Benedict of Nursia

"Saint Benedict" redirects here. For other uses, seeSaint Benedict (disambiguation).

Benedict of Nursia(Latin:Benedictus Nursiae;Italian:Benedetto da Norcia;2 March 480 – 21 March 547), often known asSaint Benedict,was anItalian Catholicmonk. He is famed in theCatholic Church,theEastern Orthodox Church,theLutheran Churches,theAnglican Communion,andOld Catholic Churches.In 1964 PopePaul VIdeclared Benedict apatron saint of Europe.

Saint Benedict of Nursia
A portrait of Saint Benedict as depicted in theBenedetto Portinari Triptych,byHans Memling
Founder of the Benedictine Order, Exorcist, Mystic, Abbot of Monte Cassino, and Father of Western Monasticism
Born	(480-03-02)2 March 480 Nursia,Kingdom of Italy
Died	21 March 547(547-03-21)(aged 67) Mons Casinus,Eastern Roman Empire
Venerated in	AllChristian denominationswhichvenerate saints
Canonized	1220,Rome,Papal StatesbyPope Honorius III
Majorshrine	Monte Cassino Abbey, with his burial Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire,nearOrléans,France Sacro Speco, at Subiaco, Italy
Feast	11 July (General Roman Calendar,Lutheran Churches,Anglican Communion) 14 March (Eastern Orthodox Church) 21 March (pre-1970 General Roman Calendar)
Attributes	Bell Book inscribed"Pray and Work" Broken cup and serpent representing poison Broken utensil Bush Crosier Man in a Benedictine cowl holding Benedict's rule or a rod of discipline Raven holding a boundbundle of sticks
Patronage	Against poison Against curses Agricultural workers Cavers Civil engineers Coppersmiths Dying people Erysipelas Europe Farmers Fever Gall stones Heerdt,Germany HeraldryandOfficers of arms theInstitute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest Inflammatory diseases Italian architects Kidney disease Monks Nettle rash Norcia, Italy People in religious orders San Beda University Schoolchildren and students Servants who have broken their master's belongings Speleologists Spelunkers Temptations

Benedict founded twelve communities for monks atSubiacoin present-day Lazio, Italy (about 65 kilometres (40 mi) to the east of Rome), before moving further south-east toMonte Cassinoin the mountains ofcentral Italy.The present-dayOrder of Saint Benedictemerged later and, moreover, is not an"order"as the term is commonly understood, but a confederation of autonomouscongregations.

Benedict's main achievement, hisRule of Saint Benedict,contains a set ofrulesfor his monks to follow. Heavily influenced by the writings ofJohn Cassian(c. 360–c.  435), it shows strong affinity with the earlierRule of the Master,but it also has a unique spirit of balance, moderation and reasonableness (ἐπιείκεια,epieíkeia), which persuaded most Christian religious communities founded throughout theMiddle Agesto adopt it. As a result, Benedict'sRulebecame one of the most influential religious rules in WesternChristendom.For this reason, Giuseppe Carletti regarded Benedict as the founder ofWestern Christian monasticism.

Biography

Apart from a short poem attributed to Mark of Monte Cassino,the only ancient account of Benedict is found in the second volume ofPope Gregory I's four-bookDialogues,thought to have been written in 593,although the authenticity of this work is disputed.

Gregory's account of Benedict's life, however, is not a biography in the modern sense of the word. It provides instead aspiritual portraitof the gentle, disciplined abbot. In a letter to Bishop Maximilian of Syracuse, Gregory states his intention for hisDialogues,saying they are a kind offloretum(ananthology,literally, 'flower garden') of the most striking miracles of Italian holy men.

Gregory did not set out to write a chronological, historically anchored story of Benedict, but he did base his anecdotes on direct testimony. To establish his authority, Gregory explains that his information came from what he considered the best sources: a handful of Benedict's disciples who lived with him and witnessed his various miracles. These followers, he says, are Constantinus, who succeeded Benedict asAbbotof Monte Cassino,Honoratus,who was abbot of Subiaco when St. Gregory wrote hisDialogues,Valentinianus,andSimplicius.

