St. Benedict (July 11th)
St. Benedict “A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play!” July 11th was the feast of St. Benedict, a 6th century Italian monk who became one of the most influential figures in the history of the Catholic Church. His “Rule” established both spiritual and material guidelines for day to day living in monastic communities and gave practical advice on managing inter-personal relationships within the community. It provided a template from which all religious order founders took inspiration thereafter. One of his intuitions was to split up a monastic community’s day into clear sections: precise times for prayer, work and study… so Nestlé’s marketing campaign for the Mars bar some years ago wasn’t saying anything new about how we need to find an appropriate work-life balance! You don’t need me to tell you that this past year has provided more than its fair share of challenges. I know from my own experience that during the holidays I soon get bored if I’m just sitti...
