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The Holy Ruld of St. Benedict (SAMPLE)
Saint Benedict of Nursia
Saint Benedict was born around the year 480 in Nursia (present-day Norcia), in Umbria, central Italy. He is regarded as the Father of Western Monasticism and is a patron saint of Europe. As a young man, Benedict was sent to Rome for studies but left after a short stay, desiring to dedicate his life to God. In an isolated place near Subiaco, about fifty miles from Rome, he lived a life of solitude and prayer for about three years with the support of a monk named Romanus. Eventually, Benedict's sanctity attracted disciples and in time, twelve small monasteries were established around Subiaco, with Benedict as the spiritual father of them all. Around the year 530 Benedict left Subiaco and began a single, close-knit community on a mountain top at Monte Cassino, halfway between Rome and Naples, where he remained until his death around the year 547.
Benedict's main achievement is his "Rule", containing precepts for his monks. It is heavily influenced by the writings of John Cassian, and shows strong affinity with the Rule of the Master. Besides the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, it stresses communal living, physical labor, common meals, and the avoidance of unnecessary conversation. His discipline has a unique spirit of balance, moderation and compassion, and this persuaded most religious communities founded throughout the Middle Ages to adopt it. As a result, the "Rule of Saint Benedict," as it is commonly called, is considered one of the most important factors in the development of Christian Europe.
Today, Benedict's disciples, both men and women, can be found on every inhabited continent of the world, leading lives dedicated to "Prayer and Work" (Ora et Labora),
as Benedict taught in his rule and by his life.
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