St Benedict Patron Saint of Europe

Today is St Benedict day, and St Benedict is the patron saint of Europe. With Eu
rope dealing with financial and political problem right now I thought it worth t
aking a look at St Benedict's life and life and how the patron saint of Europe m
ight help us today.
Europe in Benedict's life was full of trouble, much more than we have today. Rom
e had fallen a few decades before and war and barbarian raids were common. There
was 30 years of peace under Theodoric of the Ostrogoths, but after his death wa
r returned. Christianity was also under threat from pagan traditions and Benedic
t after going to school in Rome left to live a solitary life in a cave.
Benedict was a holy man and other men came to him seeking his wisdom and leaders
hip. Over time he founded monasteries and wrote The Rule of St Benedict. The rul
e, a work for beginners, as he calls it, teaches those wanting to live a Christi
an and monastic life what is required of them. The rule is still practised by ma
ny today, both in monastic life and by people leading holy lives in the secular
world.
Benedict's rule teaches how to live together. It would be interesting if the cou
ntries in Europe could employ similar rules for help with Europe current issues.
Early on in the Rule Benedict describes the tools for Good Works. He starts wit
h the ten commandments: Love God. Love you neighbour. You are not to kill, commi
t adultery, steal, covert or lie. You should honour everyone and never do to ano
ther what you do not want done to yourself. Our Countries, leaders, governments
and us as citisens could all do well to try and live up to the commands.
Benedict goes on, renounce yourself, discipline your body, do not pamper yoursel
f, love fasting, relieve the lot of the poor, clothe the naked, visit the sick,
bury the dead. Go help the troubled and console the sorrowing. Think how the cur
rent difficulties could be quickly solved if we challenged our governments to th
ink of the other countries first, to be disciplined with what we have and use le
ss. If we used less energy, less food, we could give more and help the hungry on
the streets of towns across Europe. If we actually thought of the troubles of o
ther countries rather than what those troubles might mean for us.
Benedict would tell us not to grumble, not to be lazy, not to speak ill of other
s, to endure persecution for the sake of justice, not to be proud or arrogant, n
ever hate or be jealous and if we have a dispute with someone the to make peace
before sunset. What difference would we make to Europe today if we asked our lea
ders not to blame other countries, not to be proud and arrogant over our achieve
ments, not to want what other countries have, and when we disagree to make peace
quickly.
Benedict s' rule was for his community, but could we learn something today for our
European community. We should never lose hope in God's mercy and maybe today we
should prayer for the intersession of St Benedict the Patron Saint of Europe fo
r God's help in solving the crisis effecting our countries and banks.

Saint Benedict of Nursia

(ca. 480 - ca. 547)
Transitus celebrated 21 March

Patriarch of Western Monasticism

Co-Patron of Europe
celebrated 11 July
[Vatican Ms.]
By +Abbot Primate Jerome Theisen OSB (1930-1995).

