A Saint for the month of July
Benedict and the balanced life
St. Benedict of Nursia
Father of Western Monasticism

Feast Day July 11

Issue: Living the balanced life.

St Benedict was born in Nursia Italy probably in the late 400s. He found city life so repulsive that he went into seclusion becoming a hermit. Within a few years his reputation for holiness and personal austerities was such that he was approached by a community of monks to be their abbot. Later he started a centre of spirituality and learning, but suffering hostility from local clergy he moved to Monte Cassino. Around 530 AD he began building the monastery that was to become the birthplace of Western monasticism.

St. Benedict drew up a rule for his growing community uplifting them to a new level of practicality. His new rule prescribed common sense, moderate asceticism, prayer, study, work and community life under one superior. The rule was quickly seen to be a good and reasonable way for ordinary Christian people to live who wished to serve the Lord away from the distractions of everyday life but for whom older monastic rules were too harsh. One important departure from the past was the importance attached to manual labour. (In today’s terms this may be applied to all work). The main example would be farming, although off shoots such as the development of medicinal herbs and seed propagation are also what is a balanced life in a monastic setting. The Benedictine motto “Work and Prayer” captures the spirit of community life, even in copying and writing, and the search for the common good.

SEE

1. Are we living balanced lives ?
2. Do we work too much leaving little time for ourselves, prayer, for others around us ?
3. Do we forget the need for a little personal sacrifice or the need to do some good or work in our home, church, outside communities?

JUDGE

1. Given that most of us are not monastics is there any way in which St. Benedict’s ideals of moderation and a balanced life of prayer, sacrifice, work, service and concern for our personal needs can be achieved in our own lives?

ACT

1. Give some thought to the balance or lack of it in our lives. Put a little time each day to Prayer, Spiritual reading, Meditation.
2. Balance may include being creative in manual labour in and around the home.
   The emphasis will be an offering to the neighbours around you, whether individually or in the community.
3. Make certain that our lives include some or all of St Benedict’s ideals at all times. It may not be possible to keep a perfectly balanced life at all times but striving for it is in itself a part of a balanced life.