Benedict was born in Nursia, Italy, in 480. He died in 543 or 547 at Monte Cassia, Italy. July 11 is his feast day. In between, he founded a branch of monastic orders and wrote a Rule, or set of regulations, for them. My copy of its 73 short chapters is only 67 pages long, with two sections. The spiritual part focuses on how to live a Christian life on earth. The second part is an administrator’s section, with instructions on how to guide a monastic community. Benedict says, “In drawing up these regulations, we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome.” He divides the day into work and prayer, with a focus on Scripture. He sets aside about four hours to be spent in liturgical prayer (known as the Divine Office), five hours in spiritual reading and study, six hours of labor, one hour for eating, and about eight hours for sleep. Small wonder that the monasteries become centers for learning and scholarship, preserving many ancient manuscripts. During these times of communal prayer, the monks recited the entire book of Psalms each week. In the eighth century, Charlemagne thought the order was a great thing, and so chapters of it spread throughout the Holy Roman Empire. Today, it survives; probably Sister Joan Chiddister, who writes about the Benedictines, is the most famous in this country. She’s the person to read if you want a contemporary, accessible account of living under the Benedictine Rule and how to apply Benedict’s ideas to one’s own life. We all have a Rule by which we live; we just don’t often set it down or bring it to our conscious mind. You may want to write it down, just to see what it is, and if it is what you intend to do. For instance, do you need a cup of caffeine to begin the day? Is reading a newspaper, in print or online, a must-do? Is there practice of an art or craft? The Church’s prayer for this saint: Gracious God, whose service is perfect freedom and in whose commandments there is nothing harsh nor burdensome: Grant that we, with your servant Benedict, may listen with attentive minds, pray with fervent hearts, and serve you with willing hands, so that we live at peace with one another and in obedience to thy Word, Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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Saints Alive!
I have been privileged to offer Noonday Prayer at my church, usually on Thursdays, which doesn’t matter because it’s on Youtube forever. [It’s amazing what can be done with a smartphone and a smart, helpful parish administrator!] The service is brief, with a place for a meditation. We usually look at the Episcopal calendar of saints, who are nearly always honored on their death dates, not their birth dates. Here is a hymn by medieval saint Hildegard of Bingen to set the mood.
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