Today February 12

Today is the feast of St. Benedict of Aniane (750 - 821), a nobleman who had a secular career before he became a Benedictine monk. He started out as a cupbearer for King Pepin and then became a soldier for Charlemagne. He was bright -- he was quick -- he was rash; he imposed upon himself great fastings and sleep deprivation until he became a more moderate soul. Under Benedictine spirituality, he was required to take it more easy on himself. He obeyed and it was to his benefit. He became cellarmaster -- an ironic twist, because he used to be a teetotaler -- and took up the task of hospitality for the brothers and for the guests. He was elected abbot in 779. He chose not to serve, as he could see that the monks and he would not see eye to eye, and so he retired to the South of France where he and a few diehards built the monastery (first the hut) of Aniane.

Many tried -- and failed -- to join him in his pioneering effort; Benedict was so discouraged by this he half resolved to go back to his first (lax) monastery. But one of his friends (a man named Atilio) told him to continue, in order to be "a lamp" for others and to not give in to the "ancient enemy." So he weathered the lean times and soon even began to expand. He taught his monks to forgive -- even the robbers who stole what little they had -- and his words were backed up by his power to cure and cast out demons in Jesus' name. And though he preferred the quiet life of the monastery, when a heresy was being repeated (namely, that Jesus Christ was the son of God by adoption and not by conception by the Holy Spirit), he went far and wide teaching the truth -- both to the laity and to the clergy. And yet he was not hated -- though he reproved people -- maybe because he'd always try to avoid causing a sense of embarrassment in them. He died after a long illness. His last words (made to his successor at the abbey) were: "Do everything, however, with charity and discretion." Amen. St. Benedict of Aniane, pray for us.