St. Bede is a doctor of the Church born around 672 AD a time in history often called the dark ages. But St. Bede’s Benedictine monastery was anything but dark, it was infused with the light of learning. Bede was a historian who wrote biographies, martyrologies, works of science, numerous commentaries on the bible and sacred chant.
As a historian, his Ecclesiastical History of the English People has remained one of the most authoritative historical sources of that time period, so he is even venerated by secular historians. But that is not the extent of his impact. He is credited for beginning the custom of marking the dates of history from the Incarnation with the term anno domini. So we mark the year as 2022 AD, anno domini, because of St. Bede.
Here was an extremely active soul, who put his intellectual gifts and his learning in service of the Church, and that changed the world. And, he encouraged all souls to do same, encouraging Christians to avoid idleness. He said, “Because we cannot totally avoid idleness, we should put it to flight, as far as we can, by stirring up good thoughts, and especially by frequent meditation on the scriptures, according to the example of the psalmist who said, “Oh, how I have loved your Law, O Lord; it is my meditation all the day.”
So to meditate on the scriptures throughout the day is a powerful way of sanctifying time, making Christ more and more the center of our life, but also stirring up inspiration. The scriptures bring us into contact with the fount of life, to meditate on them is to drink of life-giving waters, and those waters refresh us, they give us spiritual energy for doing God’s will.
St. Bede exemplified the Benedictine principal of Ora et Labora—work and prayer. His prayer infused his work, gave him strength for his work, and his work glorified God and has left a lasting impact on the world.
So throughout the day, sanctify the time you’ve been given by meditating on the scriptures, praying the liturgy of the hours. You will be inspired, refreshed, challenged out of complacency, awakened out of idleness, comforted in weariness, and united to Christ.
May we, like St. Bede, make Christ the center of our history by making him the center of every day, meditating on his words, imitating his love for the Father for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
That the Saints may inspire us and continue to help us put Christ at the center of our life.
That the Saints may inspire us to works of charity and caring for the needy.
That the Saints may inspire us to confess our sins, strengthen in virtue, and be devoted to the spread of the Gospel.
That the Saints may inspire us to bear our sufferings in union with Christ, and may help the suffering to know the comforting presence of God, especially the sick, the elderly, those in nursing homes, hospitals, hospice care, addicts and those imprisoned, those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today.
In the wake of the horrific school shooting yesterday, we pray for the victims of this shooting and their families, for all the public safety responders and for the southwest Texas communities stunned by this unthinkable incident.
For our beloved dead…
O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.
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