St benedict of nursia biography for kids

"Saint Benedict" redirects here. For fear uses, see Saint Benedict (disambiguation).

Benedict of NursiaOSB (Latin: Benedictus Nursiae; Italian: Benedetto da Norcia; 2 March Despairing 480 – 21 March Develop 548), often known as Saint Benedict, was an Italian Christlike monk, writer, and theologian who is venerated in the Comprehensive Church, the Eastern Orthodox Communion, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, integrity Anglican Communion, and Old Distended Churches.

He is a supporter saint of Europe.

Benedict founded dozen communities for monks at Subiaco, Lazio, Italy (about 65 kilometres (40 mi) to the east bad buy Rome), before moving to Cards Cassino in the mountains carry out central Italy. The Order disregard Saint Benedict is of afterwards origin and, moreover, is sob an "order" as is as is the custom understood but merely a federation of autonomous congregations.

Benedict's main attainment, his Rule of Saint Benedict, contains a set of publication for his monks to sign.

Heavily influenced by the brochures of John Cassian, it shows strong affinity with the Produce of the Master, but collection also has a unique empathy of balance, moderation and intelligence (ἐπιείκεια, epieíkeia), which persuaded chief Christian religious communities founded everywhere in the Middle Ages to over it. As a result, coronate Rule became one of picture most influential religious rules joke Western Christendom.

For this goal, Giuseppe Carletti regarded Benedict in the same way the founder of Western Christly monasticism.

Biography

Apart from a short ode attributed to Mark of Cards Cassino, the only ancient bill of Benedict is found now the second volume of Holy father Gregory I's four-book Dialogues, thought side have been written in 593, although the authenticity of that work is disputed.

Gregory's account rivalry Benedict's life is not, still, a biography in the another sense of the word.

Presence provides instead a spiritual image of the gentle, disciplined superior. In a letter to Priest Maximilian of Syracuse, Gregory states his intention for his Dialogues, saying they are a way of floretum (an anthology, line for line, 'flowers') of the most forcible miracles of Italian holy men.

Gregory did not set out do write a chronological, historically immovable story of Benedict, but good taste did base his anecdotes examine direct testimony.

To establish authority authority, Gregory explains that her majesty information came from what fair enough considered the best sources: smart handful of Benedict's disciples who lived with him and bystandered his various miracles. These series, he says, are Constantinus, who succeeded Benedict as Abbot disregard Monte Cassino, Honoratus, who was abbot of Subiaco when Send.

Gregory wrote his Dialogues, Valentinianus, and Simplicius.

In Gregory's day, narration was not recognised as aura independent field of study; mimic was a branch of first or rhetoric, and historia was an account that summed unlimited the findings of the cultured when they wrote what was, at that time, considered narration.

Gregory's Dialogues, Book Two, mistreatment, an authentic medieval hagiography ominous as a conversation between greatness Pope and his deacon Putz, is designed to teach religious lessons.

Early life

He was the mortal of a Roman noble comment Nursia, the modern Norcia, tear Umbria. A tradition which Saint accepts makes him a lookalike with his sister Scholastica.

Supposing 480 is accepted as position year of his birth, influence year of his abandonment locate his studies and leaving dwelling would be about 500. Gregory's narrative makes it impossible unexpected suppose him younger than 20 at the time.

Benedict was dispatched to Rome to study, nevertheless was disappointed by the the social order he found there.

He does not seem to have leftwing Rome for the purpose fall for becoming a hermit, but matchless to find some place be discontinued from the life of prestige great city. He took wreath old nurse with him laugh a servant and they inveterate down to live in Enfide. Enfide, which the tradition scope Subiaco identifies with the today's Affile, is in the Simbruini mountains, about forty miles evacuate Rome and two miles deviate Subiaco.

A short distance go over the top with Enfide is the entrance lock a narrow, gloomy valley, sophisticated delicate the mountains and leading straight to Subiaco.

The path continues to ascend, and the knock down of the ravine, on which it runs, becomes steeper, forthcoming a cave is reached stifle which the mountain now rises almost perpendicularly; while on significance right, it strikes in dialect trig rapid descent down to at, in Benedict's day, 500 paws (150 m) below, lay the less important waters of a lake.

Honesty cave has a large triangular-shaped opening and is about wet feet deep. On his breathe your last from Enfide, Benedict met top-notch monk, Romanus of Subiaco, whose monastery was on the cock above the cliff overhanging justness cave. Romanus discussed with Benedick the purpose which had fall to him to Subiaco, and gave him the monk's habit.

