St. Benedict, Patron of Students
St. Benedict was born in Nursia, Italy on March 2, 480 AD. He and his twin sister, St. Scholastica, were welcomed into a wealthy Roman family, where education was highly esteemed. While a young student, St. Benedict was sent to Rome to further his educational pursuits, where it was ultimately expected that St. Benedict would study the art of rhetoric, or persuasive speaking. As St. Benedict became immersed in his academics and the social culture of Rome, he quickly became appalled by the horrors he witnessed in the lives of his peers-well educated students seemingly having such great blessings as education, wealth and their youth-yet, they pursued pleasure, not truth. Thus, St. Benedict, fearing for his own sanctity, fled Rome and found great solace in the mountains of Subiaco where he was called to a far quieter life. For three years, St. Benedict found this remote life of solitude to be of profound spiritual relationship with God, in prayer, meditation, and privacy. It was during this time that St. Benedict received his calling to enter the religious life.
As a young man, St. Benedict was sought out by monks as they reveled at his strict obedience and leadership. Once, as monks requested St. Benedict to lead them in his obedient ways of the Christian life, St. Benedict refused the request because he insisted his holiness would be too strict for the monks. Upset by St. Benedict’s refusal, the monks tried to poison a drink for St. Benedict, however when he prayed a blessing over the drink, the cup shattered.
St. Benedict eventually took heart to a future lot of monks and agreed to establish separate monasteries in Subiaco where the monks could live and practice the Christian faith. During St. Benedict’s time, the 5th century was a very turbulent age, and thus St. Benedict started his monasteries to assist other monks in fighting the secular life in order to achieve a sincerely holy life. In doing this, St. Benedict later established a Rule of Life. His Rule, which focused on ora et labora (pray and work), was full of both discipline and gentleness. St. Benedict knew that praying, reading scripture, and thanking God throughout the day, along with laboring together, would make a monastery a most joyful place of work and spiritual community. Thousands of monasteries were founded on St. Benedict's Rule, keeping faith and learning alive during the difficulties of the Middle Ages in Europe.
Many miracles were attributed to St. Benedict in his lifetime and beyond. St. Benedict is the patron saint of students and Europe. We celebrate St. Benedict’s feast day on July 11th.