For the last 3 years, I have visited this website right after New Years to be linked with a different patron saint for each year. Take a few moments to visit as it is just full of information for those of us who are part of denominations that do not focus on the Saints.
This year my saint is St. Benedict. My first thought was "Oh my, this year they've pulled out the big guns! I must really need help!" But as I read about him it became more evident why this was a good pairing.
In the last couple of years I have become more interested, or perhaps I should say called, to be more "inward" with my spirituality. The practices of the Divine Hours, a retreat, time spent in meditation and prayer. Lo and behold, St. Benedict is the patron saint of Western Monasticism! His "Holy Rule" is a basic "how to" guide for monasteries and those who live there...The Rule of Benedict (RB) constitutes the basic guide for thousands of Christians who are committed to the monastic movement.
According to the Order of St. Benedict website Many disciples of Jesus followed the Rule in the past and many still do so today. Written in the sixth century the Rule was followed in thousands of monasteries in Europe, so much so that the Church of the early Middle Ages, beginning especially in the ninth century, was characterized as monastic.
Yesterday was the Feast Day of St. Benedict...
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