In Gregory's day, history was not recognised as an independent field of study; it was a branch of grammar or rhetoric, andhistoriawas an account that summed up the findings of the learned when they wrote what was, at that time, considered history.Gregory'sDialogues,Book Two, then, an authenticmedieval hagiographycast as a conversation between the Pope and his deacon Peter,is designed to teach spiritual lessons.

Early life

Benedict was the son of aRomannoble ofNursia,the modernNorcia,inUmbria.If 480 is accepted as the year of his birth, the year of his abandonment of his studies and leaving home would be about 500. Gregory's narrative makes it impossible to suppose him younger than 20 at the time.

Benedict was sent to Rome to study, but was disappointed by the academic studies he encountered there. Seeking to flee the great city, he left with his nurse and settled inEnfide.Enfide, which the tradition of Subiaco identifies with the modernAffile,is in theSimbruinimountains, about forty miles from Romeand two miles from Subiaco.

Saint Benedict ordersSaint Maurusto the rescue ofSaint Placidus,byFra Filippo Lippi,AD 1445

A short distance from Enfide is the entrance to a narrow, gloomy valley, penetrating the mountains and leading directly to Subiaco. The path continues to ascend, and the side of the ravine on which it runs becomes steeper until a cave is reached, above this point the mountain now rises almost perpendicularly; while on the right, it strikes in a rapid descent down to where, in Benedict's day, 500 feet (150 m) below, lay the blue waters of a lake. The cave has a large triangular-shaped opening and is about ten feet deep. On his way from Enfide, Benedict met a monk,Romanus of Subiaco,whose monastery was on the mountain above the cliff overhanging the cave. Romanus discussed with Benedict the purpose which had brought him to Subiaco, and gave him the monk's habit. By his advice Benedict became a hermit and for three years lived in this cave above the lake.

Later life

Gregory tells little of Benedict's later life. He now speaks of Benedict no longer as a youth (puer), but as a man (vir) of God.Romanus,Gregory states, served Benedict in every way he could. The monk apparently visited him frequently, and on fixed days brought him food.

During these three years of solitude, broken only by occasional communications with the outer world and by the visits of Romanus, Benedict 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 about him; so much so that on the death of the abbot of a monastery in the neighbourhood (identified by some withVicovaro), the community came to him and begged him to become its abbot. Benedict was acquainted with the life and discipline of the monastery, and knew that "their manners were diverse from his and therefore that they would never agree together: yet, at length, overcome with their entreaty, he gave his consent".The experiment failed; the monks tried to poison him. The legend goes that they first tried to poison his drink. He prayed a blessing over the cup and the cup shattered. Thus he left the group and went back to his cave at Subiaco.

There lived in the neighborhood a priest called Florentius who, moved by envy, tried to ruin him. He tried to poison him with poisoned bread. When he prayed a blessing over the bread, a raven swept in and took the loaf away. From this time his miracles seem to have become frequent, and many people, attracted by his sanctity and character, came to Subiaco to be under his guidance. Having failed by sending him poisonous bread, Florentius tried to seduce his monks with some prostitutes. To avoid further temptations, in about 530 Benedict left Subiaco.He founded 12 monasteries in the vicinity of Subiaco, and, eventually, in 530 he founded the great Benedictine monastery ofMonte Cassino,which lies on a hilltop between Rome and Naples.

Totilaand Saint Benedict, painted bySpinello Aretino.According to Pope Gregory, King Totila ordered a general to wear his kingly robes in order to see whether Benedict would discover the truth. Immediately Benedict detected the impersonation, and Totila came to pay him due respect.

Veneration

Benedict died of a fever atMonte Cassinonot long after his sister,Scholastica,and was buried in the same tomb. According to tradition, this occurred on 21 March 547.He was named patron protector of Europe byPope Paul VIin 1964.In 1980,Pope John Paul IIdeclared him co-patronof Europe, together withCyril and Methodius.Furthermore, he is the patron saint ofspeleologists.On the island ofTenerife(Spain) he is the patron saint of fields and farmers. An importantromeria(Romería Regional de San Benito Abad) is held on this island in his honor, one of the most important in the country.

