Benedictine Saints Hagiography.docx

CHAPTER I

Introduction St. Benedict had inspired and influenced the church during his time. His works and teachings had survived and still hold insurmountable significance in the present. His presence had not only affected the lives of the monks and priest, but also the saints whose lives were influenced by either his teachings or the disciples from his order. The legacy of St. Benedict of Nursia had a huge impact on the lives of these Benedictine saints; it shaped them on living the Benedictine principles, which lead them to their certain works and contributions to the Church. One of the known Benedictines is St. Bede the Venerable. He is known to be a famous scholar, and an early doctor of the church. He is an Anglo-Saxon theologian, historian and chronologist. He is best known for his work entitled, Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum or in English translation, Ecclesiastical History of the English People. The book elaborates the history of the conversion to Christianity of a particular tribe (Catholic News Agency, n.d.). Another one is St. Maurus; he was known to be the first disciple of St. Benedict of Nursia. He is considered to be one of the most illustrious of the disciples of St. Benedict. He is well-known in the Christian community as a man of various miracles which he had used in rescuing a young boy. St. Maur was responsible for the construction of a notable monastery named Glanfeuil (Gueranger, n.d.). Next one is St. Bernard of Clairvaux; He was an outstanding preacher and orator. It is believed that his writings and sermons which greatly influenced Europe during the 12th century. He is known to his works: On Loving God, St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh and etc (Lawlor, 1920). He is the one who promoted the Memorare prayer (Catholic News Agency, 2016). The last one is St. Scholastica, the sister of St. Benedict. It is believed that she consecrated her life to God from her earliest youth. According to Catholic Online (n.d.), she founded and governed a monastery of nuns. They are the notable Benedictine saints that lived through the principles and rules of the famous St. Benedict of Nursia, the man who was behind the Ordo Sancti Benedicti.

CHAPTER II The Benedictine saints had left a bunch of principles that are substantial to the church. The quote “Ora et Labora” or simply prayer and work, had left the Roman Catholic Church a great philosophy to follow. The works and contributions of the Benedictine saints have influenced the teachings in the Ordo Sancti Benedicti; it sharpened the teachings of the religious order and the Catholic Church itself. Aside from their works and contributions, the researchers have scrutinized also their biographies.

St. Bede the Venerable

Life Morin (n.d.) described England in the seventh and eighth century as dangerous years to live in, especially in the northeastern region called Northumbria, where Vikings from the Kalmar Union plundered and raided the region. According to the author, although the location was violent and dangerous, Northrumbia was a holy site in England and contained holy men and women, who established multiple monasteries, healed the sick, supported the weak, strengthened the faiths of the peasants, built libraries to record the activities of their missions, and settled political and territorial disputes among the nobles. Among these holy people was the famous St. Bede, an English monk, scholar, and teacher, whom would become one of the most iconic figures in English history and literature. St. Bede was born on 673 AD, though an exact date of his birth is unknown, and died on May 26, 735 AD. He was born on Wearmouth-Jarrow in Northrumbia, England. For his entire life, St. Bede never left his home region, spreading the Christian doctrine and continued the rest of his works in Wearmouth-Jarrow. The author postulated that throughout the history of England, St. Bede is still the only Englishman to ever receive and honor the title of “Doctor of the Universal Church.” It is not considered impossible to believe that almost the entire “ecclesiastical experience” was created and shaped by St. Bede himself. During his fist years as a monk, St. Bede was tutored by another monk, which was St. Benedict Bishop, a holy man of noble lineage. Using his wealth, Bishop established a monastery, named the monastery of St. Peter, in the mount of the Wear River at the coastlines of Northrumbia. The abbey itself was designed by St. Bede himself, and were built by French Stonemasons and artisans. The arts and array built by the French artisans were filled with

