Here is a Benedictine saint who appears in the Benedictine and Ignatius scramble.
When I was young, I could have had a motto, “Play and Shirk.” I don’t think I knew the word shirk but it means get out of work and I did a lot of that. When I was considering who to choose for my confirmation saint, I thought I should choose someone who would help me get rid of my faults.
St. Benedict had a motto, “Pray and Work”. Benedict spent his life teaching people how to pray and work. I thought that probably I could learn a lot from him. And I did. I still play but I try not to shirk. So today I say, “Thank you, St. Benedict! Happy Feast Day!”
St. Benedict on praying and working
- Our prayer should be short and pure, unless by some inspiration of divine grace it be prolonged.
- Let the weaker brethren, however, have help that they may not do their work in sadness.
- Idleness is an enemy of the soul. Because this is so, the brethren ought to be occupied at specified times in manual work.
- The brethren are so to serve each other that no one be excused from the work of the kitchen unless on the score of health, or because he is occupied in some matter of great utility, for thence great reward is obtained.