Benedictines provide an 'oasis' of silence, Pope Francis says

Vatican City, Apr 19, 2018 / 08:42 am

Speaking to members of Benedictine communities in Rome Thursday, Pope Francis said the religious order provides a space for quiet and prayer in an otherwise rushed world, helping people to put God at the center of their lives.

"In this age, when people are so busy that they do not have enough time to listen to God's voice, your monasteries and convents become like oases, where men and women of all ages, backgrounds, cultures and religions can discover the beauty of silence," the pope said April 19.

At monasteries people can rediscover themselves, "in harmony with creation, allowing God to restore a proper order in their lives."

Pope Francis met with around 400 members of the Benedictine Confederation, a union of monastic congregations and the international governing body of the Order of Saint Benedict, for the 125th anniversary of its establishment by Leo XIII in 1893.

Francis said the reason St. Benedict is called "a luminous star," in the words of St. Gregory the Great, is that in his time, "marked by a profound crisis of values and institutions," he was able to discern "between the essential and the secondary in the spiritual life, placing the Lord firmly at the center."

In the midst of Easter, he pointed out that there are some aspects of the liturgical season that are part of the everyday life of Benedictines, such as "the announcement and the surprise, the prompt response, and the heart willing to receive the gifts of God."

"Saint Benedict asks you in his Rule to 'put absolutely nothing before Christ', so that you will always be vigilant, today, ready to listen to him and follow him meekly," he stated, noting that one of the ways they do this is through their attention to liturgy.

"Your love for the liturgy, as a fundamental work of God in monastic life, is essential above all for yourselves, allowing you to be in the living presence of the Lord; and it is precious for the whole Church," he said.

The pope also referred to the Benedictine motto of "Ora et labora et lege," which is realized, first, in their prayer and their meditation on the Word of God through lectio divina, he said. By first listening to God's voice in prayer, they can also live out constant and joyful obedience.

"Prayer generates in our hearts, willing to receive the amazing gifts that God is always ready to give us, a spirit of renewed fervor that leads us, through our daily work, to seek the sharing of the gifts of God's wisdom with others," he continued.

He praised, in particular, the work Benedictines do within their communities, for people who visit their monasteries or convents searching for God, and for those who study in Benedictine-run schools and universities.

"The Benedictines are known to be 'a school of the service of the Lord,'" he said. "I urge you to give the students, together with the necessary concepts and knowledge, the tools so that they can grow in the wisdom that drives them to continually seek God in their lives."