“sacred vessels, lamps and other creative works, this included windows filled with glass.” St. Bishop’s next monastery project would be built in Jarrow, near the Tyrne River, just at the south of Wearmouth. St. Bishop, now the Abbot of the Monastery of St. Peter, placed hundreds of books in the huge library of the monastery, which included multiple volumes about the Ancient Roman Civilisation, and history of other places in Europe. This was where St. Bede began his ecclesiastical works. His joy for reading, researching, studying, worship, and reflection, gave St. Bede an opportunity to create his memorable works that would later be taught in Enlgand, later the United Kingdom, and the Catholic Church including the Catholic community. During his years as a young monk, St. Bede studied Latin and Ancient Greek. St. Bede’s first studies were mostly filled with the teachings and rules St. Benedict Bishop bestowed upon him, which would be later also be taught to the other monks of St. Bishop. The rule of St. Benedict Bishop was one of the driving factors of St. Bede’s works. It is known that St. Bede’s later works would be filled with advanced and vast writings and knowledge about sacred and secular literature. St. Bede would be later known for publishing “The Ecclesiastical Teachings of the English people.” This would eventually become one of St. Bede’s best works. “The Ecclesiastical Teachings of the English People” comprised about five volumes which makes great length and detail about the Christian history and people in England. This work of St. Bede is considered to be the most accurate source and evidence of early British history, and would also be praised for its first use of hagiography. It’s is due to this writing that Celtic Christianity was made well aware in mainland Europe, which also included the biographies of other Celtic saints such as St. Cuthbert, St. Hilda, St. Aidan of Iona, St. Cuthbert, St. Anastasius, and St. Felix. A biography of a cowherder turned poet Caedmon, whom translated sacred scriptures into music, song, and rhymes, was also in one of the five volumes of “The Ecclesiastical Teachings of the English people.” Besides the history of Christianity of the early English people, St. Bede also created other works of literature as well. The lesser known works of St. Bede’s includes his “biblical commentaries,” and “thoughtful treaties” primarily meant for monks under his order and reflection about the Lectitio Divina. Theology, History, and Hagiography were one of the specialties of St. Bede’s, this is due to the impressive intellectual insights that he accomplished, which is why he was considered as one, if not, the best monks of his time. His professional and skilled level in mathematics made the early church compile accurate date and time cycles, which prompted them to create an accurate ecclesiastical calendar for Easter. St. Bede as well documented the first use of AD (Anno Domini) and BC (Before Christ) in his writings, using Christ’s birth as the center point of time. This calculated use to properly and accurately organize the years was well received that this same calendar system is still used today, and is even used among non-Christian countries. St. Bede

also became one of the first people to speculate that the earth is actually shaped like a sphere. This impressive calculation of St. Bede’s however would not be recognized by the church. For all his life, St. Bede considered the Word of God as the centermost part of his life, a gospel that always guides his career’s path. Whenever he is out discussing or reflecting with his monks, St. Bede would always share his insights and devotion to others, once he read and became knowledgeable with one of God’s words. It is claimed, that the monks or other followers that knew the saint follows a simple and peaceful life. St. Bede’s love for studying and learning propelled him to become inspired by his own works. St. Bede is an intellectual scholar, whom always hungered for knowledge in order to create progress, and more insights about the sacred scriptures for the church. He was also a spiritual and religious man, whom showed great faith to God. But he was especially a loving man that would always spread the love of God unto others, clergymen, nobles, and even the peasants.

Works Some of St. Bede’s works didn’t actually survive to the present day. Though Bede is known for his work, the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, most of his works have been forgotten for ages; while the others are being used as gospels in bibles. St. Bede’s famous works are widely use in the present day. Articles had been highlighted to the works of the saint. Articles that is surely remarkable and reliable to be used in several gospels. The Ecclesiastical History of His Island and Nation is one of St. Bede’s famous articles. The article can be found to the book written by Bede, entitled as Ecclesiastical History of the English People. The book is solely about the history of the Christian Churches in England; specifically it is about the conflict between the pre-Schism Roman Rite and Celtic Christianity. Other articles, on the other hand, are being used on specific gospels in the bible. Articles that were obtained in a specific book written by the saint. For example, the beginning of Genesis, to the nativity of Isaac, and the reprobation of Ismael acquired from St. Bede’s commentary on Genesis, the de tabernaculo includes the information about the tabernacle and its vessels, and of the priestly vestments, the ruling of Samuel until the death of Saul is elaborated in St. Bede’s commentary on Samuel, the de temple Salomonis includes the building of the temple, Quaestiones XXX involves thirty questions particularly about the book of Kings, Solomons proverbs can be seen in Bede’s commentary on proverbs, seven books of Canticles can be seen in the commentary on the Song of Songs, biographies of Endras and Nehemiah is in the commentary of Ezra and Nehemiah, the song of Habakkuk is in the commentary on the prayer of Habakkuk, the

