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This is Tom Shrewsbury with reflections for the Covenant Network. A number of years ago, following the death of John Paul ii, when the cardinals were voting for the new Pope, I happened to be at EWTN watching on their big screen as the white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel. And then later followed by the exciting words habemus popum. We have a Pope. Of course. Shortly we recognized Cardinal Ratzinger as he stepped onto the balcony with the announcement of his election as Pope. And then the announcement followed that he had selected the name Benedict xvi. Almost the first question that entered my mind was why did he select the name Benedict? And perhaps further, why had there been 15 previous benedicts? What reason did they have? What was so very special about this saint? Oh, I wasn't casting any aspersion on the new Pope's or any other Pope's Choice of St. Benedict. I guess the fact is that I really didn't know too much about him compared with a lot of other saints. And after some months and years I've finally been examining his life. I'm taking a fairly good look at it and believe me, it is fascinating. But it's also very complicated. And yet as you read about this great saint, it starts to become clear how his life is truly an example be followed. And though I don't presume to be an authority on the former Cardinal Ratzinger's thought process, from a purely personal standpoint, in my own mind I can see why St. Benedict would be an ideal standard or model for any Pope. When I say that it's complicated, it's because young Benedict was born in Nursea, Italy, way back in the year 480. That's more than 1500 years ago. That was before books as we know them and records were recorded by acquaintances or historians only to those who had achieved greatness. They're the only ones that have survived down through the generations. We learn a great deal about St. Benedict from another saint, St. Gregory, who while he didn't chronicle the day to day activities necessarily by date, did record a history of Benedict's achievements and the many miracles that were almost a day by day happening. Time only allows me to mention just a few, a very few, and to give you but an overview of his life and how it still affects us now more than 1500 years after his death. Benedict also had a twin sister named Scholastica, and they were the children of nobility raised in the comfort of the rich and powerful and consequently received the best of education of that era. Plus they were taught about God and his Church. As Benedict would approach his later teens, the exact ages in question, his father felt it was time for an even higher education for him. But there was a void in his life. A type of yearning or perhaps a calling. He was turned off, you might say, by the licentious lives his friends enjoyed. And he seemed to be led into a different direction. Perhaps not that clear to him at the time. But something was calling him. He would search for the meaning of his life elsewhere. He would leave Rome in search of his purpose on this planet. So he left and wandered through the countryside. As he traveled, he saw how miserable so many people lived and how many lived without God in their lives. And how many ignored God on a daily basis. Well, this began to trouble him. And it seems he wanted to right this wrong, to make up for their lack of faith. And then the solitude, the solution seemed clear to him. He had been taught about God. He had been taught about what was right and what had been taught about prayer. And the answer was so simple to him. Now he would become a hermit, where he could devote his life to serving God in prayer. And so he set out. Along the way, he met a monk and told him of his desire to live as a hermit and praise God for the monk's help. He found a cave where he could be alone. The monk promised to bring him food. And so in a place called Subiaco, Benedict became a hermit where he could pray for those people who did not pray for themselves. Benedict would live in that cave for possibly as long as three years. And during that time, many people would cross his path, and he would talk to them about God and teach them how to speak to him in prayer. And many of them were pagans with no idea of the real God in heaven. Well, as the days blended into weeks and the months into three years, more and more people sought out this hermit in the hills to learn more about this God of his. He would tell them of the lives of the saints, of people who dedicated their lives to God, people who took care of other people. And soon he became a kind of spiritual director, as well as a teacher of how man should live with his fellow man pleasing God. Quite surprising. He received word that his sister must have shared his thoughts because he learned that she had entered the convent. People would seek him out on a daily basis. And now there was a monastery nearby in which the abbot had died. And the monks, having heard about this holy man of Subiaco, came to see him, requesting that he become their leader, their abbot, because of his holiness. Well, after much reluctant soul Searching, he agreed. Their monastery was primitive and consisted of rooms joined together in a cave, and their shared attribute was poverty. But something seemed wrong to Benedict. There was no structure to