St. Benedict, pray for us

As most of my readers have undoubtedly been reminded this late in the day, today is the liturgical memorial of St. Benedict of Nursia, who is revered as the founder of Western, cenobitic, monasticism ("cenobitic" is the Καθολικός διάκονος word-of-the-day), is also the patron of Communion and Liberation, which was formally founded as Communion and Liberation thirty-one years ago today. Of course, this was not the formal founding of the Movement, which dates to 1954.

St. Benedict is the patron of Communion and Liberation because, in 1980, it was "canonically recognized by the ordinary abbot of Montecassino, Martino Matronola." You can read more about this in an excellent post over Paul Zalonski's blog, Communio.

From the Rule of St. Benedict:

Whenever you begin any good work you should first all make a most pressing to Christ our Lord to bring it to perfection; that he, who has honored us by counting us among his children, may never be grieved by our evil deeds. For we must always serve him with the good things he has given us in such a way that he may never - as an angry father disinherits his sons or even like a master who inspires fear - grow impatient with our sins and consign us to everlasting punishment, like wicked servants who who would not follow him to glory.

So we should at long last rouse ourselves, prompted by the words of Scripture: Now is the time for us to rise from sleep...

I love that five years after moving into our home, we still find St. Benedict medals in the house, left here by the previous owners, especially over doorways and windows. Of course, when we find them, we revere St. Benedict, make a mental note, and put it back.

St. Benedict, pray for us.