND DO, AND MUCH ENERGY TO SAY IT AND DO IT!
Taste
and see the goodness of the Lord.
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