CHAPTER 9 FAITH EXPRESSED & LIVED

MONASTICISIM  MEANS: “ONE, ALONE”  INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT TO WHOLEHEARTEDLY FOLLOW CHRIST SEPARATED THEMSELVES FROM THE WORLD  THEY LIVED ALONE OR IN RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES

SAINT BENEDICT  BENEDICT FEARED FOR HIS SOUL AND HE FLED ROME AND ANSWERED GOD’S CALL TO A LIFE OF SERVITUDE  HE WENT INTO THE MOUNTAINS AND LIVED AS A HERMIT FOR YEARS AND CONCENTRATED ON PRAYING  MONKS CAME TO ASK BENEDICT TO LEAD THEM AND HE WARNED THEM HE WOULD BE TOO STRICT FOR THEM.  THE MONKS TRIED TO POISON HIM BECAUSE HE OF HIS STRICT RULES  HE ESTABLISH A MONASTARY IN A.D. 529 AT MONTE CASSINO IN SOUTHERN ITALY.

“THE RULE OF SAINT BENEDICT”  ONCE YOU ENTER A MONASTARY YOU MUST STAY THERE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.  ALL MONKS MUST TAKE TURNS WORKING IN THE KITCHENS AND WAITING AT TABLE  MONKS MUST REMAIN BUSY, EITHER WITH MANUAL WORK, OR IN STUDY & PRAYER  MONKS MUST REMAIN SILENT, UNLESS THEY HAVE TO SPEAK  THE ABBOT’S ORDERS MUST BE OBEYED WITHOUT ARGUMENT  EVERY MONK MUST TAKE A VOW OF CHASTITY  NO ONE SHOULD OWN ANYTHING  MONKS MUST PRAY TOGETHER 7 TIMES DAILY  AT EVERY MEAL THERE MUST BE A READING FROM SCRIPTURE

CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE MONASTERIES  SPIRITUALITY  MINISTERED TO THE SICK  EDUCATED  GAVE SHELTER TO TRAVELERS  HELPED STABILIZE THE ECONOMY BY CLEARING THE LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVED FARMING METHODS  THEY BECAME CENTERS OF CULTURE  COPYING SCRIPTURE & PRESERVING THE WRITINGS OF THE CHURCH FATHERS  ENHANCED THE LITURGY WITH CHANTS  TAUGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER  WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT IN LIFE- YOUR FAITH

ST. BENEDICT

GOD IS THE CENTER  ST. BENEDICT KNEW THAT OUR TRUE CALLING IS A LIFE CENTERED ON GOD, OUR CREATOR

ST. SCHOLASTICA  SISTER OF SAINT BENEDICT  STARTED A MONASTARY FOR NUNS NEAR MONTE CASSINO  FOLOWED THE BENEDICTINE RULE

LIVE IN THE LIGHT  THROUGHOUT THE SCRIPTURES, DARKNESS AND LIGHT ARE SYMBLS OF SIN AND GRACE  AS CHILDREN OF GOD, WE ARE TRULY CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT  WE RECEIVE GOD’S GRACE IN THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM AND WE CONTINUE TO RECEIVE HIS GRACE THROUGHOUT OUR LIVES

FAITH  FAITH IS A GIFT FROM GOD  WE NOURISH OUR FAITH BY PRAYERS AND BY STUDING THE WORD OF GOD AND THE CHURCH’S TEACHING AND THROUGH THE EUCHARIST  FAITH ALSO SHOWS ITSELF IN THE GOOD WORKS WE DO TO HELP OTHERS

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS HE BECAME A DOMINICAN FRIAR HIS FAMILY CAPTURED HIM AND TRIED TO CHANGE HIS MIND HE BECAME A GREAT TEACHER AND WRITER HE WROTE SUMMA THEOLOGIAE, A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS THAT BLENDED THE WORKS OF MANY PHILOSOPHERS WITH THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST HE CONSTRUCTED ANEW PHILOSOPHY PROVING THAT REASON AND FAITH COULD BE COMPLEMENTARY HE WAS NAMED A DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH IN HIS TEACHINGS AND WRITINGS GREATLY INFLUENCED THE UNDERSTANDING OF CATHOLIC DOCTRINE