On the occasion of the dedication of the rebuilt monastery of Monte Cassino in 1

964, Pope Paul VI proclaimed St. Benedict the principal, heavenly patron of the
whole of Europe. The title piously exaggerates the place of Benedict but in many
respects it is true. St. Benedict did not establish the monastery of Monte Cass
ino in order to preserve the learning of the ages, but in fact the monasteries t
hat later followed his Rule were places where learning and manuscripts were pres
erved. For some six centuries or more the Christian culture of medieval Europe w
as nearly identical with the monastic centers of piety and learning.
Saint Benedict was not the founder of Christian monasticism, since he lived two
and a half to three centuries after its beginnings in Egypt, Palestine, and Asia
Minor. He became a monk as a young man and thereafter learned the tradition by
associating with monks and reading the monastic literature. He was caught up in
the monastic movement but ended by channeling the stream into new and fruitful w
ays. This is evident in the Rule which he wrote for monasteries and which was an
d is still used in many monasteries and convents around the world (see Rule of B
enedict).
[Ms. St. Benedict from Cleves Book of Hours, ca. 1440] Tradition teaches that St
. Benedict lived from 480 to 547, though we cannot be sure that these dates are
historically accurate. His biographer, St. Gregory the Great, pope from 590 to 6
04, does not record the dates of his birth and death, though he refers to a Rule
written by Benedict. Scholars debate the dating of the Rule though they seem to
agree that it was written in the second third of the sixth century.
Saint Gregory wrote about St. Benedict in his Second Book of Dialogues, but his
account of the life and miracles of Benedict cannot be regarded as a biography i
n the modern sense of the term. Gregory's purpose in writing Benedict's life was
to edify and to inspire, not to seek out the particulars of his daily life. Gre
gory sought to show that saints of God, particularly St. Benedict, were still op
erative in the Christian Church in spite of all the political and religious chao
s present in the realm. At the same time it would be inaccurate to claim that Gr
egory presented no facts about Benedict's life and works.
According to Gregory's Dialogues Benedict was born in Nursia, a village high in
the mountains northeast of Rome. His parents sent him to Rome for classical stud
ies but he found the life of the eternal city too degenerate for his tastes. Con
sequently he fled to a place southeast of Rome called Subiaco where he lived as
a hermit for three years tended by the monk Romanus.
[St. Benedict at Vicovaro, Ms Grammont, ca. 1450]The hermit, Benedict, was then
discovered by a group of monks who prevailed upon him to become their spiritual
leader. His regime soon became too much for the lukewarm monks so they plotted t
o poison him. Gregory recounts the tale of Benedict's rescue; when he blessed th
e pitcher of poisoned wine, it broke into many pieces. Thereafter he left the un
disciplined monks.
Benedict left the wayward monks and established twelve monasteries with twelve m

onks each in the area south of Rome. Later, perhaps in 529, he moved to Monte Ca
ssino, about eighty miles southeast of Rome; there he destroyed the pagan temple
dedicated to Apollo and built his premier monastery. It was there too that he w
rote the Rule for the monastery of Monte Cassino though he envisioned that it co
uld be used elsewhere.
The thirty-eight short chapters of the Second Book of Dialogues contain accounts
of Benedict's life and miracles. Some chapters recount his ability to read othe
r persons' minds; other chapters tell of his miraculous works, e.g., making wate
r flow from rocks, sending a disciple to walk on the water, making oil continue
to flow from a flask. The miracle stories echo the events of certain prophets of
Israel as well as happenings in the life of Jesus. The message is clear: Benedi
ct's holiness mirrors the saints and prophets of old and God has not abandoned h
is people; he continues to bless them with holy persons.
Benedict is viewed as a monastic leader, not a scholar. Still he probably read L
atin rather well, an ability that gave him access to the works of Cassian and ot
her monastic writings, both rules and sayings. The Rule is the sole known exampl
e of Benedict's writing, but it manifests his genius to crystallize the best of
the monastic tradition and to pass it on to the European West.
[Einsiedeln ms. port.]
Gregory presents Benedict as the model of a saint who flees temptation to pursue
a life of attention to God. Through a balanced pattern of living and praying Be
nedict reached the point where he glimpsed the glory of God. Gregory recounts a
vision that Benedict received toward the end of his life: In the dead of night h
e suddenly beheld a flood of light shining down from above more brilliant than t
he sun, and with it every trace of darkness cleared away. According to his own d
escription, the whole world was gathered up before his eyes "in what appeared to
be a single ray of light" (ch. 34). St. Benedict, the monk par excellence, led
a monastic life that reached the vision of God.

