#july11stbenedict

Saint of the Day – 11 July – St Benedict of Nursia OSB (c 480-547) Patron of Europe and Founder of Western Monasticism.   Some of his many Patronages – Against Poison, Against Witchcraft, Agriculture, Cavers, Civil Engineers, Coppersmiths, Dying People, Farmers, Fevers, Inflammatory Diseases, Kidney Disease, Monks, Religious Orders, Schoolchildren, Temptations.

St Benedict founded twelve communities for monks about 40 miles east of Rome, before moving to Monte Cassino, in the mountains of southern Italy.   St Benedict’s main achievement is his “Rule”, containing precepts for his monks.    The unique spirit of balance, moderation and reasonableness influences it and this persuaded most religious communities founded throughout Middle Ages, to adopt it.    As a result, the Rule of St Benedict became one of the most influential religious rules in western Christendom.    For this reason, Benedict is often called the “founder” of western Christian Monasticism.

St Benedict is the twin brother of St Scholastica and is considered patron of many things.    He was born in Nursia, Italy and educated in Rome.

He was repelled by the vices of the city and around 500, fled to Enfide – thirty miles away.    He decided to live the life of a hermit and lived in a cave for three years.    Despite Benedict’s desire for solitude, his holiness became known and he was asked to be the Abbot by a community of monks at Vicovaro.    He accepted but when the monks resisted his strict rule and tried to poison him, he returned to Subiaco and became a centre of spirituality and learning.

St Benedict and the Cup of Poison

He eventually moved back to Monte Cassino and destroyed a temple to Apollo on its crest and brought the people of the neighbouring area back to Christianity.   In 530 he began to build the monastery that was to be the birthplace of western monasticism.

Monte Cassino in ruins after Allied bombing in February 1944 and today, below. 

Soon, disciples again flocked to him as his reputation for holiness, wisdom and miracles spread far and wide.    It wasn’t long and he organised his monks into a single monastic community and wrote his official Rule, prescribing common sense, a life of moderate asceticism, prayer, study, work and community under one superior.    It stressed obedience, stability, zeal and had the Divine Office as the centre of monastic life.    While ruling his monks, most of whom – including Benedict, were not ordained, he counselled rulers and Popes and ministered to the poor and destitute.    He died at Monte Cassino on 21 March 547 and was named patron protector of Europe by Pope Paul VI in 1964.    The Universal Church celebrates his feast day today.

The St Benedict medal is very popular among Christians to this day and are hung above doors and windows, for protection against evil.    It is believed that evil cannot enter your house if you protect every opening with a St Benedict medal and Crucifix.    The medal has an image of St Benedict, holding the Holy Rule in his left hand and a cross in his right.    There is a raven on one side of him, with a cup on the other side.    Around the medal’s outer margin are the words “Eius in obitu nostro praesentia muniamur” – “May we, at our death, be fortified by His presence”.   The other side of the medal has a cross with the initials CSSML on the vertical bar which signify “Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux” “May the Holy Cross be my light” and on the horizontal bar are the initials NDSMD which stand for “Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux” “Let not the dragon be my overlord”.   The initials CSPB stand for “Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti” “The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict” and are located on the interior angles of the cross.   Either the inscription “PAX” Peace or the Christogram “HIS” may be found at the top of the cross in most cases.   Around the medal’s margin on this side are the initials VRSNSMV which stand for “Vade Retro Satana, Nonquam Suade Mihi Vana” ”Begone Satan, do not suggest to me thy vanities” then a space followed by the initials SMQLIVB which signify “Sunt Mala Quae Libas, Ipse Venena Bibas” “Evil are the things thou profferest, drink thou thy own poison”.

 The Medal of St Benedict can serve as a constant reminder of the need for us to take up our cross daily and “follow the true King, Christ our Lord,” and thus learn “to share in his heavenly kingdom,” as St. Benedict urges us in the Prologue of his Rule.

More on St Benedict, his Rule and the Medal here:  https://anastpaul.wordpress.com/2017/07/11/saint-of-the-day-11-july-st-benedict-of-nursia-o-s-b-abbot-patron-of-europe-patronus-europae/

Thought for the Day – 11 July – The Memorial of St Benedict of Nursia OSB (c 480-547)

Excerpt from the Homily of Pope Benedict

General Audience, 9 April 2008

“Today, I would like to speak about Benedict, the Founder of Western Monasticism and also the Patron of my Pontificate.

