Introduction
St. Mark’s on the Campus Episcopal Church celebrates the Eucharist on Tuesdays. Father Jerry Thompson invited me to lead worship on July 12, 2011. As is the parish’s practice, the service remembers a saint or other figure, transferring an observance if one does not fall on that particular date. Since July 11 is the memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot, I prepared a liturgy remembering his life and contribution to the Church.
Readings
Reading: Proverbs 2:1–9
Psalm: Psalm 1
Gospel: Luke 14:27–33
Homily
On July 11, the Church remembers and honors St. Benedict as the patriarch of Western monasticism. This movement of many branches traces its roots to his writing, entitled Benedict’s Rule.
Most of what we know of St. Benedict’s life comes from The Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great, written in the sixth century.
Born in Nursia, a town in Umbria, Italy, around A.D. 480, Benedict studied in Rome, where he grew discouraged by the increasing coarseness of late imperial culture.
He decided to become a hermit, moving to a cave near Subiaco, a small town about forty miles west of Rome. Word about his holy living spread, and he soon attracted followers and disciples who desired to live according to his example.
After a time, due to conflicts with local residents, he moved to Monte Cassino, about halfway between Rome and Naples. This became the home of the first Benedictine monastery.
St. Benedict wrote his Rule, based upon The Rule of the Master, which was longer and more stringent than his own Rule. His little work is treasured for its balance and wisdom. In its Prologue, he wrote,
Therefore we must establish a school for the Lord’s service. In its organization, we have tried not to create anything grim or oppressive. (RB Prologue 45–46).
St. Benedict filled his work with references to the Scriptures. It helps those who follow his Rule to hear our Lord’s voice, to follow it, and to find ways to abide by it while carrying out the tasks of daily life.
Benedict’s Rule begins with a simple plea:
Listen, O my son, to the teachings of your master, and turn to them with the ear of your heart. Willingly accept the advice of a devoted father and put it into action. Thus you will return by the labor of obedience to the one from whom you drifted through the inertia of disobedience. Now then I address my words to you: whoever is willing to renounce self-will, and take up the powerful and shining weapons of obedience to fight for the Lord Christ, the true king. (RB Prologue 1–3)
The Rule ends by reminding all who follow Benedict’s teachings that the Christian life is always one of beginning anew:
Therefore, if you long to attain the heavenly homeland, with Christ’s assistance carry out this modest Rule for beginners that we have sketched out. (RB 73:8)
In addition to the multitudes of religious in the Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran traditions—both monks and nuns—who live by Benedict’s Rule, there are thousands of Christians who have become oblates of St. Benedict. They are not monks and nuns, but they are people who find themselves drawn to the quiet beauty of a life that emphasizes sufficiency, stability, and obedience and that practices humility and hospitality.
They continue their vocations in daily life, while attaching themselves to a religious community and making promises to offer themselves as oblations to the Lord’s service. Lincoln has a chapter of oblates attached to the Sacred Heart Monastery in Yankton, South Dakota. Colleen Baade, Pastor Gretchen Naugle, Steve Lichti, and I are oblates you might know.
Whether Christians take religious vows, make the promises of oblates, or simply embrace their desire to live out the covenant of Holy Baptism, St. Benedict’s teachings are a guide. Toward the end of The Rule, he writes:
They should bear each other’s weaknesses of both body and character with the utmost patience. No one should pursue what he judges advantageous to himself, but rather what benefits others. They must show selfless love to the brothers. Let them fear God out of love. Let them prefer absolutely nothing to Christ, and may he lead us all together to everlasting life. (RB 72:5,7,9,11–12)
Today we bless God for giving St. Benedict to the whole Church as our guide for faithful living. Amen.