their lives. They came and went at will. Oh, sure, they prayed when they felt like it. But Benedict saw there was no order, no real structure to their everyday lives. They prayed when they wanted to pray. There were no rules. Benedict knew that there had to be an effective leader, that in order to do all of these things that would be necessary, it would require order and rules to be followed. There had to be obedience. And as he started putting these things into place, there was resentment by a few, even though they were supposed to be religious. Several plotted to kill him by poison in a cup of wine. When the cup was given him, it mysteriously broke before he could take a sip. Whether someone told him what had happened or not, I don't know. But he knew of the plot and felt that he must return to the cave at Subiaco and where his return was enthusiastically received. His reason for going back was that he didn't want to be a distraction at the monastery. But back at Subiaco, it did not take long before the crowds again sought out the wise and kind hermit. More and more people who came to him also found God. He led them in worship and taught them how to help themselves by raising crops which not only provided themselves with food, but also food for the poor and the needy. He taught by example, and his fame once again was spreading. People who had never heard of Christ were now learning to love him. Benedict's fame was again spreading as more men joined him and were being taught. People were coming to Subiaco to learn. More and more would come as its fame began to spread. A Roman soldier of means even brought his two boys, Marus, who was 12, and Placidus, who was 7, to live there and to be taught by Benedict. This was not unusual because over the years, the words and efforts of Benedict were responsible for literally dozens of boys and men living, working and praying at the monasteries he helped create. As time passed, There were now 12 monasteries in the area, each presided by an abbot. And Benedict started to write the rules by which they would live as they served God to the best of their abilities. Time had passed too quickly. Benedict was now in his early 40s, and his unwanted fame was spreading. He was an inspiration, and even the young Placid, recognizing man's quest for power, position and possessions, would say of Benedict, he knows how to make people happy without fighting well, because of the respect he had earned in Working while at the same time glorifying God. Benedict taught the gospel of peace and that a person who serves God to the best of his ability cannot hate or fight with his neighbor. And we must remember that this was a radical time in history when often brother would fight brother and whole nations would battle their neighbors for more worldly positions, possessions and power. Or was that really much different than we have today? Well, then Benedict was visited again, this time by monks representing three of his monasteries that wanted to relocate because of the lack of the convenient accessibility of water. At present, the path to water was dangerous and over rocky cliffs and terrain. They asked permission and it was withheld. He would think about it and pray about it. Well, they had a point to reach water required treacherous conditions and dangerous. Benedict took young Placid with him to the mountaintop. Benedict knelt in prayer, and after a long period of time, Benedict raised himself from his knees. I imagine he was smiling as he placed three stones together on the ground where they knelt. And then I imagine Benedict looked upward toward God, smiling as he and the boy returned to his monastery. Of course, the next morning, the three monks representing the three different monasteries returned again seeking the abbot's permission to relocate. Again he refused, but this time it was different. He told them to return to their monasteries and then proceeded to this special area that was accessible. He told them to go there and look for three rocks placed together, symbolic of the three monasteries, and to dig at that spot and they would find a spring with enough clear water to serve the three monasteries without having to relocate. Well, of course, they did exactly as Benedict told them to do. And yes, they found the spring with the fresh water they needed. Well, as you can imagine, Benedict's fame as a miracle worker was becoming more noticed. Not long after the three stones incident, young Placid was working near the lake and stepped on a slippery stone, falling into the water which was way over his head. Now, about this very same time, his brother Morris was told by Benedict back at the monastery that his brother had just fallen into the lake and he was to rush to the water and save him. Well, Morris took off in a fast run and reached the water's edge in time to see Placid worn out from struggling and just about ready to drown. Well, the boy was far from shore. What was he to do? Morris headed for his brother, grabbing him and taking him to shore in the water. Wide eyed and incredulous, Morris said, I walked on the water. I actually walked on the water. But Placid said that it was not you. My brother who saved me. As I was about to drown, I looked up and I saw the cowl of the abbot's robe. It was Benedict who saved me. And Benedict would only say of the incident. Obedience, he said of