The Life o f Saint Benedict by Gregory the Great: TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY 2008040184

Table of contents :
Contents
Preface ix Section t Section 2 Section 3 Section 4 Section 5 Section 6 Section 7 Section 8 Section 9 Section 10 Section 1 Section 12 Section 13
Section 14 Section15 Section IS Notes 149
Conversion and First Miracle 1
Hermit Lost and Found
Temptation in the Desert Temptation among Men
Four Miracles at Subiaco
A Blow to 1latred and a Coronation
Fight against Satan
Charlsm of'Prc»phec>
Further Prophecies
last Prophecies 81
The First Three Miracles o! Power At the \lean oi the signs of Power Power and Prayer:
49 59
4)
91 101
69
Two Examples o( a Single Thesis
Benedict and Scholastica 123
The Vision of the World in the Light of Cod Death. Glory, and the Lite Bevond 139

Citation preview

Terrence G. Kardong

The Life of St. Benedict by Gregory the Great Translation and Commentary

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le.‘ —Fr. John Cream OblSB. PhD Coeditor of NUGhTJC-t: A }auTi\d\of Wbraeri's5jpiritaa/itp rn History

“Fmering into the spirit ol the Didoflires. Fr 'lerrence otlers us a lucid translation and a sensible commentary that explores the meaning o f this spiritual classic. His\asi knowledge allows him to link the text both to the Scriptures and to the spiritual tradition. His typical enthusiasm underlines the importance ofSi. Benedict s spiritual de­ velopment. Finally. Fr. Terrence's clarily makes this work accessible to anyone m icro tod in the spiritual life " —1larry Hagan, OSB Saint Mein rad Archabbey and School of Theologt Saint Meinrad. Indiana "Fr. lerrence Kardong brings to Iris SLudy of Pope Gregorys Li/** of Hencdid the same critical eye and balanced judgment that he brings to the Rule o f Benedict. His commentary and footnotes situate Gregory's work in the context of early medieval hagiograplw while alerting the reader to the Issues o f con temporary research. Ka along presents a calm perspective on the debate about Gregory's authorship o f Dialogues //. Iliscommc-ntars fills a gap In American Benedictine scholarship. * —Abhoi Jerome Kodcll, OSB Subiaco Abbey Subiaco. Arkansas

The Life o f Saint Benedict by Gregory the Great TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY

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Cove rand book design b\ David Manalwn. 0$B. Manuscript illumina­ tion from detections of writings on Sal nr Benedict by Jean dc Stavdol J432-14J7 Musee Conde. Chantilly. Prance. Reunion des Musees NatjOnauxArt Resource. I he Illustration; In ibis hook arc reprinted from Angel us \mgrimis, OSB. SfYi iJum & ttxmphr C'hfi.vtirnJcirijjii (Rome. 1587). •'£ Hill Museum & Manu­ script Library, Area Anium Cotlcctlcm. Salm John's Universln. Used with permission. Ihe poetic lines of' Dom Angelas Sangrinus were adapted co fc'nglfsh bv Marv Alice Muellerlelle. C SJ

Scripture texts in this work are taken from thcfcrti^SoiiKfard Urrsion Rib/e € 1946. 1952. Division ol Christian Education oJ the National Council of che Churches of Christ In the United States of America. Used by permis sion All rights reserved a' 200V b\ Ordei of Stint Benedict. CoJIegcvUlc. Minnesota. All rights reserved No part ol this book ma> be repioduced in any form. by prim, rnicniilin. Microfiche. mechanical recording, photocopying uansl.uion. or by any other means, known or ycl unknown, for any purpose except brief -t>()4.

.Uevkaet miracults venerabl|isPemdk(i. English. The life Of Saint Benedict / by Gregory the Great: translation and commentary. lerrencoG Katdong, p. cm. Inc hides bibliographical references work, hut it is not meant for specialists. One of the by-products o f doing a comparative study of the Dialogues is that one comes away suspicious that perhaps Gregory has simply borrowed some o f these stories from here and there to apply to his hero. Benedict. O f course, some o f the episodes are very distinctive and bear the mark of authen­ ticity. even eye-witness veracity. But wc should also remember that ancient hagiography was not meant to convey a com pletely accurate biography. The purpose was to edify. This can still create problems for the modern mentality, especially Ifit Is o f a critical cast o f mind. The chief problem for us skeptics is the plethora of miracles. What are we to make o f them? Many years ago I was privileged to take a class on Dialoguell from the master himself, Adalbert de Vogue. One day l registered my acute discomfort with the endless string o f miracles, serious and trivial. The French monk looked at me sadly and said in his deep voice: 'Yes. the ancient monks loved miracles—but wc hate the ml’ I don't know if 1 hate miracles, but when the> reach a critical mass, they do make me nervous. And since I have specialized in study o f the Rule of Benedict, which mentions no miracles whatsoever I really wonder whether Benedict thought they were so important. O f course. Gregory’ also is careful to instruct his Interlocutor. Peter, that progress in the moral and the mystical life Is of greater significance than physical miracles. Bui It Is also quite clear that Gregory him­ self dearly loved miracles. Or did he? There have always been scholars who wondered whether the Diabetics really were written by the great pope of

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Thf Lift* of $ crailed in the seventh or eighth centuries. Clark suggests that it was done in the papal archives, sometimes from ma­ terials Jell there by Pope Gregory. Clarks argument is largely based on the fact that the DfaJoguex were noi mentioned by any other writer lor some decades alter AD 6 dosed by historians. And they also point out that Gregory's Letters contain plenty o f interest in miracles * But even though these questions of historicity ("did it really happen?"*) are Important for scholarly work. the\ arc mostly out ol place In a popular work such as this one. There­ fore. 1largely ignore them. I may register a certain amount o f discomfort at certain stories, but so docs Vogue. Nonetheless. I try to keep firmly in mind that the purpose of this fife of Bene­ dict is to build up the spiritual life of the reader and especially to make her love St. Benedict And so I strive to uncover the spiritual message o f each story. If I do that well, then the work was worthwhile. Finally, a word about the numbering employed in this translation. I he Roman numerals found within the text are taken from the traditional Latin text. I have followed the nu­ meration in the critical Latin text ol Vogue that I translated.1 These Roman numerals are lo!lowed by subdivisions indicated by Arabic numbers. But the translation and commentary Is also divided into sections.* I have labeled these as section 1. section 2. and so on. precisely in order to avoid confusion with the Internal numbers In the text. Assumption Abbey. Rjchardton. N D March 19. 2002

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The young Benedict leaves Ms home In Norcia so pursue hir. liberal education i n Home. Int-l'

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V i non i Conversion and First Miracle INTRODUCTION 1

There was a man o f venerable lift*, who was Blessed (Bene-

1 dictus) In both grace and name. From the time he was a hoy. he had the heart o f an elder. In his way o flifc he sur­ passed his age level in that he did not give him self over to sensual pleasure. W hile he was on this earth he could have Indulged him self freely, hut he despised the glory o f the world as a faded bloom. Born ot free parents in the region ol'Nursia. he was sent to Rome for a liberal education. But when he saw that some of his classmates were plunging into vice, he withdrew his foot that he had just placed on the threshold o f the world. He was afraid that worldly knowledge might cause him to fall into the depth of hell. So. abandoning his literary studies, and leav­ ing his family home and inheritance, he sought to please God alone. He went looking for a monastic habit so that he could lead a holy life. Thus he left Rome learnedly ignorant and wisely unlnsrructcd. ~\ 1don't know all his deeds, but I will recount a few things 1 learned from four o f his disciples. They are Constantine. I

I 7/reLi/vof >3inl 8tfit'diL’t very respected man who succeeded him as superior o il he monasiery (Monro tassino): Valentinian. who was head o f che Lateran monasiery for many years. Simplicius, who ruled a
y labors for God ralher than Haltered by world!) praise. So he quietly slipped away from his housekeeper.

C .o n rerijon drid fir s t M ira cle

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C O M .U ENTARY The Life o f Saint Benedict a$ rold by Saint Gregory the Great (Pope 590-603) Is part of a larger work called the Dw/qgues. k is the second ol four Dialogues, and it is unique In that it focuses on only one saint whereas the other three Dialogues tell o f many saints. These works o f hagiography (lives of the saints) arc called Dialogues because they arc cast in the form o f conversations between Pope Gregory and his deacon. Peter Peter will speak first In 'Dialogu*/Ml.4. Didto^i/f if begins rather abruptly with Benedict leav­ ing father and family “to please God a lo n e .' * Very little Is said about his parental home, although to judge Irom the tact that his sister. Scholastics, was a nun all her life (X X X III.2 ). It must have been a pious fam ily But Gregory does not want to emphasize pedigrees, he wants to stress conversion. That is why he tends to portray the young Benedict in a rather harsh manner. We learn that as a boy he "had the heart o f an elder." This does not necessarily endear him to the modern mind, but it means that he had the wisdom to choose God alone. Benedict's sudden departure from the familiar world reminds us o f certain biblical figures, especially the disciples o f Jesus abandoning net:. and lather at his invitation (Vlark 1:16 20). Indeed, the whole tone o f this Introduction has a distinctly biblical sound. In addition to the biblical theme, there may be autobio­ graphical elements in Gregory's portrayal o f Benedict* Adalbert de Vogue points out that the phrase 'he went looking for the monastic habit" could well be a wry reference to Gregorys own regret that lie himself had been too slow to take the habit. In his commentary called Moralid rn Joh, he says that he hesitated for about twenty years to actually enter the monastery. In con­ trast to himself, he shows Benedict acting decisively.

