CHAPTER 9

FAITH EXPRESSED & LIVED

CHARLEMAGNE POPE LEO III ASKED CHARLEMAGNE

(KING OF THE FRANKS) TO HELP WITH BARBARIAN ATTACKS.

HE TURNED BACK THE ATTACKERS AND UNITED MOST OF WESTERN EUROPE

ON CHRISTMAS, A.D.800 POPE LEO CROWNED CHARLEMAGNE THE KING OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

POPE GREGORY THE GREAT

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=54

MONASTICISIM

MEANS: “ONE, ALONE” INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT TO

WHOLEHEARTEDLY FOLLOW CHRIST SEPARATED THEMSELVES FROM THE WORLD

THEY LIVED ALONE OR IN RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES

SAINT BENEDICT BENEDICT FEARED FOR HIS SOUL AND HE FLED ROME

AND ANSWERED GOD’S CALL TO A LIFE OF SERVITUDE HE WENT INTO THE MOUNTAINS AND LIVED AS A

HERMIT FOR YEARS AND CONCENTRATED ON PRAYING

MONKS CAME TO ASK BENEDICT TO LEAD THEM AND HE WARNED THEM HE WOULD BE TOO STRICT FOR THEM.

THE MONKS TRIED TO POISON HIM BECAUSE HE OF HIS STRICT RULES

HE ESTABLISH A MONASTARY IN A.D. 529 AT MONTE CASSINO IN SOUTHERN ITALY.

“THE RULE OF SAINT BENEDICT” ONCE YOU ENTER A MONASTARY YOU MUST STAY THERE

FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. ALL MONKS MUST TAKE TURNS WORKING IN THE KITCHENS

AND WAITING AT TABLE MONKS MUST REMAIN BUSY, EITHER WITH MANUAL WORK,

OR IN STUDY & PRAYER MONKS MUST REMAIN SILENT, UNLESS THEY HAVE TO

SPEAK THE ABBOT’S ORDERS MUST BE OBEYED WITHOUT

ARGUMENT EVERY MONK MUST TAKE A VOW OF CHASTITY NO ONE SHOULD OWN ANYTHING MONKS MUST PRAY TOGETHER 7 TIMES DAILY AT EVERY MEAL THERE MUST BE A READING FROM

SCRIPTURE

CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE MONASTERIES

SPIRITUALITY MINISTERED TO THE SICK EDUCATED GAVE SHELTER TO TRAVELERS HELPED STABILIZE THE ECONOMY BY CLEARING THE LAND

FOR DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVED FARMING METHODS THEY BECAME CENTERS OF CULTURE COPYING SCRIPTURE & PRESERVING THE WRITINGS OF THE

CHURCH FATHERS ENHANCED THE LITURGY WITH CHANTS TAUGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT IN LIFE- YOUR FAITH

ST. BENEDICT

GOD IS THE CENTER

ST. BENEDICT KNEW THAT OUR TRUE CALLING IS A LIFE CENTERED ON GOD, OUR CREATOR

ST. SCHOLASTICA

SISTER OF SAINT BENEDICT STARTED A MONASTARY FOR NUNS

NEAR MONTE CASSINO FOLOWED THE BENEDICTINE RULE

LIVE IN THE LIGHT THROUGHOUT THE SCRIPTURES,

DARKNESS AND LIGHT ARE SYMBLS OF SIN AND GRACE

AS CHILDREN OF GOD, WE ARE TRULY CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT

WE RECEIVE GOD’S GRACE IN THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM AND WE CONTINUE TO RECEIVE HIS GRACE THROUGHOUT OUR LIVES

FAITH FAITH IS A GIFT FROM GOD WE NOURISH OUR FAITH BY PRAYERS

AND BY STUDING THE WORD OF GOD AND THE CHURCH’S TEACHING AND THROUGH THE EUCHARIST

FAITH ALSO SHOWS ITSELF IN THE GOOD WORKS WE DO TO HELP OTHERS

ST. THOMAS AQUINASHE BECAME A DOMINICAN FRIARHIS FAMILY CAPTURED HIM AND TRIED TO CHANGE HIS

MINDHE BECAME A GREAT TEACHER AND WRITERHE WROTE SUMMA THEOLOGIAE, A COLLECTION OF

ESSAYS THAT BLENDED THE WORKS OF MANY PHILOSOPHERS WITH THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST

HE CONSTRUCTED ANEW PHILOSOPHY PROVING THAT REASON AND FAITH COULD BE COMPLEMENTARY

HE WAS NAMED A DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH IN 1567.HIS TEACHINGS AND WRITINGS GREATLY INFLUENCED

THE UNDERSTANDING OF CATHOLIC DOCTRINE