Morris. He didn't ask me questions. He didn't stop to ask me. He simply obeyed and rushed to your aid. Morris looked at Benedict and said, but it was you who did it all. As I was rushing to help Placid, I ask you to pray for both of us. Well, both Morris and Placid would tell the story over and over again, illustrating what they had learned about the power of prayer and obedience. As time would pass, Morris eventually became an assistant to Benedict. Oh, but that was not the only evidence of Benedict's intervention into the what we would call miraculous. One of the brothers was a large and powerful man who had been converted by Benedict. In fact, he was a farmer barbarian and was always as eager to please as he was to offer prayers. He took great pride in his efforts with the scythe and how fast he could cut the wheat with wide, heavy swings. Well, one day, working by the lake, he was happy to serve God and proud again to be of help to Benedict. Today he would work even harder. And so his swings became even faster and heavier. But something unexpected happened. On one of the powerful swings, the metal blade end of the scythe flew off into the lake, where it disappeared from view. It was gone, lost in the water, deep in the water. Brother John was desolate. He felt he was responsible. It was because of his pride. Brother Morris soon appeared, and Brother John related what had happened and admitted total blame. Morris told him not to worry, that he was on his way to see Benedict at the time and would explain it to him. Well, he told him to pray and. And left to see the abbot. Well, after telling him, Benedict accompanied Morris to the lakeside, where Brother John started telling how it happened. Benedict shrugged and knelt to offer a prayer. Brother John's eyes were to become as large as the wooden plates of the day. There in the lake was the steel bar floating toward the men. Old Benedict leaned over with a wooden handle to catch the steel cutter, and it mysteriously attached or connected itself to the handle again. Benedict handed it back to Brother John and returned to the abbey. It was just another miraculous event in the life of a holy priest dedicated only to the service of God. Of course, that would be one more story added to the wonders of Benedict. Well, he would never take credit for anything, any of these wonderful happenings, always referring to the power of prayer and the power of God. In spite of his humility, more and more people were being introduced to God. Word of his achievements were now even widespread in Rome, where even more noblemen were bringing their sons to be educated in the schools he had started at Subiaco. He no longer had to recruit men to become monks. As the populace learned more about almighty God, Christ, and what we owe our fellow man, more and more powerful men were bringing their sons to be educated by the monks. As with anyone in the public eye, there are detractors who are resentful. Well, such was the case with Benedict. A so called religious by the name of Florentius was jealous. He told Victoria vicious lies about Benedict. He then tried to entice his monks to revolt against him. His goal was to destroy Subiaco. Blaming Benedict, Benedict could not stand to see the monks tempted. So after much prayer, he felt he was being called to leave Subiaco. But Florentius had a plan. He prepared a poisoned loaf of bread and gave it to Benedict at dinner. Benedict was spiritually made aware that the bread was poisoned. But what was he to do? Well, his problem was solved very quickly. A black raven appeared, grasped the bread in its talons and flew off, leaving it where it would do no harm. When the bird returned, Benedict simply gave him a tasty morsel as a reward. But rather than create an ugly scene with Florentius, Benedict chose to move his work somewhere else. After all, he had been at Subiaco now for about 30 years. He had accomplished much, but there were always new pastures to be cultivated for God's garden. Benedict, now about 47 years old, although the exact ages and dates have become somewhat clouded over time. He thought for a while of becoming a hermit again. But he realized how religious living and working together to spread God's word were perhaps more valuable than being a solitary hermit. So he and a few followers, including Placido, made their way to a new destination where they could set up camp, so to speak. There were other Christians in the area practicing their faith in primitive ways without any structure. So Benedict went ahead to spend time in prayer on the mountain close to the little town, leaving Placido to instruct them how they best could serve God. When questioned about their leader, Placido explained he was on the mountaintop praying to God for guidance. Very soon, others wanted to join in this worship. On the mountaintop, it was known as Monte Cassino. Whereas he claimed the monks would find few worldly distractions. The monks would wear simple habits and woolen tunics, belted and reaching to Their ankles, and with a cowl that could cover their heads when it rained, they seemed somewhat similar, but plainer than the uniforms worn by the old Roman soldiers. As providence would often provide blessings to Benedict. There was a good bit of land on Mount Cassino, and it was owned by Placido's father, who, at the request of his son, donated the land to Benedict