The Feast of St Benedict | Tuesday 11 July 2023

Today is Tuesday the 11th of July, the feast of St Benedict, in the 14th week of Ordinary time.

Bifrost Arts sing, ‘Wisdom and Grace’ from Psalm 90. As we begin a time of prayer today, can I recall treasured moments I’ve had with Scripture over the years?


Teach us to number our days
That we may apply our hearts to Your ways
O! Teach us to number our days
With wisdom and grace, wisdom and grace.
Wisdom and grace, wisdom and grace
You've been our home and our dwelling
Our place in all generations.
Before the earth or the mountains were formed,
Lord, You were God.
Teach us to number our days
That we may apply our hearts to Your ways
O! Teach us to number our days
With wisdom and grace, wisdom and grace.
Wisdom and grace, wisdom and grace
Now the span of our lives,
It is made of sorrow and labour
As the days pass away like the grass
How soon we are gone.
Teach us to number our days
That we may apply our hearts to Your ways
O! Teach us to number our days
With wisdom and grace, wisdom and grace.
Wisdom and grace
Let the work of our hands bring you praise,
Set Your favour upon us.
O establish the work of our hands,
May Your kingdom come!
Teach us to number our days
That we may apply our hearts to Your ways
O! Teach us to number our days
With wisdom and grace, wisdom and grace.
Wisdom and grace, wisdom and grace

Today’s reading is from the Book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 2:1-9

My child, if you accept my words
and treasure up my commandments within you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
if you indeed cry out for insight,
and raise your voice for understanding;
if you seek it like silver,
and search for it as for hidden treasures—
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
For the LORD gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk blamelessly,
guarding the paths of justice
and preserving the way of his faithful ones.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path.

Today is the feast of St Benedict, founder of Western monasticism. Using scripture as his foundation, he wrote the Rule of St Benedict –the way of monastic life.


Benedict himself said that it was not his rule, it was his understanding of the power of God’s word in scripture.


Hear the invitation, and assurance, in today’s passage –
‘If you accept my words…’
Do I encounter scripture as my life’s work – a treasure?
‘If you incline your heart to understanding…’
Do I encounter scripture with my head or my heart? Or perhaps both?
‘If you cry out for insight…’
Do I have desire for Wisdom? Am I devoted to seeking Wisdom?

As I listen again, I consider my desire, and reflect on how I may further commit myself to seeking and embracing this gift from the Lord.


I spend time with the Lord, trusting him to lead me along ‘every good path’.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.