Benedict of Nursia

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venerate saints
Canonized1220, Rome, Papal States by Pope Honorius III
Major shrineMonte Cassino Abbey, with his burial

Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire, near Orléans, France

Sacro Speco, at Subiaco, Italy
Officers of arms
  • the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
  • Inflammatory diseases
  • Italian architects
  • Kidney disease
  • Monks
  • Nettle rash
  • Norcia, Italy
  • People in religious orders
  • San Beda University
  • Schoolchildren and students
  • Servants who have broken their master's belongings
  • Speleologists
  • Spelunkers
  • Temptations
  • Benedict of Nursia

    patron saint of Europe.[4]

    Benedict founded twelve communities for monks at

    Order of Saint Benedict emerged later and, moreover, is not an "order" as the term is commonly understood, but a confederation of autonomous congregations.[5]

    Benedict's main achievement, his

    Rule became one of the most influential religious rules in Western Christendom. For this reason, Giuseppe Carletti regarded Benedict as the founder of Western Christian monasticism.[6]

    Biography

    Apart from a short poem attributed to Mark of Monte Cassino,[7] the only ancient account of Benedict is found in the second volume of Pope Gregory I's four-book Dialogues, thought to have been written in 593,[8] although the authenticity of this work is disputed.[9]

    Gregory's account of Benedict's life, however, is not a biography in the modern sense of the word. It provides instead a spiritual portrait of the gentle, disciplined abbot. In a letter to Bishop Maximilian of Syracuse, Gregory states his intention for his Dialogues, saying they are a kind of floretum (an anthology, literally, 'flowers') of the most striking miracles of Italian holy men.[10]

    Gregory did not set out to write a chronological, historically anchored story of Benedict, but he did base his anecdotes on direct testimony. To establish his authority, Gregory explains that his information came from what he considered the best sources: a handful of Benedict's disciples who lived with him and witnessed his various miracles. These followers, he says, are Constantinus, who succeeded Benedict as Abbot of Monte Cassino, Honoratus, who was abbot of Subiaco when St. Gregory wrote his Dialogues, Valentinianus, and Simplicius.

    In Gregory's day, history was not recognised as an independent field of study; it was a branch of grammar or rhetoric, and historia was an account that summed up the findings of the learned when they wrote what was, at that time, considered history.[11] Gregory's Dialogues, Book Two, then, an authentic medieval hagiography cast as a conversation between the Pope and his deacon Peter,[a] is designed to teach spiritual lessons.[8]

    Early life

    He was the son of a

    Nursia,[8][12] the modern Norcia, in Umbria
    . If 480 is accepted as the year of his birth, the year of his abandonment of his studies and leaving home would be about 500. Gregory's narrative makes it impossible to suppose him younger than 20 at the time.

    Benedict was sent to Rome to study, but was disappointed by urban academic life. Seeking to escape the great city, he left with his servant and settled in

    Simbruini mountains, about forty miles from Rome[12]
    and two miles from Subiaco.

    Fra Filippo Lippi
    , AD 1445

    A short distance from Enfide is the entrance to a narrow, gloomy valley, penetrating the mountains and leading directly to Subiaco. The path continues to ascend, and the side of the ravine on which it runs becomes steeper until a cave is reached, above this point the mountain now rises almost perpendicularly; while on the right, it strikes in a rapid descent down to where, in Benedict's day, 500 feet (150 m) below, lay the blue waters of a lake. The cave has a large triangular-shaped opening and is about ten feet deep. On his way from Enfide, Benedict met a monk, Romanus of Subiaco, whose monastery was on the mountain above the cliff overhanging the cave. Romanus discussed with Benedict the purpose which had brought him to Subiaco, and gave him the monk's habit. By his advice Benedict became a hermit and for three years lived in this cave above the lake.[12]

    Later life

    Gregory tells little of Benedict's later life. He now speaks of Benedict no longer as a youth (puer), but as a man (vir) of God. Romanus, Gregory states, served Benedict in every way he could. The monk apparently visited him frequently, and on fixed days brought him food.[13]

    During these three years of solitude, broken only by occasional communications with the outer world and by the visits of Romanus, Benedict matured both in mind and character, in knowledge of himself and of his fellow-man, and at the same time he became not merely known to, but secured the respect of, those about him; so much so that on the death of the abbot of a monastery in the neighbourhood (identified by some with Vicovaro), the community came to him and begged him to become its abbot. Benedict was acquainted with the life and discipline of the monastery, and knew that "their manners were diverse from his and therefore that they would never agree together: yet, at length, overcome with their entreaty, he gave his consent".[9]: 3  The experiment failed; the monks tried to poison him. The legend goes that they first tried to poison his drink. He prayed a blessing over the cup and the cup shattered. Thus he left the group and went back to his cave at Subiaco.

