July 11, St. Benedict

Our help is in the name of the Lord. — Psalm 124:8 

Mass Readings: Exodus 1:8-14,22 / Matthew 10:34-11:1 

Prayer and Work 

Today Jesus tells His apostles that He brings not only peace, but also discord. St. Benedict experienced this in his life. He was a reformer, unhappy with the lack of discipline in many sixth-century monasteries and that didn’t make him popular with everyone. In his first position as an abbot, the monks twice tried to poison him, attempts — tradition tells us — that were miraculously thwarted. His “Rule” for the governance of monasteries eventually became the basic guideline for thousands of religious men and women. 

The Benedictine motto is “prayer and work.” (That’s good advice for all of us!) Modern Benedictines, along with other religious men and women, witness their Christian faith through their prayers and their work. We can all, no matter what our individual vocation, follow their example. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to combine prayer and work in a Christian life.