MARCH 12 - 21
then, supporting his weak limbs by the hands of his disciples, he stood up, his hands lifted towards heaven, and with words of prayer at last breathed forth his soul…
Join the monks in praying a nine-day novena in preparation for the Solemnity of the Passing of our Holy Father, Benedict.
MARCH 12 - 21
novena to saint benedict
Join the monks in praying a nine-day novena in preparation for the Solemnity of the Passing of our Holy Father, Benedict.
JOIN US IN PRAYING A NOVENA TO SAINT BENEDICT | MARCH 12 - 21
For nine-days you will receive daily emails with the novena prayer and a reflection as we prepare for the Solemnity of the Passing of Our Holy Father, Benedict on March 21st.*
*The Passing of Our Holy Father, Benedict is celebrated as a Solemnity by the American-Cassinese Congregation of Benedictine Abbeys.
about the passing of our holy father, benedict
EXCERPT FROM “THE LIFE AND MIRACLES OF ST. BENEDICT” BY ST. GREGORY THE GREAT
The same year in which he departed out of this life, he foretold the day of his most holy death to some of his disciples who conversed with him, and to others who were far off, giving strict charge to those who were present to keep in silence what they had heard, and declaring to the absent by what sign they should know when his soul departed out of his body. Six days before his departure he caused his grave to be opened, and immediately after he fell into a fever, by the violence whereof his strength began to wax faint, and the infirmity daily increasing, the sixth day he caused his disciples to carry him into the Oratory, where he did arm himself for his going forth by receiving the body and Blood of the Lord; then, supporting his weak limbs by the hands of his disciples, he stood up, his hands lifted towards Heaven, and with words of prayer at last breathed forth his soul. The same day two of his Brethren, the one living in the Monastery and the other in a place far remote, had a revelation in one and the self-same manner. For they beheld a way, spread with garments and shining with innumerable lamps, stretching directly eastwards from his cell up to Heaven; a man of venerable aspect stood above and asked them whose way that was. But they professing they knew not, he said to them: “This is the way by which the beloved of the Lord, Benedict, ascended.” Thus the disciples who were present knew of the death of the holy man, and so also those who were absent understood it by the sign foretold them. He was buried in the Oratory of St. John the Baptist which he himself had built upon the ruins of Apollo’s altar.
what is a novena?
A novena is a prayer prayed for nine consecutive days, offered for a specific intention or devotion. Novenas can be prayed in preparation, petition, or penance, and they are often recited in the nine days leading up to a feast day or special occasion. While many novenas have particular intentions attached to them, others like the St. Benedict Novena, can be prayed for any intention.
why nine days?
The word "novena" comes from the Latin novem, meaning "nine." The tradition is rooted in the nine days that the disciples and Mary spent in prayer after Jesus' Ascension, leading up to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This period of prayer became the model for the novena and is often referred to as the “first novena.”
the novena
day 1
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Ant. While standing in the oratory, Benedict, the beloved of God, his soul strengthened by the Body and Blood of the Lord, his failing limbs upheld in the arms of his disciples, his hands lifted up to heaven, with words of prayer on his lips, breathed forth his soul, which was seen ascending to heaven along a way richly tapestried and aglow with countless lights.
V: You have appeared glorious in the sight of the Lord.
R: Therefore the Lord has surrounded you with splendor.
Let us pray.
O God, who enriched the precious death of our holy father Benedict with so many and such great favors: grant us, we beseech you, that he, whose memory we now honor, may protect us in the hour of death from all the snares of our enemies. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
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Some years ago there lived a man who was revered for the holiness of his life. Blessed Benedict was his name, and he was blessed also with God's grace. During his boyhood he showed mature understanding, and a strength of character far beyond his years kept his heart detached from every pleasure. Even while still living in the world, free to enjoy all it had to offer, he saw how empty it was and turned from it without regret.
