St. Benedict was a young man studying in Rome when society collapsing due to the Fall of the Roman Empire. He fled the city, first spending a prolonged time (three years) in solitude and prayer. A monk found Benedict living in a cave, helped him survive and move beyond his frustration with the then current Roman society, or lack thereof. After three years Benedict emerged from the cave and, guided by the wisdom born of prolonged sincere communication with God, encouraged people to join together in creating a more God-centered life for themselves and those around them. He pretty much saved and rejuvenated the European civilization.
Ponder: This was young Benedict’s response to what was happening in the city where he lived and in the reactions of people to him. What was bothering him and what was causing it? At the time he was a young adult studying in Rome and the Roman Empire was collapsing. Try to envision what he might have been expereincing and the thoughts and emotions he may have experienced. Can you picture what you are going through today as being somewhat like what Benedict was experencing? Compare your options to Benedict’s. What do you think you would discover if you gave yourself time to think more deeply about it, especially if you let yourelf be aware that God is here ready to be with you as you reflect of your situation? What is coming into your mind and heart? (Perhaps write it. That gives you time to hear what is welling up inside of you, hopefully by promptings of God’s Spirit.) What might you feel you are being called to do?
Bishop Robert Barron remarked in his Pivotal Players video on St. Benedict of Nursia that today many people of today are saying what is needed today is another Benedict to help humanity recover from the current downward moral swing of society. Like Benedict, perhaps we should retreat in order to make clear to us what matters most. For Benedict that center was God and Benedict’s own right relationship with God and all of God’s creation. Benedict emerged from the cave and formed a community of brothers who prayed and worked together on a path to a new future. Should we be following his example, both alone and then together.
To find A new way we need only ceate new habits and ways of thinking. For instance, whenever you sense anxiety or anger, hurt, sadness, disillusionment, etc. make yourself go to some place that you designate as your quiet space for being alone or, better yet, be aware that God is right there with you. (God always is here; we are the ones who seem to spend a lot of time thinking that we are alone.) Do you believe that God is here – everywhere? Ask yourself: Could God be here? Would God be here? Why? Ponder those questions. What are the thoughts arising within you?) Try to let yourself ponder things like this.
Designate a place and a time for thinking about things that just don’t seem right to you. Consider stopping my church and doing this. And maybe consider emerging from these experience a bit like the sixth-century St. Benedict, his monks and the local Christians, willing to engage in an endeavor that may salvage some of what recent past generations held dear (our Christian faith and our belief in God’s closeness to us) that seem to be de-valued now. But the important thing is for each of us to realize that we need to add to our daily routines times to think and breathe deeply.
