Artist: Brother Robert Lentz

SAINT BENEDICT

Dear St. Benedict,

You had the courage and the vision
to establish an order of monks
which flourishes today in many parts of the world.

Ore et Labore was your motto:
Pray and work.
May God bless all your humble brethren everywhere
who are committed to some manual labor each day
be they preacher, theologian, bishop or cardinal.

The theology teacher might hoe the garden,
and the monastery's prior might sweep the hall.

Your holy sister Saint Scholastica,
likewise established a religious order
of dedicated and talented nuns.
May God bless those sweet sisters as well.

Through the grace of God sent upon your monasteries and her convents - Benedictine houses
now spread across the world - may they thrive
in peace and holiness this day, and across all time.

Your servants ever faithfully follow
the Rule you wrote for them,
rising before dawn to pray, and bringing education, help, solace and God's grace to many people.

Please, Benedict, ask Our Father to join me in spirit
with all those good works and fervent prayers.

Our Lord once sent a raven to snatch from your hand
a poisoned loaf meant to kill you.

Protect me now, please, Benedict,
snatching from me the evil thoughts, angers,
jealousies and all the poisonous temptations of life,
and praying to God for me your loving oblate,
as you prayed for the brothers in your monasteries.

Let me, like your Benedictines, take up with humility
some humble manual labor each day,
and always dedicate my work, my prayers
and my very life to the God you served so faithfully,
in union with your monks and nuns all over the world:
Ore et Labore: pray and work!

I pray you, God, to bless me and all Benedictines
and hold us hidden in Your Sacred Heart
safe from the poisons of materialism, doubt,
despair and depression and every other worldly evil.

May my prayers rise to You in heaven
joined with with those of the many Benedictine monks and sisters all over the world
like clouds of purifying incense before Your throne.

Father Benedict, please consider me still your son
and always be my friend, guide, patron and advocate
in the heavenly court of our King, Lord Jesus Christ.

All this I pray to you, good saint,
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer,

Amen

(c) 2011 Donn B. Murphy

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