In the pre-1970General Roman Calendar,his feast is kept on 21 March, the day of his death according to some manuscripts of theMartyrologium Hieronymianumand that ofBede.Because on that date hisliturgicalmemorialwould always be impeded by the observance ofLent,the1969 revisionof theGeneral Roman Calendarmoved his memorial to 11 July, the date that appears in some Gallic liturgical books of the end of the 8th century as the feast commemorating his birth (Natalis S. Benedicti). There is some uncertainty about the origin of this feast.Accordingly, on 21 March theRoman Martyrologymentions in a line and a half that it is Benedict's day of death and that his memorial is celebrated on 11 July, while on 11 July it devotes seven lines to speaking of him, and mentions the tradition that he died on 21 March.

TheEastern Orthodox Churchcommemorates Saint Benedict on 14 March.

TheLutheran Churchescelebrate the Feast of Saint Benedict on July 11.

TheAnglican Communionhas no single universal calendar, but a provincialcalendar of saintsis published in each province. In almost all of these, Saint Benedict is commemorated on 11 July. Benedict isrememberedin theChurch of Englandwith aLesser Festivalon 11 July.

Rule of Saint Benedict

Main article:Rule of Saint Benedict

Benedict wrote theRulefor monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. TheRulecomprises seventy-three short chapters. Its wisdom is twofold: spiritual (how to live a Christocentric life on earth) and administrative (how to run a monastery efficiently).More than half of the chapters describe how to be obedient and humble, and what to do when a member of the community is not. About one-fourth regulate the work of God (the "opus Dei" ). One-tenth outline how, and by whom, the monastery should be managed. Benedictine asceticism is known for its moderation.

Saint Benedict Medal

Main article:Saint Benedict Medal

Benedict depicted on a JubileeSaint Benedict Medalfor the 1,400th anniversary of his birth in 1880

Thisdevotional medaloriginally came from a cross in honor of Saint Benedict. On one side, the medal has an image of Saint Benedict, holding the Holy Rule in his left hand and a cross in his right. There is a raven on one side of him, with a cup on the other side of him. Around the medal's outer margin are the words"Eius in obitu nostro praesentia muniamur"( "May we be strengthened by his presence in the hour of our death" ). The other side of the medal has a cross with the initials CSSML on the vertical bar which signify"Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux"( "May the Holy Cross be my light" ) and on the horizontal bar are the initials NDSMD which stand for"Non-Draco Sit Mihi Dux"( "Let not the dragon be my guide" ). The initials CSPB stand for"Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti"( "The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict" ) and are located on the interior angles of the cross. Either the inscription"PAX"(Peace) or theChristogram"IHS"may be found at the top of the cross in most cases. Around the medal's margin on this side are theVade Retro Satanainitials VRSNSMV which stand for"Vade Retro Satana, Nonquam Suade Mihi Vana"( "Begone Satan, do not suggest to me thy vanities" ) then a space followed by the initials SMQLIVB which signify"Sunt Mala Quae Libas, Ipse Venena Bibas"( "Evil are the things thou profferest, drink thou thine own poison" ).

Image of Saint Benedict with a cross (which is inscribed, "Crux sacra sit mihi lux! Non-draco sit mihi dux!" ( "May the holy cross be my light! May the dragon never be my guide!" )) and a scroll stating "Vade retro Satana! Nunquam suade mihi vana! Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas! (" Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities! The drink you offer is evil. Drink that poison yourself! ", or in brief,Vade Retro Satanawhich is abbreviated on theSaint Benedict Medal.

This medal was first struck in 1880 to commemorate the fourteenth centenary of Benedict's birth and is also called the Jubilee Medal; its exact origin, however, is unknown. In 1647, during a witchcraft trial atNatternbergnearMetten Abbeyin Bavaria, the accused women testified they had no power over Metten, which was under the protection of the cross. An investigation found a number of painted crosses on the walls of the abbey with the letters now found on St Benedict medals, but their meaning had been forgotten. A manuscript written in 1415 was eventually found that had a picture of Benedict holding a scroll in one hand and a staff which ended in a cross in the other. On the scroll and staff were written the full words of the initials contained on the crosses. Medals then began to be struck in Germany, which then spread throughout Europe. This medal was first approved byPope Benedict XIVin his briefs of 23 December 1741 and 12 March 1742.