book of blessed father Tobias can be seen in Bede’s commentary on Tobit, the gospel of Mark is in the commentary of St. Mark, similar to the gospel of Luke in the commentary of St. Luke, and the revelation of St. John which is presented in Bede’s commentary on the Apocalypse. Several no extant Manuscript of St. Bede include significant gospels, books and parables like the readings of Moses’ Pentateuch, the books of Kings and Chronicles, the book of the blessed father Job, the parables, ecclesiates and canticles, life of the prophets Isaiah, Endras and Nehemiah, the gospel of Mark, gospel of Luke, and readings in the New Testament. Several homilies have been given point by the saint, in the Homilies on the gospel. Other works of St. Bede that includes substantial information are Letter to Plegwin, Life of St. Felix, Life of St. Anastasius, Life of St. Cuthbert, Life of St. Cuthbert, History of the Abbots of Wearmouth and Jarrow, Martyrology, Hymns, Liber epigrammatum, De natura rerum; De temporibus, De temporum ratione, De orthographia, and De arte metrica; De schematibus et tropis (Wikipedia contributors, 2018).

Contributions Works About Time: Bede’s other two scientific treatises, De temporibus (On time, written in 703) and De temporum ratione (On the reckoning of time, written in 725), are about calendars and chronology and set out astronomical rules for determining the date of Easter, an issue of great importance in the early eighth century. The various medieval methods of dating could result in calendars that varied by as much as two weeks, leading to situations in which some of the devout were still in abstinence for Lent while others were celebrating Easter. This confusion arose because it was necessary to use both The Roman calendar, based on the solar year, and the Hebrew calendar, based on the lunar month, to determine the exact dates of Easter and other religious holidays. Because there are no common factors for 365 (the approximate number of days in a solar year) and 29 (roughly the number of days in a lunar month), there is no simple way to determine the day of the year in the Julian calendar, the form of solar-year calendar then in use, on which Easter (computed from lunar cycles) falls. Added to this difficulty was the pragmatic way in which individual congregations marked time from one feast to the next through cycles of specific texts and Psalms. Over decades and centuries, these cycles had become badly out of sync with the proper

dates as determined by the heavens and as required by Church law. By the third century C.E. an entire discipline had been founded to calculate those dates and came to be called computus after the lengthy computations necessary to predict the motions of the moon and the sun throughout the year. For more than eight hundred years, Bede’s De temporum ratione was the standard textbook for performing these calculations. In it he treats the motions of the sun, the moon, the stars, and even the tides, trying to set down the general laws that govern all these phenomena. For practical purposes, he included tables and formulae for calculation and calendars, as well as mnemonic devices to remind his brethren how to calculate time. A New Dating System: Bede was the first historian to publicize the modern idea of anno domini (A.D.)—that is, the method of dating events from the birth of Christ. Although he did not intend to cause controversy, this new system led to speculation on the “end of the world” or the second coming of Christ. Bede was unfairly accused of fostering this sort of thinking, and he felt obliged to disavow this rampant speculation in language uncharacteristically strong for such a gentle and scholarly monk: “I am as much grieved as I can be, I confess, or else greatly annoyed, whenever upstarts ask me how many of the last thousand years remain [until the Second Coming]. “And I am equally annoyed when they ask me, ‘How do you know that the last thousand years are in progress?‚ The Lord does not state in the Gospels whether the time of His Advent is near or far-distant.... If anyone should say to me, ‘Lo, here is the Christ!‚ Or ‘Lo, there!‚ I would not listen to him or follow him.”

