Luceat!

I remember my first time within the Abbey walls at St. Benedict’s in Atchison, KS. When I entered these monastic walls, it was not too long before I meet the person of Jesus and fell in love with Him and His Church. I remember seeing men walking in long black robes with great reverence and peace in their every step. There was something majestic about the world I found myself in.

At the time I was a senior in high school on the tour of the many college campuses that I was visiting to see where I would pursue my college education. I distinctly remember driving away from Benedictine College and knowing that I had to go there. It would only be later that I would realize that I was responding the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the invitation of a 1500 year old saint.

Within 6 months of that visit, I found myself going to the Abbey daily and attending Mass and Vespers with the monks. I fell in love the solemn chants and manly silence that filled the choir stalls where the monks would pray. I found myself going there to ask God for forgiveness for my many sins and strength to walk in a lonely time. It was in the walls of St. Benedict’s Abbey that I met some of my best friends to this day and first came to believe in the Church.

In St. Benedict’s Rule, I found a masterpiece that taught me how to live! Benedict taught me order, moderation, and joy in sacrifice. He was a practical man, realizing that even things like taking your knife out of your robe before sleeping is not too small to mention. He understood the world would be changed through stability and obedience. We needed to learn to love each other and serve each other as Christ has charged us. He reminded us that wisdom often speaks through the lips of babes, so we should always listen to the younger in our care. Silence, humility, and constant conversion were his daily creed.

In our age, Pope Benedict XVI, has chosen for his namesake the name of this great monk. Some would argue that Benedictines were the foundation of which Europe was built and the reason St. Benedict was named patron of Europe in 1964 by Pope Paul VI. As we are faced with a culture that runs from commitment and embraces a false sense of freedom, we can cling to St. Benedict to help start to rebuild the world we live in once again. Today, as we celebrate his feast, we must pray for the courage to fight the battles in our own times, especially with the “weapon of obedience” (Prologue of the Rule of St. Benedict). May we learn from our Father Benedict, who is a great a patron our day!

St. Benedict…Pray for us!