4 T7?e/■ifr i f Sdj.vt Benedict Vogiic also thinks that Benedict’s desire lor 'the habit" Is a sign that he knew that monasteries existed and wanted to join one. The obvious question then would seem to be-, then why didn't he? As we will soon sec. Benedict began monastic life as a hermit, a thing that lie Insists in his Rule that one should not do (RB l). Still. Vogue thinks that "the young seeker after God Is not a freelancer. I would suggest (hat what follow* prove* quite the opposite Furthermore we might be allowed some doubts about his flight From Rome At least in Gregory's telling. Benedict turned his back rather abruptly on his education. O f course, he was disgusted at the decadence he found in the city, but his flight also cut him oil at an early age Irom a complete education. Old he actually know what he was missing? There are some signs in what follows that Benedict had a somewhat narrow and rigid mentality. Indeed. Gregory Indicates that Scholastics had to complete Benedicts education in his final year* (Dial H X X X V II]).'! When describing his flight from Rome. Gregory Introduces the memorable phrase "learnedly ignorant and wisely unlnsirutied." This tell* us that a worldly education Is not every­ thing. Sometimes the simple and unlearned have profound understanding of ihe things o f God. This is in facta common (heme in early monastic literature. Thus Athanasius tells us that Antony was a simple peasant, but wiser rhan the philoso phec*. Yet recent research suggests that Antony was in fad anything hut uneducated." And later on Gregory will claim that the Rule Benedict wrote is "remarkable for its discretion and limpid in Its language’ (Dtol. JJ.XXXV1). Surely he must have had a decent education to do that. The episode at Effide also show* Benedict as a rather deci­ sive person. As soon as Ills miracle creates a sensation among the townspeople, he immediately slips out oftOwn. Unfbrtu naiely this Involves abandoning Ills faithful housekeeper, who

ConvmiOfl dflrf firs? .Wiraclc

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we may tee! deserved better. Perhaps this scene is somewhat like the miracle of Jesus at Cana (John 2: H I ) .1-’ In both cases the saint seems ro treat a beloved \soman rather harshly, but the reader is made to understand that the demands o f the Gos­ pel must override hurt feelings. Eventually, the scene with Scholastica (Did/ /J. X X X III) will serve as a corrective to some of this harshness.

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W w sof Benedicts miracle spread throughout the country To shun human acclaim Benedict flees Into I he wilderness where lie is fed and cared (or bv the monk. Romulus. .I S]

Section 2 Hermit Lost and Found He sought a retreat in a wild place called Subiaco J about forty miles from Rome where there is a cold, clear spring. So abundant is the water that It first collects into a considerable lake and then issues in a river. W hile he was fleeing, he met a monk named Romanus who asked where he was going. When he learned o f his plan, he kept It secret and gave him help. He gave him the mo­

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nastic habit and whatever help he could When the man of God arrived at the place he wanted, he entered a narrow cave. He remained there three years, unknown to anyone but the monk Romanus. This Romanus lived not far away jn a monastery under .) the rule o f Father Adeodatus. But he would piously steal some time under the very eyes o f the superior O n certain days he would bring Benedict what food he could spare lrom his own portion. There was no path from the cell o f Romanus to the cave because it was overhung by a high cliff. Romanus used to lower the food on a long rope lrom the c liff He even at • lached a little bell to it so that at the sound o f the bell the man of God would know when Romanus had brought some food.

x The Life of Saint Benedict Then he would come out and lake it. Bui the old enemy was as jealous of i he charity of the one as of the mca) o f the other. So one day when he saw the bread being lowered, he threw a rock and broke the bell. Romanus, however, did not cease to m in­ ister by other means. Then almighty God wished to give Romanus some rest from his labors, and he also meant to show the life of &enedia as an example to the world- He would give light to all In the house like a lamp placed on a lamp stand. So the

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Lord appeared in a vision to a priest who lived some distance away. As he was preparing to eat his Easter dinner, the lord said to him “You cook delicacies for yoursell while my ser­ u m sutlers pangs of hunger in such and such a place." Immc dlaielv he got up and on the very feast da\ he went there with the food he had prepared for himself. He searched for the man of God among the cliffs, the valleys and the ditches Finally he found him In his cave. ' / When they had said a prayer and blessed almighty God. . they had a friendly conversation about life. Then the priest from afar said: “Come, let us cat. for today Is Easter!" To which the man o f God answered: "I know that it is Easter, for you have graced me with your presence." He was cur off from society so long that he had no idea that that very day was the solemnity of taster. But the venerable priest again insisted: "Seriously, this really is the day of the Lord's resurrect ion I It is not right for you to fast, for I have been sent that vve might eat the gills o f Lhe all-powerful Lord." So, blessing God they ate dinner. When they finished eating arid conversing, (lie priest went back to his church. O About the same time, some shepherds discovered him in O his cave. When they spotted him covered with skins in a thicket, they thought it was a wild animal. But when they saw it was the servant o f God. many o f them were converted f rom their bestial ways to a life ol holiness. So his name became I

i fcrrnij ]^>st o cut off from the liturgical life o f the church that he did not know It was Easter.’ At this point, someone might invoke the opinion o f John (lasslan that for monks there is no Lent (because li is

Hwmit Lc'it end Ivand

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always le n t).1* At any rate. this strange detail serves to drive home the point that Benedict has Indeed hidden him self very well from the world. But Benedict's rather graceful and even playful remark also deserves some comment. When he says that it is Eastci be­ cause the priest has visited him. he shows that he understands very well what Christianity b a ll about. Even a primary litur­ gical feast such as Easier is still symbolic o f the bedrock Chris' (Ian claim that Jesus died and rose out o f love for the world. So the basic meaning o f this paschal event is love Where there is love, the fruit o f Jesus' resurrection Is found. So even without the Easter Liturgy. Benedict knew that the spirit o f the Resurrection was present in their shared meal According to Gregory, the priest was not the only one who found Benedict after three years. Some o f the local shepherds also spotted him. even though he was "covered with skins in a thicket” [D id. U t.8). This discovery is not hard to imagine, since shepherds have to follow their sheep into wild places. And they have to have sharp eyes (or wild animals as well. But Gregory's comment that they were "converted from tliclr bes­ tial ways" [a besiidi raenre mutate sum) should not be taken too literally. He probably had the typical urban disdain for shep­ herds. a thing that the gospel writers did not share. Indeed, the scene of shepherds discovering the hidden saint can hardly fail to remind us o f the visit of shepherds to the manger at Bethlehem {Luke 2:15-20).-° O f course. Benedict is no helpless infant, but he shares with Jesus his hiddenness. And just like the shepherds in Judea, those in the Abruzzl broadcast the wonderful thing they h3d found. So the hidden phase o f Benedicts life comes to an end—because God wants it to. Benedict does not advertise his holiness Ear from it! He hides it as deep a* he can. fout jt jS no use> God has other ideas lor him.

C atrttitu autejt; it ir t r s o rte fia tuenft jz p e stii.a u tm .

lb overcome the LOjnpt.ition o f the evil one. Benedict tails htmsdf In a patch of thorns anti briars |f 1-2

Section j Temptation in the Desert

ll-l

One day when he was alone, the Tempter pul in

an appearance. For a little black bird, commonly called a mfTcJa. began to flutter about his face It approached so close to his face that the holy man could have caught it In his hand it he had wished. But he made the sign of the cross and the bird Hew away. When the bird departed, the hoi) man e x ­ perienced a temptation such as he had never had before. Some time before he had seen a certain woman, whom the Fvl! Spirit now brought before Ills mind's eye. At this vision, such a flame seared the mind of the servant o f Ood that he could scarcely endure the fire o f lust In his breast. A victim o f lust, he almost decided to desert the hermitage Suddenly, favored by grace Irum above, he came to hi> senses. Seeing a thicket of briars and nellies growing close at hand, he stripped naked and threw himself into the sharp thorns and stinging nettles. He rolled In them for a long time and as a result was scratched from head to toe. The physical wounds on his skin removed the wound of his mind, for It converted lust Into sorrow. B> means o f an external pun­ ishing tire, he snuffed out what unlawfully burned inside. So he conquered sin b\ switching fires. if

H The Life af'SwT 1 From that lime forward, as he laier testified to hi> disJ ciple, the temptation to lust was so stifled within him that he never again felt anything similar. After that, many men began lo leave the world and hasten to his tutorship. Free from the temptation ol vice. he was really a master o f virtue. We learn From the law of Moses that Levitcs had lo be over twenty-five years of age to minister, and trom age fifty they be­ came keepers o f the holy vessels. REFER: This Scripture text (Mum 8:24-25) gives me a glimmer o f understanding, but I beg you for a fuller explanation GREGORY: It s obvious. Peter, that one is very subject lo carnal temptations during youth, but after age fifty the heat o f the body cools off. The sacred vessels are the minds o f the faithful When the elect are still being tempted, they should he subject to service, and worn out by discipline and labor. When they have arrived at a calm state o f mind, they are guardians ol the vessels, that is. spiritual directors. PETER: What you say makes sense. But now that you have y unlocked the secret of this text, please continue telling the life of the just man as you began lo do. GREGORY: With the waning of’ temptation, the man of God. like a field cleared o f briars, brought forth a bumper crop ol virtue. When Ills exemplary life became known, his name became famous.

