Flora Cantábrica

Saint Benedict

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Saint Benedict
First Founder of Religious Orders
Year 517
Benedict means «Blessed.»
In 1980, the Holy Father John Paul II named Saint Benedict patron of all Europe, on the fifteenth centenary of his birth, because he was perhaps the most influential saint on that continent, through the religious community he founded and through his wonderful writings and wise teachings.
HIS LIFE AND WORK
Saint Benedict was born in Nursia (Italy, near Rome) in the year 480. Born to wealthy parents, he was sent to Rome to study philosophy and literature, and it is evident that he learned the national language (Latin) very well because his writings are written in a very fine style.
All the information about his biography is taken from the Life of Saint Benedict, written by Saint Gregory the Great, who was a monk in his Benedictine community.
His first escape. The city of Rome was inhabited by a mixture of fervent Christians, lax Christians, pagans, atheists, barbarians, and all sorts of people from various countries and beliefs, and the atmosphere, especially among the youth, was frighteningly lax. So Benedict realized that if he remained there in the midst of such a corrupt society, he would become a tremendous corrupter. And he knew very well that in the fight against sin and corruption, the victorious ones are those who appear to be «cowards,» that is, those who flee from opportunities and distance themselves from evil people. So he fled the city and went to a remote village to pray, meditate, and do penance.
A minor mishap. Second escape. But it so happened that in the village where he arrived, he unexpectedly obtained a miracle. He saw a poor woman crying because a precious vase that belonged to someone else had broken. Benedict prayed and blessed it, and the vase returned to its former state as if nothing had happened to it. This deeply moved the townspeople, and they began to venerate him as a saint. Then he had to flee farther away.
Subiaco. Heroic beginnings. He went to a completely uninhabited region and, at a place called «Subiaco» (which means «under the lake,» because there were underwater caves there), retired to live on a rock, surrounded by weeds and thorns, and extremely difficult to climb. A monk who lived nearby instructed him on how to be a good monk and brought him a loaf of bread every day, which he tied to a cable, which Benedict pulled from above. His beard and hair grew so long, and his skin became so brown on that rock that one day some shepherds who were looking for goats, upon finding him, thought he was a wild beast. Later, upon hearing him speak, they were amazed at the good advice he could give. They spread the news, and many people began to visit him, asking for advice and teaching.
A day in the life of Saint Benedict. He would get up at two in the morning to pray the psalms. He spent hours and hours praying and meditating. He never ate meat. He devoted many hours to manual labor, and he managed to convince his followers that work was not a way of degrading oneself, but rather a way of being useful to society and a way of imitating Jesus Christ, who was a hard worker, and even a very good method for warding off temptations. He fasted every day, and had his breakfast in the afternoon. He spent the morning without eating or drinking. He attended to all those who came to him for spiritual consultations, and there were many, and from time to time he went to the surrounding villages with his monks to preach and try to convert sinners. His manners toward everyone were extremely kind and well-mannered. His presence was venerable.
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