St. Maurus

Life St. Maurus, better known as St. Maur, is a Roman Catholic saint and was the first disciple of St. Benedict of Nursia. He became well known in the church when he was mentioned in St. Gregory the Great’s biography, “The First Oblate.” St. Maurus was born and raised by Roman nobility, and was sent to monastery at a young age. St. Gregory’s four accounts on St. Maur hints that his life is a symbol of a Benedictine monk. St. Maurus is known by the Catholic community through his story of receiving a miracle by St. Benedict while saving St. Placidus from drowning, which is shown in many artworks during the renaissance. A biography, titled “A Long Life of Saint Maurus,” was published during the late ninth century, probably authored by one of St. Maur’s compatriots. According to the account, “The bishop of Le Mans, in western France, sent a delegation asking Benedict for a group of monks to travel from Benedict's new abbey of Monte Cassino to establish monastic life in France according to the Rule of St. Benedict.” These sources about St. Maur gives crucial evidences on the life of St. Maur beyond the incident with St. Placidus. It recounts the journey of St. Maur, St. Benedict, and the other monks’ journey from Monte Casino, Italy, to West Francia in order to establish a monastery. This is where St. Maur became a preacher and follower of the Benedictine Doctrine. The Monastery that was later established in France was called the “Glanfeuil Abbey,” was headed by St. Maurus himself, and was the first Benedictine monastery in the Galic region, near the south bank of the Loir river, a few miles away from the town of Angers. It is said that the first chenin grapes grew in the vineyards of the monastery. However today, Scholars believe that the life of St. Maurus was a “forgery” during the ninth century in Carolingian France by Abbot Odo, the head of Glanfeuil’s abbey during the late ninth century. This was to promote “cults” to honor primarily the teachings of the saints, but not the entirety of the church’s. During 845 AD, it was claimed that the bones of St. Benedict was discovered in Glanfeuil by Abbot Guazlin, one of Odo’s predecessors. It is a possibility that Guazlin “invented” or perhaps only “promoted” the story of the discovery of St. Benedict’s bones in order to flourish the monastery’s popularity. This also included the “discovery” of the bones of St. Scholastica, St. Benedict’s twin sister, in Loire, France. During 862, Abbot Odo and his monks fled to Paris due to the constant raiding from the Scandinavian Vikings. This prompted them to spread the cult of St. Maurus among the Parisians, reviving the local monastery in “SaintPierre-des-Fossés,” later renamed as “Saint-Maur-des-Fossés.” The cult of St. Maurus would later

spread alongside the French countryside and would dominate the monasteries there. By the eleventh century, the cult of St. Maurus would eventually spread towards Italy, especially in Monte Casino, alongside the cult of St. Placidus. By the late Middle Ages, the cult of St. Maurus and St. Placidus would dominate all Benedictine monasteries. In the eighteenth century, when the abbey of Fosses started to decline, the cult of St. Maurus was stirred to the Abbey of Saint-Germain-desPrés wherever it

remained a

well-liked center until the

relics

were stolen by

Parisian revolutionaries throughout the French Revolution. St. Maurus continues to be honored by Benedictine congregations nowadays, several monks adopting his name and dedicating monasteries to his patronage. In artworks, St. Maurus would appear similar like all monks during the Middle Ages. His most notable features include a young man, whom would sometimes hold an Abbot’s cross or a spade. Some other features of St. Maurus are his crutches, referencing his “patronage for cripples.” He was “invoking especially against fevers, rheumatism, epilepsy and gout.” Sometimes, St. Maurus would also be represented as a man with a scale, which was given to him by St. Benedict himself when they journeyed to Monte Casino (Herbermann, n.d.).