St. Benedict of Nursia: Meeting God in the stillness

July 11, 2012 by Fr. Thomas Rosica Leave a Comment

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The central theme of our times seems to be thinking, talking, writing, travelin
g and praying fast, rapidly and quickly, and not giving much thought to what we a
re doing. Everything we do is on deadline; messages are all marked urgent when the
y really are not earth shattering, and we proceed at breakneck speed with just a
bout everything we are doing.
And all of this frenetic activity produces impatience, frustration, anger and em
ptiness. We think we are really connected to others with all of our lightning sp
eed toys but in fact, we grow very distant from one another and from God. Rather
than being peaceful, we pretend to be important and end up being arrogant, not
paying attention to the very person in front of us. We have lost the art of bein
g attentive to others in the name of technology!
Today s saint, Benedict of Nursia, knew all about our modern-day ailments and real
ized that they could have power over us and separate us from one another and God
. He made sure that such power would not rule his life. In the fifth century, th
e young Benedict was sent to Rome to finish his education with a nurse/housekeep
er. The young man Benedict had many friends and he realized that they had everyt
hing education, wealth, youth
and they spent all of it in the pursuit of pleasur
e not truth. Benedict watched in horror as vice completely undid the lives and e
thics of his friends.
Afraid for his soul, Benedict fled Rome, gave up his inheritance, and lived in a
small village. When God called him beyond this quiet life to even deeper solitu
de, he went to the mountains of Subiaco. There he lived as a hermit under the di
rection of another hermit, Romanus. After years of prayer, word of his holiness
brought nearby monks to ask for his leadership. He warned them he would be too s
trict for them, but they insisted then tried to poison him when his warning prov
ed true.
So Benedict was on his own again but not for long. The next set of followers wer
e more sincere and he set up twelve monasteries in Subiaco where monks lived in
separate communities of twelve. He left these monasteries abruptly when the envi
ous attacks of another hermit made it impossible to continue the spiritual leade
rship he had taken.
But it was in Monte
roots of the Church
ies he gathered his
holastica , settled

Cassino that Benedict founded the monastery that became the

s monastic system. Instead of founding small separate communit
disciples into one whole community. His own sister, Saint Sc
nearby to live a religious life.

After almost 1500 years of monastic tradition his direction seems obvious to us.
But Benedict was an innovator. No one had ever set up communities like his befo
re or directed them with a rule. What is part of history to us now was a bold ri
sky step into the future.
Benedict s beliefs and instructions on religious life were collected in what is no
w known as the Rule of Saint Benedict
still directing religious life after 15 ce
nturies.
In this tiny but powerful Rule, Benedict put what he had learned about the power
of speaking and oratorical rhythms at the service of the Gospel. He did not dro
p out of school because he didn t understand the subject! Scholars have told us th
at his Rule reflects an understanding of and skill with the rhetorical rules of
the time. Despite his experience at school, he understood rhetoric was as much a
tool as a hammer was. A hammer could be used to build a house or hit someone ov
er the head. Rhetoric could be used to promote vice
or promote God. Benedict did

