GOD BLESS US
In
one of my travels around Italy, I happened to pass by the small village
of Nursia, the birthplace of St. Benedict. Benedict was the founder of
western monasticism. He lived and died around the 5th or 6th century.
Legends abound under his patronage. Also, Benedict is seen as a wise,
loving and good shepherd. He established many monasteries in his
lifetime and has left the Church a wonderful legacy in the Rule,
addressing various ways of life and spirituality.
He was certainly an Apostle of the Lord in his own time. What Matthew
recorded in his Gospel account is also seen in the life of St. Benedict.
He cured the sick, cleansed the lepers, raised the dead, and cast out
the evil in his midst. In every town and village he entered, he was a
man of peace. While many were after his life — his own monks tried to
poison him — he was a man of blessing and truly enjoyed the manifold
blessings of God in his life. Benedict knew what it was like to receive
without charge, and so he gave without charge. His motto, “Prefer
nothing to the love of Christ,” is lived out in the modern monastery
and those who associate with his order.
Benedict was not an itinerant preacher but one who desired to live in
solitude, away from the bustle of city life. His spirituality is one of
deep communion with the Lord and has been the basis of many communities
seeking to live a life in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Today, we invoke his intercession for our lives. Let us turn to him and
ask for the grace to live out a full and deep communion with Christ.
Let us receive and give freely all that God has given us. Fr. Brian Steele, MGL
REFLECTION QUESTION: How does your life bless the people around you?
Lord, You look upon Benedict as a man of blessing. Bless us that we may be a blessing to others, too. Amen.
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