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St. Benedict of Nursia
St. Benedict of Nursia (c. 480–March 21, 547) was an Italian monk, preacher, and founder of Western monasticism, best known for establishing the Rule of St. Benedict, which shaped Christian monastic life for centuries. Born in Nursia (modern Norcia, Umbria) to a noble Roman family—traditionally named Eupropius and Abundantia—he was sent to Rome for education around 495 but abandoned worldly pursuits after witnessing the city’s moral decay. Fleeing to Subiaco, he lived as a hermit in a cave for three years, guided by a monk named Romanus, where his reputation for holiness grew, drawing disciples. Though not ordained as a priest, his preaching through example and instruction profoundly influenced early Christian communities. Around 529, Benedict founded the monastery at Monte Cassino, south of Rome, after leaving Subiaco due to conflicts with a jealous priest. There, he composed his Rule, a practical guide blending work, prayer, and study—famously summarized as “ora et labora” (pray and work)—preached to his monks to foster a balanced spiritual life. His miracles, like restoring a shattered sieve or raising a boy from the dead, underscored his sanctity, as recorded by Pope Gregory the Great in Dialogues. Tradition holds he had a twin sister, St. Scholastica, also a monastic founder. Benedict died at Monte Cassino in 547, possibly from fever, and was buried alongside Scholastica. Canonized in 1220, he’s venerated as the patron saint of Europe, leaving a legacy as a preacher of discipline and devotion that endures in the Benedictine Order.
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St. Benedict of Nursia emphasizes the importance of the Abbot's care for delinquent brethren, drawing inspiration from the words of Jesus that the sick need a physician. The Abbot is urged to seek wise counsel and support from mature brethren to guide and console those who are wavering, encouraging them to seek reconciliation and not be overwhelmed by grief. It is crucial for the Abbot to show utmost care and diligence in nurturing weak souls, following the example of the Good Shepherd who compassionately seeks out the lost sheep to bring them back to the flock.
Let the Abbot Be Most Solicitous
Let the Abbot be most solicitous in his concern for delinquent brethren, for "it is not the healthy but the sick who need a physician" (Matt 9:12) And therefore he ought to use every means that a wise physician would use. Let him send senpectae, that is, brethren of mature years and wisdom, who may as it were secretly console the wavering brother and induce him to make humble satisfaction; comforting him that he may not "be overwhelmed by excessive grief" (2 Cor. 2:7), but that, as the Apostle says, charity may be strengthened in him (2 Cor. 2:8). And let everyone pray for him. For the Abbot must have the utmost solicitude and exercise all prudence and diligence lest he lose any of the sheep entrusted to him. Let him know that what he has undertaken is the care of weak souls and not a tyranny over strong ones; and let him fear the Prophet's warning through which God says, "What you saw to be fat you took to yourselves, and what was feeble you cast away" (Ezec. 34:3,4). Let him rather imitate the loving example of the Good Shepherd who left the ninety-nine sheep in the mountains and went to look for the one sheep that had gone astray, on whose weakness He had such compassion that He deigned to place it on His own sacred shoulders and thus carry it back to the flock (Luke 15:4-5).
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St. Benedict of Nursia (c. 480–March 21, 547) was an Italian monk, preacher, and founder of Western monasticism, best known for establishing the Rule of St. Benedict, which shaped Christian monastic life for centuries. Born in Nursia (modern Norcia, Umbria) to a noble Roman family—traditionally named Eupropius and Abundantia—he was sent to Rome for education around 495 but abandoned worldly pursuits after witnessing the city’s moral decay. Fleeing to Subiaco, he lived as a hermit in a cave for three years, guided by a monk named Romanus, where his reputation for holiness grew, drawing disciples. Though not ordained as a priest, his preaching through example and instruction profoundly influenced early Christian communities. Around 529, Benedict founded the monastery at Monte Cassino, south of Rome, after leaving Subiaco due to conflicts with a jealous priest. There, he composed his Rule, a practical guide blending work, prayer, and study—famously summarized as “ora et labora” (pray and work)—preached to his monks to foster a balanced spiritual life. His miracles, like restoring a shattered sieve or raising a boy from the dead, underscored his sanctity, as recorded by Pope Gregory the Great in Dialogues. Tradition holds he had a twin sister, St. Scholastica, also a monastic founder. Benedict died at Monte Cassino in 547, possibly from fever, and was buried alongside Scholastica. Canonized in 1220, he’s venerated as the patron saint of Europe, leaving a legacy as a preacher of discipline and devotion that endures in the Benedictine Order.