St Benedict knew full well the need for, and the benefits of, prayer. In the words of a Carmelite Priest, “You cannot teach anyone to pray, just as you cannot teach anyone to love. Both must be discovered within. We don't learn to pray the way we learn a language, through grammar and text books. For prayer is knowledge, not of a thing, but of a Person. It is not so much something we learn as something we become, something we already are. It is growth in relationship, in a living, loving intimacy with a friend. Prayer is more a discovery than a task, more an adventure than a duty. It is a wish turned God­wards; an unveiling of ourselves before God.”

For St Benedict, a profound form of prayer is the encountering of God through contemplation of the Scriptures. St Benedict’s method of using the Scriptures as prayer—Lectio Divina—is a powerful way to grow in a relationship with Jesus, the Christ. Through Lectio Divina (“Holy Reading”) we seek to profoundly listen to God’s Word, which is the act of obedience, for to be obedient is fundamentally to listen. “Listen and attend with the ear of your heart” is St Benedict’s encouragement. Having listen to God’s Word, we seek to act upon his Word. This is what discipline is: to hear God’s calling and to carry through with appropriate action.

In the words of Monica Brown’s song In the Spirit of St Benedict we are urged to “listen to God’s Word, may it find a home in you. And the truth and wisdom of God will be your guide.” These words express the need for obedience (“listen to God’s Word”) and discipline (“God will be your guide” in what needs to be acted upon).

I take this opportunity to wish all members of the St Patrick’s College community a blessed, sacred, and peace-filled Christmas. I also thank the St Patrick’s community for the guidance, support, nurturing, and strength I have been able to draw from the staff, students, and parents of St Pat’s over the past eight years in my role as Mission Coordinator.

Angelo Gattone - Mission Coordinator