St.
Benedict was born in Nursia, Italy, in 480 A.D. While studying in
Rome, he decided to become a hermit and fled to Subiaco where he
lived in solitude. Seclusion and self-denial helped him achieve
a height of sanctity that became well-know. He founded monasteries,
among them Monte Cassino which still exists. Here he wrote the Holy
Rule for Monks. St. Benedict died in 547 A.D.
The Holy Rule was adopted by the monasteries in the empire of Charlemagne. From the seventh century until the emergence of the Friar Orders in the thirteenth century, monastic life was the only form of religious life in the West. It was the strongest civilizing force in Europe during the Dark Ages and the Middle Ages. In 1964 Pope Paul VI named St. Benedict Patron of Europe.
The Holy Rule of St. Benedict is the constitution of monastic life. It establishes the structure and government of the monastery, organizes the life of prayer, work, study and discipline, and exhorts the monk to seek God. Aside from brevity and breadth of scope, the Rule is characterized by moderation and adaptability.
Ora
et labora, prayer and work – summarizes Benedictine monastic life:
a balanced, discipline life of prayer and work in community. St.
Benedict did not specify a particular apostolate for monks. Throughout
the centuries, Benedictine monks have been engaged in liturgy, scholarship,
education, the arts, and missionary and pastoral work.
Benedictine saints include St. Augustine of Canterbury; St. Boniface, the Apostle of Germany; St. Ansgar; St. Adalbert; St. Gregory the Great and St. Gregory VII, two outstanding popes; the Venerable Bede, who wrote the first history of England, and St. Anselm, philosopher and theologian.
Religious in general take the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. However, Benedictine monks take the vows of obedience, conversion of life and stability. The last vow is distinctively Benedictine. By it the monk binds himself to a particular monastic family for life. The stability of the monk insures the stability of community life.
When he wrote his Rule, St. Benedict did not have in mind an "order", that is, a widespread, centralized organization that we know today. He simply wrote a rule for monasteries. The Benedictine Order is actually a loose confederation of 26 congregation, which are in turn federations of autonomous monasteries.