Works According to Eidenschink & Bartholome (1963), St. Maurus is well-known in the Christian community as a man that would receive and use the miracles bestowed upon him. An example was the incident with St. Placidus. While St. Placidus was filling water for the monastery, he could not swim, and was drowning. St. Benedict noticed this and told Maurus to rescue Placidus. Though, Maurus clearly did not know how to swim himself, he obeyed and saved Placidus by walking on the water. This first miracle of Maurus became one of the very reasons why Benedict became a saint. Another known miracle was done by Maurus himself. When a crippled and mute boy was carried by his parents, the two cast themselves upon Maurus’ feet and begged him to cure their son. Maurus then said “In the name of the most holy and undivided Trinity, and supported by the merits of the most holy Father Benedict, I bid you to rise, stand upon your feet and be cured.” Then the boy stood up, and the entire family rejoiced the name of God.

Contributions As an abbot, Saint Maurus is considered to be one of the greatest masters of the Cenobitical life. He is also considered as one of the most illustrious of the disciples of St. Benedict. According to Gueranger (n.d.), the France was indebted to Maurus for having its admirable rule. The country produced great saints. He went to the country of France with a mission and vision of promulgating his rules and virtues. St. Maurus was responsible for the construction of the Monastery of Glanfeuil. That monastery is considered to be the mother house principal monasteries. Saint Germain and Saint Denis of Paris, Marmoutier, Saint Victor, Luxeuil, Jumieges, Fleury Corbie, Saint Vannes, Moyen-Moutier, Saint Wandrille, Saint Waast, La Chaise-Dieu, Tiron, Cheza, Benoit and Le Bec are one of those monasteries. He governed it for forty years; his virtues were firm enough to influence his countrymen, including its previous rulers. Kings have put themselves under Maurus’ direction, and it made them holier, and more knowledgeable about monastic life. It was said that before his death, he resigned as the leader of the monastery. He retired into a cell near the oratory of St. Martin; he had this most rigorous penance.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Life Rauscher (n.d) claimed that St. Bernard of Clairvaux was born on 1090 in Chateau of Fontaines-les Dijon, France by French Burgundian nobility. His father was Tescelin, while his mother Aleth. During this time, there were no certified surnames yet, and only would receive surnames if they owned a specific land and lived as landowners. Both of Bernard’s parents are pious. During a dream, while she was pregnant with her son, Aleth was called on by a religious, which said that her son would become a “Guardian of the House of God”. Throughout his entire life, St. Bernard would become one of the first devoted servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary, blessing the masses to protect and give faith under her name. He was considered as an excellent preacher, with his sermons practiced as well by other priests during the Holy Liturgy. Even though St. Bernard considered himself as a humble follower of God. His personality made other monks in his monastery question his humility. Yet, this personality of his would greatly contribute to his sermons and messages to proclaim his love and loyalty to God. Bernard would later be involved with the controversial schism of Anacletus when Innocent II was elected as Pope. One of the church’s cardinals, Cardinal Pierlone, rejected the new pope, as he himself wanted the title as well. Pierlone arranged another election, which of course made sure the votes were favorable on his side, and became the church’s new pope, naming himself Anacletus II. This cause outrage inside the church, and tried to solve this issue through the creation of another council in Etampes. It was St. Bernard’s wisdom and clever use of language that made Innocent II return as the Pope once again. The monarchs in France, England, and Germany were impressed with Bernard’s skills as they too were involved with the schism as well. Bernard would always defend the church, under Innocent II’s side, because of this St. Bernard had increased his influence on the church tremendously. He would usually choose a peaceful solution to solve these schisms in order to refute another incident in the church’s hierarchy. Soon he would become the most influential person in the church. The History of the Catholic Church would once again take an important step when Bernard renounced the writings of Peter Abelard, a theologian of the Catholic School in Paris. Abelard’s writings were taken positively by the Catholic church, and would be later adopted by catholic intellectuals and the common people. According to his thesis “Faith through Reason,” was considered as a catholic teaching of the church for centuries. “The Faith of God” according to Abelard was “Nothing can be believed unless it is understood” was accepted by the

