Benedictine Sisters and Brothers of Ray Of Hope Church
updated 7/8/2023
Another wonderful gift of God to Ray Of Hope Church is the option of living as
a Professed Sister, or a Professed Brother in the Religious Life of your
choice. Currently we have Br. Benedict who publically professed the three
Benedictine Solemn Vows of Obedience, Stability, and Conversion Of Life on June
15 of 1996. Notice we do not require any vow that restricts one's sexual
life. We firmly believe that each person
is called by God to fully live out the sexual orientation and gender expression
God has given them. Therefore, we expect
some of our future Benedictines might be married to persons of any gender, some
might remain single and celibate, and some might remain single and not celibate
but sexually active according to their orientation. The vows we require are all encompassing and
provide a strong scaffold on which to build a healthy life of service in the
church.
St. Benedict guided the church toward a great devotion for the worship of God in a community setting where all persons are equal. He also encouraged the church to come together for worship many times a day. Some churches today in fact have at least one worship event every day of the week. Some Benedictine churches have as many as eight public worship events every day of the year. One influence of this communal worship that is evident at a Ray Of Hope Church worship event is the number of persons who have leadership roles during the event. We endeavor to include as many of the persons in attendance as we can in assisting to lead and present the worship activities.
Additionally, Benedictine Life lends itself particularly well to the charism of public Ministry at Ray Of Hope Church. St. Benedict brought to the Church a disciplined way of life where the Christian balances three axioms: Prayer, Study, and Labor. Benedictine Christians will find their spirituality to be very helpful when they are in Vocational Ministry at Ray Of Hope Church due to the fact that each Clergyperson has to be motivated and disciplined to do the work of God on their own. Our Clergy have to be so radically in love with Christ that they desire to do everything required of them (all the works of leading the Body Of Christ) with enthusiasm. Those interested in Benedictine Life should express their interest in becoming a Benedictine Sister or a Benedictine Brother. One can be a Benedictine Sister or Brother without being "Clergy."
St. Benedict was the father of Western Monasticism. He was born in Nursia, Italy, in 480. Beginning in 520, he founded twelve monasteries in the region of Subiaco. The foundation at Monte Cassino (529) became the cradle of his Order. His twin sister was St. Scholastica. Benedict died March 21, 547 at Monte Cassino. His feast day was celebrated on March 21, in hornor of his entering Paradise until 1970 when Pope Paul, VI moved it to July 11 because March 21 falls during the season of Lent. This was a change in practice in the liturgical calendar. St. Scholastica died February 10, 543 at Monte Cassino. Her feast day is celebrated on February 10.
St. Benedict had a profound veneration for the Holy Cross and for our Savior Crucified. In virtue of the Sign of the Cross he wrought many miracles and Christ exercised great power over the spirits of darkness through St. Benedict's faith.
In consequence of the great veneration in which St. Benedict was held from the early middle ages, it followed that a medal was struck.
The following is an introduction to the Saint Benedict Medal as has been
traditionally used by the Order of Saint Benedict.
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The Saint Benedict Medal |
Believers have worn the medal as a reminder that the Christian has exceptional powers against the demons of Hell in the Name of Jesus. The Medal of Saint Benedict is one of the Sacramentals of the Church. A Sacramental is a symbol that is used to remind the Christian of a doctrine of faith. In this case the doctrine is "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4). The medal of Saint Benedict also reminds the person wearing it that many thousands of women and men have lived their Christian lives following the example of St. Benedict since the 5th Century. The Church has been deeply enriched by Benedictines in all cultures and times, and even in many denominations of the Church of Jesus Christ. Description
The front of the medal shows St. Benedict holding a cross in one hand and the book of his Rule for monastic communities in the other. Flanking him on each side are the words: Crux S. Patris Benedicti (The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict). Below his feet are these words: Ex S M Casino
MDCCCLXXX (From the Holy Mount of Cassino, 1880). On that date , Monte
Cassino was given the exclusive right to produce this medal. Ejus in obitu nostro presentia muniamur (May his presence protect us in the hour of death).
The other side of the medal is where the real exorcistic force reveals itself. In the center is the Cross. Benedict loved the Cross and used it to drive away demons.
The vertical beam of the Cross has five letters: C.S.S.M.L., meaning Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux (May the holy Cross be for me a light). The horizontal beam of the Cross also has five letters: N.D.S.M.D., meaning Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux (Let not the dragon be my guide).
The four large letters at the angles of the Cross: C S P B stand for Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti (The Cross of the Holy Father Benedict). Encircling the Cross in a circle around the right margin are these letters: V.R.S.N.S.M.V., meaning Vade retro Satana; nunquam suade mihi vana (Begone Satan! Suggest not to me thy vain things).
Around the left margin of the circle are these letters: S.M.Q.L.I.V.B., meaning Sunt mala quae libas; ipse venena bibas (The drink you offer is evil; drink that poison yourself).
At the top of the circle is the word PAX (Peace).
St. Scholastica is the twin sister of St. Benedict.
She was also called of God and dedicated her adult life
to serving God in Religious Life. It
is likely that she lived in a hermitage with one or two other religious women
in a cluster of houses near the place where there is an ancient church named
after her at the base of Mount Cassino.
It is well documented that once a year she would go and visit her
brother at a place near the abbey.
They would spend the day worshiping God together, discussing
Scripture, and issues of the day. It
is also well documented on one of their visits, which in fact would be their
last visit, they enjoyed supper and it was getting late. Some have suggested Scholastica sensed her
death was nearing, but at any rate, she requested her brother to stay
longer. He was concerned that this
would cause him to break his own rule for the monastery. Scholastica close her eyes and prayed and
suddenly there was such a wild storm that it would have been death defying
for her brother to leave.
St. Scholastica and St. Benedict are twin brother and sister. They are the inspiration for Benedictine women and men all over the world from every denomination of Christianity. We pray and ask
Our Lord Jesus to send us men and women servants who will serve through Ray
Of Hope Church as Benedictine men and Benedictine women in Christ.
St. Clare of
Assisi
Clare went to live a cloistered life in San Dominano. Women soon joined her and a new form of Religious Life was started. Soon, her blood sister, Agnes joined her too. Her parents were furious, to say the least. After her father's death, even Clare's own mother would join her. Her monastic rule was written for the Order of Poor Ladies, and is thought to be the first known monastic rule to be written by a woman. Franciscan women live in communities all over the world. Some Franciscan women live in cloistered monasteries and some live in apartment houses among the poor, some are teachers, some are doctors, some are social workers, some are volunteers in their cities. All of them, whether they go by the name of Poor Clares or Fransican Sisters live that same charism of Christ living through them and reaching out to everyone around them. It may come as a surprise to our readers that there are Franciscan men and Franciscan women in many different denominations of Christianity, not just Roman Catholicism.
After Francis's death, his body was brought to San Dominano so Clare could say goodbye to him. Clare died on August 11, 1253, shortly after receiving a Bull from Pope Innocent IV granting her and her sisters the Privilege of Poverty. She was canonized in 1255, and her feast day is August 11. In 1958 Pope Pius XII proclaimed St. Clare the patron saint of television. |
St. Clare and St. Francis
holy friends in Christ
the inspiration for Franciscan women and men
all over the world of every
denomination of Christianity.
We pray and ask Our Lord Jesus to send
us men and women servants who will serve through Ray Of Hope Church as
Franciscan men and Franciscan women in Christ.