Saint
Benedict
Born: c480 Norcia
Italy
Died: c547
Monte Cassino Italy
Feast Day:
July 11th (was March 21st)
Patron
Saint: Catholic Monks, Cavers, Europe
Shrine: Monte
Cassino Abbey
Also Known As: Saint Benedict of Norcia,
Saint Benedict of Nursia
Saint
Benedict was born in c480 in Norcia, Italy to an educated family who sent him
to Roman schools. Shocked by the permissive society in Rome, Benedict retired
to Enfide in the Simbruinian hills. Here
Benedict worked his first miracle, restoring to perfect condition an
earthenware wheat sifter which his manservant had accidentally broken. The
notoriety which this miracle brought drove Benedict to withdraw from social
life to a cave in the rocks beside the lake above Subiaco 40 miles
east of Rome near Abruzzi. He lived in the cave for 3 years, looked after by
Romanus, a monk from one of the nearby monasteries.
As his
sanctity became known in the area, Benedict was persuaded to become abbot of
one of the local monasteries. His strict
rules were resisted however, and an attempt was made to poison him. It is said that a raven flew away with the
poisoned bread before Benedict could eat it.
He returned to the cave, but his disciples flocked to him. This encouraged him to begin 12 monasteries
each with 12 monks, with himself in overall control. Soon noblemen were offering their sons as
monks under Benedict’s care. Benedict
however left the area sometime later disturbed by a neighbouring priest, Florentius,
who was envious of Benedict’s popularity, however, the 12 monasteries
continued.
A few of
Benedict’s followers travelled South after Benedict when he settled on the top
of a hill overlooking Cassino. Many local pagans were converted due to
Benedict’s preaching. His sister
Scholastica, came to live nearby as head of a nunnery. Here he founded the Benedictine monastery which
became the most famous Abbey in Europe and wrote "The Rule." This
simple set of guidelines for how the life of a monk should be lived has
become one of the most influential works in all Western Christendom. This led him to become known as the father of
Western monasticism; the rule that he established became the standard for
monastic life in Europe.
He performed
many miracles at the monastery, he brought back from death a youngster,
miraculously supplied the monastery with flour and oil in its time of need and
displayed the gift of prophecy. In autumn of 542 AD, while the Goth King Totila
was passing through Cassino on the way to Naples to attack it, he decided to
test Saint Benedict because he had already heard of his gifts and charisms. Therefore,
Totila sent his squire dressed as a king to greet the monk; but Saint Benedict
soon unmasked him. When he finally met Totila, he warned him with a dire
prediction: “You have hurt many and you continue to do it, now stop behaving
badly! You will enter Rome, you will cross the vast sea, you will reign for
nine years; however, in the tenth year, you will die.” And that is exactly what
happened.
Due to the
changing times, Benedict served as a link between the monasticism of the East
and the new age that was starting after the demise of the Roman Empire. He died c547 and his sister died shortly
before.
Benedict
was a wise ruler, authoritative but caring, firm but loving. Although beginning
his monastic life as a hermit, he saw the difficulties and spiritual dangers of
the solitude.
In 1964,
in view of the work of the monks following the Benedictine rule in the
evangelisation and civilisation of many European Countries in the Middle Ages,
Pope Paul VI proclaimed Benedict the Patron Saint of Europe.
YouTube link :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyC9D5CEhrQ
YouTube link :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyC9D5CEhrQ
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