He was born in Norcia of distinguished parents, who sent him to Rome for a liberal education. When he found many of the students there abandoning themselves to vice, he decided to withdraw from the world he had been preparing to enter; for he was afraid that if he acquired any of its learning he would be drawn down with them to his eternal ruin. In his desire to please God alone, he turned his back on further studies, gave up home and inheritance and resolved to embrace the religious life. He took this step, fully aware of his ignorance; yet he was truly wise, uneducated though he may have been.
When Benedict abandoned his studies to go into solitude, he was accompanied only by his nurse, who loved him dearly. Benedict, however, preferred to suffer ill-treatment from the world rather than enjoy its praises. He wanted to spend himself laboring for God, not to be honored by the applause of men. So he stole away secretly from his nurse and fled to a lonely wilderness about thirty-five miles from Rome called Subiaco. A stream of cold, clear water running through the region broadens out at this point to form a lake, then flows off and continues on its course. On his way there Benedict met a monk named Romanus, who asked him where he was going. After discovering the young man's purpose, Romanus kept it secret and even helped him carry it out by clothing him with the monastic habit and supplying his needs as well as he could.
At Subiaco, Benedict made his home in a narrow cave and for three years remained concealed there unknown to anyone except the monk Romanus, who lived in a monastery close by under the rule of Abbot Deodatus. With fatherly concern this monk regularly set aside as much bread as he could from his own portion; then from time to time, unnoticed by his abbot, he left the monastery long enough to take the bread to Benedict. There was no path leading from the monastery down to his cave on account of a cliff that rose directly over it. To reach him Romanus had to tie the bread to the end of a long rope and lower it over the cliff. A little bell attached to the rope let Benedict know when the bread was there, and he would come out to get it. The ancient enemy of mankind grew envious of the kindness shown by the older monk in supplying Benedict with food, and one day, as the bread was being lowered, he threw a stone at the bell and broke it. Yet in spite of this, Romanus kept on with his faithful service.
—
St. Gregory the Great. Life and Miracles of St. Benedict. The Liturgical Press, 1949.
day 2
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Ant. While standing in the oratory, Benedict, the beloved of God, his soul strengthened by the Body and Blood of the Lord, his failing limbs upheld in the arms of his disciples, his hands lifted up to heaven, with words of prayer on his lips, breathed forth his soul, which was seen ascending to heaven along a way richly tapestried and aglow with countless lights.
V: You have appeared glorious in the sight of the Lord.
R: Therefore the Lord has surrounded you with splendor.
Let us pray.
O God, who enriched the precious death of our holy father Benedict with so many and such great favors: grant us, we beseech you, that he, whose memory we now honor, may protect us in the hour of death from all the snares of our enemies. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
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As Benedict's influence spread over the surrounding countryside because of his signs and wonders, a great number of men gathered around him to devote themselves to God's service. Christ blessed his work and before long he had established twelve monasteries there, with an abbot and twelve monks in each of them. There were a few other monks whom he kept with him, since he felt that they still needed his personal guidance.
It was about this time that pious noblemen from Rome first came to visit the saint and left their sons with him to be schooled in the service of God. Thus Euthicius brought his son Maurus, and the senator Tertullus, Placid, both very promising boys. Maurus, in fact, who was a little older, had already ac- quired solid virtue and was soon very helpful to his saintly master. But Placid was still only a child.
…
Once while blessed Benedict was in his room, one of his monks, the boy Placid, went down to get some water. In letting the bucket fill too rapidly, he lost his balance and was pulled into the lake, where the current quickly seized him and carried him about a stone's throw from the shore. Though inside the monastery at the time, the man of God was instantly aware of what had happened and called out to Maurus: 'Hurry, Brother Maurus! The boy who just went down for water has fallen into the lake, and the current is carrying him away.'
What followed was remarkable indeed, and unheard of since the time of Peter the apostle! Maurus asked for the blessing and on receiving it hurried out to fulfill his abbot's command. He kept on running even over the water till he reached the place where Placid was drifting along helplessly. Pulling him up by the hair, Maurus rushed back to shore, still under the impression that he was on dry land. It was only when he set foot on the ground that he came to himself and looking back realized that he had been running on the surface of the water. Overcome with fear and amazement at a deed he would never have thought possible, he returned to his abbot and told him what had taken place.