Church and the mystery of God and His infinite love was “submerged.” However, with Bernard’s influence, after the Council of Sens (1140), the Pope deemed Abelard’s works as heresy. This had showcased the dominating influence that St. Bernard had on the Church. St. Bernard’s teachings of the church, Grace and Free Will, which replaced Abelard’s works, it became the main theological study in the Catholic Church. Philosophy and Theology then became the forefront of St. Bernard’s life. Due to his devotion and faithfulness, he came to be close friends with Suger, an abbot of St. Denis, a famous Benedictine monastery in Paris. St. Bernard was a fierce adversary when it came to theological studies, usually finding a way and succeeding in defeating his contemporaries. He is known to become as one of the groundworks of his sanctity of this Rite, both in the Church and Juris Prudence. On August 30, 1153, St. Bernard died after suffering multiple disorders and sicknesses, and was buried in his monastery in Clairvaux. He was named as the “Doctor of the Church” during 1830. His canonization took place on January 18, 1174.

Works St. Bernard is known for his popular works such as On Loving God, Some letters written by him, and St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh (Lawlor, 1920) On Loving God In his work, St. Bernard states that there are four types of love that a Christian experience with their relationship with God as they start to grow: “Loving one's self, selfish love, loving God as God, and loving one's self in God.” St. Benedict tells us that God has sacrificed his own son, his own physical body for humanity’s sins, and bestowed upon us life during the creation of the universe. "God deserves to be loved very much, yea, boundlessly, because He loved us first, He infinite and we nothing, loved us, miserable sinners, with a love so great and so free." To summarize, St. Benedict tells us that we humans are indebted in God’s love, not that we should only love as we are supposed to, but remind us that God’s love has neither limitations nor rewards. Some Letters of St. Bernard of Clairvaux “The letters of extraordinary and great men give us data about them which can be gotten from no other source”, says Frank Gasquet, one of the coordinators of this book. Not at all like some other writing, a letter provides us with a window into the spirit of its writer; it enables us to see the

writer's close to home attributes, cares, feelings, endowments, and indecencies. It expansion to their extraordinary recorded significance, the letters of Saint Bernard give us a pointer of St. Bernard's religious and political impact. St. Bernard traded letters with people of a wide range of statures- his reporters included priest, elders, diocesans, abbots, rulers, heavenly virgins, royal ladies, popes, dukes, and duchesses. St. Bernard was in every case enthusiastic in his introduction and lovely in his tone, notwithstanding when he was wildly safeguarding his confidence. He every now and again joined scriptural inferences in his composition. He likewise depended intensely on the confided in lessons of St. Ambrose and St. Augustine, two of his most loved church fathers. There is much truth and warmth to be found in the letters of St. Bernard” (Lawlor, 1920).

Contributions St. Bernard is the one who promoted “Memorare” prayer. He is well-known for his Marian devotion. St. Bernard, with 12 other monks established a monastery in the Diocese of Champagne. The monastery is known to be Clairvaux meaning The Valley of Light. He led as an abbot for the rest of his life. He became a widely known influential figure throughout Europe and was consulted and influenced by popes and political leaders. Benedict XVI quoted, “He was also remembered as a Doctor of Mariology, not because he wrote extensively on Our Lady, but because he understood her essential role in the Church, presenting her as the perfect model of the monastic life and of every other form of the Christian life.” On Aug. 20, the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a “Doctor of the Church” thanks to his writings and sermons which greatly influenced Europe during the 12th century, and his numerous efforts which helped to avoid a schism in the Church in 1130 (Catholic News Agency, 2016)

