Iwona They say the simplest solutions are often the best — but sometimes, we need to complicate our lives quite a bit before we truly realize that.
A path to a simple yet deeply meaningful life was discovered by Benedict, who was born around the year 480 in Nursia, a small village in the Italian province of Perugia. Just four years earlier, the Western Roman Empire had collapsed. Western Europe had become politically fragmented — no longer a single empire, but a patchwork of barbarian kingdoms formed by Germanic tribes.
Benedict came from a well-off Roman family. As a young man, he was sent to study in Rome — still a center of culture and learning at the time, but also a morally decaying city, steeped in indulgence, intrigue, and violence.
Disturbed by what he saw, the sensitive young man left the city in search of spiritual clarity. He settled in the mountains near Subiaco, where he lived for about three years in a cave as a hermit, fully devoted to prayer, self-discipline, and contemplation.
His holiness began to attract others. Over time, disciples came to him, asking for guidance. At first, he led an existing monastery, but the monks eventually rebelled against him — according to legend, they even tried to poison him because his rule was too demanding.
A Demanding Rule of Life
This wasn’t yet the famous Rule of St. Benedict that he would later write at Monte Cassino — that came later. But even at this stage, his way of life and spirituality had already begun to take the shape of a rule.
And it was a demanding one, because:
- The monks were expected to rise very early — around 2 or 3 a.m. — for prayer (known as Lauds or the night office)
- Silence, fasting, obedience, and a rejection of luxury were essential parts of daily life
- Physical labor and the daily study of Scripture were required
- They lived in community, with no private property
- Complete humility and submission to the authority of the abbot were expected
Yet this was not fanaticism. It was an attempt to find a healthy balance between prayer and work — a principle later summed up in his famous motto:
„Ora et labora” – Pray and work
Although St. Benedict never actually used the phrase “Ora et labora” („Pray and work”) in his Rule, this motto perfectly captures the spirit of his thinking and the monastic lifestyle he proposed.
His Rule, written around the year 540 at the monastery on Monte Cassino, clearly sets out one key idea:
A person should live a balanced life, in which prayer (ora) and work (labora) form a harmonious whole.
The daily rhythm of a Benedictine monk, according to the Rule, included:
- Liturgical prayer several times a day (the Liturgy of the Hours)
- Spiritual reading — meditation on Scripture (lectio divina)
- Physical work — farming, craftsmanship, copying manuscripts, offering hospitality
- Time for rest, meals, silence, and reflection
Everything was meant to lead to the glory of God and to sanctify the everyday — even the simplest of tasks.
St. Benedict’s influence on modern religious life — and not only religious life — is profound. His model continues to shape monastic communities over 1,500 years later. But beyond the monastery, his approach offers something deeply relevant for all people, including lay Christians: a simple daily structure that helps us encounter God in ordinary moments, shift our mindset toward gratitude and calm, and live with more attentiveness and less stress — no matter what we do.
One of the key principles for Benedict was stabilitas loci — faithfulness to the place and to the people with whom you live.
In today’s world, where it’s so easy to change everything — jobs, homes, even relationships — this idea invites us to embrace patience and depth.
Instead of constantly looking for “better options,” we’re encouraged to invest in what we already have — with love and attentiveness.
Let’s be honest: in our modern, opportunistic world, we enjoy enormous freedom, but often struggle to use it wisely. Benedict’s principles offer a kind of order and inner peace that can anchor us in the chaos — a quiet, steady rhythm for life.
More about the Rule of St. Benedict will come in another post — so stay tuned!
Written around the year 540, the Rule of St. Benedict became the model for monastic life across Western Europe. It was so wise, practical, and balanced that in the centuries that followed, it gradually replaced other earlier rules — such as those of St. Basil, John Cassian, or St. Columbanus. By the 8th century, most Latin monasteries were already following Benedict’s Rule.