COM M ENTARY After Benedict has settled into his cave at Subiaco and even begun to attract some local attention. Gregory records a sec­ ond temptation Whereas hi> Itrsi temptation at Effide was lo vainglory in the wake of local enthusiasm, now he is beset with the vice of carnal lust. This second episode Is much more violent than the first, but Vogue thinks the ba.de pattern Is

TempMtion in rh(* Draw

15

the same. In both cases Benedict is tempted, he overcomes the spiritual obstacle and as a result his spiritual influence Is broadcast* Anyone who has read Diatogue ll remembers the stoiv o f the roll in the bramble bush, in order to distract himselffrom his raging imagination. Benedict deliberately hurls his naked body Into a thicket of thorns. The result Is predictable: plenty o f cuts and scratches! But there is another result that is less ordinary, for Gregory says that from that time on the saint was never troubled by lustful thoughts. In other words, his violent method resulted In a final solution; no more lust. To someone like me. who has long passed age fifty and still jemai ns quite suggestible to erotic stimulation, this could look like Just another idealized episode in the lile o f a saint, after all. hagiography is meant to edify us more than tell the exact, graphic truth about the saint. In the story. Benedict is only twenty-live years old. so it does seem rather early (or a complete reduction o f his libido. And of course Or Sigmund Freud and his colleagues would certainly scoff and tell us that nobody arrives at a place where sex is no longer a preoccupation. There l.s another approach that sidetracks some o f this skepticism and leads us to spiritual Insight Vogue notes that Benedicts lacerations could remind us o f I he passion of Jesus Christ himself. O f course, there, are significant differences. For example. Benedict essentially punishes himself whereas Jesus is brutalized by the soldiers. But if we consider Bene­ dict's self-laceration as a kind o f passion and death to sin. then we can consider his freedom from lurther lust as a s> mbo! of the resurrection o f Jesus To quote Vogue. Purified. Immunized, his Mesh participates in the incorrupt ion o f the resurrected." " And there are numerous resonances here with other spiri­ tual literature. For example, notice that the following items

16 rheli'fec/.SdjjjfflfneJur dll appear In the story: birds, thorns, good earth, abundant harvest2* What does that suggest? O f course, the parable of the sower (l.ukc 8:4-15 and parallels). Probably the predomi­ nant feature ol this gospel parable is the remarkable harvest that results despite all the factors that could have ruined It. So with Benedict Gregory wanes us to understand (hat he did not become a great saim without a terrific struggle. Pvcn though he was a precocious youth, his was not clear sailing to the spiritual heights. Another fruitful comparison concerns benedict and Antony. ’* We know that the latter was subjected to consider able harassment by the demons In the first part o f his life as a hermit This tempting included the allurement to lust.iS But Antony’s temptation w as o f a different sort than that o( Benedict In that It was much less violent U lasted longer, but Antony never seems too hard pressed. He serenely overcomes the challenge and moves on. As for Benedict. Gregory does not mind telling us that he was by no means serene. The very fact that he was already planning to leave his cave shows that he was sorely tempted. He probably knew where he could find the woman o f his fanta­ sies. It was only the timely arrival ol divine grace that enabled him to escape from this delusion. But his almost suicidal plunge into the brambles leaves no doubt that he was deeplytroubled. I le was not a plaster saint hut a hot-blooded man When Gregory tells us that Benedicts victory over lust permanently "immunized"M him against sexual turmoil, he docs not Imply that he was therdore beyond dfJ temptation. In fact, the rest o f Dialogue /f reveals a person who was faced with a panoplv o ft rials throughout his life. Clearly, some of these were due to defects o f character that had to be gradually overcome. But to return to the issue of lust and it> "hnal solution." Modern notions of psycho spiritual development probably

Temptation in the Desert

IT

make it hard for us to appreciate this point. Even though sex­ ual Impulses arc powerful and often hard to control, they arc b> no means purely evil, and they may even be described as indispensable- Indeed. It is generally agreed that a good deal o f our creative energy stems precisely f rom our sexual drives. To be "relieved" o f our libido could well leave us in a passive and lazy condition. W e should also notice that the temptation story is brack­ eted with an introduction and a dosing. Just hefore the o n ­ slaught ol lust, Benedict is harassed by a little black bird that he shoos away with the sign o f the cross In the code language o f spiritual discourse, black is the sign o f the evil one. who is here making a preliminary survey o f his victim. Later, a little black boy will bother the monks at the Divine Office (Di'dJ J/.IV.2). In our day of political correctness. U is no longer ac­ ceptable to use black to equal evil. As (or Gregory, he had no such scruples As regards the dosing, It lakes the form o f the first true dialogue In this particular book. Peter the Deacon reacts to a remark of Gregory about the need for Lcvltcs to be at least twenty-five years old. and fifty years old to touch the vessels o f the altar. As we proceed, we will see that Peters questions are usually connected with Scripture fie wants Gregors to ex­ plain the symbolic sense o f the biblical text. In fact. Gregory does ibis all the time in his numerous Scripture commentar­ ies. This particular interpretation u f Numbers 8.24-2S is de­ veloped at much greater length In Aforufjd jn Job. 2?. 21. Gregory makes the not-very subtle point that the vessels must reler to (he souls of the faithful. Those who take up the task o f spiritual direction must be persons w ith a good deal o f lived experience. Even chough the Levites could do certain jobs at age twenty-five, it was not until much later that they could touch the vessels. Likewise, a director should he at least fifty years old. in an age when most people were dead by age

fj~ lnsuta obfcclum p t(U u&qastic grror'.-, } t * j •

C poisoned his wins*. When the glass vessel carrying the poisoned drink was brought ac­

cording to monastic custom to the seated Father for his bless­ ing, he extended Ills hand and made the sign oi life. I le broke the vessel with this sign, and it was so shattered that it was as i f he had thrown a stone at that vessel o f death instead of the sign ol the cross. Instantly the man o f God knew that the drtnk was poisoned, because It could not bear the sign o f the cross. He arose at once, and with a calm face and a tranquil mind said to the gathered brothers ‘ Brothers, may almighty God have mercy on you? W hy have you wished to do this to me? Did 1 not tell you that our ways do not mesh? Go find your­ selves a superior according to your own thinking, for after Lhis you cannot have me." / Then he returned to his beloved place o f solitude, where 3 he lived alone with him self but under the gaze o f the Heavenly Spectator. PETER. 1don’t quite know what it means to ’ live with o n e se lf" GREGORY: If the holy man had wished to dominate long over those plotting against him. who had a very different way o f life. It ma> have exceeded his strength. And the eye of his mind may have lost the light o f contemplation. Worn out by the daily undiscipline, he would have neglected his own soul: he would have lost himself without finding them. For every lime we are drawn outside ourselves by too much mental agi­ tation, we are not “with ourselves." even though we think wc are. Because when we wander here and there we do not see ourselves / Do we say that that man was "w ith h im se lf’ who O went to a distant land? He used up the Inheritance he had received, and attached himself to one o f the local

T «7 ?p to / rO ttfiiiM i$ .\ fcn

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inhabitants. He sent him to feed his pigs, and he craved for h im self the pods he sail them eat W hen he began to think o f the good things he had lost, it i> written o f him: when he came to him self he said. *1low many o f my father s hired servants have bread enough and to spare . . ."* (f.uke 15:17). If he was “with him self." how could he return to himself? ' ~l 1would say that this venerable man "lived with himself" 7 because he was always on guard and watchful. He was always aware o f being before the eyes o f Ihe Creator. He was constantly examining him self and he did not let the eye ol his mind wander about. PETER. W hat about the apostle Peter? It is w ritten ol him when he had to be led out o f prison by an angel: "And Peter came to himself, and said. 'Now I am sure that

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the lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting*" (Acts 12:11). G REGO RY We arc led out o f ourselves In two ways. Peter Either we sink beneath ourselves b> a mental lapse, or we rise above ourselves by the grace o f contempla­

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tion. So he who fed the pigs fell beneath himself by unclean wandering o f the mind Bui he whom the angel freed and swept his mind away m ecstasy was out o f himself, yes. But he was above himself. Both returned to themselves: the one returned to his heart from erroneous work: the other returned from contemplative heights to his previous state o l mind Therefore, venerable Benedict dwelt with him self in that soil lude when he guarded himself in a mental cloister for every time the ardor o f contemplation wrapt him on high, he left him self behind. O f that there is no doubt. 1 { \ PETER: What you say is dear. But I ask you. should he 1 V./ have abandoned the brothers once he had taken re­ sponsibility for them?

2-1 ? to* j.jjc of Stint Bc’Hrtljf/t

GRIGO RY: In my opinion. Peter, a bad group should be patiently borne with if some good people arc found among them. Where there is no profit from the good, the trouble one experiences from the bad is useless; This is especially true where there Is work at hand that can bear belter fruit for God. W hom should the man o f God have guarded when he saw they were all against him? | 1 I must not neglect to say this: When perfect souls see they are working In vain, they often move to a place where they can have come effect So also that famous preacher, who wished to die to be with ChrisL and for whom to live is Chrjsr and to die is gain—he not only sought bitter sufferings for himself, but urged others to suffer them as well. But when lw was persecuted at Damascus, he was able to escape by being let down (from Lhe wall} In a basket at the end o f a rope. Do we say that Paul feared death? I fe says he desires it for the love o f Christ1But when he saw there was heavy labor with little success for him in that place, he kept himself lor fruitful labor in anothei place. For the brave warrior o f God did not wish to be cooped up; he sought the battlefield “} The same goes for venerable Benedict' if you listen Z - carefully, you will soon sec that he abandoned the stubborn when he wasaJivc so he could raise people in other places from spiritual death. PF.TER: It is as you say. And both the principle you state and the apt example you give prove It. But I beg you return to the life story of so great a father GREGORY: When the holy man continued to grow in

1

miracles and virtue In the wilderness, many people gathered in that place to serve almighty God. And thus, with the help o f our all-powerful lord Jesus Christ, he built twelve monasteries. To them each he sent twelve monks with a superior. He kept a few at his side who he thought still needed his guidance.

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com m entary

In this section we w ill com mem on Che story o f Benedict and the monks o f Vicovaro. U is a rather short story fol­ lowed by a Iona stretch of dialogue between Gregory and Peter. This Is by far the most extensive piece of interpreta­ tion by Gregory that we have encountered so far. Benedict's experience at Yicovaro was shocking. W hy would a group o f decadent monks choose an ascetic hermit for their superior.’ And why would they plot to kill him as soon as he thwarted their lax ways? Gregory offers no explanation for this, nor does he provide much psychological buildup for the tragic clim ax. It is as if he almost needs som ething this violent to drive Benedict back to his place of contemplation at Jjublaco, and in a hurry. As to why the cenoblflc monks would choose an asceil­ eal hermit for their leader. Vogue does not think this was out ol the ordinary. After all, both types o f monks share the same basic Ideals. And he adds: 'For ancient cenobit Ism. the abbot was above all the model and promoter o f s e lf - d e n ia l.T h a t ma\ be so. but an abbot also has to have a pastoral sense and this story leaves us wondering whether Benedict had one at this point in his young career. Probably his rigidity helped provoke the crisis at V Icovaro. Since he was a successful abbot soon after, he must have learned a lesson here. l ike many things in the Dialogues, this story seems to lack a social or historical context. The question that lingers in the back o f our minds Is this: would not such vicious behavior have repercussions? Would church authorities not move to disband such a dysfunctional religious community? None o f this is dealt with, presumably because Gregory is not inter­ ested in creating a rounded and plausible history. He is just Interested in charting the spiritual development of Benedict.

