Jubilee Holy Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope
July is the month dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus
He lived a holy life;
Benedict, blessed in name and in grace.
MARY, QUEEN OF MONKS AND NUNS,
MARY, QUEEN OF ALL DISCIPLES OF SAINT BENEDICT,
MARY, QUEEN OF ANGELS,
SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,
PRAY FOR US.
BLOOD OF CHRIST, PEACE AND TENDERNESS OF HEARTS,
SAVE US.
Let them prefer nothing to the love of Christ.
(Rule of Saint Benedict, 72:11)
"Is there anyone here who yearns for life and desires to see good days?", asks Saint Benedict who echoes the psalmist. If you hear this call, and your answer is "I do," then welcome to the Solemnity of our Holy Father Saint Benedict (480-546). Otherwise, well, how can anyone not yearn for life and not desire to see good days? If you join, then, the multitude that has answered this question in the affirmative for the last 1,500 years or so, "then God directs these words to you: If you desire true and eternal life, keep your tongue free from vicious talk and your lips from all deceit; turn away from evil and do good; let peace be your quest and aim" (Rule of Saint Benedict, Prologue 15-17). And "once you have done this, my eyes will be upon you and my ears will listen for your prayers: and even before you ask me, I will say to you: Here I am" (Prologue, 18). Not much, dear faithful readers, is more delightful than this voice of the Lord calling to us. See, then, how the Lord in His love shows us the way of life (see Prologue 19-20). Ready or not, let us, clothed with faith and the performance of good works, set out on this way, with the Gospel for our guide, that we may deserve to see Him who has called us to His kingdom (see Prologue 21). This alone should keep us busy for the next 1,500 years or so. And we are only in the Prologue of the Holy Rule, a "little Rule written for beginners” which has a Prologue followed by 73 short chapters. Even though written around the year 500ish or so, the Holy Rule withstands time and place. Everything Saint Benedict teaches is relevant today. Same world, different people. And Saint Benedict certainly knew something about the human condition which doesn't change too much.
Before moving on, why is Saint Benedict's Rule a holy rule? It is a relic, one we treasure, and where we learn of the wisdom, insight, moderation, compassion, love, and sanity of Saint Benedict, as he guides us in this way of life, lived by monks, nuns and sisters in monasteries throughout the world for ages, and by even more Benedictine oblates all over the world, those men and women, many lay, others not, who admirably live by the Gospel and Holy Rule, wherever they find themselves. All those in monasteries owe the oblates heartfelt gratitude for keeping the tradition alive. It is through Saint Benedict's voice in the holy rule, then, that often quotes directly from or alludes to Sacred Scripture or is adapted from rules that came before his, where one learns the genius of Saint Benedict. One can learn too from the Dialogues of Saint Gregory the Great, Book Two, the "Life and Miracles of Saint Benedict." In the Dialogues, we also meet Saint Scholastica, Benedict's twin sister (see Ch. 33). O, dear Saint Scholastica, whose love was greater than her brother's. Saint Scholastica knew, after all, what Saint John tells us, that is, "God is love."
It is from the Holy Rule, however, where one learns of the true character of Saint Benedict. Pope Saint Paul VI was a big promoter of Saint Benedict. In the apostolic letter Pacis Nuntius (October 24, 1964), the pontiff proclaimed Saint Benedict as the principal patron of Europe giving him the illustrious titles of messenger of peace, creator of unity, teacher of civility, and above all the herald of the religion of Christ and the founder of western monasticism!* And it was Pope Saint Paul VI who appointed Abbot Basil Hume as Archbishop of Westminster in 1976, and encouraged him when he said, "Always remain a monk." With that, may all of us always remain disciples of Saint Benedict, here, there, and everywhere. We keep going, united, as we strive to keep our way of acting different from the world's way, knowing too that the love of Christ must come before all else (see RB 4:20-21). So, we join Saint Benedict's favorite apostle, Saint Paul, and declare: "By God's grace I am what I am," and again, "He who boasts should make his boast in the Lord" (see RB 4:31-32).
One voice to inspire us for the following weeks is Saint Benedict, with other voices scattered throughout. It could go on forever, so, in order to refrain from rambling, I will restrain myself ☺. Chapter 4, "The Tools for Good Works," provides more than enough practical tools to use for generations to come. In any case, you can always pick up your handy copy of the Holy Rule and reflect on your favorite passages. The Holy Rule will be referenced as RB, other sources will be made clear. The first is from a novel I am in the thick of, A Hiker's Guide to Purgatory, by Michael Norton (Ignatius, 2022). The voice is the angel Rafe, something he says to our hiker Dan. It provides a commentary of sorts on the Prologue 15-17, seen above, and the passages from Chapter 4:24-28, that follow Rafe's words.
What I am trying to tell you is this: you're about to discover how much you've been dependent on lies and evasions to get by in the world, and how difficult it can be to give them up. Truthfulness-being truthful in everything-is a skill that doesn't come easily to most people (p. 32).
Rid yourself of all deceit. Never give a hollow greeting of peace or turn away when someone needs your love. Bind yourself to no oath lest it prove false, but speak the truth with heart and tongue.
(RB 4: 24-28)
Truth is not something we invent; if we do, it is a lie, rather, truth is something we discover, like love.
(Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, 1895-1979)
Pray for your enemies out of love for Christ. If you have a dispute with someone, make peace with him before the sun goes down.
(RB 4:73)
The real test of a Christian is not how much he loves his friends, but how much he loves his enemies.
(Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, 1895-1979)
Listen readily to holy reading, and devote yourself often to prayer.
(RB 4:55-56)
Give yourself over to sacred reading until continual meditation fills your mind and the Scriptures fashion you after their likeness.
(John Cassian, 340-435)
Listen, carefully, my son, to the master's instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart.
(RB Prologue 1)
The direction of oneself toward God and toward solitude in Him prepares the soul for the acquisition of that peace that helps us in the most distracting, most active external work ... Man's silence makes room for God's word. When man is silent, God is heard. And once we listen intently to God we maintain our silence even in the midst of our speech.
(Blessed Stefan Wyszynski, 1901-1981)
Every time you begin a good work, you must pray to Him most earnestly to bring it to perfection.
(RB Prologue 4)
The first step of humility is unhesitating obedience.
(RB 5:1)
Humility is a lovable virtue-delightful to observe in others; painfully difficult to acquire for oneself ... humility ... is a whole attitude of mind ... humility is a virtue for the strong monk, because it enables him to put God and other people at the center of his life, and not himself. It should release the powers and energies with which God has endowed him, and make him a valuable instrument in the service of the Lord. Monks have to be good human beings; the proud are not.
(Cardinal Basil Hume, June 9, 1980, Archabbey of St Vincent's, Latrobe, PA)
Place your hope in God alone ... never lose hope in God's mercy.
(RB 4:41, 74)
The younger monks, then, must respect their seniors, and the seniors must love their juniors.
(RB 63:10)
They should each try to be the first to show respect to the other, supporting with greatest patience one another's weaknesses of body or behavior, and earnestly competing in obedience to one another. No one is to pursue what he judges better for himself, but instead, what he judges better for someone else.
(RB 72:4-7)
Our lives are involved with one another, through innumerable interactions they are linked together. No one lives alone. No one sins alone. No one is saved alone.
(Pope Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi, 48)
May Christ bring us all together to everlasting life.
(Rule of Saint Benedict, 72:12)
OUR HOLY FATHER SAINT BENEDICT,
SAINT SCHOLASTICA,
AMMA SYNCLETICA,
AMMA SARAH,
SAINT ANTHONY,
SAINT PACHOMIUS,
SAINT BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX,
SAINT FRANCES OF ROME,
BLESSED COLUMBA MARMION,
SAINT JOHN JONES,
SAINT KJELD,
SAINTS LOUIS MARTIN AND MARIE AZELIE GUERIN,
SAINT VERONICA,
SAINT HENRY,
SAINT TERESA OF LOS ANDES,
SAINT KATERI TEKAKWITHA,
“LILY OF THE MOHAWKS,” “ GENEVIEVE OF NEW FRANCE,”
SAINT BONAVENTURE, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH,
SAINT SWITHUS,
SAINT OSMUND OF SALISBURY,
OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL,
SAINT HELIER,
SAINT KENELM,
BLESSED JOHN SUGAR, PRIEST AND ROBERT GRISSOLD, MARTYRS,
BLESSED INACIO DE AZEVEDO,
BLESSED THERESE OF SAINT AUGUSTINE AND COMPANIONS,
SAINT CAMILLUS DE LELLIS,
SAINT JOHN PLESSINGTON,
SAINT APOLLINARIS, BISHOP, MARTYR,
SAINT THORLAK,
SAINT ELIJAH, FATHER OF THE CARMELITES,
POPE SAINT LEO IV,
SAINT ARSENIUS,
SAINT LAURENCE OF BRINDISI,
SAINT MARY MAGDALENE,
SAINT BRIDGET OF SWEDEN,
SAINT PHILIP EVANS AND SAINT JOHN LLOYD,
OUR LADY, MOTHER OF DIVINE GRACE,
SAINT CHARBEL MAKHLOUF, PRIEST,
SAINT DECLAN,
SAINT JOHN BOSTE,
BLESSED ROBERT LUDLAM AND NICHOLAS GARLICK,
BLESSED JOHN SORETH,
BLESSED MARIA MERCEDES PRAT,
SAINTS JOACHIM AND ANNE,
SAINT JAMES, APOSTLE,
SAINT TITUS BRANDSMA,
SAINTS MARTHA, MARY, AND LAZARUS,
SAINT OLAV, MARTYR, PATRON OF NORWAY,
BLESSED STANLEY ROTHER,
POPE SAINT VICTOR I,
SAINT SAMPSON,
SAINT ALPHONSA MUTTATHUPADATHU,
SAINT PETER CHRYSOLOGUS,
SAINT JUSTIN DE JACOBIS,
SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA,
SAINT ALPHONSUS LIGUORI
PRAY FOR US.
*From Gertrude Feick, "The Lived Theology of St. Benedict: Echoes of St. Paul the Apostle in the ‘Holy Rule.’" Thesis, License in Sacred Theology, 2012.
Today's photo: Saint Benedict, by the hand of Brother Claude, OSB, used with permission of the Benedictine Sisters of Mt. Angel, OR.
© Gertrude Feick 2025
