Benedict of Nursia

This Saint, whose name means "blessed," was born in 480 in Nursia, a small town about seventy miles northeast of Rome. He struggled in asceticism from his youth in deserted regions, where his example drew many who desired to emulate him. Hence, he ascended Mount Cassino in Campania and built a monastery there. The Rule that he gave his monks, which was inspired by the writings of Saint John Cassian, Saint Basil the Great, and other Fathers, became a pattern for monasticism in the West; because of this, he is often called the first teacher of monks in the West. He reposed in 547.

On Faith and Works

Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Matthew 15:21-28 KJV
http://bible.com/1/mat.15.21-28.KJV

I find these verses slightly reassuring and also very relevant to our times today.

In this passage from today's daily reading we see that this Canaanite woman comes to Jesus because her daughter was being vexed by a demon. At first Jesus simply ignores her, but through her faith she keeps asking for His help. Finally, even after telling her that He was here for only the lost sheep of Israel, Jesus helps the woman and saves her daughter.

The Rule of Saint Benedict: Chapter 20

This is the last chapter that deals with formal prayers. And while this chapter is short, I think it is a little profound what Saint Benedict writes for us to read. 

The Rule of Saint Benedict: Chapter 19

This next chapter is back to being short again. After this chapter, we have one more that deals with prayers and things, then things go more into life and governance of the monastery. This chapter talks about the discipline of Psalmody.

The Rule of Saint Benedict: Chapter 18

This next chapter is not as short as the other ones that we have recently had. This chapter is a little lengthy, but it is not that long. Believe it or not, but I actually enjoy typing out the longer chapters; it makes me feel like I've worked at the blog post.

The Nativity Fast

Today, the 15th of November, the Orthodox Church starts the Nativity Fast. This fast will last for 40 days. Some people may call this fasting period Advent, which is slightly shorter in the West. During this fasting season falls such feasts as the Presentation of the Theotokos, and Saint Nicholas Day- when Orthodox traditionally gave gifts.

The Rule of Saint Benedict: Chapter 17

I apologize for missing two days of updates. My wife and I have been very tired as of late, so when my day is done I usually go straight to bed. Anyway, we continue on where we left off, explaining how the prayers of the Hours should be practiced.