Fr Paul says that in today’s Gospel (Matthew 10: 24-11: 1) Jesus instructed the Twelve and said “anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me…”

Fr Paul says today we celebrate the life of St Benedict. Benedict was born in the year 480 in Nursia in Umbria and he studied in Rome. Interestingly he couldn’t handle city life and so he became a hermit at Subiaco. His reputation spread and some monks asked him to be their abbot, but they didn’t like the discipline that Benedict imposed and tried to poison him. Benedict drew up a set of rules to guide communal life at the monasteries and so the rule of St Benedict came into being. This rule of Benedict was so wise and balanced that it continues to be used as the starting point of many communities not just religious communities.

St Benedict died in the year 547 at the age of 67.

Fr Paul invites us today to pray, St Benedict pray for us!