The holy man would not take any personal credit for the deed but attributed it to the obedience of his disciple. Maurus on the contrary claimed that it was due entirely to his abbot's command. He could not have been responsible for the miracle himself, he said, since he had not even known he was performing it. While they were carrying on this friendly contest of humility, the question was settled by the boy who had been rescued. 'When I was being drawn out of the water,' he told them, 'I saw the abbot's cloak over my head; he is the one I thought was bringing me to shore.'
—
St. Gregory the Great. Life and Miracles of St. Benedict. The Liturgical Press, 1949.
day 3
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Ant. While standing in the oratory, Benedict, the beloved of God, his soul strengthened by the Body and Blood of the Lord, his failing limbs upheld in the arms of his disciples, his hands lifted up to heaven, with words of prayer on his lips, breathed forth his soul, which was seen ascending to heaven along a way richly tapestried and aglow with countless lights.
V: You have appeared glorious in the sight of the Lord.
R: Therefore the Lord has surrounded you with splendor.
Let us pray.
O God, who enriched the precious death of our holy father Benedict with so many and such great favors: grant us, we beseech you, that he, whose memory we now honor, may protect us in the hour of death from all the snares of our enemies. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
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With the passing of this temptation. Benedict's soul, like a field cleared of briers, soon yielded a rich harvest of virtues. As word spread of his saintly life, the renown of his name increased. One day the entire community from a nearby monastery came to see him. Their abbot had recently died, and they wanted the man of God to be their new superior. For some time he tried to discourage them by refusing their request, warning them that his way of life would never harmonize with theirs. But they kept insisting until in the end he gave his consent.
At the monastery he watched carefully over the religious spirit of his monks and would not tolerate any of their previous disobedience. No one was allowed to turn from the straight path of monastic discipline either to the right or to the left. Their waywardness, however, clashed with the standards he upheld, and in their resentment they started to reproach themselves for choosing him as abbot. It only made them the more sullen to find him curbing every fault and evil habit. They could not see why they should have to force their settled minds into new ways of thinking.
At length, proving once again that the very life of the just is a burden to the wicked,' they tried to find a means of doing away with him and decided to poison his wine. A glass pitcher containing this poisoned drink was presented to the man of God during his meal for the customary blessing. As he made the sign of the Cross over it with his hand, the pitcher was shattered even though it was well beyond his reach at the time. It broke at his blessing as if he had struck it with a stone.
Then he realized it had contained a deadly drink which could not bear the sign of life. Still calm and undisturbed, he rose at once and after gathering the community together addressed them. May almighty God have mercy on you,' he said. 'Why did you conspire to do this? Did I not tell you at the outset that my way of life would never harmonize with yours? Go and find yourselves an abbot to your liking. It is impossible for me to stay here any longer.' Then he went back to the wilderness he loved, to live alone with himself in the presence of his heavenly Father.
—
St. Gregory the Great. Life and Miracles of St. Benedict. The Liturgical Press, 1949.
day 4
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Ant. While standing in the oratory, Benedict, the beloved of God, his soul strengthened by the Body and Blood of the Lord, his failing limbs upheld in the arms of his disciples, his hands lifted up to heaven, with words of prayer on his lips, breathed forth his soul, which was seen ascending to heaven along a way richly tapestried and aglow with countless lights.
V: You have appeared glorious in the sight of the Lord.
R: Therefore the Lord has surrounded you with splendor.
Let us pray.
O God, who enriched the precious death of our holy father Benedict with so many and such great favors: grant us, we beseech you, that he, whose memory we now honor, may protect us in the hour of death from all the snares of our enemies. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
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The fortified town of Cassino lies at the foot of a towering mountain that shelters it within its slope and stretches upward over a distance of nearly three miles. On its summit stood a very old temple, in which the ignorant country people still worshiped Apollo as their pagan ancestors had done, and went on offering superstitious and idolatrous sacrifices in groves dedicated to various demons.