Benedict has been also the motif of many collector's coins around the world. TheAustria 50 euro 'The Christian Religious Orders',issued on 13 March 2002 is one of them.

Influence

Austria 50 euro 'The Christian Religious Orders' commemorative coin

The early Middle Ages have been called "the Benedictine centuries."In April 2008, PopeBenedict XVIdiscussed the influence St Benedict had on Western Europe. The pope said that "with his life and work St Benedict exercised a fundamental influence on the development of European civilization and culture" and helped Europe to emerge from the "dark night of history" that followed the fall of theRoman empire.

Benedict contributed more than anyone else to the rise of monasticism in the West. His Rule was the foundational document for thousands of religious communities in the Middle Ages.To this day, The Rule of St. Benedict is the most common and influential Rule used by monasteries and monks, more than 1,400 years after its writing.

A basilica was built upon the birthplace of Benedict and Scholastica in the 1400s. Ruins of their familial home were excavated from beneath the church and preserved. Theearthquake of 30 October 2016completely devastated the structure of the basilica, leaving only the front facade and altar standing.

Gallery

See alsoCategory:Paintings of Benedict of Nursia.

• 
  Saint Benedict and the cup of poison(Melk Abbey,Austria)
• 
  Small gold-coloured Saint Benedict crucifix
• 
  Both sides of aSaint Benedict Medal
• 
  Portrait (1926) by Herman Nieg (1849–1928);Heiligenkreuz Abbey,Austria
• 
  St. Benedict at the Death of St. Scholastica(c. 1250–60), Musée National de l'Age Médiévale, Paris, orig. at the Abbatiale of St. Denis
• 
  Statue inEinsiedeln,Switzerland
• 
  Benedict holding a boundbundle of sticksrepresenting the strength of monks who live in community

See also

• Anthony the Great
• Scholastica(St. Benedict's sister)
• Benedict of Aniane
• Benedictine Order
• Camaldolese
• Hermit
• San Beneto
• Saint Benedict Medal
• Vade retro satana

References

Sources

• Gardner, Edmund G.,ed. (1911).The Dialogues of Saint Gregory the Great.London and Boston: Philip Lee Warner, Publisher to the Medici Society Ltd.ISBN9781889758947.

External links

• "The Order of Saint Benedict".osb.org.(Institutional website of the Order of Saint Benedict)
• "Life and Miracles of Saint Benedict"(in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese).Archivedfrom the original on 21 October 2004.

The Rule

• "A Benedictine Oblate Priest – The Rule in Parish Life".Archived fromthe originalon 25 January 2009.
• St. Benedict’s Rule for MonasteriesatProject Gutenberg,translated by Leonard J. Doyle
• "The Holy Rule of St. Benedict".Translated by Boniface Verheyen.

Publications

• Gregory the Great."Life and Miracles of St Benedict".Dialogues.Vol. Book 2. pp. 51–101.
• Guéranger, Prosper (1880)."The Medal Or Cross of St. Benedict: Its Origin, Meaning, and Privileges".
• Works by Benedict of NursiaatProject Gutenberg
• Works by or about Benedict of Nursiaat theInternet Archive
• Works by Benedict of NursiaatLibriVox(public domain audiobooks)
• "Saint Benedict of Norcia, Patron of Poison Sufferers, Monks, And Many More".Archived fromthe originalon 21 April 2014.
• Marett-Crosby, A., ed.,The Benedictine Handbook(Norwich:Canterbury Press, 2003).
• Publications by and about Benedict of Nursiain the catalogue Helveticat of theSwiss National Library

Iconography

• "Saint Benedict of Norcia".Archived fromthe originalon 19 October 2021.Retrieved25 July2018.
• "Founder Statue in St Peter's Basilica".