26

i iii’ L ife o f Soin t Rtned i undertaken as pope.*1 The last decade o f the sixth century was not an easy time to be pope. For mo.->t o f his pontificate, the savage Lombards were besieging the city o f Rome, creating a chaotic situation. Greg­ ory was virtually the mayor o f the city, responsible for feeding crowds of refugees and maintaining the spiritual morale o f the whole population. No wonder ihat he found it hard to bear his heavy burden.

T em /W fio n dJiicw y Afeff

27

In response 10 Peter. Gregory gives two answers, one somewhat pragmatic, the other more spiritual. First he a y s that no one has the obligation to persevere in a ministry where there is no prospect For success. He then quotes the example o f the apostle Paul, who fled Damascus when the Jews conspired to assassinate him (Acts 9:20-25). He escaped the place, not out of fear hut because God had much more work in mind for him. Likewise with Benedict; he was just a young man at Vicovaro. with a Jong future o f fruitful ministry belore him. Just how Iruillul that ministry was becomes im m edi­ ately apparent. For as soon as Benedict returns to Subiaco, people began to flock to him. And not just pious Christians, but men Intent on becom ing his monastic disciples. Almost overnight he is able to found twelve monasteries o f twelve monks each. No doubt these round numbers are meant to be sym bolic, not literal, Still, the point isth e> jm e: Benedict's decision to flee Vicovaro was the right one. and in doing so he became all the more spiritually effective. In other words, he was not evading responsibility at all but fulfilling It in an indirect way. W hy was Benedict suddenly so attractive to monastic candidates? The reason Is connected to Gregorys second an swer to Peter: Benedict was justified in fleeing the homicidal situation at Vicovaro because it would hase been hard or im ­ possible for him to maintain his prayerful recollection In that circumstance. No one can deny that It is hard to remain tranquil when they are trying to kill you! As it was. though. Benedict still managed to maintain his composure belore he fled the place. Here again, the autobiographical element becomes hard to avoid. Throughout the Dfa/o^ues. Gregory continually com ­ plains that he him self is having a very hard time maintain­ ing his spiritual composure in the papacy'. Beset as he Is by

28 The Life c-/.Srjitij Benedict

demands and challenges on every side, he has no tranquility, nooiwn?. for contemplation. He longs for his monastery! Rut \\e should not he fooled by these remarks. Gregory was by no means overwhelmed by ihe papacy. Mis register o f letters all o\er the Christian world shows him to be a brilliant admin­ istrator. How well he maintained his meditative practices is another matter Getting back to Benedict. Gregory teIJs us he became a fruitful spiritual master because he had mastered himself. But his growth was not just ascetic as it was before: now he became a master of the contemplative life. Gregory Indi­ cates this in the Story by the extremely laconic expression: ‘ He went to live with him self alone" (swtmi hahrarir). In his commentary, however. Gregory greatly expands on what he means by this. He proceeds In good scholastic fashion by making distinc­ tions. To "be with oneself" is the opposite o f being "outside oneself." But there are at least two ways to he “outside one­ s e lf" First, one can be "below oneself" like the Prodigal Son of Luke IS. He had to "return to himself" before he could re­ turn home to his fathei On the other hand, the apostle Peter was “beside himself" (and above himself) with ecstatic |o\ when he was liberated from jail by an angel in Acts 12. He bad to return to earth to make his escape-, this was a step down. Likewise. Benedict was sometimes “beside himself" in ec­ static prayer although he "lived with him self alone/ This manner o f discussing the spiritual life by means o f prepositions was not new with Gregory the Great. The classi­ cal pagan writers already spoke o f "living within o n e s e lf In the sense o f not being too concerned with what others think o f us.'7Gregory, though, goes much further, for he speaks of Benedict living "under the gaze of the Heavenly Spectator." No matter how secluded his retreat. Benedict understood well that God was always fully aware of him.

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29

This description o f the young Benedict can be seen as an important link to the Rule o f Benedict hi the hrst step of humility, it reads: "Let each one take into account that he is constantly observed by God from heaven and our deeds every­ where lie open to the divine gaze and are reported by the an­ gels at every hour' (RB

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Section $ Four Miracles at Subiaco 1 A Then the pious and noble families of the city of Rome I i began to send him ihclr sons to be educated lor almighty GocL Then too Eihiclus and the patrician Tertullus sent their promising sons, Maur and Placid, \taur was a youth ot good morals, who began to function as assistant to the master. As for Placid, he was still a young hoy. I \ / 1 Now in one ol the monasteries that he built in IV I t hat place there was a monk who could not slay at prayer. As soon as the brothers prostrated themselves In prayer, he would go outside, and his roaming mind drove him to do all kinds o f worldly and trivial work- When his abbot had warned him often, he was brought to the man of God. who also chided him vigorously for his stupidity When he re­ lum ed to his monastery, he held to the warning of the man for scarcely two days. Then on the third day he reverted to his old ways: he began to wander around during prayer time. The matter was reported to the servant o f God by the father o f the monastery, whom he had appointed. He said: "l w ill come and correct him myself * When the man o f

2

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12 7/iel.ift of.Sewnt ttemdkl

God had come to that place, a ad i he brothers had prostrated in prayer ac the appointed time at the end o f the psalmody, he saw the monk who could not remain at prayer. A little black boy was pulling him out by the hem o f his garment. Then he said quietly to Pompelanus. the father of the monastery, and to Maur the servant of God: “Do you sec who is pulling that monk o u tsid e r They answered “No." He said to them: l e t us pray that you too see whom that monk is follow ing." After two days o f prayer, Maur could see. but the father of the m on­ astery. Pompeian us. could not >ee. *) The next day. therefore, alter prayer, the man of God left J the chapel and found the monk standing outside. He heat him with a stick for the blindness o f his heart. From that day on. he suffered no further temptation from the black hoy and remained immobile as he concentrated on prayer. So the An­ cient Enemy did not dare to interfere with his thoughts. It was as Jf he himself had been struck a blow. OIThe monasteries that he had built in that place. three were on rocky heights. It was very hard for the brothers to get down to the lake for a drink ol water, especially since the bank was so steep. Those who went down were terri­ fied o f the great danger they risked. So the brothers from those three monasteries got together and visited the man o f God. They said: "It is difficult lor us to go down to the lake every day for water. The monasteries should be moved from that place.“ 1(e calmed theii fears and sent them away. Thar same night he climbed up to the heights with the little boy named Placid, whom I mentioned above. He prayed a long time up there, and when the praver was finished, he placed three stones In that place as a marker Then he returned lo his monastery without telling anybody, When these same brothers returned lo him the next da\ because o f the need for water, he told them: "Go

3

f o u r M i t f c t o oi S u b w c.

and dig a little at the point where you find three stones piled one on top ol the other, hor almighty God is even capable ot producing water on a mountain top. and to kindly spare you the trouble o f such a hard clim b." They went to the peak that Benedict Jnad pointed out. and found it was already damp. When they dug a basin, it immediately filled with water. It (lowed out so strongly that to this day it runs abundantly and flows dow n from the mountaintop to the valley below.

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Another time, a certain Goth who was poor in

I I spirit came to be a monk. The man o f God. Bene­ dict. gladly received him. One day he told them to give him an iron tool to cut thornbushes in a. certain place. The tool is called a fnkastrum because it Is shaped like a sickle [falx). Benedict wanted to plant a garden there. Now the place that the Goth set out to clear lay on the very shore o f the lake. When the Goth attacked the heart of the thicket with all his vigor, the iron blade slipped out of the handle into the lake. The water was so deep at that point that there was no hope of recovering the sickle. So when the blade w a s lost, the trembling Goth ran lo Z . the monk Maur. He told him what he had lost and did penance for his fault. Maur the monk promptly reported the incident to the man o f God. Benedict. When the man o f God. Benedict, heard this, he went to the scene. He took the handle from the hand ol the Goth and plunged it Into the lake. At once the blade returned from the depths and entered ihe handle. Immediately, he gave it to the Goth and said-. “Here it Is. Return to work and do not be sad." One day. while venerable Benedict was silling

I

In his cell, our boy Placid, a monk o f the holy man. went out to the lake tor a drink o f water. He was careless In how he plunged his cup into the water, and fell in after It.

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The current soon caught him and pulled him a bowshot from shore. Although the man of God was silting In his cell he knew right away what had happened. He quickly called Maur tc> hjm and said; "Brother Maur. run! The bov went to drink water, hut he has fallen into the lake. The current l\a> already carried him far out." T Then a wonderful thing happened something unknown since Peter the apostle: when lie had asked and received the blessing. Maur obeyed the order o f this father and ran to the place where the boy was being carried b> the current. He thought he was moving on land, but he actually ran on the water He grabbed him by the hair and ran back to the shore. As soon as he touched shore he came to himself. He looked back and saw that he had run on the water. Then he was terrified at what he had done. For he would have never dared to do it. He then returned to his father and reported what he had done. Venerable Benedict began to insist that the thing was not due to his men is, but to Maurs obedience. But Maur objected that the thing was accomplished solely by his co m ­ mand. He said that he had no part in the feat since he had acted unawares But the boy who had been pulled out inter vened as the fudge o f this Friendly contest In mutual humility. He said: “When I was being hauled from the water, i saw the abbot's cape anove my head and thought he was dragging me out of the water." PF.TER: The things you tell are very great and w ill serve to edify many. The more 1 drink in the miracles o f the good man. the more 1thirst.

