Saint Benedict

Statue of St. Benedict in San Paolo fuori le mura, in Rome.

St. Benedict is believed to have been born around 480, as the son to a Roman noble of Norcia and the twin to his sister, St. Scholastica. The young Benedict was sent to Rome to finish his education in rhetoric -- the art of persuasive speaking. Seeing his friends searching pleasure, 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 an even deeper solitude, he went to the mountains of Subiaco. Although becoming a hermit was not his purpose in leaving, there he lived as a hermit under the direction 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 strict for them, but they insisted -- then tried to poison him when his warning proved true. The story goes, the monks attempted to poison Benedict's drink, but when he prayed a blessing over the cup - it shattered. Soon Benedict was on his own again - but not for long.

The next set of followers were more sincere and he set up twelve monasteries in Subiaco where monks lived in separate communities of twelve. But it was in Monte Cassino that he founded the monastery that became the roots of the Church's monastic system. Instead of founding small separate communities he gathered his disciples into one whole community. His own sister, Saint Scholastica, settled nearby to live a religious life. After almost 1,500 years of monastic tradition his direction seems obvious to us. However, Benedict was an innovator. No one had ever set up communities like his before or directed them with a rule. Benedict had the holiness and the ability to take this step. His beliefs and instructions on religious life were collected in what is now known as the Rule of Saint Benedict -- still directing religious life after 15 centuries.

Scholastica loved her brother dearly and one day she wanted to stay with him to discuss the Bible. While visiting him at his monastery, she asked if she could stay into the night talking, but he insisted that she should go to her own convent. Scholastica went to the chapel instead and prayed that God would allow her to stay. Instantly a severe storm started and she could not leave because of the heavy rain. And they spent the night talking and praying together. Benedictine monks today still follow the rule and spend hours in prayer, reading the Scripture and praying the Office in their respective chapels. Benedict died on 21 March 543, not long after his sister. He is the patron saint of Europe and students, and the father of Monasticism.