Life of St. Benedict, Part II

            On his way to Subiaco, Benedict encountered the monk Romanus who gave him the monastic habit.  On certain days, Romanus provided him with food that he lowered to Benedict’s cave with a long rope with a small bell attached to it.  Of this St. Gregory writes:  “The ancient enemy of mankind grew envious of the kindness shown by the older monk in supplying Benedict with food, and one day, as the bread was being lowered, he threw a stone at the bell and broke it.  Yet in spite of this, Romanus kept on with his faithful service.”  (Life and Miracles of St. Benedict (Book Two of the Dialogues) by Pope St. Gregory the Great, translated by Odo J. Zimmermann, OSB and Benedict R. Avery OSB, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, Pg. 5.)

The abbot died at a monastery in the locality and the monks turned to Benedict asking him to be their abbot.  Benedict, realizing that his way of life would not match theirs, tried to discourage them in their request.  They were persistent and so he acquiesced.  What Benedict realized from the outset eventually became apparent with the monks trying to poison him.  As St. Gregory shares, “As he made the sign of the Cross over it with his hand, the pitcher was shattered even though it was well beyond his reach at the time.  It broke at his blessing as if he had struck it with a stone.  Then he realized it had contained a deadly drink which could not bear the sign of life.  Still calm and undisturbed, he rose at once and after gathering the community together addressed them.  ‘May almighty God have mercy on you,’ he said.  ‘Why did you conspire to do this?  Did I not tell you at the outset that my way of life would never harmonize with yours?  Go and find yourselves an abbot to your liking.  It is impossible for me to stay here any longer.’  Then he went back to the wildness he loved."  (Life and Miracles of St. Benedict, pages 10-11.)