Among the victims of WWII, just 75 miles from Rome, was Monte Cassino, St Benedict’s monastery, the parent house of western monasticism, almost 1500 years old. The Abbey was completely shattered, the town around it totally destroyed, and Monte Cassino became a symbol: A city of peace, a venerable place of tradition and beauty, it lay a pile of rocks, the innocent victim of the suffering of war. The pope during the years of the Second World War was Pope Pius XII. Just after the war ended, he issued an encyclical to the world. Of all the topics and themes he could have picked, Pius XII chose to reflect on St Benedict, to mark the fourteenth century of St Benedict’s death, by reflecting on the qualities of the man, and the qualities of a monastic city. Pope Pius XII calmly issued his encyclical Fulgens Radiatur, “Like a star in the darkness of night, Benedict brilliantly shines.” Pope Pius XII mainly saw in Benedict and his monks was: community and living together, equality, and a balanced life of prayer and work. Benedict’s monastery was a place of equality. Living side by side, the monks fought down prejudice and bias, overcame hatred and the scars of history. Social classes, and distinctions between freemen and slaves, did not exist. They lived together as brothers, in peace. For Benedict and his monks, the Gospel was the light that led them. His monasteries have always presented the challenge of an alternative world, governed by the spirit of Christ. At a time of rigid social hierarchy, they presented an ideal of equality. At a time when manual labor was a mark of inferiority, they affirmed the spiritual value of work. During a time of cultural disintegration, they maintained islands of learning and civilization. In a time when violence was commonplace, they lived by the motto of Peace, Peace to all who enter. Benedict and his monasteries represented a vision of health, wholesomeness, and ecology to a world badly out of shape. The vision of St Benedict still remains very relevant in our times. In this light then, it is good to examine your community. Does it have the Spirit of Benedict. Does it have the Spirit of the Church, the Body of Christ which St. Benedict served?

In 1964 Pope St. Paul VI proclaimed St. Benedict the Patron of the whole Europe. Why did these two popes of modern times gave prominence to this Saint. What is the relevance of monasticism vis avis St. Benedict to us. It is crucial that we know the contribution of St. Benedict to Christian life even today – perhaps more so. Here organized life in such a way it would lead people to hear the voice of God in their hearts. Listen! Was the first world of his rule. Listening is a sorely needed human skill for our times. We do not know how to listen. We often want to always want to be listened to and seen: Instagram, Blogs, vlogs, Tweeter, Tiktok all of these applications serve mainly the ego. Look at me! Benedict also invites us today to be stable. It is an understatement to say that our generation is the most mobile generation ever. And we continually find ways and means to move even faster. We need once more to learn how to pace ourselves. The monks practicie stability not to be confined in a single pace but to curb our wanderlust. We have to meet God in a quiet place and become still for us to encounter the living God. Benedict, in his rules, have taught in a very deep and practical way that equality is not synonymous to being the same. This egalitarian society wants everyone to be the same across the board and as a consequence have lost respect for the different charisma that God has given to each one. The priest in Benedict’s community or a noble for that matter has no special privilege but Benedict gave due respect to the priest as a representative of God. The members with God-given talents are to serve each other and more so the community at large. For Benedict, the community, is a living organism and not merely an organization. It is an ecclesiola – a little church – a microcosm of the the larger church. The community is permeated by a living Christ. He gave discipline in a crumbling Romand empire. There was very little organization in society. The monastery was a haven of peace and love – a school of love. To be sure it was not a perfect community and Benedict gave rules as to how to make the unruly monk toe the line. Many came in uncouth and after years of monastic living became refined specimen of human beings. Benedict was a beacon of hope. He gave hope by his certain way of life. He made the monks life take up an easy yoke and carry a light burden with Christ’s way. Life in the 6th century was to say least chaotic and difficult. Benedict is holy but also very human and understood human beings. He does not want everyone to be a monk but offered hints and ways for the world to do and acquire what is good for life and for the soul.