Thursday, July 11 : Venerable Pius XII

During a dark and turbulent age, when agriculture, honorable crafts, the study of the fine arts profane and divine were little esteemed and shamefully neglected by nearly all, there arose in Benedictine monasteries an almost countless multitude of farmers, craftsmen and learned people who did their utmost to conserve the memorials of ancient learning and brought back nations both old and new – often at war with each other – to peace, harmony and earnest work. From renascent barbarism, from destruction and ruin they happily led them back to benign influence human and Christian, to patient labor, to the light of truth, to a civilization renewed in wisdom and charity. Nor was that all. It is essential in the Benedictine way of life that while engaged in manual or intellectual pursuits, all should strive continually to lift their hearts to Christ having that as their chief concern, and to burn with perfect love of Him. For the things of the earth or of the whole world cannot satisfy the mind of man which God created for Himself; rather their function given them by their Creator is to move and lift us by gradual steps to the possession of God. Therefore, it is most necessary “to prefer nothing to the love of Christ”; “to count nothing more dear to them than Christ”;[35] “let them prefer nothing whatever to Christ and may He bring us to life everlasting”. To this most ardent love of the Divine Redeemer there should correspond love of the neighbor. We ought to cherish all as our brethren and help them in every way. Hence while people plan and foment hate and treachery against each other, while robbery, slaughter and innumerable hardships and miseries are increasing in this violent upheaval of nations and institutions, Benedict proclaims these most holy precepts to his followers: “Let special care be taken in receiving the poor and travelers, because in them Christ is more surely received”. “Let all guests who come to the monastery be entertained like Christ Himself, because He will say ‘I was a stranger and you took me in’.” “Before all things and above all things, special care must be taken of the sick, so that they be served in very deed as Christ Himself for He saith ‘I was sick and you visited Me’.”

Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team