3

COM M ENTARY It would seem thai these four miracles form a kind o f cycle. u All o f them are based on biblical and patristic models, which we will study here None of them seems to move the basic plot

fo u r A ljracfe s 41iu bhv.O S S

along, thai is. they have a timeless quality about them. And all of them lack the dramatic quality o f their biblical model. It is also interesting to see the Koman nobility sending their sons to Benedict for training, since he had abandoned his Homan education. So the uneducated one now educates The first miracle o f (he set deals with the devil's attempts to undermine the community. Specifically, he drags a certain monk out o f chapel when the monks prostrate to pray at the end o f Office. The local superior Intervenes, but he cannot make any headway with the monk, and neither can Benedict himself! The solution comes after Benedict personally ob­ serves the devil at work on the monk. But the other monks cannot sec this until they have prayed hard for the grace. There may be a reference here to a passage where the prophet Elisha is threatened by a besieging army {2 Kgs 6:15-1?) *' He Is not alarmed though, because God allows him to see a yet larger army o f the lord protecting him. His servant cannot see it until Kllsha prays God to let him in on the vision. In that sense, the servant Is like \iaur. who Is able- to see the devil after two days o f prayer. Moreover, one of the secondary lessons o f this miracle is that prayer is not to be set aside in the name o f work, The monk who is dragged out of Olhce is found doing all kinds of useful things, but none o f them are appropri­ ate for this time. Most o f us have found ourselves at times pre­ ferring busy work to prayer. There w ill always be things to do. but nothing must Interfere with our relation to Grad. 'I be second miracle also appears to be at least loosely based on the Elisha cycle In 2 Kings. In this episode (2 Kgs 6:1-4). * Elishas followers come and beg him to allow them to relocate on the banks o f the river Jordan. He agrees readily enough, so they build new "monastery" out o f wood on the shore. Benedicts monks have a similar idea; they are fired o f hauling water from The lake up to their monasteries perched on the rocks at Subiaco. Unlike Elisha. Benedict refuses to

}6

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relocate the dwellings. Instead, he prays on the heights and water springs up for their use. II we know our Old Testament well, this story may also remind us o f Moses. W hen he was faced with a revolt o f the Israelites in the desert (Num 20:1-13),,r -Moses was told by Yahweh to strike the rock with his rod for water. He foolishly struck twice, hut that is beside the point here. Water indeed flowed and the rebellious people were pacified. A tense situa­ tion was resolved by G ods miraculous intervention, a s for Benedicts monks, they are not rebels. They make no threats, even though Gregory admits that they had good reason to question Benedict's building plans. They were not lazy either: they were just inti ini dated by the dangerous climb down the cliffs to get a drink. Anyone who has visited Subiaco knows that the cliffs there are very steep Indeed. It is not hard at all to imagine the selling o f this story. The alert reader may notice that the whole matter o f Bene­ dict building a monasters has been largely elided by Gregory. We arc simply told that he built twelve houses with twelve monks each. Obviously, these arc symbolic numbers, but this

docs not deny the facr that he must have taken practical mea­ sures to house rhese people. He probably made good use of the abandoned buildings o f the villa That Emperor Nero had built on the lake five hundred years earlier. * At any rate. Gregory has created a rather peaceful, pas­ toral scene w ith this miracle. Abbot Benedict may refuse to move the dwellings, but he does not ignore the real needs of the monks. I le goes quietly by night and engages in his most powerful activity, namely, prayer. The scene is anything but dramatic. The monks are simply told to dig a little pit and It will fill with water. No more dangerous climbing The lake figures again in the third miracle and it is not a positive force. Now a monk Is cutting brush on the shore when the blade o f his scy the flies off into the water. There is

fo u r M ira cle s icon o f this whole book. It may seem that Gregory has perhaps made ihls particular point a hit too lavishly. When we encounter one miracle alter another, we moderns become a bit uneasy Can Benedict really have been this extraordinary? O f course, there Is no possibility o f getting back to the historical reality here. And perhaps it is not necessary If we can let the myths carry the Story oi this holy man.

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Section 6 A Blow to Hatred and a Coronation

GREGORY: Now the whole countryside be­ 1 came fervent In the love of'Our Lord God Jesus Christ. Many Ivlt their worldly life to submit the neck o f their heart to the sweet yoke o f the Redeemer. Just as tire wicked typically envy others thtrir good virtue, but do not seek It lor themselves, so it was with the priest Florentius. He was the pastorol the nearby church, the grandfather of our subtle* con Florentius. Driven by the malice o i l he evil one. he began to resent the elforts o f the holy man and to disparage his way of lile. He kept visitors away from benedict as much as he could. He saw that he was unable to keep him from progress iug and that the prestige of his lifestyle was increasing. He knew also that many were constantly being attracted to a better sdatc of life by the fame o f his reputation. He was more and more consumed with burning jealousy because he wanted praise tor his life—bul not a praiseworthy life. So blinded was he by the darkness o f his envy that he sent the servant of almighty God blessed bread, infected with poison. The man of God received it w ith thanks, but he knew what harm hid in that bread. 41

42

I h e L ife o f'S a in t Renedici

Now at dinner lim e a Crow used to com e from the adjoin ./ ing woods and accept food from his hand. W hen it had come at rhe usual hour, the man o f God threw the bread the priest had sent before the crow. And he commanded it: “ In the name o f the Lord Jesus Christ, take this bread, and throw it in a place where no one can hnd it." Then the crow, with its beak open and Its wings expanded, began to run In a circle around the bread and croak. It was as i f it were saving that it wanted to obey, but could not carry out the orders. But the man ol God urged it again and again: "Take it away! Do not he alraid! Throw it where no one can find i t .' After long hesitation, the crow took the loaf in Irs beak and departed. Alter three hours it returned minus die bread; and it received its dail} ration trom the hand o f the man of God. When the venerable father saw that the ml rid o f the priest was l nflamed against his way o f file, he felt worse lor him than for himself. But the above-mentioned Rorentlus. because he could not harm the master physically, bestirred

4

himself to destroy the souls o f his disciples. Before their eves he sent seven naked girls into the garden o f rhe monastery where Benedict lived, for a long lim e they did a round dance and romped before them The whole purpose was to inflame their minds with the vice ol lust. c When rhe holy man took this all in from his monas) iery. he was afraid that it could ruin his still-unformed disciples. I le mused that it was done to harm him alone, so he decided to give way before envy. I Ic placed all the mon asteries he built, with their brothers, under their superi­ ors. Taking a few monks with him. he changed his place of residence. ' As soon as the nun o f God humbly ceded to his hatred. almighty God struck Rorenlius a terrible blow. The above-mentioned watched from his balcony as Benedict de­ parted. and he was glceiul. But although the house stood firm.

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(he balcony he stood on collap*ed. Thus the enemy of Bene d id was crushed to death. *■I /

Because he had departed scarcely ten miles from the place. Benedicts disciple Maur thought he should Intorm him

immediately: "Come back, for the priest who was persecuting you is dead.'' When the man o f God Benedict heard this, he gave himself over to serious laments, both for the death of his enemy and for the Joy of his disciple at the death o f hts enemy. For this reason he Imposed a penance on his disciple because he dared to display such glee jn announcing rhe destruction o f the enemy.

8

PETER: The things you say are beautiful and quite amazing. J see Moses in the water produced Irom the rock. Elisha In

the iron brought up from (he watery depths, fcter In the walk on the water, and E)avjd in the grief at the death o f an enemy. When you think o f it. this man was full of the spirit of all the Just! GREGORY: Peter, the man of God. Benedict, had only the

9

spirit of the One who, b> the grace gained by the redemp­ tion. filled the hearts of all (he elect Of him. John says.-1 le was "the true light that enlightens every m an. . . coming into the world" (John 1:9). And again it is written of him:

. . from

his fullness have we all received . . (John blfi). For saints o f God may have powers from God. but they cannot pass them on to others. The Lord gave the signs o f power to his subjects, but to Ids enemies he promised he would give the sign of Jonah. So he wished to die before the eyes o f the proud and to rise betorc the humble, that (ho former could look on the one to be condemned and the latter could look on what they had to love and venerate. By virtue o f this mystery, while the proud gaze on the horror of death, the humble receive a glorious power over death. COM M ENTARY

The story o f Benedict's persecution b> (he priest Horentius is another colorful episode that Is rich with spiritual symbolism

44

Tire /.i7{* o f Sto the end. and so did Benedict.