for his monastery. Isn't it strange how God seems to provide. Well, the monastery was built, and the pagan customs of the territory were being replaced by Christian worship taught by Benedict and his monks. Prayer and work produces miracles when man and God work together. Monte Cassino was fast becoming a center of miraculous learning and countless conversions. Benedict was bringing God to the people, and they responded. And the days that followed seemed to be filled with miraculous events that proved the powers of God to the pagans who previously worshipped idols. And as the years passed, the holy charisma that was Benedict's made Monte Cassino an even bigger and more impressive monastery than at Subiaco. It was filled with men responding to God's call through Benedict. And another monastery was formed at Terracina. And it, too, was prospering under the tutelage of a holy monk named Benedict, who shunned any credit for these amazing results and reminded a humble servant in the army of God. And he was embarrassed by his fame. In addition to his teaching, Benedict was. Well, he was very busy improving the rule for the monks. And possibly one of the most important ingredients that he was writing was that of humility. We could do a whole program on the subject of his rules that are still in place today. And someday, perhaps we will. They consisted of 73 short chapters, preceded by an introduction. Perhaps another of his most important rules concerned peace. The monks were to be at peace with themselves as well as each other. Wouldn't that world be a better place today if we followed his rule? And so the years passed at the monastery on the mountain in a holy place called Monte Cassino. And Benedict rarely left the mountain, except possibly once a year, when he would meet with his sister Scholastica, who, of course, was a nun and who also would one day be canonized a saint. But as usual, that's another story for another day. During the years at Monte Cassino, there was another war going on in Italy. The people were being taxed to pay for the war, and whole families were being lost. But somehow, Monte Cassino was like a bit of heaven and in a troubled world. And Benedict continued to pray for the monastery's survival. And his prayers were heard because it became as A heaven's island in a stormy ocean where there was peace. Crippled children received the care they needed. Families received the help they sought. And the island of peace became a home for those with no home. Those who were troubled and. And those seeking God would find Benedict there. Benedict was growing old. His sister had died. The nuns had sent word of her passing, but that message was really not needed. You see, Benedict had known of her death. Once more, God had provided him with a vision. As she passed away in her convent, Benedict had seen her soul fly to heaven. And as a dove to the sky, he arranged for her body to be brought to Monte Cassino for burial. And one day, not too far in the future, he knew that he, too would rest beside her. As his days were coming to an end, he told his monks to be prepared, because in the future, the monastery would be destroyed. The monks were horrified and asked if it would ever be rebuilt. And he quietly told him that it would indeed be rebuilt and it would last until the end of time. On the 21st day of March in the year 5 47, Benedict knew that his time had come. He asked several of the monks to assist him to the altar where he could receive communion for the very last time. After receiving communion, he raised his arms to heaven and commenced his journey home to be with God forever. As Benedict's mortal remains would be placed alongside his beloved sister Scholastica, his predictions, too were correct. Hordes of pagans would one day descend on Italy and would destroy Monte Cassino, burning everything to the ground. But it would be rebuilt as he had said. However, sadness would prevail because they could not find any trace of where Scholastica and Benedict rested side by side. But Monte Cassino lived on, was rebuilt, and countless men and boys eventually returned. And Monte Cassina again shone in greatness and glory to God. And in the year 673, boundless joy echoed throughout Monte Cassino. The bodies of Scholastica and Benedict had been found. And During World War II, the bombs again destroyed Monte Cassino. But true to the words of Benedict, it has been rebuilt. And if you pass near the towering mountain today, in the distance, high on the mountains closer to heaven, you can still see the beauty of Monte Cassino. See, Benedict had a vision of the future where he would see the trials that would one day plague the entire world. In this vision, he could hear the marching footsteps of military might. And then he saw the battlefields covered with blood while children were left orphans and widows. SOBS he saw people in high places putting their own interests and agendas first and apart from what the world needed. He saw the need that could be summed up in one word, and that word was peace. His entire life was a message of peace and brotherhood in the service of God. Well, after reading all of this, I understood in my own mind why Joseph Ratzinger chose Benedict as his name. And I see clearer what we all need to do. Find that peace within ourselves. This is Tom Shrewsbury with reflections for the Covenant Network.