I begin with words that St Gregory the Great wrote about St Benedict:  “The man of God who shone on this earth among so many miracles was just as brilliant in the eloquent exposition of his teaching” (cf. Dialogues II, 36).   The great Pope wrote these words in 592 AD.   The holy monk, who had died barely 50 years earlier, lived on in people’s memories and especially in the flourishing religious Order he had founded.   St Benedict of Nursia/Norcia, with his life and his work, had a fundamental influence on the development of European civilisation and culture.   The most important source on Benedict’s life is the second book of St Gregory the Great’s Dialogues.   It is not a biography in the classical sense.   In accordance with the ideas of his time, by giving the example of a real man – St Benedict, in this case – Gregory wished to illustrate the ascent to the peak of contemplation which can be achieved by those who abandon themselves to God.   He therefore gives us a model for human life in the climb towards the summit of perfection.   St Gregory the Great also tells in this book of the Dialogues of many miracles worked by the Saint and here too he does not merely wish to recount something curious but rather to show how God, by admonishing, helping and even punishing, intervenes in the practical situations of man’s life.   Gregory’s aim was to demonstrate that God is not a distant hypothesis placed at the origin of the world but is present in the life of man, of every man.

Throughout the second book of his Dialogues, Gregory shows us how St Benedict’s life was steeped in an atmosphere of prayer, the foundation of his existence.   Without prayer there is no experience of God.   Yet Benedict’s spirituality was not an interiority removed from reality.   In the anxiety and confusion of his day, he lived under God’s gaze and in this very way never lost sight of the duties of daily life and of man with his practical needs.   Seeing God, he understood the reality of man and his mission.   In his Rule he describes monastic life as “a school for the service of the Lord” (Prol. 45) and advises his monks, “let nothing be preferred to the Work of God” [that is, the Divine Office or the Liturgy of the Hours] (43, 3).

However, Benedict states that in the first place prayer is an act of listening (Prol. 9-11), which must then be expressed in action.   “The Lord is waiting every day for us to respond to his holy admonitions by our deeds” (Prol. 35).   Thus, the monk’s life becomes a fruitful symbiosis between action and contemplation, “so that God may be glorified in all things” (57, 9).   In contrast with a facile and egocentric self-fulfilment, today often exalted, the first and indispensable commitment of a disciple of St Benedict is the sincere search for God (58, 7) on the path mapped out by the humble and obedient Christ (5, 13), whose love he must put before all else (4, 21; 72, 11) and in this way, in the service of the other, he becomes a man of service and peace  . In the exercise of obedience practised by faith inspired by love (5, 2), the monk achieves humility (5, 1), to which the Rule dedicates an entire chapter (7).   In this way, man conforms ever more to Christ and attains true self-fulfilment as a creature in the image and likeness of God.

Benedict describes the Rule he wrote as “minimal, just an initial outline” (cf. 73, 8);  in fact, however, he offers useful guidelines not only for monks but for all who seek guidance on their journey toward God.   For its moderation, humanity and sober discernment between the essential and the secondary in spiritual life, his Rule has retained its illuminating power even to today.

By proclaiming St Benedict Patron of Europe on 24 October 1964, Paul VI intended to recognise the marvellous work the Saint achieved with his Rule for the formation of the civilisation and culture of Europe.

Having recently emerged from a century that was deeply wounded by two World Wars and the collapse of the great ideologies, now revealed as tragic utopias, Europe today is in search of its own identity.   Of course, in order to create new and lasting unity, political, economic and juridical instruments are important, but it is also necessary to awaken an ethical and spiritual renewal which draws on the Christian roots of the Continent, otherwise a new Europe cannot be built.   Without this vital sap, man is exposed to the danger of succumbing to the ancient temptation of seeking to redeem himself by himself – a utopia which in different ways, in 20th-century Europe, as Pope John Paul II pointed out, has caused “a regression without precedent in the tormented history of humanity” (Address to the Pontifical Council for Culture, 12 January 1990).

Today, in seeking true progress, let us also listen to the Rule of St Benedict as a guiding light on our journey.   The great monk is still a true master at whose school we can learn to become proficient in true humanism.

Here is a PDF of the Rule for downloading:  http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/0480-0547,_Benedictus_Nursinus,_Regola,_EN.pdf

St Benedict, Pray for Europe, Pray for the World,

Pray for the Church, Pray for us all!

Quote/s of the Day – 11 July – The Memorial of St Benedict of Nursia OSB (c 480-547)

“Ora et labora.”

“Be careful to be gentle, lest in removing the rust, you break the whole instrument.”

“He should first show them, in deeds, rather than words, all that is good and holy.”

“Before all and above all, attention shall be paid to the care of the sick, so that they shall be served, as if they were Christ Himself.”

“He who labours as he prays, lifts his heart to God with his hands.”