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J/fofrrm commanded him to be laid In his cell on the psyutium (prayei mat). He sent the brothers away and shut the door. He gave him self over to prayer even more intently than usual. Then a wonderful thing

2

happened: at that very hour he sent the young man. healed and as vigorous as ever hack to the same work to finish the wall with the brothers. The old enemy had thought he could insult Benedict by his death

f-yhr agojas? Sdtd» ^* com m entary

Benedict's move from Sublaco to Monte Cass!no is the turn ing point o f Gregorys narrative. Although it is not hallway through the full extent o f the story, nevertheless it co n sti­ tutes the major structural juncture for the author. Up to this point. atSubiaco. the youthful Benedict has been gradually maturing In his spiritual growth. Me has been sorely tempted by Satan, but he has won out m the end. Still, he has chosen to withdraw rather than engage in (rental combat with the evil one. Now at Monte Cassino things w ill he different. Gregory now presents Benedict as a fully realized spiritual master The devil is still vigorously present and active, but now Benedict parries his thrusts with ease. From now on. Benedicts lilt is presented as a continuous triumph abounding in good works and many miracles. v‘ In a sense, this overwhelming spiri­ tual power oi Benedict reduces the drama In the story. Still, it Is good to see God's power so evidently at work in a human being. First a comment about Monte Cassino. The site l> about seventy-five miles southeast o f Rome and Sublaco. Like Subjaco. it is in the foothills of the Apennlnc Mountains, but aside from that the two places could hardly he more unallke. Suhlaco is buried in a deep declivity, surrounded with high cliffs and gurgling with rushing water. Monte Cassino Is situ­ ated on a bench in the mountains, with wide vistas all around. It Is Indeed a "city set on a hill* (Matt 5:14). To this day. the abbey is a beacon to all who travel between Rome and Naples. W hen Benedict arrived at the place, it was dominated by a pagan temple. That was not unusual, for people have performed religious rites In prominent places since time im­ memorial. Therefore we arc1probably somewhat shocked to read that Benedict suddenly turned into a ferocious religious

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zealot. tearing clown the temple and cutting down the sacred grove o f trees on the plateau. This behavior J> not uncommon among the medieval Christian missionaries like Boniface, but we do not expect it from Gregory's pen. At the end of the sixth century, he sent the monk Augustine to England to reconvert the place. One piece o f advice he gave him was to not destroy the pagan temples, but remodel them for Christian worship.51 But here Gregors' is just telling us what Benedict did. without moralizing on his tactics. The reader may also be a bit surprised b> the lack of re­ sistance from the local pagans. O f course the devil howls arid whines, but the country peasants (pqganf) put up no resistance. Benedict immediately begins preaching to them and there is no indication that they arc hostile. In fact. It looks as if he converted the whole district. But even his preaching is highly unusual for an ancient monk By and large, the ancient monks were primarily intent on saving their own souls by lives of prayer and penance, not by apostolic work. And It has to be noted that this Is the only time Benedict engages in pastoral activity in Dwfcyuf IL ” To focus on the events reported by Gregory, we find that Benedict immediately sets out to replace the pagan structures with his own monastic buildings.” First he has his monks construct two small chapels, one dedicated to St. Martin and the other to St John the Baptist. Since Monte Cassino was de­ stroyed by bombing in the second World War.54archeologists were able (o discover the foundations o f these chapels They were o f small dimensions, which is not surprising since Bene­ dict was just getting reestablished. At any rate, the o ld enemy becomes very active in oppos Ing this new monastic building program. First he sits cm a rock (hat needs lo b e moved When Benedict prays, the rock bccome> light as a feather. Next. Satan's tactics become more desperate: now he makes a stone wall collapse on lop o f a

I

Hghl agamil S sit­ ting outside. When he spotted him. as soon as he could make himself heard, he shouted: "Takeoff what you are wearing, for IL Is not yours!" Riggo immediately prostrated, frightened that he had presumed to try to fool such a great man. And those who accompanied him also fell to the ground. When the\ rose, the) did not presume to approach hi in. but returned to

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their king. In their fright they told him how quickly (hey had been found out. Then Totlla him self came to the man o f God When he saw him sitting far o ff he did not dare approach but prostrated on the ground The man o f God said lwo or three times: "Gel up1’ But he did not dare rise from the earth hetore him so Benedict, servant o f Jesus Christ, was kind enough to go himself to the prostrate king. I le raised him from (he ground and rebuked him for his deeds. Then in a few words he foretold all that would happen to him. “You are doing much evil, and you have done much evil. It Is time to stop this bad behavior! At any rate, you w ill enter Rome, you w ill cross the sea. You will reign nine years and die on the lentil." When he heard this the king shook with terror. He begged for prayers and departed. From that time on he was less cruel. Not long afterward he did take Rome, and then crossed over loSicily. And in the tenth year of his reign. by the judgment of God, he lost his kingdom and his life.

COM M ENTARY This unit, which comprises chapters VU1 lo XV ot Gregory's text, has a unifying theme, which In fact runs all the way through chapter X X II. The focus is on Benedict as a propheticwonderworker. In Gregory's usage, unlike the biblical point o f view, the prophet Is one who Is clairvoyant. Thus Benedict can both see into the future and also see events at a distance. The Bible thinks the role o f a prophet is to communicate Gods will to the people, something that Benedict also accomplishes. In our present unit, we find two episodes in which Bene­ dict knows what has gone on during the journeys o f other people. In the third member, he sees through the ruse o f

$4

The f.i/i' of Sat«r Henedict

King Totila and then *ees Into the king's future destiny. In the chapters that follow, these two different kinds of clairvoyant prophecy are used in alternating sequence, which shows that Gregory is a literary artist with a sense o fto im . Since all the stories in this part o il he Dialogue are about Benedict’s clairvoyance, it appears That they have been gath­ ered according to theme, not chronological sequence. Thus It is not possible to locate the stories precisely in Benedict’s his­ tory at Monte Cassino. This does not mean that the stories are completely unhistorleal. but it prevents us from reconstruct­ ing any kind of detailed biography ol St. Benedict We know from Gregory s other writings that he was Inter­ ested in the various kinds ol cognitive miracles. In the begin­ ning of his flornttos on Ezedtitl * Gregory presents an extensive Classification o f such wonders. Including those o f Benedict. We can probably say that Gregory cared a good deal more about miracles than did Benedict him self for there is no m en­ tion of them In the Rule. But the Dialogues o f St. Gregory are loaded with miracle stories. So then X ll and X II! are a pair o f "distance miracles." Actu ally, we could also call them a pair o f "food stories' because both o f them have to do with unauthorized meals taken on a journey In the first case, some o f Benedicts monk^ find them­ selves delayed on a day trip and therefore accept a meal from a pious woman o f the neighborhood- They know it is against the ’’custom ol lhe house." but the> think the abbot w on’t know the difference. But this particular abbot knows just about everything. When Benedict confronts them w ith their disobedience, they make It worse by lying. Then the saint proceeds to describe their meal In detail, sending them to their knees in confusion. Benedict quickly forgives them; he is not interested in punish ment since he secs they have learned their lesson. It might be noted that Benedict is presented here as milder than his own

C?i{jri>mo/’Prc'phety 6S Rule. which prescribes 'excom m unication' for monks who presume co eat outside the monastery on day trips (RB 5I).*1" In the second episode, which concerns the brother oi one olThe monk*, the protagonist Isa layman who is under no monastic regulation. But he apparently has a long-standing custom o f not eating on his annual |oumcy to M om c C'assino. That ascetic practice seems Important enough for Satan him self to attack, so he joins the man on the road as a fel­ low traveler. The evil one tries his best to talk the pious man Into joining him (or a meal, and after three cries he succeeds. Again. Benedict knows all about It and admonishes the man when he arrives ai the monastery. The second story Is probably the more satisfying o f the two since It Is so well developed The long, drawn-out temptation process is quite poignant and it shows this man resisting with all his might. He does not know it is ihe dc\ ll who is walking beside him. but he does know that he does not want to v io ­ late his own integrity. The biblically educated reader can feel the overtones of stories from Scripture such as the temptation o f Adam in Paradise and the clairvoyance o f Elisha in regard to the tricks o f his servant. Gehazl (2 Kgs 5:25-26).*' And it Is hard to overlook the resemblance to the walk to Emmaus of Jesus and the disciples In the Gospel ofl.uke (24:13-3.5)/-’ Bcsides the Bible, it seems that the life o f Martin is again in the background o f these stoi ies. Just as Gregory begins with a programmatic statement about miracles o f prophecy (XI. .3). so does Sulpicius.Severus provide an exact counterpart in his text."* O f course, all these resemblances tend 10 dilute the his­ toricity o f Gregorys account, but they also add rich overtones. The ambitious reader can gain a lot by reading the parallel texts. But the present author has to confess some ambivalence regarding these stories. Especially concerning the layman in chapter X III. It Is not dear to me why Benedict should care so much about his eating habits. Furthermore, it must have been

6t>

The l.ifc of Sarni Kfrutcfc r

more than a little disconcerting lo have an abbot who could see at a distance. W ho can bear that kind of scrutiny.’ Still, it must he conceded In the other direction that Benedict does not show him self particularly harsh in either case. He wants the rules kept, hut Is ready to lorgive when they are not/* The story ol KingTotlia is o f a somewhat different type Again, the man o f God shows an uncanny ability to see through deception and also to sec into the future However, where the previous two stories concern simple lolk and rather Inconsequential maLters, Toil la was by no means a small fish. We know from separate secular historical sources that he was an extremely lough and effective leader of the Gothic armies of Italy. For him to be coming to see Benedict indicates that the Ialter had become a well-known holy man. Benedicts fame spread far and wide. Even though Toll la is shown in the story as a rather sly and crooked fellow, he was also the (temporary) savior o f the Goths. When the Byzantine armies o f Emperor Justinian In­ vaded Italy jn the 5hjs. they quickly overran the peninsula. After they took the G othic capital o f Ravenna In 540. all ap­ peared lost (or the Goths But K in g lb tila rallied the troops and retook most ol Italy before he was killed in S 52. So at least at this point. Gregory's llorid spiritual tales make contact with the hard reality of secular history. Why docs Gregory seem to enjoy this story so much.’ Prob­ ably because he had a low opinion o f the Goths. After all, they were Aria ns and not orthodox Christians. In fact. Gregory was writing fifty years later, and he had his own troubles with an even more barbarous group of Invaders, cite lombards. These people eventually destroyed Monte Cassino itself. So for G reg­ ory to show Benedict cow ing Totila and his henchmen would he the kind o f story that Italians would greatly relish. Still, we do well to recall that Gregory also reports the story o f the pious G oth who loses the sickle blade in the lake

CfwrJsra of Prophecy 6/ ofSubiaco. So we cannot say that he is motivated b> purely Roman aristocratic disdain and hatred for the Germanic tribes. There is no question that Gregory always wants to show Bene­ dict as a masterful figure who feared no man. In that sense, he was like Gregory himself: both o f them were Roman aristo­ crats who knew how- to deal with important people. But they also saw Christ In them.** At any rate, the story o f Tot Ha is a good reminder to us o f the actual social situation in which Benedict and Gregory lived- In short, they lived In a time o f protracted war and p il­ lage. So much so that it Is a miracle that books like the Rule o f Benedict and the D ia lo g s o f Gregory were even written, much less survived to our own day. To get a leeling for that situation, imagine such books being written today in Baghdad or Darfur, Sudan.

