St. Benedict of Nursia
Today, we celebrate our patron saint, St. Benedict of Nursia, abbot, confessor, and namesake of our beloved parish! Most of what we know about St. Benedict is contained in a biography by St. Gregory the Great in 593 AD. Benedict was born around 480 in a town in central Italy called Nursia. He is known as the Father of Western Monasticism and for his Rule of St. Benedict, composed in 540 AD to order the monastic communities he founded at Subiaco. If I summarized Benedict's life with just two words, I would choose 'courage' and 'determination.' Courage, because he bravely fled from temptation, wickedness, and all unrighteousness. And determination because he steadfastly ran after virtue, righteousness, and holiness. You see, he courageously fled from sin and determinedly pursued the Lord Jesus Christ. St. Gregory begins his biography of Benedict by writing,
"There was a man of venerable life, Benedict by name and grace, who from his childhood carried the heart of an old man. His demeanor indeed surpassing his age, he gave himself no disport or pleasure, but living here upon earth, he despised the world with all its glory at such time as he might have most freely enjoyed it. As a young boy, he was sent to Rome to study the liberal sciences. But when he saw there many through the uneven paths of vice run headlong to their own ruin, he drew back his foot, but new-set in the world, lest, in search of human knowledge, he might also fall into the same dangerous precipice. Despising therefore learning and studies and abandoning his father's house and goods, he desired only to please God in a virtuous life."
As a young man, Benedict, whose name means "blessed," found himself at a serious crossroads. Would he dwell amidst a city of the ungodly or flee Rome in pursuit of Christ, to seek his face and to walk in his ways? Would Benedict be the "blessed man" in today's Psalm, or comport with the wicked whose end is Judgment and death? Would he choose the way of the righteous or the wicked? This very same choice is put to all people, for there are only two ways set before us: the way of life and the way of death.
"Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful." Here, we see the godly conduct of the blessed one, illustrated by the psalmist in three negative commands: not walking in the counsel of the ungodly, not standing in the way of sinners, and not sitting in the seat of the scornful. My friends, sin is a downward regression moving from HIGH to LOW, from walking upright to sitting. It is a downward spiral that, if not repented of, will take you down into the dirt. By using the sequential imagery of walking, standing, and sitting, the psalmist masterfully portrays the deadly progression from relatively casual association with the wicked to complete identification with them. Notice the gradual way in which a person grows hardened in sin.
First, they walk in the counsel of the ungodly, allowing their evil advice to impact and determine their behavior. They walk away from the counsel of the godly, depart from God, and rely on themselves instead. They depart from the Fountain of Wisdom and lap up advice from sources of iniquity. Trinity Tide, which emphasizes spiritual maturation and health, is a good time to reflect upon our counselors. Whose voice is in our head? What authorities are we being influenced or led by? Is Christ the primary word being spoken to our hearts, or has it been displaced by the ramblings of fools?
Second, the person heading toward destruction stands in the way of sinners as opposed to the Way of Life, which is to follow Christ. "The way" here refers to the lifestyle of sinners. To "stand in the pathway of/with sinners" means to closely associate with them in their sinful behavior, to take their ungodly counsel and put into action through foolish and sinful behavior. Still, it's more than just momentary slip-ups, but the Christian who willfully imitates the lifestyle of the ungodly.
Lastly, a person can choose to sit in the seat of the scornful. This is when we throw in our lot and portion with arrogant and prideful people who, proverbs say, reject wisdom and abhor godly correction. Scorners know everything, and no one can tell them what to do! They simply will not listen to the godly advice of parents, teachers, and all who love them, and of course, they refuse the wisdom of Christ, who loved them to the point of death. We would all do well to search our hearts this morning, asking the Spirit to reveal where areas of pride and self-rule lurk within, repent, and seek humility, because pride kills.
Humility must lead us to pray as sons and daughters of God for grace to "receive God's words and hide his commandments within us; to incline our ear unto wisdom and apply understanding to our hearts" (Prov 2:1-2). For if we are unwilling to flee wickedness and hear the word, humble ourselves, and pursue Christ, then surely, we will become as the ungodly, those who forget God; we will be as the wicked who commit open and grievous sins; and live foolishly as the scornful who boast themselves in their wickedness and ridicule that which is good. Such is the way of death.
So let us make the better choice as Benedict did, who ran from sin and pursued holiness. And this path led him to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. In Christ, Benedict found the blessed life because he found Jesus, who is the blessed man. Consider our Lord. He was frequently offered the counsel of the ungodly. And yet he remained steadfast like a tree planted by streams of water. The way of sinners was set before our Lord, yet he never wavered but warned others to "Enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide, and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter by it." Before the scorners’ seat, He stood and testified that he had come into the world to bear witness to the truth.
And when our Lord did sit, it was in the seat of teaching, instructing his disciples and the multitudes as he did in the Sermon on the Mount. He sat in the seat of love, as when He made himself known to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus in the breaking of bread. And finally, He will sit in the seat of Judgment on that day when He shall come in the glory of the Father and the holy Angels and reverse every injustice. Beloved, I tell you, if you desire to be named among the blessed, stand firm on Christ and withstand temptation as your Master did, for it is written, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation."
And when you have withstood the trial, remember to return the blessing to the Lord, who carries us through temptations and protects us from sin. "Blessed be the Name of His Majesty forever. For he keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of the saints" (Prov 2:8). As St. Benedict fled Rome, we must flee the interior and outward city of sexual immorality (1 Cor 6:18), from idolatry and youthful passions, and courageously pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace (2 Tim 2:22). To do this, we must submit our will to the will of the Master.
In chapter seven of Benedict's Rule, he writes, "The second step of humility is that a man loves not his own will nor takes pleasure in the satisfaction of his desires; rather he shall imitate by his actions that saying of the Lord: I have come not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me (John 6:38). Similarly, we read, "Consent merits punishment; constraint wins a crown." Let us not consent to do those things we know to be wrong: this is the way of death. Rather, let us flee from sin and pursue God. This is the way of life, the way of St. Benedict, and the way of blessing because it is the way of that blessed man, Jesus Christ. Amen+