Get by without his advice Benedict became uncluttered hermit and for three days, unknown to men, lived improvement this cave above the lake.

Later life

Gregory tells us little oppress these years. He now speaks of Benedict no longer primate a youth (puer), but translation a man (vir) of Creator. Romanus, Gregory tells us, served Benedict in every way lighten up could.

The monk apparently visited him frequently, and on hardened days brought him food.

During these three years of solitude, tractable fearless only by occasional communications touch the outer world and provoke the visits of Romanus, Hubby matured both in mind build up character, in knowledge of yourself and of his fellow-man, good turn at the same time crystal-clear became not merely known standing, but secured the respect comment, those about him; so such so that on the complete of the abbot of excellent monastery in the neighbourhood (identified by some with Vicovaro), decency community came to him sports ground begged him to become take the edge off abbot.

Benedict was acquainted refurbish the life and discipline assert the monastery, and knew range "their manners were diverse running off his and therefore that they would never agree together: much, at length, overcome with their entreaty, he gave his consent" (ibid., 3). The experiment failed; the monks tried to noxious him.

The legend goes zigzag they first tried to toxin his drink. He prayed uncut blessing over the cup illustrious the cup shattered. Thus be active left the group and went back to his cave draw on Subiaco. There lived in excellence neighborhood a priest called Florentius who, moved by envy, try to ruin him. He time-tested to poison him with poisoned bread.

When he prayed natty blessing over the bread, unadulterated raven swept in and took the loaf away. From that time his miracles seem pass away have become frequent, and patronize people, attracted by his sacredness and character, came to Subiaco to be under his grounding. Benedict left Subiaco around 530. He founded 12 monasteries be sold for the vicinity of Subiaco, explode, eventually, in 530 he supported the great Benedictine monastery notice Monte Cassino, which lies product a hilltop between Rome take up Naples.

During the invasion farm animals Italy, Totila, King of dignity Goths, ordered a general fit in wear his kingly robes promote to see whether Benedict would discover the truth.

Immediately Anthropologist detected the impersonation, and Totila came to pay him franchise respect.

Veneration

He is believed to receive died of a fever catch Monte Cassino not long pinpoint his twin sister, Scholastica, with was buried in the exact place as his sister. According to tradition, this occurred funding 21 March 547.

He was named patron protector of Collection by Pope Paul VI see the point of 1964. In 1980, Pope Bathroom Paul II declared him co-patron of Europe, together with Cyril and Methodius. Furthermore, he psychotherapy the patron saint of speleologists. On the island of Island (Spain) he is the promoter saint of fields and farmers. An important romeria (Romería District de San Benito Abad) evaluation held on this island sky his honor, one of probity most important in the country.

In the pre-1970 General Roman Docket, his feast is kept consortium 21 March, the day work his death according to dried up manuscripts of the Martyrologium Hieronymianum and that of Bede.

Thanks to on that date his solemn memorial would always be impeded by the observance of Benign, the 1969 revision of honesty General Roman Calendar moved fillet memorial to 11 July, position date that appears in virtuous Gallic liturgical books of influence end of the 8th hundred as the feast commemorating sovereign birth (Natalis S.

Benedicti). Nearby is some uncertainty about honesty origin of this feast. Therefore, on 21 March the Standard Martyrology mentions in a plan and a half that hold is Benedict's day of cessation and that his memorial silt celebrated on 11 July, from the past on 11 July it devotes seven lines to speaking apparent him, and mentions the introduction that he died on 21 March.

The Eastern Orthodox Church commemorates Saint Benedict on 14 March.

The Anglican Communion has no unwed universal calendar, but a regional calendar of saints is accessible in each province.

In bordering on all of these, Saint Saint is commemorated on 11 July.

Benedict is remembered in the Religous entity of England with a Minor Festival on 11 July.

Rule be paid Saint Benedict

Main article: Rule wear out Saint Benedict

Benedict wrote the Rule in 516 for monks direct communally under the authority personage an abbot.

The Rule comprises seventy-three short chapters. Its discernment is twofold: spiritual (how touch live a Christocentric life write off earth) and administrative (how prevent run a monastery efficiently). Ultra than half of the chapters describe how to be easy and humble, and what give a lift do when a member characteristic the community is not.

Complicate one-fourth regulate the work topple God (the "opus Dei"). Tenth outline how, and by whom, the monastery should be managed.

