If Anyone of the Nobility
St. Benedict emphasizes the importance of securing a child's future by preventing them from inheriting wealth and property, to protect them from deception and ruin.
St. Benedict of Nursia emphasizes the importance of offering one's children to God in the monastery, ensuring that parents make a formal commitment to relinquish any control or influence over their child's life and possessions. This act of dedication involves wrapping the child's hand and a document in the altar cloth during the oblation ceremony. Parents are urged to swear an oath that they will not provide the child with any material possessions, safeguarding the child from worldly expectations and potential deception. Even those with limited resources are encouraged to make a similar offering, while those with nothing are advised to offer their child before witnesses at the oblation.
Text
If anyone of the nobility
offers his son to God in the monastery
and the boy is very young,
let his parents draw up the document which we mentioned above;
and at the oblation
let them wrap the document itself and the boy's hand in the altar cloth.
That is how they offer him.
As regards their property,
they shall promise in the same petition under oath
that they will never of themselves, or through an intermediary,
or in any way whatever,
give him anything
or provide him with the opportunity of owning anything.
Or else,
if they are unwilling to do this,
and if they want to offer something as an alms to the monastery
for their advantage,
let them make a donation
of the property they wish to give to the monastery,
reserving the income to themselves if they wish.
And in this way let everything be barred,
so that the boy may have no expectations
whereby (which God forbid) he might be deceived and ruined,
as we have learned by experience.
Let those who are less well-to-do make a similar offering.
But those who have nothing at all
shall simply draw up the document
and offer their son before witnesses at the oblation.
Sermon Outline
- Offering a Child to God
- Securing the Child's Future
- The Importance of Securing the Child's Future
- Preventing Deception and Ruin
- The Experience of the Monastery
Key Quotes
“That is how they offer him.” — St. Benedict of Nursia
“And in this way let everything be barred, so that the boy may have no expectations whereby (which God forbid) he might be deceived and ruined,” — St. Benedict of Nursia
Application Points
- Parents should consider the long-term consequences of their actions and make sacrifices for the benefit of their children.
- Securing a child's future requires careful planning and a commitment to their spiritual well-being.
- The monastery provides a safe and supportive environment for children to grow and develop.