    There lived in the neighborhood a priest called Florentius who, moved by envy, tried to ruin him. He tried to poison him with poisoned bread. When he prayed a blessing over the bread, a raven swept in and took the loaf away. From this time his miracles seem to have become frequent, and many people, attracted by his sanctity and character, came to Subiaco to be under his guidance. Having failed by sending him poisonous bread, Florentius tried to seduce his monks with some prostitutes. To avoid further temptations, in about 530 Benedict left Subiaco.[14] He founded 12 monasteries in the vicinity of Subiaco, and, eventually, in 530 he founded the great Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino, which lies on a hilltop between Rome and Naples.[15]

    Totila and Saint Benedict, painted by Spinello Aretino. According to Pope Gregory, King Totila ordered a general to wear his kingly robes in order to see whether Benedict would discover the truth. Immediately Benedict detected the impersonation, and Totila came to pay him due respect.

    Veneration

    Benedict died of a fever at

    romeria (Romería Regional de San Benito Abad) is held on this island in his honor, one of the most important in the country.[20]

    In the pre-1970 General Roman Calendar, his feast is kept on 21 March, the day of his death according to some manuscripts of the Martyrologium Hieronymianum and that of Bede. Because on that date his liturgical memorial would always be impeded by the observance of Lent, the 1969 revision of the General Roman Calendar moved his memorial to 11 July, the date that appears in some Gallic liturgical books of the end of the 8th century as the feast commemorating his birth (Natalis S. Benedicti). There is some uncertainty about the origin of this feast.[21] Accordingly, on 21 March the Roman Martyrology mentions in a line and a half that it is Benedict's day of death and that his memorial is celebrated on 11 July, while on 11 July it devotes seven lines to speaking of him, and mentions the tradition that he died on 21 March.[22]

    The Eastern Orthodox Church commemorates Saint Benedict on 14 March.[23]

    The Anglican Communion has no single universal calendar, but a provincial calendar of saints is published in each province. In almost all of these, Saint Benedict is commemorated on 11 July.

    Benedict is

    Lesser Festival on 11 July.[24]

    Rule of Saint Benedict

    Benedict wrote the Rule for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. The Rule comprises seventy-three short chapters. Its wisdom is twofold: spiritual (how to live a Christocentric life on earth) and administrative (how to run a monastery efficiently).[15] More than half of the chapters describe how to be obedient and humble, and what to do when a member of the community is not. About one-fourth regulate the work of God (the "opus Dei"). One-tenth outline how, and by whom, the monastery should be managed. Benedictine asceticism is known for its moderation.[25]

    Saint Benedict Medal

    Benedict depicted on a Jubilee Saint Benedict Medal for the 1,400th anniversary of his birth in 1880

    This

    Vade Retro Satana initials VRSNSMV which stand for "Vade Retro Satana, Nonquam Suade Mihi Vana" ("Begone Satan, do not suggest to me thy vanities") then a space followed by the initials SMQLIVB which signify "Sunt Mala Quae Libas, Ipse Venena Bibas" ("Evil are the things thou profferest, drink thou thine own poison").[26]

    Vade Retro Satana which is abbreviated on the Saint Benedict Medal
    .

    This medal was first struck in 1880 to commemorate the fourteenth centenary of Benedict's birth and is also called the Jubilee Medal; its exact origin, however, is unknown. In 1647, during a witchcraft trial at Natternberg near Metten Abbey in Bavaria, the accused women testified they had no power over Metten, which was under the protection of the cross. An investigation found a number of painted crosses on the walls of the abbey with the letters now found on St Benedict medals, but their meaning had been forgotten. A manuscript written in 1415 was eventually found that had a picture of Benedict holding a scroll in one hand and a staff which ended in a cross in the other. On the scroll and staff were written the full words of the initials contained on the crosses. Medals then began to be struck in Germany, which then spread throughout Europe. This medal was first approved by Pope Benedict XIV in his briefs of 23 December 1741 and 12 March 1742.[26]

    Benedict has been also the motif of many collector's coins around the world. The Austria 50 euro 'The Christian Religious Orders', issued on 13 March 2002 is one of them.

    Influence

    Austria 50 euro 'The Christian Religious Orders' commemorative coin

    The early Middle Ages have been called "the Benedictine centuries."

    Roman empire.[28]

    Benedict contributed more than anyone else to the rise of monasticism in the West. His Rule was the foundational document for thousands of religious communities in the Middle Ages.[29] To this day, The Rule of St. Benedict is the most common and influential Rule used by monasteries and monks, more than 1,400 years after its writing.