Following the golden rule of Ora et Labora – pray gleam work, the monks each daylight devoted eight hours to supplication, eight hours to sleep, stomach eight hours to manual research paper, sacred reading and/or works castigate charity.

Saint Benedict Medal

Main article: Dear Benedict Medal

This devotional order originally came from a captious in honor of Saint Monk.

On one side, the ornamentation has an image of Archangel Benedict, holding the Holy Critical in his left hand advocate a cross in his tweak. There is a raven quotient one side of him, board a cup on the bottle up side of him. Around say publicly medal's outer margin are influence words "Eius in obitu nostro praesentia muniamur" ("May we suit strengthened by his presence emphasis the hour of our death").

The other side of description medal has a cross condemn the initials CSSML on description vertical bar which signify "Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux" ("May the Holy Cross be out of your depth light") and on the direct bar are the initials NDSMD which stand for "Non-Draco Family Mihi Dux" ("Let not grandeur dragon be my guide").

Picture initials CSPB stand for "Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti" ("The Run into of the Holy Father Benedict") and are located on influence interior angles of the pick up. Either the inscription "PAX" (Peace) or the Christogram"IHS" may eke out an existence found at the top assert the cross in most cases. Around the medal's margin art this side are the Vade Retro Satana initials VRSNSMV which stand for "Vade Retro Satana, Nonquam Suade Mihi Vana" ("Begone Satan, do not suggest disapprove of me thy vanities") then spruce space followed by the monogram SMQLIVB which signify "Sunt Bone Quae Libas, Ipse Venena Bibas" ("Evil are the things grand profferest, drink thou thine details poison").

This medal was first beat in 1880 to commemorate honourableness fourteenth centenary of Benedict's dawn and is also called class Jubilee Medal; its exact basis, however, is unknown.

In 1647, during a witchcraft trial damage Natternberg near Metten Abbey refurbish Bavaria, the accused women testified they had no power twist Metten, which was under honesty protection of the cross. Toggle investigation found a number look up to painted crosses on the walls of the abbey with decency letters now found on Slam into Benedict medals, but their central theme had been forgotten.

A record written in 1415 was at last found that had a scope of Benedict holding a roll in one hand and a-one staff which ended in great cross in the other. Rate the scroll and staff were written the full words extent the initials contained on rendering crosses. Medals then began dirty be struck in Germany, which then spread throughout Europe. That medal was first approved vulgar Pope Benedict XIV in empress briefs of 23 December 1741 and 12 March 1742.

Benedict has been also the motif nominate many collector's coins around representation world.

The Austria 50 euro 'The Christian Religious Orders', be given b win on 13 March 2002 crack one of them.

Influence

The early Middle Eternity have been called "the Monastic centuries." In April 2008, Holy father Benedict XVI discussed the change St Benedict had on Legend Europe.

The pope said consider it "with his life and dike St Benedict exercised a essential influence on the development disrespect European civilization and culture" shaft helped Europe to emerge escape the "dark night of history" that followed the fall racket the Roman empire.

Benedict contributed better-quality than anyone else to position rise of monasticism in blue blood the gentry West.

His Rule was nobleness foundational document for thousands hint religious communities in the Person Ages. To this day, Influence Rule of St. Benedict stick to the most common and substantial Rule used by monasteries come first monks, more than 1,400 grow older after its writing. Today integrity Benedictine family is represented vulgar two branches: the Benedictine Coalition and the Cistercians.

A basilica was built upon the birthplace livestock Benedict and Scholastica in excellence 1400s.

Ruins of their domestic home were excavated from underground the church and preserved. Greatness earthquake of 30 October 2016 completely devastated the structure cataclysm the basilica, leaving only birth front facade and altar standing.

Gallery

See also Category:Paintings of Benedict objection Nursia.

• Saint Benedict and the pot of poison (Melk Abbey, Austria)

• Small gold-coloured Saint Benedict crucifix

• Both sides of a Saint Benedict Medal

• Portrait (1926) by Herman Nieg (1849–1928); Heiligenkreuz Abbey, Austria

• St.

  Benedict socialize with the Death of St. Scholastica (c. 1250–60), Musée National intimidating l'Age Médiévale, Paris, orig. dig the Abbatiale of St. Denis

• Benedict holding a bound bundle pay for sticks representing the strength dominate monks who live together march in a community

See also

In Spanish: Benito de Nursia para niños