Benedict of Nursia (c. 480 – 543 or 547 AD) is a Christian saint and the patron saint of Europe. His “Rule of Saint Benedict,” containing precepts for his monks, became one of the most influential religious rules in Western Christendom. For this reason, Benedict is often called the founder of Western monasticism.

On Saint Benedict

By |2020-07-10T23:38:38-05:00July 10th, 2020|Categories: Catholicism, Christianity, Europe, History, Pope Benedict XVI, St. Benedict|

St. Benedict of Norcia, with his life and his work, had a fundamental influence on the development of European civilization and culture. The most important source on Benedict’s life is the second book of St. Gregory the Great’s “Dialogues,” in which he gives us a model for human life in the climb towards the [...]

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How One Monk Began Rebuilding the West

By |2020-07-11T12:28:06-05:00July 10th, 2020|Categories: Catholicism, Christianity, Culture, History, St. Benedict|

The life of Venerable Dom Prosper Guéranger, a Benedictine monk, is truly one of rebuilding the Church from the ruins of the French Revolution and the lingering corruption of the Gallicanism which preceded it. In an age of great disintegration, Guéranger can be a model of rebuilding for all of the faithful. Tomorrow, July [...]

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Debating the Benedict Option

By |2019-11-01T22:22:30-05:00November 1st, 2019|Categories: Books, Christian Living, Christianity, Culture, Senior Contributors, St. Benedict, Thomas R. Ascik|

Rod Dreher’s book, “The Benedict Option,” has gone on to become an international cultural event. Yet, today, it is not clear whether the book has had any influence on Church institutions and leadership. Has the Benedict Option then been a failure? Should other “options” be considered? Rod Dreher’s book The Benedict Option, a New [...]

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The Domestic Monastery: The Rule of Saint Benedict

By |2019-05-25T22:40:59-05:00May 25th, 2019|Categories: Books, Character, Christianity, Dwight Longenecker, Senior Contributors, St. Benedict|

Whatever a person’s place in life, Saint Benedict offers a “little Rule for beginners.” The principles of the spiritual life which he sets down put us down firmly in life right where we are. By paralleling family and monastery, today’s reader can glean simple yet practical wisdom for, as well as extraordinary insight into, the [...]

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Rebuilding Western Civilization: A Tale of Two Monasteries

By |2019-07-18T12:11:27-05:00July 7th, 2018|Categories: Catholicism, Christianity, Community, Dwight Longenecker, England, John Senior, St. Benedict, Tradition|

The three vows of the Benedictine monk are obedience, stability, and conversion of life. In our own ways, we can follow this example, making it real by paying attention to prayer, cracking the books in solid study, and rolling up our sleeves in the honest, hard work of rebuilding what has fallen into despair [...]

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A Sonnet for St. Benedict

By |2020-03-29T11:36:50-05:00July 11th, 2017|Categories: Malcom Guite, Poetry, St. Benedict|

On July the 11th the Church celebrates the feast of St. Benedict of Nursia, the gentle founder of the Benedictine order and by extension the father of Monasticism. A moderate and modest man he would have been astonished to learn that his ‘simple school for prayer, ’his ‘modest rule for beginners’ led to the foundation of communities [...]

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The Benedict Option & the Barbarians at the Gate

By |2019-01-27T15:30:19-06:00June 25th, 2017|Categories: Christianity, Community, Culture, John Horvat, St. Benedict, Timeless Essays|

If we truly desire the Benedict Option, then let us not withdraw from modernity, for strategic retreats easily turn into routs. Let us rather engage our neo-barbarian culture by both cultivating our Benedictine identity when projecting Boniface’s strength. It is the only option… Today’s offering in our Timeless Essay series affords readers the opportunity [...]

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Benedict Means Business

By |2020-01-29T10:00:46-06:00September 25th, 2016|Categories: Character, Christianity, Culture, Dwight Longenecker, Sainthood, St. Benedict, Timeless Essays|

Today’s offering in our Timeless Essay series affords readers the opportunity to join Dwight Longenecker as he explains the importance of applying St. Benedict’s Rule to the business world. —W. Winston Elliott III, Publisher It seems a far cry from a sixth-century hermitage to the world of twenty-first century business. But the outlines of [...]

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