What we know of St Benedict's life comes to us from the
Second Book of the Dialogues of Pope St Gregory the
Great and what we can read of his character in and between the lines of his Holy Rule. We may
confidently say that the Europe we know today would be markedly different had it not been for the
civilising influence of Saint Benedict’s spiritual sons.
Born at Nursia in Italy in around AD 480 to a noble family, Benedict’s birth coincided with a
collapse of culture, language and religion. Barbarism and paganism seemed to be winning the day.
The Church itself was torn apart by heresy and schism. Into this world Benedict and Scholastica, his
sister, were born.
Benedict rejected the Rome of his studies and preferred to concentrate on the things of God. Gregory the
Great takes up the story:
"giving over his books, and forsaking his father's house and wealth, with a mind only to serve God,
he sought for some place where he might attain to the desire of his holy purpose; and in this sort he
departed [from Rome], instructed with learned ignorance and furnished with unlearned wisdom"
(Dial. St. Greg., II, Introd. in Migne, P.L. LXVI).
 |
Choosing the life of a hermit in a cave at Subiaco, Benedict was helped with food by the monk Romanus,
who lowered sustenance to him in a basket. Benedict is, form this point, described by Pope St Gregory no
longer as a youth (puer) but as a man (vir) of God.
He lived in this cave for 3 years. During these years of solitude, broken only by occasional
communications with the outer world and by the visits of Romanus, he 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 who came upon him. So much so that on the death of the abbot of a
monastery in the neighbourhood, the community came to him and begged him to become its abbot. Benedict
relented and took his position as their superior. However, their lukewarmness of life and sinful habits
were not tolerated by Benedict and the monks were unwilling to change their ways. They therefore decided
to kill St Benedict by poisoning his drink.
 |
They were foiled however, for when St Benedict made the sign of the cross over his meal in blessing, the
cup containing the poison immediately shattered and Benedict knew of their plan. Benedict therefore once
more withdrew to his solitude in the cave at Subiaco, but so great was his saintly renown that disciples
came from afar to seek him out, and moved by compassion, he cared for them as a spiritual father forming a
total of 12 monasteries in the Subiaco valley. Subiaco prospered and today, 1500 years later continues to
be a home to Benedictine monks.
St Benedict himself went on to found a new monastery on the top of the mountain at Monte Cassino and in
so doing tore down a pagan temple to Apollo. This monastery became the most famous abbey in the world and
is believed to have been founded by St Benedict in around 520 AD. This monastery is open to visitors to
this day and is breathtakingly beautiful. The bodies of St Benedict and his sister St Scholastic are
venerated in the crypt.
Benedict went on to perform many miracles, some of which are documented by Pope St Gregory in his Dialogues,
until Benedict finally died in prayer on 21st March 547 AD and his soul was seen to advance heavenwards on a
path strewn with rich coverings and shining with innumerable lights.
It was at Monte Cassino that St Benedict wrote his famous 'Rule for Beginners' commonly known as the
Rule of St Benedict that transformed
European life and history by establishing the rhythm of monastic life and observance from then onwards.
aint 
enedict