When the man of God arrived at this spot, he destroyed the idol, overturned the altar and cut down the trees in the sacred groves. Then he turned the temple of Apollo into a chapel dedicated to St. Martin," and where Apollo's altar had stood, he built a chapel in honor of St. John the Baptist. Gradually the people of the countryside were won over to the true faith by his zealous preaching.
—
St. Gregory the Great. Life and Miracles of St. Benedict. The Liturgical Press, 1949.
day 5
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Ant. While standing in the oratory, Benedict, the beloved of God, his soul strengthened by the Body and Blood of the Lord, his failing limbs upheld in the arms of his disciples, his hands lifted up to heaven, with words of prayer on his lips, breathed forth his soul, which was seen ascending to heaven along a way richly tapestried and aglow with countless lights.
V: You have appeared glorious in the sight of the Lord.
R: Therefore the Lord has surrounded you with splendor.
Let us pray.
O God, who enriched the precious death of our holy father Benedict with so many and such great favors: grant us, we beseech you, that he, whose memory we now honor, may protect us in the hour of death from all the snares of our enemies. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
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One day while the monks were constructing a section of the abbey, they noticed a rock lying close at hand and decided to use it in the building. When two or three did not succeed in lifting it, others joined in to help. Yet it remained fixed in its place as though it was rooted to the ground. Then they were sure that the devil himself was sitting on this stone and preventing them from moving it in spite of all their efforts.
Faced with this difficulty, they asked Abbot Benedict to come and use his prayers to drive away the devil who was holding down the rock. The saint began to pray as soon as he got there, and after he had finished and made the sign of the Cross, the monks picked up the rock with such ease that it seemed to have lost all its previous weight.
The abbot then directed them to spade up the earth where the stone had been. When they had dug a little way into the ground they came upon a bronze idol, which they threw into the kitchen for the time being. Suddenly the kitchen appeared to be on fire and everyone felt that the entire building was going up in flames. The noise and commotion they made in their attempt to put out the blaze by pouring on buckets of water brought Benedict to the scene. Unable to see the fire which appeared so real to his monks, he quiet- ly bowed his head in prayer and soon had opened their eyes to the foolish mistake they were making. Now, instead of the flames the evil spirit had devised, they once more saw the kitchen standing intact.
On another occasion they were working on one of the walls that had to be built a little higher. The man of God was in his room at the time praying, when the devil appeared to him and remarked sarcastically that he was on his way to visit the brethren at their work. Benedict quickly sent them word to be on their guard against the evil spirit who would soon be with them. Just as they received his warning, the devil overturned the wall, crushing under its ruins the body of a very young monk who was the son of a tax collector.
Unconcerned about the damaged wall in their grief and dismay over the loss of their brother, the monks hurried to Abbot Benedict to let him know of the dreadful accident. He told them to bring the mangled body to his room. It had to be carried in on a blanket, for the wall had not only broken the boy's arms and legs but had crushed all the bones in his body. The saint had the remains placed on the reed matting where he used to pray and after that told them all to leave. Then he closed the door and knelt down to offer his most earnest prayers to God. That very hour, to the astonishment of all, he sent the boy back to his work as sound and healthy as he had been before. Thus, in spite of the devil's attempt to mock the man of God by causing this tragic death, the young monk was able to rejoin his brethren and help them finish the wall.
—
St. Gregory the Great. Life and Miracles of St. Benedict. The Liturgical Press, 1949.
day 6
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Ant. While standing in the oratory, Benedict, the beloved of God, his soul strengthened by the Body and Blood of the Lord, his failing limbs upheld in the arms of his disciples, his hands lifted up to heaven, with words of prayer on his lips, breathed forth his soul, which was seen ascending to heaven along a way richly tapestried and aglow with countless lights.
V: You have appeared glorious in the sight of the Lord.
R: Therefore the Lord has surrounded you with splendor.
Let us pray.
