Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (19: 27-29) in which Peter asks Jesus, “We have left everything and followed you! What are we to have then?”. Afterwards, Fr Paul shares a little about St Benedict, whose memorial we celebrate today.

Benedict was born in Nursia, in Umbria, and studied in Rome; but he was unable to stomach city life, and he became a solitary hermit at Subiaco. His reputation spread, and some monks asked him to be their abbot; but they did not like the discipline he imposed and tried to poison him.

Benedict organised various small communities of monks and nuns in various places, including the great monastery of Monte Cassino. He drew up a set of rules to guide the communal life of monasteries. Although this was not the first monastic rule ever, the Rule of St Benedict has proved so wise and balanced that it has served as the foundation of practically every attempt at communal living ever since – and not only in religious communities.

The Rule of St Benedict recognises that people aim at perfection but often fall well short of it and aims to be a “rule for beginners” in which even the least perfect and least able can grow in spiritual stature.

Today Fr Paul invites us to ask ‘St Benedict… pray for us!’.