Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Benedict, the Patron Saint of Europe and the father of Western Christian monasticism. He remains a shining example for every Christian, regardless of their state in life. Benedict as a name originates from the Latin name Benedictus (the feminine version would be Benedicta). Etymologically, it comes from two Latin roots: “bene” (good) and “dicere” (speak). Simply put, it means blessed. According to Saint Gregory the Great, Saint Benedict was a man “blessed” in name and in grace. Drawing a lesson from his name “bene-dicere” (speaking good), let us as Christians strive to “speak good” of one another, and not calumniate or smear the name of the other person. Sextus Propertius, a prominent Roman poet, puts it better: “Let no one be willing to speak ill of the absent (brother or sister)”.
At the beginning and end of his Rule, Saint Benedict exhorts us to prefer nothing to Christ and His love: He is the treasure already here on earth, the pearl of great price. Christ — to use Benedict’s words — “is the Gospel under whose guidance we can all walk together toward the Kingdom”. In our response to Christ’s call, Benedict teaches us that the essential crossroads is the moment when we understand that giving up something to follow Christ is not just a sacrifice, a loss, but a gain.
Challenges of Evangelisation
Today, the Gospel presents the difficulties and contradictions that Christians must endure for the sake of Christ and His Gospel, and how they must persevere until the end. Jesus promised us: “I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:20); however, he did not promise his followers an easy path; on the contrary, he told them: “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake” (Mt 10:22).
The Church and the world are two realities that, sometimes, are “difficult” to coexist. The world, which the Church must convert to Jesus Christ, is not a neutral reality, as if it were a virgin wax just waiting for the stamp that would shape it. This would have been so only if we had not had a history of sin between the creation of man and his redemption. Thus, evangelising the world already wounded by original sin is a difficult task that presents many challenges to overcome.
Sheep among Wolves
The Lord sends his apostles “as sheep in the midst of wolves.” This is precisely because they belong to Christ; they are defenceless, exposed to everyone’s attacks. There is nothing that should shock us here, because the apostle embodies the One (Christ) who sends him. It is He whom the world persecutes, it is He whom they hate. Jesus tells us: “Behold, I send you out like sheep among wolves.” Commenting on this statement in one of his homilies, Pope Francis said: “Therefore, Christians, in all circumstances, must be prudent, sometimes even clever: these are the virtues accepted by evangelical logic. But never violence.”
May St. Benedict obtain for us the grace to be prudent and courageous in evangelising the world and propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Nice reflection, Padre.
St. Benedict Pray for us 🙏.
More grace fr