St. Scholastica

Life A catholic nun, well known as the twin sister of St. Benedict, St. Scholastica was born on 480 in Nursia, Italy. Raised in a noble household, Scholastica was devoted to her faith in God in during her earliest years as a youth. According to Pope Gregory the Great, he accounts that Benedict’s sister was “dedicated from her infancy to Our Lord.”As Benedict grew older, he left the household to study in the city of Rome, leaving Scholastica and her father to tend the Nursian estate, as her mother died while giving birth to Scholastica and Benedict. While tending the estate, Benedict meanwhile lived as a hermit and became the head of a community of monks. It is unknown how and when Scholastica became a nun, however accounts claim that when she heard news of her brother leading a community of monks, she decided to as well lead a community of nuns. It is speculated by biographers that the first members of her community were a group of pious virgins, and would later create a monastery in that area. The monastery that St. Scholastica built was only five miles apart from Monte Casino, the monastery of St. Benedict. According to Pope Gregory, the two siblings would meet every year and pray at a small house between the two holy communities. Unlike her brother, Scholastica was not a subject of formal biographies, which lessens any chance of how she accurately lived her life. The only known fact about Scholastica was their nobility status during birth and how the two had the same lifestyle. St. Benedict’s biographer recounted a story when the two had their last prayers together. After the two finished their yearly prayers, Scholastica begged her brother to stay with her in the house, Benedict refused. Scholastica then joined her hands together, laid them on the table and bowed her head to pray to the Lord. Then came a large storm, that neither Benedict nor his monks leave."Seeing that he could not return to his abbey because of such thunder and lightning and great abundance of rain," Pope Gregory wrote, "the man of God became sad and began to complain to his sister, saying, 'God forgive you, what have you done?'". "'I wanted you to stay, and you wouldn't listen,' she answered. ‘I have asked our good Lord, and He graciously granted my request, so if you can still depart, in God's name return to your monastery, and leave me here alone.'" Benedict had no choice but spend the rest of the night with his sister, having a conversation about spiritual matters, which included the Kingdom of Heaven, which she would soon depart. Three days after the incident, Scholastica died on 543. It is claimed that St. Benedict had a dream about Scholastica’s soul ascending to heaven. He rejoiced and praised God’s name. Benedict’s

monks then brought her body in the monastery and buried it at a grave that he marked himself as well. Not long after, St. Benedict died, buried alongside his sister (Catholic News Agency, n.d.).

Works & Contributions According to Catholic Online (n.d.), St. Scholastica established and led a monastery of nuns. St. Scholastica shared a deep bond with her twin brother. During her time she could only visited her brother once a year; although they were siblings, St. Scholastica was not allowed to enter Benedict’s monastery. She had also shown a deep connection to God which transcends a normal person’s connection at the time. The story of St. Benedict and St. Scholastica was included in the Dialogues written by St. Gregory the great, although not much was known of Scholastica as it was the only piece of historical document that had mention her. Yet, others were still inspired by St. Scholastica’s story despite her vague background. Her life told the story of ordinary people’s everyday struggle with life and also the balance and love they symbolize through compassion and having a stronger faith. Thus, through the usage of prayer and love it can lead us into salvation and we should use these principles to help those in need.

CHAPTER III

Conclusion As the lives, works and contributions of each saint were scrutinized, the researchers therefore conclude that the contributions of St. Benedict had influenced these people to pursue a life influenced by his teachings of prayer, work and peace. Despite living in different areas and time periods they all shared a common connection with the Benedictine monastery and had left their privilege life for one of humble service towards God. The Benedictine saints left their comfort zone to serve God in a more profound manner through their deep and intimate devotion. Most of them also help to propagate the Benedictine order and its teachings by either his/her written works or building monasteries devoted to the teachings of St. Benedict. The works and contributions of the Benedictine saints have influenced the teachings in the Ordo Sancti Benedicti; it sharpened the teachings of the religious order and the Catholic Church itself. Their devotion and contribution to the church guided them to live virtuous lives. In the end, the legacy that these people left behind stands as an example to generations to follow and for the youth to explore. It can also be deduced that the works and contributions of the Benedictine Saints are one of the foundations of the Benedictine Order teachings and principles, and of the Catholic Church itself. It strengthens various ideas in the bible, and of its gospels; which in the modern day, are being used in celebrating the holy mass. It is also being used in the sermons and reflections of the priests.

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