This is just a heads-up to announce another days-long project for this blog. I am going to start a 12 day long meditation on St. Benedict’s “12 Step Ladder of Humility”. I think I mentioned this back in my first post in January 2007 as something I was going to do, and well, it’s better late than never. 🙂
Who was St. Benedict? The Online Guide to St. Benedict has an excellent biography of him, as well as a lot of useful resources on his life.
He was born about the year 480, and died around 547. His feast day is July 11, and that factors into why I’m starting this project about now. But more on that later.
He wrote a “Rule”, a sort of governing document for monasteries and the lives of the monks living in them. Many people who are not monks also study and live by this Rule as it is an excellent guide to living the Gospel. It was this Rule of St. Benedict that earned him the titles of “the Patriarch of Western Monasticism” and “Co-Patron of Europe”. Most monastic rules are influenced by his Rule.
Anyway, as stated earlier, his feast day is July 11th. I will begin this series on St. Benedict’s 12 Step Ladder of Humility on June 30, so one step per day will take us to his feast day. It is not a novena, nor another prayer, just a series of meditations.
The only similarity between St. Benedict’s 12 Step Ladder of Humility and the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous is the number “12” and the word “Step”. Well, there is the “humility” factor, too.
Anyway, visit the Online Guide mentioned above. His religious Order, the Order of St. Benedict has a great online directory and guide.
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I struggle with the subject of humility so will be looking forward to your posts.There is a fine line between true humility and false humility and I think this is something that recovering addicts have a hard time wrapping themselves around.
Dear PaulThank you for your comments on the Rule of Saint Benedict. It is good to know that you find such light and help in it.Abbot Mark Hargreaves o.s.b.Prinknash Abbey, Gloucester, EnglandGL4 8EXwww.prinknashabbey.org
Adrienne: yes, me too re: true vs false humility.Father Hargreaves: Thank you for your comment! I appreciate that an Abbot noticed my little post. Incidentally, I am discerning becoming a Benedictine Oblate.