O God, who enriched the precious death of our holy father Benedict with so many and such great favors: grant us, we beseech you, that he, whose memory we now honor, may protect us in the hour of death from all the snares of our enemies. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
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His sister Scholastica, who had been consecrated to God in early childhood, used to visit with him once a year. On these occasions he would go down to meet her in a house belonging to the monastery a short distance from the entrance.
For this particular visit he joined her there with a few of his disciples and they spent the whole day singing God's praises and conversing about the spiritual life. When darkness was setting in, they took their meal together and continued their conversation at table until it was quite late. Then the holy nun said to him, 'Please do not leave me tonight, brother. Let us keep on talking about the joys of heaven till morning."
'What are you saying, sister?' he replied. 'You know I cannot stay away from the monastery.'
The sky was so clear at the time, there was not a cloud in sight. At her brother's refusal Scholastica folded her hands on the table and rested her head upon them in earnest prayer. When she looked up again, there was a sudden burst of lightning and thunder accompanied by such a downpour that Benedict and his companions were unable to set foot outside the door.
By shedding a flood of tears while she prayed, this holy nun had darkened the cloudless sky with a heavy rain. The storm began as soon as her prayer was over. In fact, the two coincided so closely that the thunder was already resounding as she raised her head from the table. The very instant she ended her prayer the rain poured down.
Realizing that he could not return to the abbey in this terrible storm, Benedict complained bitterly. 'God forgive you, sister!' he said. 'What have you done?'
Scholastica simply answered, 'When I appealed to you, you would not listen to me. So I turned to my God and He heard my prayer. Leave now if you can. Leave me here and go back to your monastery.'
This, of course, he could not do. He had no choice now but to stay, in spite of his unwillingness. They spent the entire night together and both of them derived great profit from the holy thoughts they exchanged about the interior life.
Here you have my reason for saying that this holy man was once unable to obtain what he desired. If we consider his point of view, we can readily see that he wanted the sky to remain as clear as it was when he came down from the monastery. But this wish of his was thwarted by a miracle almighty God performed in answer to a woman's prayer. We need not be surprised that in this instance she proved mightier than her brother; she had been looking forward so long to this visit. Do we not read in St. John that God is love?? Surely it is no more than right that her influence was greater than his, since hers was the greater love.
—
St. Gregory the Great. Life and Miracles of St. Benedict. The Liturgical Press, 1949.
day 7
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Ant. While standing in the oratory, Benedict, the beloved of God, his soul strengthened by the Body and Blood of the Lord, his failing limbs upheld in the arms of his disciples, his hands lifted up to heaven, with words of prayer on his lips, breathed forth his soul, which was seen ascending to heaven along a way richly tapestried and aglow with countless lights.
V: You have appeared glorious in the sight of the Lord.
R: Therefore the Lord has surrounded you with splendor.
Let us pray.
O God, who enriched the precious death of our holy father Benedict with so many and such great favors: grant us, we beseech you, that he, whose memory we now honor, may protect us in the hour of death from all the snares of our enemies. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
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At another time the deacon Servandus came to see the servant of God on one of his regular visits. He was abbot of the monastery in Campania that had been founded by the late senator Liberius, and always welcomed an opportunity to discuss with Benedict the truths of eternity, for he, too, was a man of deep spiritual understanding.
In speaking of their hopes and longings they were able to taste in advance the heavenly food that was not yet fully theirs to enjoy. When it was time to retire for the night, Benedict went to his room on the second floor of the tower, leaving Servandus in the one below, which was connected with his own by a stairway. Their disciples slept in the large building facing the tower.
Long before the night office began, the man of God was standing at his window, where he watched and prayed while the rest were still asleep. In the dead of night he suddenly beheld a flood of light shining down from above more brilliant than the sun, and with it every trace of darkness cleared away. Another remarkable sight followed. According to his own description, the whole world was gathered up before his eyes in what appeared to be a single ray of light. As he gazed at all this dazzling display, he saw the soul of Germanus, the bishop of Capua, being carried by angels up to heaven in a ball of fire.
