St. Benedict was a blessed man with many powerful gifts that helped him influence a great number of people during his time. Pope Gregory the Great shows us how St. Benedict left a big impact in the Catholic Church during the sixth century. He changed many people’s lives with his foresight and wisdom; he epically changed the lives of the people that live in his communities. St. Benedict showed sympathy for the people of his communities, he showed them that God’s way is a way of being modest to all people.
St. Benedict showed the people of his communities to follow Jesus Christ and his values; he showed them that love and true compassion is the real way of God and Jesus Christ. These interests and values of God is especially apparent in the story that Pope Gregory the Great tells of St. Benedict being asked to leave a community by a near by priest of a church. “Then one Florentius, priest of a near-by church, and grandfather to Florentius our subdeacon, possess with diabolical malice, began to envy the holy man’s virtues, to criticize his manner of living and to prevent as many as he could from going to visit him” (Herlihy p.68). The priest named Florentius started to envy St. Benedict, and the envy became so bad that the priest sent a poisoned loaf of bread to him. This did not work, and after his failed attempt the priest envy of St. Benedict increased even more. After the threats are made at St. Benedict and his monks, Benedict takes the high road and decides to leave the community and move on to a new place. After Benedict left, one of his disciples excitedly came to visit and inform him of Florentius (the priest) death. St. Benedict though, was not excited at this news that Florentius died and he was very upset that one of his monks was excited at this news. As Gregory says, “When Benedict heard this he was exceedingly sorrowful, and lamented much, both because his enemy died in such a fashion, and also because one of his monks rejoiced at it” (Herlihy... [continues]
St. Benedict showed the people of his communities to follow Jesus Christ and his values; he showed them that love and true compassion is the real way of God and Jesus Christ. These interests and values of God is especially apparent in the story that Pope Gregory the Great tells of St. Benedict being asked to leave a community by a near by priest of a church. “Then one Florentius, priest of a near-by church, and grandfather to Florentius our subdeacon, possess with diabolical malice, began to envy the holy man’s virtues, to criticize his manner of living and to prevent as many as he could from going to visit him” (Herlihy p.68). The priest named Florentius started to envy St. Benedict, and the envy became so bad that the priest sent a poisoned loaf of bread to him. This did not work, and after his failed attempt the priest envy of St. Benedict increased even more. After the threats are made at St. Benedict and his monks, Benedict takes the high road and decides to leave the community and move on to a new place. After Benedict left, one of his disciples excitedly came to visit and inform him of Florentius (the priest) death. St. Benedict though, was not excited at this news that Florentius died and he was very upset that one of his monks was excited at this news. As Gregory says, “When Benedict heard this he was exceedingly sorrowful, and lamented much, both because his enemy died in such a fashion, and also because one of his monks rejoiced at it” (Herlihy... [continues]
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