July 11
Young Benedict was a student in Rome. The Loose living and the too-natural mentality of his companions disgusted him. It was as if they had never even heard of Christ and his law of love, so he decided to find a quiet atmosphere to live & also to pray. He walked and walked until finally he reached a rocky steep-sloped terrain called Subiaco. A few feet away stood an old monk. The monk listened & afterwards provided the him with rough leather garments that hermits use. They lived there in solitude & prayer. The devil tempted him in many ways. Although his whole body was in pain, he was able to cure his soul. Prayer & penance were his only armor. The people nearby soon learned about the Holy Hermit & many came to him to ask advice. Benedict left Subiaco to open a new monastery at Monte Cassino. Following the Rule Ora et Labora (Pray and work in English), the monks devoted each day to eight hours of prayer, eight hours of sleep, and eight hours of manual work, sacred reading, or works of Charity. Aside from Monte Cassino, Benedict and his monks established twelve other monasteries. Upon his death, he was declared Patron of Europe. We celebrate his Feast day on July 11.
