7 June 2026

St. Benedict  was born in Nursia in Italy in 480 AD. He established a community of monks and drew up a book of rules to regulate the life of the monks.  He called it ‘a little rule for beginners’.

There are rules about clothes and shoes. It was the Abbot’s job to make sure that they fitted the monks properly. They weren’t allowed to throw their old clothes away. They were given to the poor.

It was the job of the Abbot and the  community to wash the feet of visitors. ‘In the reception of poor men and pilgrims special attention should be shown, because in them is Christ more truly welcomed.’

Right at the heart of his rule book was love. He knew that rules can frighten people. They are afraid of breaking the rules and getting into trouble. But Benedict wanted to love people into doing good. Look at this example.

It was difficult for some  monks to get up in the middle of the night for their prayers, so Benedict wrote in his Rule that the Gloria should be said ‘very slowly and deliberately’ so that monks would get the chance not to be late!

Benedict was  thoughtful. He understood human frailty because he knew that he was frail too. More than that, he knew that God had a tender and merciful heart! Gloria in excelsis deo!