Wishing to have someone else witness this great marvel, he called out for Servandus, repeating his name two or three times in a loud voice. As soon as he heard the saint's call, Servandus rushed to the upper room and was just in time to catch a final glimpse of the miraculous light. He remained speechless with wonder as Benedict described everything that had taken place. Then without any delay the man of God instructed the devout Theoprobus to go to Cassino and have a messenger sent to Capua that same night to find out what had happened to Germanus. In carrying out these instructions the messenger discovered that the revered bishop was al- ready dead. When he asked for further details, he learned that his death had occurred at the very time blessed Benedict saw him carried into heaven.
—
St. Gregory the Great. Life and Miracles of St. Benedict. The Liturgical Press, 1949.
day 8
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Ant. While standing in the oratory, Benedict, the beloved of God, his soul strengthened by the Body and Blood of the Lord, his failing limbs upheld in the arms of his disciples, his hands lifted up to heaven, with words of prayer on his lips, breathed forth his soul, which was seen ascending to heaven along a way richly tapestried and aglow with countless lights.
V: You have appeared glorious in the sight of the Lord.
R: Therefore the Lord has surrounded you with splendor.
Let us pray.
O God, who enriched the precious death of our holy father Benedict with so many and such great favors: grant us, we beseech you, that he, whose memory we now honor, may protect us in the hour of death from all the snares of our enemies. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
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I should like to tell you much more about this saintly abbot, but I am purposely passing over some of his miraculous deeds in my eagerness to take up those of others. There is one more point, however, I want to call to your attention. With all the renown he gained by his numerous miracles, the holy man was no less outstanding for the wisdom of his teaching. He wrote a Rule for Monks that is remarkable for its discretion and its clarity of language. Anyone who wishes to know more about his life and character can discover in his Rule exactly what he was like as an abbot, for his life could not have differed from his teaching.
—
St. Gregory the Great. Life and Miracles of St. Benedict. The Liturgical Press, 1949.
day 9
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Ant. While standing in the oratory, Benedict, the beloved of God, his soul strengthened by the Body and Blood of the Lord, his failing limbs upheld in the arms of his disciples, his hands lifted up to heaven, with words of prayer on his lips, breathed forth his soul, which was seen ascending to heaven along a way richly tapestried and aglow with countless lights.
V: You have appeared glorious in the sight of the Lord.
R: Therefore the Lord has surrounded you with splendor.
Let us pray.
O God, who enriched the precious death of our holy father Benedict with so many and such great favors: grant us, we beseech you, that he, whose memory we now honor, may protect us in the hour of death from all the snares of our enemies. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
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In the year that was to be his last, the man of God foretold the day of his holy death to a number of his disciples. In mentioning it to some who were with him in the monastery, he bound them to strict secrecy. Some others, however, who were stationed elsewhere he only informed of the special sign they would receive at the time of his death. Six days before he died he gave orders for his tomb to be opened. Almost immediately he was seized with a violent fever that rapidly wasted his remaining energy. Each day his condition grew worse until finally on the sixth day he had his disciples carry him into the chapel, where he received the Body and Blood of our Lord to gain strength for his approaching end. Then, supporting his weakened body on the arms of his brethren, he stood with his hands raised to heaven and as he prayed breathed his last.
That day two monks, one of them at the monastery, the other some distance away, received the very same revelation. They both saw a magnificent road covered with rich carpeting and glittering with thousands of lights. From his monastery it stretched eastward in a straight line until it reached up into heaven. And there in the brightness stood a man of majestic appearance, who asked them, 'Do you know who passed this way?'
'No,' they replied.
'This,' he told them, 'is the road taken by blessed Benedict, the Lord's beloved, when he went to heaven.'
Thus while the brethren who were with Benedict witnessed his death, those who were absent knew about it through the sign he had promised them. His body was laid to rest in the Chapel of St. John the Baptist, which he had built to replace the altar of Apollo.
—
St. Gregory the Great. Life and Miracles of St. Benedict. The Liturgical Press, 1949.