10/17/13- Praying with Early Medieval Christians

A Month in Prayer

Praying the Prayers of the Church throughout the Ages

               October 17

Benedict (480-c.550)

Gracious and Holy Father,
please give me:
intellect to understand you;
reason to discern you;
diligence to seek you;
wisdom to find you;
a spirit to know you;
a heart to meditate upon you;
ears to hear you;
eyes to see you;
a tongue to proclaim you;
a way of life pleasing to you;
patience to wait for you;
and perseverance to look for you.

Grant me:
a perfect end,
your holy presence.
A blessed resurrection,                                                                                            Benedict
And life everlasting.

Benedict (480-c.550) was an Italian monk who founded monasteries.  His main achievement was writing the "Rule of Saint Benedict" which offered a plan for monastic living. The Rule contains both spiritual instruction (how to live a Christocentric life on earth) and administrative (how to run a monastery efficiently. Through his rule Benedict contributed more than anyone else to the rise of monasticism in the West by authoring the foundational document for thousands of religious communities in the Middle Ages, and is thereby known as the founder of Western Monasticism. To this day, The Rule of St. Benedict remains the most common and influential Rule used by monasteries and monks.  Benedict was the son of a Roman noble who became a hermit. For three years he lived in this cave.  During these years of solitude, he matured in his faith and gained respect. On the death of their abbot a nearby monastery begged Benedict to become their abbot. He declined because "their manners were diverse from his and therefore that they would never agree together: yet, at length, overcome with their entreaty, he gave his consent.” It was such a disaster that the monks tried to poison him. The legend says that they first tried to poison his drink, but he blessed the cup and it shattered. Then the monks tried to poison him with bread, but when he blessed the bread, a raven swept in and took the loaf away. So Benedict returned to his cave. Benedict’s name means “blessed” and the patron saint for Roman Catholics and Anglicans of Europe and students.

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Columba and the Picts                                        Some from LMPC at Iona- Columba's headquarters

Columba (c.521-597)

Let me bless almighty God,
whose power extends over sea and land,
whose angels watch over all.

Let me study sacred books to calm my soul:
I pray for peace,
kneeling at heaven's gates.

Let me do my daily work,
gathering seaweed, catching fish,
giving food to the poor.

Let me say my daily prayers,
sometimes chanting, sometimes quiet,
always thanking God.

Delightful it is to live
on a peaceful isle, in a quiet cell,
serving the King of kings.

Columba (c.521-597) was an Irish abbot, scholar, transcriptionist, and missionary credited with spreading Christianity in present-day Scotland.  He founded the important abbey on Iona, the only center of literacy in Scotland at the time and a school for missionaries, and it is a center of Celtic spirituality today.  Tradition asserts that while serving a monastery that was at the center of learning in Ireland he quarreled with its leader Finnian.  The argument was over whether Columba could keep a copy of the Psalter which he has transcribed. The dispute led to the Battle of Cúl Dreimhne during which many men were killed. Columba was allowed to go into exile instead being excommunicated. His conscience was uneasy over the deaths of so many men, and on the advice of an aged hermit, Molaise, he resolved to win for Christ as many souls as had perished in the battle.  His reputation as a holy man led to his role as a diplomat among the tribes of Scotland. Columba was a renowned man of letters, having written several hymns and being credited with having transcribed 300 books. There are also many stories of miracles which Columba performed to convert the Scots, the most famous being an encounter with the Loch Ness Monster. Columba banished a ferocious "water beast" to the depths of the River Ness after it had killed a man and then tried to attack one of Columba's disciples 

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Bede (c.675-735)


Good Jesus,
as you have graciously
allowed me here to drink
in the sweetness of your word,
so at the last, I pray,
you will bring me into your presence,
that I may listen to your voice
which is the source of all wisdom,
and watch your face forever.

Bede (c.675-735) The Venerable Bede was an English monk, author, linguist, translator, and scholar. Bede wrote scientific, historical and theological works reflecting the range of his writings from music and metrics to exegetical Scripture commentaries and homilies.  He completing over 60 books enjoyed music, and was an accomplished singer and reciter of poetry.  His work, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People, earned him the title "The Father of English History.” His name Bede probably derives from the Old English bēd which means prayer. At the age of seven, he was sent to the monastery for his education and ordained at a young age.  At the time of his death he was working on a translation of the Gospel of St. John into English.