Many monastic orders — that is, communities that live in monasteries with a rhythm of prayer and work — still live directly according to this rule. These include the Benedictines, Cistercians (and their reform branch, the Trappists), and the Camaldolese.
Other religious orders — like the Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits, Salvatorians, Carmelites, and others — have their own rules and spiritual traditions. Yet the structure of their daily life, their rhythm of prayer and work, and their approach to obedience and community often draw inspiration from the Benedictine tradition.
The Benedictines and their spiritual heirs played an enormous role in shaping European culture. For centuries, they were the main guardians of knowledge: it was in their monasteries that ancient and early Christian texts were copied and preserved. Many of these works survived to our times thanks to their dedication. Benedictine monasteries also founded libraries, ran schools and hospitals, and became hubs of learning, care, and cultural development.
The monks also made a tremendous contribution to the development of agriculture and craftsmanship — teaching farming techniques, irrigation, and organizing workshops that helped spread useful technologies into local communities. At the same time, their missionary efforts played a major role in the Christianization of Europe, especially in areas where the Church had not yet established a firm presence.
Benedictine spirituality — with its love of simplicity, rhythm, prayer, and work — reaches far beyond monastery walls. Today, it continues to inspire many laypeople who, in the rush of modern life, are searching for depth, inner order, and spiritual balance.
The Characteristic Medal
There is such a thing as the Saint Benedict medal. It is very popular and symbolic.
This medal depicts Saint Benedict of Nursia, usually holding a cross in one hand and the monastic Rule in the other. It is surrounded by mysterious letters and abbreviations of Latin prayers. It is considered a sacramental — an object that helps spiritually. It doesn’t work “by itself,” but through the faith and prayer of the person who wears it. What does it symbolize?
On the obverse (front):
- An image of Saint Benedict holding a cross in one hand and the Rule book in the other
- At his feet, a cup and a raven — symbols related to legends about an attempted poisoning
- An inscription around the edge:
“Eius in obitu nostro praesentia muniamur!”
“May his presence protect us at the hour of our death!”
On the reverse (back):
- A large cross with letters representing an exorcism prayer:
- S.P.B. — Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti — The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict
- S.S.M.L. — Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux — The Holy Cross be my light
- D.S.M.D. — Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux — Let not the dragon be my guide
- R.S. — S.M.Q.L. — I.V.B. — a fragment of a longer exorcism prayer:
Vade retro Satana! Numquam suade mihi vana! Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas!
(“Begone, Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities! What you offer me is evil. Drink your own poison!”)
Other interesting facts:
The medal is considered a special protection against evil, temptation, dangers, storms, and both spiritual and physical illnesses.
It is often hung above doors, worn around the neck, placed in house foundations, or even set in fields — not as a form of “magic,” but as a sign of entrusting oneself to Christ through the intercession of Saint Benedict.
Does the medal work “by itself”?
No. The medal is not a talisman or amulet — it works when the person wearing it has faith, prays, and lives according to the Gospel. It is considered a spiritual tool, not a “magical protection” — and that explanation brings me peace.
July 11
There’s a good reason I’m writing about St. Benedict today. First, I have a great love for monastic spirituality, religious theology, and the wisdom and guidance of the Desert Fathers.
Second, today is the feast day of Saint Benedict. In 1964, Pope Paul VI declared St. Benedict the patron saint of all Europe.
Pope Paul VI called St. Benedict “a messenger of peace, a creator of unity, a teacher of civilization, and a herald of the Gospel.” Saint Benedict built the spiritual foundation of Europe through a life of community and prayer. His monasteries became centers of education, culture, and work. For centuries, the Benedictines Christianized and civilized European countries — especially during the collapse of the Roman Empire’s structures.
Is there reason to celebrate? Personally, I feel deep gratitude that I am reflecting on today.
If you want to share your thoughts or experiences, join the conversation in the comments here.
You can also buy me a coffee — which I contemplate every day! 🙂
God bless!
