Message of Abbot Paul - Tuesday 11th July 2023
Abbot Paul • July 11, 2023
There was a time when all saints had two feast days, a major and a minor, the major being the anniversary of their death or birth into heaven, the minor being the memorial day of the translation of their relics or some other similar event. This was also true of St Benedict. As we all know, he died on 21st March in the year 547 at Montecassino, the traditional feast day to which many lovely customs are attached, especially in Central Italy. In modern times, July 11th has become important because in 1964 Pope St Paul VI designated St Benedict to be Patron of Europe, (what hopeful days they were!), speaking at Montecassino on this date. Today a united Europe is more necessary than ever as we stand on the brink of out and out war, unless, of course, for our own selfish reasons, the West decides to abandon Ukraine to its fate, as it has done so often in the past. We ask St Benedict’s intercession today for peace in Europe and peace throughout the world, remembering that the Benedictine motto is PAX and not Ora et labora.
The Gospel chosen for the feast comes from Matthew, (Mt 19: 27-29), in which Jesus answers a question of Peter’s. “Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘What about us?’ he said. ‘We have left everything and followed you. What are we to have, then?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I tell you solemnly, when all is made new and the Son of Man sits on his throne of glory, you will yourselves sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will be repaid a hundred times over, and also inherit eternal life.’” Although Peter asks this rather strange, almost offensive question of Jesus, it would appear that Benedict never did. He encouraged his monks to work hard and guard against idleness. They were to live by the work of their own hands. They were expected to give up their own wills to acquire the mind and the heart of Jesus their Lord. They were love their brethren and see Christ in their neighbour as in themselves. They were to seek God and to prefer nothing whatever to Christ, so that in all things God might be glorified. In this way, they would come together to the joy of eternal life. What better reward could there be for a monk, or for any Christian, than to live a holy life in order to die a holy death? Although we spend a lot of time praying for others, today we ask you, our beloved oblates, parishioners and friends, to pray for us, that we be faithful to the vocation to which the Lord, in his mercy, has called us.
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