Sermons & Devotionals by St. Benedict of Nursia
St. Benedict of Nursia
Seven times in the day," says the Prophet
"Seven times in the day," says the Prophet, "I have rendered praise to You" (Ps. 118[119]:164). Now that sacred number of seven will be fulfilled by us if we perform the Offices of our service at the time of the Morning Office, of Prime, of Terce, of Sext, of None, of Vespers and of Compline, since ... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
So, brothers and sisters, we have asked the Lord
So, brothers and sisters, we have asked the Lord who is to dwell in His tent, and we have heard His commands to anyone who would dwell there; it remains for us to fulfill those duties. Therefore we must prepare our hearts and our bodies to do battle under the holy obedience of His commands; and let ... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The Abbess should always remember what she is
The Abbess should always remember what she is and what she is called, and should know that to whom more is committed, from her more is required (Luke 12:48). Let her understand also what a difficult and arduous task she has undertaken: ruling souls and adapting herself to a variety of characters. On... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The eighth degree of humility
The eighth degree of humility is that a monk do nothing except what is commended by the common Rule of the monastery and the example of the elders.... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The eleventh degree of humility
The eleventh degree of humility is that when a monk speaks he do so gently and without laughter, humbly and seriously, in few and sensible words, and that he be not noisy in his speech. It is written, "A wise man is known by the fewness of his words" (Sextus, Enchidirion, 134 or 145).... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The fifth degree of humility
The fifth degree of humility is that he hide from his Abbot none of the evil thoughts that enter his heart or the sins committed in secret, but that he humbly confess them. The Scripture urges us to this when it says, "Reveal your way to the Lord and hope in Him" (Ps. 36[37]:5) and again, "Confess t... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The first degree of humility is obedience without delay
The first degree of humility is obedience without delay. This is the virtue of those who hold nothing dearer to them than Christ; who, because of the holy service they have professed, and the fear of hell, and the glory of life everlasting, as soon as anything has been ordered by the Superior, recei... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The first degree of humility, then
The first degree of humility, then, is that a person keep the fear of God before his eyes and beware of ever forgetting it. Let him be ever mindful of all that God has commanded; let his thoughts constantly recur to the hell-fire which will burn for their sins those who despise God, and to the life ... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The fourth degree of humility
The fourth degree of humility is that he hold fast to patience with a silent mind when in this obedience he meets with difficulties and contradictions and even any kind of injustice, enduring all without growing weary or running away. For the Scripture says, "The one who perseveres to the end, is th... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The indicating of the hour for the Work of God
The indicating of the hour for the Work of God by day and by night shall devolve upon the Abbot either to give the signal himself or to assign this duty to such a careful brother that everything will take place at the proper hours. Let the Psalms and the antiphons be intoned by those who are appoint... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The juniors, therefore, should honor their seniors
The juniors, therefore, should honor their seniors, and the seniors love their juniors. In the very manner of address, let no one call another by the mere name; but let the seniors call their juniors Brothers, and the juniors call their seniors Fathers, by which is conveyed the reverence due to a fa... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The meals of the sisters should not be without reading
The meals of the sisters should not be without reading. Nor should the reader be anyone who happens to take up the book; but there should be a reader for the whole week, entering that office on Sunday. Let this incoming reader, after Mass and Communion, ask all to pray for her that God may keep her ... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The measure of excommunication or of chastisement
The measure of excommunication or of chastisement should correspond to the degree of fault, which degree is estimated by the judgment of the Abbess. If a sister is found guilty of lighter faults, let her be excluded from the common table. Now the program for one deprived of the company of the table ... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The Morning and Evening Offices
The Morning and Evening Offices should never be allowed to pass without the Superior saying the Lord's Prayer in its place at the end so that all may hear it, on account of the thorns of scandal which are apt to spring up. Thus those who hear it, being warned by the covenant which they make in that ... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The Morning Office on Sunday shall begin with Psalm 66
The Morning Office on Sunday shall begin with Psalm 66 recited straight through without an antiphon. After that let Psalm 50 be said with "Alleluia," then Psalms 117 and 62, the Canticle of Blessing (Benedicite) and the Psalms of praise (Ps. 14[15]8-150); then a lesson from the Apocalypse to be reci... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The ninth degree of humility
The ninth degree of humility is that a monk restrain his tongue and keep silence, not speaking until he is questioned. For the Scripture shows that "in much speaking there is no escape from sin" (Prov. 10:19) and that "the talkative man is not stable on the earth" (Ps. 139[140]:12[11]).... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The order of psalmody for the day Hours being thus arranged
The order of psalmody for the day Hours being thus arranged, let all the remaining Psalms be equally distributed among the seven Night Offices by dividing the longer Psalms among them and assigning twelve Psalms to each night. We strongly recommend, however, that if this distribution of the Psalms i... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The second degree of humility
The second degree of humility is that a person love not his own will nor take pleasure in satisfying his desires, but model his actions on the saying of the Lord, "I have come not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38). It is written also, "Self-will has its punishment, but ... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The seventh degree of humility
The seventh degree of humility is that he consider himself lower and of less account than anyone else, and this not only in verbal protestation but also with the most heartfelt inner conviction, humbling himself and saying with the Prophet, "But I am a worm and no man, the scorn of men and the outca... Read More
St. Benedict of Nursia
The sixth degree of humility
The sixth degree of humility is that a monk be content with the poorest and worst of everything, and that in every occupation assigned him he consider himself a bad and worthless workman, saying with the Prophet, "I am brought to nothing and I am without understanding; I have become as a beast of bu... Read More
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St. Benedict of Nursia (480 - 547)
Benedict founded twelve communities for monks at Subiaco, Italy (about 40 miles (64 km) to the east of Rome), before moving to Monte Cassino in the mountains of southern Italy. The Catholic Order of St Benedict and the Anglican Order of St Benedict are of later origin and, moreover, not an "order" as commonly understood but merely a confederation of autonomous congregations.Benedict's main achievement is his "Rule of Saint Benedict", containing precepts for his monks. It is heavily influenced by the writings of John Cassian, and shows strong affinity with the Rule of the Master. But it also has a unique spirit of balance, moderation and reasonableness (ἐπιείκεια, epieikeia), and this persuaded most religious communities founded throughout the Middle Ages to adopt it. As a result, his Rule became one of the most influential religious rules in Western Christendom. For this reason, Benedict is often called the founder of western monasticism.