Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot

Lectionary: 386

Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;
no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,
or sandals, or walking stick.
The laborer deserves his keep.

Jesus describes a radical form of economy that should prevail in his Church: give freely because you have received freely.

When we consider the dependence of our earliest years, when we were totally unable to pay for our food, warmth, shelter, protection, nurturing, education and so forth: we have to admit we received freely indeed. Our parents gave to us and could not reasonably expect any return, at least not for a very long time. Their giving was inspired by the animal instincts common to every species. (And often across species; just watch how women coo and gurgle over baby ducks, dogs, cats and other adorable creatures.) They gave freely and generously, often until it hurt.

Jesus wants us to enjoy that kind of economy – that giving and receiving -- not only in our families; it should pervade the Church. Saint Luke describes that model prevailing in the Jerusalem church for a while:

They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

This ideal community did not last long, as Saint Luke tells us. Some of the members cut corners; some horded; and discrimination appeared as Jewish widows were treated better than gentile widows. "Awe" gave way to cynicism and the members had to agree on new structures of authority and stricter rules. Eventually their ceremony of "breaking bread" would be not a full meal but a tightly defined Mass such as we celebrate today. The Church realized that a utopian society cannot survive in this world; we must wait for the Second Coming. 

But there were other, more disciplined experiments and that's where today's Saint Benedict (480-547 AD) comes in. For centuries small groups of celibate men and women, attempting to live the Gospel Life in its purity, had created hermitages and monasteries outside the cities, in the "wilderness." Without the burdens of marriage and children, they found they could live with fewer possessions and in stricter obedience to their elected authorities. 

Saint Benedict did not write the first "rule" for these communities but his has proved to be the most successful. It describes a marvelously balanced way of life, recognizing that people are inclined to sin but called to atonement and forgiveness; that they can and must pray without ceasing; and they can give what they have and receive what they need with faith in God's providential mercy. 

To this day Benedictine monks and nuns stand as testimony to the Church that the ideals of the Gospel are not unrealistic or unattainable. Their discipline reminds us that every Christian must take up the cross daily and follow in Jesus' steps; their simplicity reminds us we can do with less of this world's goods and less of this world's security; their willingness to live together in a close, highly regimented society reminds us that we must forgive one another seventy-times seven times. It's not an easy life and it's not supposed to be. 

My family, May 25, 1975
Day 2 of my priesthood

Saint Benedict assures us that no one in Jesus' Church gets a free ride but everyone's needs can be addressed and met. Like the Church in Jerusalem we can still devote ourselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.