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July 11, 2017 Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot Reading 1 Gn 32:23-33In the course of the night, Jacob arose, took his two wives,with the two maidservants and his eleven children,and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.After he had taken them across the streamand had brought over all his possessions,Jacob was left there alone.Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.When the man saw that he could not prevail over him,he struck Jacob's hip at its socket,so that the hip socket was wrenched as they wrestled.The man then said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."But Jacob...

Dear friends, Around 7:40 AM, a powerful earthquake struck close to Norcia. The monks are all safe, but our hearts go immediately to those affected, and the priests of the monastery are searching for any who may need the Last Rites. The Basilica of St. Benedict, the historic church built atop the birthplace of St. Benedict, was flattened by this most recent quake. May this image serve to illustrate the power of this earthquake, and the urgency we monks feel to seek out those who need the Sacraments on this difficult day for Italy. Relying, as ever, on your prayers...

The centuries-old Basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia — already damaged in a spate of strong quakes in central Italy — was "destroyed" early Sunday in the latest and greatest of tremors, its monks said. The monastery was among dozens of building in towns scattered throughout the mountainous region to collapse during the 6.6-magnitude quake that struck around 7:40 a.m., according to reports. There was no immediate reports of fatalities, but officials with Italy’s civil protection agency said there were injuries following the seismic activity. First responders rushed to piles of rubble searching for trapped victims after the tremor woke...

Jubilee Medal of St. Benedict  The medal of St. Benedict is a very powerful sacramental with exorcizing properties; the exorcism is written right on it. First a little history: St. Benedict of Nursia, Italy (A.D. 480-543), the twin brother of St. Scholastica, is considered to be the Father of Western monasticism, and his "Rule of St. Benedict" came to be the basis of organization for many religious orders (his own Order has its cradle at Monte Cassino, Italy, about 80 miles South of Rome). At any rate, in order to understand the symbology of the Medal, you must know of...

St. Benedict and His Order: A Brief History "Listen carefully, my son, to the Master's instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from a father who loves you; welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice. The labor of obedience will bring you back to him from whom you had drifted through the sloth of disobedience. This message of mine is for all, and armed with the strong and noble weapons of obedience to do battle for the true king, Christ the Lord." (the Rule of St. Benedict, Prologue, verses 1-3) Thus...

Featured Term (selected at random):AUSCULTA FILI "listen, my son." The opening words of the Rule of St. Benedict. Motto of the Church's solicitude for the faithful, urging them to sanctity of life. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE: OF A MIRACLE WROUGHT BY HIS SISTER SCHOLASTICAGREGORY: Who is there, Peter, in this world, that is in greater favor with God than St. Paul was: who yet three times desired our Lord to be delivered from the sting of the flesh, and obtained not his petition? Concerning which point also I must needs tell you, how there was one thing which the venerable father Benedict would have done, and yet he could not. For his sister called Scholastica, dedicated from her infancy to our Lord, used once a year to come and visit her brother. To whom...

On St. Benedict of Norcia "The Great Monk Is Still a True Teacher" VATICAN CITY, APRIL 9, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience in St. Peter's Square. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, Today I would like to talk about St. Benedict, the father of Western monasticism, and also the patron saint of my papacy. I will begin with a few words from Pope St. Gregory the Great who wrote the following about St. Benedict: “The man of God who shone on this earth with so many miracles...

July 11, 2006 Memorial of Saint Benedict, abbot Psalm: Tuesday 29 Reading 1Hos 8:4-7, 11-13 Thus says the LORD:They made kings in Israel, but not by my authority;they established princes, but without my approval.With their silver and gold they madeidols for themselves, to their own destruction.Cast away your calf, O Samaria!my wrath is kindled against them;How long will they be unable to attaininnocence in Israel?The work of an artisan,no god at all,Destined for the flames—such is the calf of Samaria! When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind;The stalk of grain that forms no earcan yield no flour;Even...

February 10, 2006 Memorial of Saint Scholastica, virgin Psalm: Friday 9 Reading I1 Kgs 11:29-32 Jeroboam left Jerusalem,and the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road.The two were alone in the area,and the prophet was wearing a new cloak.Ahijah took off his new cloak,tore it into twelve pieces, and said to Jeroboam: “Take ten pieces for yourself;the LORD, the God of Israel, says:‘I will tear away the kingdom from Solomon’s graspand will give you ten of the tribes.One tribe shall remain to him for the sake of David my servant,and of Jerusalem,the city I have chosen out of...

July 11, 2005Memorial of Saint Benedict, abbot Psalm: Monday 31 Reading IEx 1:8-14, 22 A new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt.He said to his subjects, "Look how numerous and powerfulthe people of the children of Israel are growing, more so than we ourselves!Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase;otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemiesto fight against us, and so leave our country." Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the children of Israelto oppress them with forced labor.Thus they had to build for Pharaohthe supply cities of...

I am on the mailing list of several Islamic publications and almost without exception there was veritable glee over the liberal hue and cry from leftists for a more liberal pope. If you read between the lines, you can very clearly see what these Islamics are hoping for: more moral decay in the already evil and decadent West. This evilness would then be used as the reason for the mass slaughter that lies ahead. Allah has demanded that the evil and sinful Christians be sent to the fires of hell and if Islamics are convinced that all Christians are evil,...

Saint Scholastica Virgin and Religious FounderTwin Sister of BenedictFeast: 10 February   CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: Of a Miracle Wrought by his Sister, Scholastica. GREGORY: Who is there, Peter, in this world, that is in greater favor with God than St. Paul was: who yet three times desired our Lord to be delivered from the sting of the flesh, and obtained not his petition? Concerning which point also I must needs tell you, how there was one thing which the venerable father Benedict would have done, and yet he could not. For his sister called Scholastica, dedicated from her infancy to...

CHIPPENHAM, England, AUG. 18, 2004 (Zenit.org).- A Benedictine oblate and father of four has discovered how to relate the guidelines of St. Benedict to his domestic church. Dwight Longenecker, an American-born author and broadcaster who has lived in England for more than 20 years, penned his application of the Rule of St. Benedict to family life in his book, "Listen My Son: St. Benedict for Fathers" (Morehouse). He shared with ZENIT how the wisdom of the father of religious life can help modern dads humbly guide their families and provide loving discipline. Q: Briefly, what are the main tenets of...

The Roman Empire is luxurious but it is filled with misery. It is dying but it laughs – moritur et ridet.                               --- Salvian But Salvian, we learned with a deflecting smile, was an extremist, though, in the hindsight of disaster, his foresight would scarcely seem overstated. What interested me was that men had smiled complacently at Salvian’s words when he spoke them, and men still smiled at them complacently a thousand years later – the same kind of men, I was beginning to suspect,...

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada author Clive Douglas Campbell and Phoenix, Arizona, USA publisher Selah Publishing Group are pleased to announce the release of Messiah: 2030. Nobody knows the day and hour of the Second Coming, but the following years are on the front cover: Messiah: 2030 Cluny: 1030 Jesus: 30 David: 970 Abraham: 1970 Noah: 2970 Adam: 3970 Messiah: 2030 claims the Bible prophesies a sixth Arab-Israeli war will be over in 2003 and include the following: --the Palestinians will be deported to Jordan --Israel will go to war with Jordan, possess Jordanian land east of the Jordan River and King...