Oblate Program at Belmont Abbey, NC

Tag: St Benedict

Faced with a world in chaos, what did St. Benedict do?

This coming week, Christian believers will celebrate the feast day of Saint Benedict of Norcia. The early sixth century saint still shines as one of Western culture’s brightest lights. And yet, of all the things that can rightly be said about him, sometimes the most obvious is missed. When the young saint found himself desolate… Read More ›

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The key to avoiding distraction … from a 6th-century monk

Must-read advice for discussing contentious issues in person and on the web. Do you ever feel like we’re all talking past each other? Even in friendly conversations I notice times when I’m simply waiting for a pause so I can interject a new topic of conversation and hold court about it. In other words, I’m… Read More ›

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Passing of Our Holy Father Benedict

The same year in which he departed this life, he told the day of his holy death to his monks, some of which did live daily with him, and some dwelt far off, willing those that were present to keep it secret, and telling them that were absent by what token they should know that… Read More ›

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Conclave to determine new Pope could be held mid-March

Vatican City, Feb 13, 2013 / 02:17 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The conclave to elect the next Bishop of Rome could start between March 15 and 19, according to the director of the Holy See’s Press Office. “If everything goes normally, it could be envisioned that the conclave begins between 15 and 19 March,” Father Federico… Read More ›

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Benedict, A Star in the Darkness of Night

Like a star in the darkness of night, Benedict of Nursia brilliantly shines, a glory not only to Italy but of the whole Church. Whoever considers his celebrated life and studies in the light of the truth of history, the gloomy and stormy times in which he lived, will without doubt realize the truth of… Read More ›

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Father of a Family

16. The monastic community is so constituted and arranged that it resembles the Christian home over which the Abbot or Superior presides like the father of a family; and all should depend completely on his paternal authority. “We see that it is expedient” says St. Benedict, “for the preservation of peace and charity, that the… Read More ›

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God must be loved as a Father

26. It is of first and primary importance that the supreme Deity be reverenced and His holy laws obeyed in private and in public life; otherwise, there is no human power capable of checking and keeping under due control the unleashed passions of peoples. Religion alone provides the support for what is right and honorable…. Read More ›

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And the Greatest Is Love

Saint Benedict had a sister, Scholastica, — many say his twin — who had been consecrated to God since her youth and was herself a spiritual leader. During one of their annual visits, Scholastica, inspired by the depth of their conversation, asked Benedict — by now an abbot of some renown — to remain overnight… Read More ›

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St. Benedict’s Mission

St. Benedict has a distinct mission for the sanctification of monks [and Oblates]. He intervenes personally and directly in the lives of all his sons [and daughters]. He teaches them not only through the written word of the Rule, but also through a charismatic intervention in the lives of his monks, which continues and will… Read More ›

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Short Biography of St. Benedict

Today, I would like to speak about Benedict, the Founder of Western Monasticism and also the Patron of my Pontificate. I begin with words that St Gregory the Great wrote about St Benedict: “The man of God who shone on this earth among so many miracles was just as brilliant in the eloquent exposition of… Read More ›

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