“Whenever you begin any good work, you should first of all, make a most pressing appeal to Christ our Lord, to bring it to perfection.”

St Benedict of Nursia (c 480-547)

One Minute Reflection – 11 July 

Do not grow slack but be fervent in spirit; he whom you serve is the Lord…….Romans 12:11

REFLECTION – “There exists an evil fervour, a bitter spirit, which divides us from God and leads us to hell. Similarly, there is a good fervour, which sets us apart from evil inclinations and leads us toward God and eternal life.”

PRAYER – Loving Father, grant me to have a true fervour in Your service. Let me never tire of following Your Son’s example and avoiding evil. St Benedict, pray for us! Amen

Saint of the Day – 11 July – St Benedict of Nursia O.S.B. – Abbot Patron of Europe (Patronus Europae) – Also known as: Benedict of Narsia, Benedict of Norsia, Benedetto da Norcia, Founder of Western Monasticism – (c 480, Narsia, Umbria, Italy – 21 March 547 of a fever while in prayer at Monte Cassino, Italy).   He buried beneath the high altar there in the same tomb as Saint Scholastica.   He was Canonised in 1220 by Pope Honorius III.

Patronages: -Against poison -Against witchcraft -Agricultural workers -Cavers -Civil engineers -Coppersmiths -Dying people -Erysipelas -Europe -Farmers -Fever -Gall stones -Heerdt (Germany) -Heraldry and Officers of arms -the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest -Inflammatory diseases -Italian architects -Kidney disease -Monks -Nettle rash -Norcia, (Italy) -People in religious orders -Schoolchildren and students -Servants who have broken their master’s belongings -Speleologists -Spelunkers -Temptations

Attributes: -Bell -Broken tray -Broken cup and serpent representing poison -Broken utensil -Bush -Crosier -Man in a Benedictine cowl holding Benedict’s rule or a rod of discipline -Raven

Benedict was born into a distinguished family in central Italy, studied at Rome and early in life was drawn to monasticism.   At first he became a hermit, leaving a depressing world—pagan armies on the march, the Church torn by schism, people suffering from war, morality at a low ebb.

He soon realised that he could not live a hidden life in a small town any better than in a large city, so he withdrew to a cave high in the mountains for three years.   Some monks chose Benedict as their leader for a while, but found his strictness not to their taste.   Still the shift from hermit to community life had begun for him.   He had an idea of gathering various families of monks into one “Grand Monastery” to give them the benefit of unity, fraternity and permanent worship in one house.   Finally he began to build what was to become one of the most famous monasteries in the world—Monte Cassino, commanding three narrow valleys running toward the mountains north of Naples.

The Rule that gradually developed prescribed a life of liturgical prayer, study, manual labor, and living together in community under a common abbot.   Benedictine asceticism is known for its moderation, and Benedictine charity has always shown concern for the people in the surrounding countryside.   In the course of the Middle Ages, all monasticism in the West was gradually brought under the Rule of St. Benedict.

Today the Benedictine family is represented by two branches:  the Benedictine Federation encompassing the men and women of the Order of St. Benedict and the Cistercians, men and women of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance.

St Benedict died at Monte Cassino not long after his sister, Saint Scholastica.   Benedict died of a high fever on the day God had told him he was to die and was buried in the same place as his sister.   According to tradition, this occurred on 21 March 543 or 547. He was named patron protector of Europe by Pope Paul VI in 1964.   In 1980, Pope John Paul II declared him co-patron of Europe, together with Saints Cyril and Methodius.

Rule of Saint Benedict

Seventy-three short chapters comprise the Rule.   Its wisdom is of two kinds:  spiritual (how to live a Christocentric life on earth) and administrative (how to run a monastery efficiently).   More than half the chapters describe how to be obedient and humble and what to do when a member of the community is not.   About one-fourth regulate the work of God (the Opus Dei).   One-tenth outline how and by whom, the monastery should be managed.

Following the golden rule of Ora et Labora – pray and work, the monks each day devoted eight hours to prayer, eight hours to sleep and eight hours to manual work, sacred reading, or works of charity

Saint Benedict Medal

On the front of the medal is Saint Benedict holding a cross in his right hand, the object of his devotion and in the left his rule for monasteries.    In the back is a poisoned cup, in reference to the legend of Benedict, which explains that hostile monks attempted to poison him:  the cup containing poisoned wine shattered when the saint made the sign of the cross over it (and a raven carried away a poisoned loaf of bread).   Above the cup are the words Crux sancti patris Benedicti (“The Cross of [our] Holy Father Benedict”). Surrounding the figure of Saint Benedict are the words Eius in obitu nostro praesentia muniamur!  (“May we be strengthened by his presence in the hour of our death”), since he was always regarded by the Benedictines as the patron of a happy death.