    A basilica was built upon the birthplace of Benedict and Scholastica in the 1400s. Ruins of their familial home were excavated from beneath the church and preserved. The earthquake of 30 October 2016 completely devastated the structure of the basilica, leaving only the front facade and altar standing.[30][31]

    Gallery

    See also Category:Paintings of Benedict of Nursia.
    • Saint Benedict and the cup of poison (Melk Abbey, Austria)
      Saint Benedict and the cup of poison (Melk Abbey, Austria)
    • Small gold-coloured Saint Benedict crucifix
      Small gold-coloured Saint Benedict crucifix
    • Both sides of a Saint Benedict Medal
      Both sides of a Saint Benedict Medal
    • Portrait (1926) by Herman Nieg (1849–1928); Heiligenkreuz Abbey, Austria
      Portrait (1926) by Herman Nieg (1849–1928); Heiligenkreuz Abbey, Austria
    • St. Benedict at the Death of St. Scholastica (c. 1250–60), Musée National de l'Age Médiévale, Paris, orig. at the Abbatiale of St. Denis
      St. Benedict at the Death of St. Scholastica (c. 1250–60), Musée National de l'Age Médiévale, Paris, orig. at the Abbatiale of St. Denis
    • Statue in Einsiedeln, Switzerland
      Statue in Einsiedeln, Switzerland
    • Benedict holding a bound bundle of sticks representing the strength of monks who live in community[32]
      Benedict holding a bound
      bundle of sticks representing the strength of monks who live in community[32]

    See also

    References

    Notes

    1. ^ For the various literary accounts, see Anonymous Monk of Whitby, The Earliest Life of Gregory the Great, tr. B. Colgrave (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985), p. 157, n. 110.

    Citations

    1. ^ Lanzi, Fernando; Lanzi, Gioia (2004) [2003]. Saints and Their Symbols: Recog [Come riconoscere i santi]. Translated by O'Connell, Matthew J. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press. p. 218. . Retrieved 26 October 2023. Benedict of Nursia [...] Principal attributes: black monastic garb, staff, book with inscription: "Pray and Work."
    2. ^ "Saint Benedict of Nursia: The Iconography". Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
    3. .
    4. ^ Barrely, Christine; Leblon, Saskia; Péraudin, Laure; Trieulet, Stéphane (23 March 2011) [2009]. "Benedict". The Little Book of Saints [Petit livre des saints]. Translated by Bell, Elizabeth. San Francisco: Chronicle Book. p. 34. . Retrieved 26 October 2023. Declared the patron saint of Europe in 1964 by Pope Paul VI, Benedict is also the patron of farmers, peasants, and Italian architects.
    5. from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2016. Today, tens of thousands of men and women throughout the world profess to live their lives according to Benedict's Rule. These men and women are associated with over two thousand Roman Catholic, Anglican, and ecumenical Benedictine monasteries on six continents.
    6. ^ Carletti, Giuseppe, Life of St. Benedict (
      Freeport, NY
      : Books for Libraries Press, 1971).
    7. ^ "The Autumn Number 1921" (PDF). The Ampleforth Journal. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022.
    8. ^ a b c "Ford, Hugh. "St. Benedict of Norcia." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 3 Mar. 2014". Archived from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
    9. ^ a b Life and Miracles of St. Benedict (Book II, Dialogues), tr. Odo John Zimmerman, O.S.B. and Benedict , O.S.B. (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1980), p. iv.
    10. ^ See Ildephonso Schuster, Saint Benedict and His Times, Gregory A. Roettger, tr. (London: B. Herder, 1951), p. 2.
    11. ^ See Deborah Mauskopf Deliyannis, ed., Historiography in the Middle Ages (Boston: Brill, 2003), pp. 1–2.
    12. ^ a b c Knowles, Michael David. "St. Benedict". Encyclopedia Britannica
    13. ^ a b ""Saint Benedict, Abbot", Lives of Saints, John J. Crawley & Co., Inc". Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
    14. ^ Bunson, M., Bunson, M., & Bunson, S., Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints (Huntington IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 2014), p. 125.
    15. ^ a b "St Benedict of Nursia", the British Library
    16. ^ "Saint Benedict of Norcia". Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
    17. ^ "St. Benedict of Norcia". Catholic Online. Archived from the original on 28 June 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
    18. ^ "Egregiae Virtutis". Archived from the original on 4 January 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2009. Apostolic letter of Pope John Paul II, 31 December 1980 (in Latin)
    19. ^ Brewer's dictionary of phrase & fable. Cassell. p.953
    20. ^ "Romería de San Benito Abad", Oficial de turismo de España
    21. Libreria Editrice Vaticana
      ), pp. 97 and 119
    22. )
    23. ^ ""Orthodox Church in America: The Lives of the Saints, March 14th"". Archived from the original on 12 May 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
    24. ^ "The Calendar". The Church of England. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
    25. ^ "Saint Benedict", Franciscan Media
    26. ^
      Rockford, IL: TAN Books
      , pp 60–62.
    27. ^ "Western Europe in the Middle Ages". Archived from the original on 2 June 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2008.
    28. ^ Benedict XVI, "Saint Benedict of Norcia" Homily given to a general audience at St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, 9 April 2008 "?". Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
    29. ^ Stracke, Prof. J.R., "St. Benedict – Iconography", Augusta State University Archived 16 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine
    30. ^ "Earthquake Blog - Monks of Norcia". Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
    31. ^ Bruton, F. B., & Lavanga, C., "Beer-Brewing Monks of Norcia Say Earthquake Destroys St. Benedict Basilica" Archived 8 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine, NBC News, October 31, 2016.
    32. ^ "Saint Benedict of Nursia: The Iconography". Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2022.

    Sources

    External links

    The Rule

    Publications

    Iconography