not shun rhetoric because it had been used to seduce people to vice; he reforme
d it, transformed it and made it understandable to his contemporaries and to us.
Benedict realized the strongest and truest foundation for the power of words was
the Word of God itself: For what page or word of the Bible is not a perfect rule
for temporal life? He had experienced the power of God s word as expressed in Scri
pture: For just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return
there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving
seed to him who sows and bread to him who eats, so shall my word be that goes fo
rth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achievi
ng the end for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:10-11).
For prayer, Benedict turned to the psalms, the very songs and poems from the Jew
ish liturgy that Jesus himself had prayed. To join our voices with Jesus in prai
se of God during the day was so important that Benedict called it the Work of God
. And nothing was to be put before the work of God. Benedict believed with Jesus
that One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from th
e mouth of God
(Matthew 4:4).
We believe that God is everywhere, but without doubt, we believe this is so especia
lly when assisting in the Divine Office, wrote Benedict. The Church still believe
s Benedict s and considers the Divine Office the prayer of the Church.
Benedict instructed his followers to practice sacred reading the study of the ve
ry Scriptures they would be praying in the Work of God. In this lectio divina, h
e and his monks memorized the Scripture, studied it, and contemplated it until i
t became part of their being. This sacred reading, however, was a study in love,
not intellect. Not just an exercise of the mind, it was an exercise of contempl
ation so that our voices and hearts harmonize. Each word of God would soak into th
eir minds, their hearts, their very souls, so that the prayers would spring up f
rom the depths of their being, not just from their memory. We realize that we wil
l be heard for our pure and sorrowful hearts, not for the numbers of our spoken
words. A heart was pure when it was empty of all but God s Word and our desire to r
emain in God s Word.
In Benedictine prayer, our hearts are the vessel empty of thoughts and intellect
ual striving. All that remains is the trust in God s providence to fill us. Emptyi
ng ourselves this way brings God s abundant goodness bubbling up in our hearts, fi
rst with an inspiration or two, and finally overflowing our heart with contempla
tive love.
Benedict died in 547 while standing in prayer before God.
This morning I celebrated mass at St. Joseph s Oratory in Montreal, giving thanks
to God for the great Benedictine influence on my own life- growing up in the sha
dow of Mt. Savior Monastery in the southern part of the Diocese of Rochester; ma
king many retreats in Europe at the great Benedictine Monasteries of Maria Laach
in Germany, Engelburg in Switzerland; the Abbey of Solesmes in France; and of c
ourse at Subiaco and Monte Cassino in Italy.
During my study years in the Holy Land, I was a frequent pilgrim and visitor to
the Benedictine community at Tabgha on the Sea of Galilee and at the Dormition A
bbey in Jerusalem. I became a great admirer of St. John s Abbey in Collegeville an
d their significant contribution to liturgical and biblical scholarship. I have
learned from the Benedictine tradition the meaning of Ora et Labora
about the grea
t importance of balance, normalcy, integration and humanity in all of our effort
s to evangelize, teach and pray.
Over the past years, particularly in Canada, I have discovered and grown to love
the two great Benedictine communities that serve as the pillars of our country:

Westminster Abbey in Mission, BC, and St-Benoit du Lac in Magog, Quebec.

So today, let us give thanks to God for Benedict and Scholastica, the brother-si
ster duo who transformed the Church and taught us about real communication with
God and with others. Let us pray with gratitude for the Monks of Westminster Abb
ey who are now forever linked to our television network through This Side of Eden
; for the monks of St-Benoit du Lac who have been very kind to us, and for the mo
nks of Collegeville who believe in our work.
Today we should also remember Pope Benedict, who, like Benedict of Nursia, has t
he unity of the Church and the unity of Europe at the core of his Petrine minist
ry.
The Litany of St. Benedict
Lord, have mercy on us, Christ, have mercy on us.
God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Pray for us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, Pray for us.
Holy Father, Saint Benedict, Pray for us.
Father most reverend, Pray for us.
Father most renowned, Pray for us.
Father most compassionate, Pray for us.
Man of great fortitude, Pray for us.
Man of venerable life, Pray for us.
Man of the most holy conversation, Pray for us.
True servant of God, Pray for us.
Light of devotion, Pray for us.
Light of prayer, Pray for us.
Light of contemplation, Pray for us.
Star of the world, Pray for us.
Best master of an austere life, Pray for us.
Leader of the holy warfare, Pray for us.
Leader and chief of monks, Pray for us.
Master of those who die to the world, Pray for us.
Protector of those who cry to thee, Pray for us.
Wonderful worker of miracles, Pray for us.
Revealer of the secrets of the human heart, Pray for us.
Master of spiritual discipline, Pray for us.
Companion of the patriarchs, Pray for us.
Equal of the prophets, Pray for us.
Follower of the Apostles, Pray for us.
Teacher of Martyrs, Pray for us.
Father of many pontiffs, Pray for us.
Gem of abbots, Pray for us.
Glory of Confessors, Pray for us.
Imitator of anchorites, Pray for us.
Associate of virgins, Pray for us.
Colleague of all the Saints, Pray for us.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
V. Intercede for us, O holy father Saint Benedict, R. That we may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:
O God, who made the Abbot Saint Benedict an outstanding master in the school of
divine service, grant, we pray, that, putting nothing before love of you, we may
hasten with a loving heart in the way of your commands.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the u
nity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.