'Tviib Konunvlum iiru ti etist jtr u t. A u Jit at il/tiffripatre Xomam non irm&ftcgts. fyaftoriSam gia/iota iju fg u re tj* e fk , fc~~‘ [r.m£.

Benedict lulls The Bishop of Onosa. who ropul,\r]\ visited the SAiJll. tiial ihe Cioihs will noi destroy Rome XV J’

Set [ion o Further Prophecies Now the bishop o f Canosa used to visit the servant ol J God. and the man o f God loved hi in very much fot the merit o f his lilt*. W hen they were discussing King I'oiila's in­ vasion and destruction o f Home, the bishop said: "That city will be so devastated by this king that it will no longer be Inhabited." The man of God answered him- “Rome w ill not be destroyed by the tribes, but It will collapse on Itself worn down by storms, lightning, whirlw inds and earthquakes.' The mystery o f this prophecy has already become clearer to us than light, for we see the walls ot this City crumbled, houses destroyed and churches destroyed b> a tornado. And we see Its buildings, weakened by old age. cluttering the ground with their ever-lncrcasing ruins, Although his disciple Honoraius told me this prediction. he said he had not heard It From Benedict's own mouth. He said he heard it from the brothers.

4

At the same time, a certain cleric o f the church o f Aquino was tormented by a demon. He was sent by the holy man, Consianiius. bishop o f 6?

70

The l.ife o f S jin l Benedict

his church, to seek healing at many shrines o f the martyrs. Bui the martyrs o f G o a did not wish to give him healing so they might show how much grace there was in Benedict Thus he was brought to the servant o f almighty God. Benedict. Pour ing out prayers to Jesus C hrist the Lord, he quickly drove the ancient enemy from the possessed man. I Ic then ordered the healed man: "Go. and never again cai meat. And you must never presume to receive sacred orders. The dav you dare to take sacred orders, you will again be enslaved by the devil." "y So the healed cleric departed. And as a recent punish-C- mem tends to frighten people, so he observed al! that the man of God had commanded- Now after many years his elders had departed this life, and he saw that his funlors were promoted to sacred orders ahead o f him. So he Ignored the words o! the man o f God as if he had forgotten them after a long time, and he came forward (or sacred orders. Right away the devil who had left him seized him. He did not cease to torment him until he died. ^ PFTFR: I can sec- that that man also knew the very secrets ) of God. For he. could see mat the man was given over to the devil precisely so he would not date to take holy orders. GREGORY: How could he not know divine secrets since he kept God's commands ? For it stands written: " . . .h e who Is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him" {ICor f»:l/J. PETER: If the person who clings to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. why does the same great preacher say: " . . . who has known the mind o f the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" (Rom 11:14). it seems rather strange that someone would not know rhe mind ol another with whom he was united.

S

GREGORY: Insofar as they are united with him. Lhe saints do know the mind o f the Lord. For the same

apostle also says: "For what person knows a man's thoughts except the spirit o f the man which is in him? So also no one

further ftupftfcta

7]

comprehends the thoughts o f God except the Spirit o f G od' (I Cor 2 U). Then, to show he knew the things o f God. he added: “Bui vve have not received the spirit of this world hut the spirit that is from G o d .' Again, he explains: “ ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart o f man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him. God has re­ vealed to usthrough the Spirit" {I Cor 2:9-10). VETER: But if the things of God were revealed to the apostle, why did he precede the statement 1 quoted as follows “O the depth o f the riches and wisdom and knowl­ edge of God I How unsearchable arc h Is judgments and how in­ scrutable his ways’ " (Rom II: *3). And while I'm at it, another question occurs to me as wcl I For David the prophet says to the Lord: "With mv lips I declare all the ordinances of thy mouth" (Ps 119:13). And since it is less to know than to speak, why does Paul claim the judgments ot God arc unknowable

6

when David says that he not only knows everything but oven has pronounced It on his lips? GREGORY: ! have responded briefly to you on both points above when I said that holy people. Insofar as they are in the Lord, are not Ignorant o fth e mind of the lord. For all those who follow the Lord devoutly arc with God in their devotion: but those who are still weighed down with fleshly corruption arc not with the Lord. They know the hid­

7

den things o fthe Lord inasmuch as they are joined to him: bul when they are separated Ifom him. they don’t know them. Be­ cause they still have not penetrated his secrets perfectly, they call his judgments incomprehensible. But because they arc joined to him in spirit, and since they accept what they find in Holy Scripture and private revelation, they recognize, know and utter these things. What God does not reach, they do not know; what God teaches, they know.

8

That is why, when David the prophet had said: "With my lips I declared all the ordinances.' he immediately

72 The l,i(e of Sam? Bon'dio

added: “o f your mouth." As if he were to say: "I was able lo know and pronounce those judgments that 1 knew you had u t­ tered. Tor those things that you yourself do not pronounce, you obviously keep hidden Irom our thoughts." Therefore the statements ol the prophet and apostle are In agreement, lor the judgments o f God are unknowable-, vet those things uttered by his mouth are pronounced by human lips. For the things pro­ nounced by God can be known by humans, but not those that arc hidden FF.TER: In objection to my question, your reasoning makes things clear. It there is still something lo add co n ­ cerning the power ol this man. by all means tell me.

9

GRI GORY: A certain nobleman named Theopropus was converted by the preachingot Father Benedict, who confided In him because of the merit o fh is life. One da> when this man entered his cell, he found him weeping bitterly. He waited a long time, but he saw that the tears did not cease I hose were not the tears that habitually accompanied his prayer, but tears o f sorrow. So he asked what could be the cause o f such great grief- The man o f Ciod answered him: "This whole monastery that I have built, and all that I have prepared (or the brothers, has been given over to the barbarians by the judgment of almighty God. i have only obtained with great difficult) that the monks themselves will be spared." The prophecy that Theopropus heard we have seen real _ teed in the recent destruction o fh is monastery by the Lombards. One night, as the brothers slept, the Lombards en tered the building. They destroyed everything, but they could not harm a single person. For God carried out what he prom ised his faithful servant Benedict: if he conceded the goods to the barbarians, he could protect bi> people. In this affair I think Benedict was like Paul. His ship crew had to throw

Benedict prophesies to Theoprobus. a nobleman who has embraced (he monastic life, ihe destruction oi the abbey by the lombards. (XV||-?J

' that veryabbot. Bui here Gregory blithely portrays Benedict violating his own Rule. It might be added that Gregory violated the Rule by appointing fas pope) both abbot and prior in cer­ tain monasteries. The question that lingers is simply this: Did Gregory actually knew Benedict's Rulc.,IH At any rate, rhls story again revolves around Benedict's remarkable ability to travel in spirit to distant places. In this episode he tells the founding monks he will visit them soon to lay out the foundations o f the buildings. He comes to the abbot and the prior in a dream ihat delivers the needed Information, but be does not visit In the flesh. Because the> are expecting the latter sort of visit, they disregard ihe dream and complain to the man o f God that he has nor come to them. He patiently explains that he has Indeed come, but nol in the body. It is surely significant that a parallel story occurs In the same / to r p offhe.lfonfcs ofF.gypi that we cited above/' Again the protagonist Is |ohn of Lycopolis, a great Coptic saint whose behavior In this case Is at least puzzling. When fie Is begged

7'Jlf f.ift ofSaiilt flcrlftfjtt by a husband to submit to an interview with his very ill wife, rhe saint categorically refuses. I fe has made a vow not to speak to women, and nothing can persuade hi in co break if. But that Is not the end ol the talc. Instead. |ohn visits the woman in a dream and arranges tor her healing So we can easily forgive the prophetic saint his rigorism. With Benedict, however, we might be a little less indul gent.*: Ills dream travel is hardly a necessity. Unlike John ut Lycopolis. he ts not dealing with a desperate case. What would prevent him from journeying the twenty or so miles to the coast and loTerrachta? Nevertheless, it is quite possible that Gregor> is In fact presenting Benedict as greater than fohn. W hile John appeared to one woman, Benedict appeared to two men and simultaneously W c may not be much impressed with this kind o f one-upmanship, bui we are not medieval ha giographers * There is no doubt at all that Gregory's audience would certainly appreciate such a pious game. It is perhaps worth pausing at this point to notice Bene diet's, or probably Gregory's, great interest In buildings We saw that he had the saint taking great Interest in the first build' ings ofSubiaco and also at Vlontc Cassino. Now the same fascination Is show n toward the buildings at Terracina. In one sense this is somewhat disappointing, for the history of monasticism shows that sometimes far too much importance Is placed on impressive buildings. And we know that the Lom­ bards would soon knock down all Benedict's buildings. On the other hand. It cannot be denied that the proper construction o f buildings is indeed of great importance in the founding o f monasteries. At the very least, the buildings must serve the primary goal of providing a suitable context for the contemplative life. If the layout of the monastery is ill co n ­ ceived. the community will be forced to cope with a physical impediment to their spiritual well being. The history of m o­ nastic ism shows that monastic architects have often been

Iflil Propilrtto

89

quite capable, even groundbreaking, in their creations. But monastic history is also strewn with examples o f monumental incompetence by founders In this regard. Nevertheless, this section does not end w ith talk, ot build Ings but rather emphasis on the Holy Spirit. When Peter ex­ presses some doubt as to the possibility of Benedict's dream travel. Gregory gently rebukes him with the example o f the prophet Habakkuk, who flew Item Judea to Chaldea-carrying lunch for the prophet Daniel. If God could bring off such a car­ nal miracle, then why could he not do something much more spiritual as in the case o f Benedict's dream Journey? Although the casual reader will probably not be aware o f it. this particular discussion between Peter and Gregory is quite important in the overall scheme o f things. That it occurs ai the end o f the large section beginning at chapter IX should tip us off to Its significance.1" The fact that Gregory here invokes the spirit ("so the holy abbot went spiritually to inaugurate a spiritual life") should be taken very seriously, for this Is also what Gregory does at the end of the other two main sections o f Dialogue 11 (Dial 11.8 and Diaf II. 18). I fe does this to make sure the reader i* not led astray by this plethora of miracles. T/tf sprnruj/ life is more important than physical miracles.