On the back is a cross, containing the letters C S S M L – N D S M D, initials of the words Crux sacra sit mihi lux! Non [Nunquam?] draco sit mihi dux!   (“May the holy cross be my light! May the dragon never be my overlord!”).    The large C S P B stand for Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti (“The Cross of [our] Holy Father Benedict”).   Surrounding the back of the medal are the letters V R S N S M V – S M Q L I V B, in reference to Vade retro satana: Vade retro Satana! Nunquam suade mihi vana! Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas! (“Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities! What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!”) and finally, located at the top is the word PAX which means “peace”

Use of the Medal - There is no special way prescribed for carrying or wearing the Medal of St. Benedict.   It can be worn on a chain around the neck, attached to one’s rosary, kept in one’s pocket or purse, or placed in one’s car or home.   The medal is often put into the foundations of houses and building, on the walls of barns and sheds, or in one’s place of business.

The purpose of using the medal in any of the above ways is to call down God’s blessing and protection upon us, wherever we are and upon our homes and possessions, especially through the intercession of St. Benedict.   By the conscious and devout use of the medal, it becomes, as it were, a constant silent prayer and reminder to us of our dignity as followers of Christ.

The medal is a prayer of exorcism against Satan, a prayer for strength in time of temptation, a prayer for peace among ourselves and among the nations of the world, a prayer that the Cross of Christ be our light and guide, a prayer of firm rejection of all that is evil, a prayer of petition that we may with Christian courage “walk in God’s ways, with the Gospel as our guide,” as St. Benedict urges us.

A profitable spiritual experience can be ours if we but take the time to study the array of inscriptions and representations found on the two sides of the medal.   The lessons found there can be pondered over and over to bring true peace of mind and heart into our lives as we struggle to overcome the weaknesses of our human nature and realize that our human condition is not perfect, but that with the help of God and the intercession of the saints our condition can become better.

The Medal of St. Benedict can serve as a constant reminder of the need for us to take up our cross daily and “follow the true King, Christ our Lord,” and thus learn “to share in his heavenly kingdom,” as St. Benedict urges us in the Prologue of his Rule.

Thought for the Day – 11 July

Seeking God is not the activity only of monks and nuns in monasteries.   Rather, it is the task given to all of the baptised.   And while most of us will not enter monastic life, there is an “inner monk” within us that compels us to seek God in our individual vocations and lives, whether as a diocesan priest, as principal of a high school, as members of families, married or single.   Seeking God takes place in the here and now, in this situation, with these people, in this family, this workplace, this school and in this time.   It is not only for those holy monks;  it is for me!   In his Rule, St. Benedict gives the world the roadmap to seeking God.   Prayer, work, obedience, simplicity of life and stability help monks seek God;  adapted, they can help the rest of us, too.

The monastic day is bookmarked by prayer early in the morning and in the evening, along with several moments of communal prayer throughout the day.   For anyone seeking God, prayer has to become the primary activity of the day.   It cannot be put aside for “more pressing” matters.   Prayer is the first priority of one’s day and all other activities of work, home and family work around it.   Monks pray the Liturgy of the Hours seven times a day, which lay people can also pray if they so desire.   However one prays, time with the Lord is a necessary component in seeking Him.   The Eucharist is the heart of prayer and anyone seriously seeking God ought to consider it a daily practice, if possible.   It is in those moments of spending time with the Lord that the person will detect His presence in his heart and soul.

Prayer, work, obedience, stability and simplicity of life marks the life of monks.   In developing the “inner monk” within you, take what you can from the monastic lifestyle to find God in your life…………Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois

St Benedict, Pray for us!

Quote/s of the Day – 11 July – St Benedict of Nursia

“He who labours as he prays, lifts his heart to God with his hands.” 

 “Whenever you begin any good work you should first of all, make a most pressing appeal to Christ our Lord to bring it to perfection.” 

 St Benedict of Nursia

Our Morning Offering – 11 July

Bestow upon me, O Gracious Father Prayer of St Benedict of Nursia

Bestow upon me, O gracious, O Holy Father intellect to understand You, perceptions to perceive You purely, reason to discern You, diligence to see You, wisdom to find You, a spirit to know You, a heart to meditate upon You, ears to hear You, eyes to behold You, a tongue to proclaim You, a conversation pleasing to You, patience to wait for You and perseverance to look for You. Grant me a perfect end – Your holy Presence. Grant me a blessed resurrection and Your recompense – everlasting life. Amen