Life of Our Most Holy Father St. Benedict
by Gregory the Great
Summary
Written by 6th century Pope St. Gregory I,
this text is one of the only ancient accounts of St.
Benedict's life and work. St. Gregory first introduces the life of
Benedict with information about his birthplace in Italy, his parentage,
and his primary education. St. Gregory tells us that at an early age,
St. Benedict abandoned all worldly cares to seek a life of close union
with God. In his adulthood, St. Benedict built twelve monasteries and
was believed to have performed numerous miracles. St. Benedict is
largely known for his book The Rule of St. Benedict, a collection
of
spiritual and administrative instructions for monks--as a result of this
achievement, St. Benedict is often recognized as the founder of Western
monasticism. The second half of St. Gregory's text is the reproduction
of St. Benedict's seventy-three chapter Rule. Although St. Gregory never
engaged with St. Benedict himself, he was able to craft this
illuminating portrait of St. Benedict's life by consulting several of
St. Benedict's close disciples and
successors.
Emmalon Davis
CCEL Staff Writer
Emmalon Davis
CCEL Staff Writer
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