‘JZyret{iunhira£ ctdt jacm junjcndo Jiiu fh -

^ iumu/tsjZkiftt jxint rnoratttur i&i

to specific witnesses: Aptonius, Tcregrinus and four disciples o f Benedict, This kind o f attribution cer tainly gives the account an aura of plausibility. It sounds as if Gregory could point to living witnesses to these events But Francis Clark has notc-d that in lact none o f these "witnesses" can be identified as a historical person. 01 And if the Dialogues were written long after (he life o f Gregory, as Clark contends, then these arc simply fictitious witnesses. Still, our contention throughout this commentary is that these stories arc “true' even If (hey never happened. The first and third stories (XXVI and X X V 11.1) are con­ cerned with Benedict healing diseases of the skin The first man has elephantiasis and the second Is the victim of a delib­ erate poisoning. These healings probably do not seem very remarkable to us. but that is not because healings are frequent or typical in D/do^uc //. In fact, these are the only healings in this whole book |,:': The reason why healings seem so "natural’’ to a Christian is that they are the staple of Jesus' ministry a> portrayed in the gospels. If we are looking for a specific healing o f leprosy, prob­ ably Luke 17:D-1V would best fit the bill. In that case, ten lepers were healed, but only one returned to give thanks So the lesson there is gratitude. In our story the point is simply Benedict's ability to work signs ol power, even over disease. And the most noteworthy thing here is the "thick" (detailed) description of the disease itself. I am not sure “elephantiasis"

106

Ih far the best-developed one in this set. and it even includes a subplot. When Benedict learns that the cellarer has not given the subdeacon the last drop of o il. he angrily demands that the little flask he thrown right out the window. This extraordinary command is duti­ fully carried Out, and the reader assumes that is the end o f the (lask and the oil. Anybody who has lived in Monte Cassino tor a few days knows that there Js a precipitous drop off right outside the windows."" Nevertheless, in this case the laws of nature do not apply. Exen though the glass flask lands on the rocks, it does not shatter. The Lord is not quite ready to obey all Benedict's orders. Again, we might gain some purchase on this story by com ­ paring it to a couple o f examples from monastic literature pre­ vious to Gregory. One o f the most famous, which occurs in the writings o f John Casslan. tells o f (he monk lohn o f lycopolis.:i When he is told by his spiritual master to ihrcnx out their last

M ihf Heart of tit?

of Power

1P9

bit ol oil, |ohn obeys without hesitation. Unlike Benedict's flask, however. John's docs break and the oil Is lost. What then is the moral o f the story’ Unquestioning obedience, even when It flies m the face ol common sense. In tact John s dircc tor orders him to act thus precisely to test his willingness to put aside his own will. In Cassian's view, which he claims was the view ol the Egyptian monks. It does not make any differ­ ence whether the command makes any sense or not Instant obedience l> the key to spiritual growth, No doubt Gregory's point is much (he same. In fact, he says explicitly that Benedict "rebuked the disobedient monk in from o f them tor his lack of faith and p ride.' These two m o­ tives are repeated in a later verse: "He further admonished the faithless and disobedient brother to leach him to have faith and humility." In a sense, it does not matter if the flask broke or not: the ascctlcal point is the same but on the other hand, If not a drop of o il remained. It could not have been given to Agapltus. Still, with a prodigious p rayer like Benedict around, that would have been no problem A contemporary reader may find Benedicts reaction to the cellarer a bit extreme. Was it really necessary to dress him down In front o f the whole community? A modern abbot who did this might risk alienating not only the culprit but the rest o f the brothers, for the contemporary psyche is often too fragile to endure such a shaming experience Before we Judge Benedict or Gregory too harshly however, we should under­ stand that the old monks were not as sensitive as we are to public correction In Mediterranean society, life was (and is) lived outdoors and in front of everyone. One expects to he honored and shamed in public. In fact, some modern critics claim that people in that society obtain their self-worth pre­ cisely from public interactions o f this sort il? The story o f Benedict’s generosity with scarce resources has many connections with other such tales In the lives o f the

HO

Jlzc’ l.rff i»f Sou^l B fw Jia

.saints. One o f the most famous o f all the ancient vitae, namely, the Life o f Martin b\ Sulptcius Severn*, tells o f the time the saint was vesting for Mass in one o fh is parishes (he was bishop o f lours). When a ragged beggar came asking for clothes. Martin told the archpriest to give him his chasuble. Like Benedicts bursar, he loo was heslianl because the vestment was needed for the liturgy. Also, like Benedict. Martin was irate and he showed it by celebratl ng Mass in the beggar's rags. Never one to let himself be hemmed in b> rules or common sense. Martin was the prototype o f the bold, even w ild, witness to God's superabundant love for the poor."' At any rate, this is a very familiar theme In ancient hagiography: generosity plus hope brings God's favor. I lowevcr. it may not always bring a material answer. The sixth and final episode In this set is also one of the sketchiest. Benedict comes across ihe devil on the path up to the oratory o f St- John. When questioned, the old enemy cheerfully announces that he is going to ‘ give the brothers something to drink “ Since he is carrying a horn funnel and shackles, it is nol too hard to imagine what that means. At an> rate. Benedict is not worried enough to postpone his prayers, But after he is finished, he rushes back to see what the evil one has done. Sure enough, he has one o f the old monks writhing on the ground. Not to worry! Benedict merely slaps the poor fellow and that takes care o f that. His slap is really a prolonga­ tion o fh is prayer. 1* It coincidental that Satan Is carrying a horn funnel in til is story? The same Instrument (a horn) 1s used bv the de­ mons to murder a servant o f Martin's monastery at Mai mouticr neai Tours."' O f course, here at Monte Cass ino the case is not quite so dire, but diabolic possession Is still no joke. At any rate, the correspondences between the Life o f Uurrm and that of Benedict seem too dense to be ignored. And why should we Ignore them? We remember that Benedict dedicated his main

-if ik I \wn of iht Sj^JiS o( Power J ]I oratory at Monte Casstno to St. Martin.1'5 In fact. Martin was one o f the very first monk* In the Latin West, and for much ol Europe he was even a more important patron saint than Benedict. .Sulpidus' Life o f Aletrcin was almost as important a prototype ol hagiography as the Life o f Antony by Athanasius o f Alexandria.

ft

A fi/tt 46 ayt-wfa 1ifonjMtv gnupcrt nurntnos, H unt Gujuie* tiixum gertotlif anti sensm. J0 ««»firocuf a/numm ocufo j&ette&cftts autfo, Dftruniat Guptcum, tllerai ayricvfam.

ttejHNJiel's glance nrnaoilmreJv breaks the heavy cord f*. which a larmoi was bound by one of rhe Goihs. The Goth. stunned at the hidden power that set his captive free, falls lierabllng to this knees and begs tor ptayers. XXXI-1|

w

Section \\ Power and Prayer: Two Examples o f a Single Thesis

2

PETER: I would like lo know ihis: Did he always oblain such great mirac les by the power o f his prayer? Or did he

sometimes work them by sheer willpower? GREGORY: When necessity demands it. those who cling lo God with a devout mind are able to perform wonders in both ways. Sometimes they work miracles through prayer, some times through power. John .says: “ Rut to all who received him. who believed in his name, he gave power to become children o f God" (John l; 12). Then what wonder If the sons o f God from power are able to do miracles by power? That rhey do miracles both wav> is shown hy Peter, l ie raised Tabltha from the dead by prayer, but he consigned the lying Ananias and Sapphira to death by a mere rebuke. We def not read that he prayed before their annihilation; he only condemned the fault that they had committed. So we can say that sometimes they performed these things irom power, sometimes from prayer, since Peter took away life by a repri­

3

mand and gave it back by prayer Now-1will recount some deeds done by the servant ol God. Benedict, in which it is clear that he did one

4

it?

IM

The

n f$ d m? B en ed ict

mi o d e h> power received from God. while lie was able ro do another ihrough prayer. There was a certain Goth named - 1 Zalla who shared rhe Arlan heresy at the time of KingTotlla. He burned with an insane hatred for

XXXi

religious men o f (he Catholic Church. If any monk or cleric crossed his path, he would not live to tell about it One day, Inflamed with the heal of avarice and panting for rapine, he af­ flicted a certain peasant with cruel torments and tortured him In various ways Under torture, the peasant claimed that he had deposited his goods with ihe servant o f God, Benedict. If his tormentor would believe him. he might temporarily sus­ pend his cruelty and a few hours might be added to his life. ^ Then Zalla stopped torturing the peasant, but he bound his ^ arms with stout thongs and began to drive him ahead o f his horse. He wanted to meet this Benedict, who was the depositary of goods bo he Jed the peasant with trussed arms to the monas­ tery Ol the holy man. whom he found sitting alone and reading at the entrance o f the house. The peasant said to Zalla who was follow ing him in a fury: "There's the man I spoke about. Father Benedict!" When Zalla in his foaming wrath spotted Benedict, in the insanity o f his perverted mind he thought he could bring about his accustomed terror. So he began to bellow: "Get up. get up. and fork over the goods o ft his lousy peasant!" "> When he heard this, the man o f God looked up from his } reading. He saw Zal la and soon he also saw the peasant who was held bound. His glance fell on his bound arms, and the shackles began to loosen faster than any human hand could have undone them. So the man who had come In shackles sud deni) stood unshackled Faced with such a display o f power. Zalla fell terrified to the earth. Bending his Stiff and cruel neck to Benedict's ieet. he commended him self to his prayers. Ihe holy man did not rise from his reading but called the brothers

fYnwr ojjtf Prefer

J wc E«impl