Benedict offers brief instructions for celebrating Vigil prayers on feast days of saints. Two sentences outline the procedures for those prayers. He refers to Sunday Vigils, but he emphasizes the tone of the prayers are to be solemn. Saintly life is disciplined, filled with challenges and ridicule by a world that desires to mold everyone into its subjection. Saints stand apart from worldly appearance and provide examples of disciples of Christ. Their lives are worthy of solemn remembrance.
Chapter 14 of St. Benedict’s Rule of Life states,
On the feasts of saints, and indeed on all solemn festivals, the Sunday order of celebration is followed, although the psalms, refrains and readings proper to the day itself are said. The procedure, however, remains the same as indicated above.[1]
Holy Scripture include many references to the saints. Paul told the church in Rome that the Holy Spirit of God “intercedes for the saints” (Romans 8:27). He prayed that his ministry might be “acceptable to the saints” (Romans 15:31). He wrote the church in Colossae that the mysteries of our faith had been “manifested to His saints” (Colossians 1:26). Attributes of saints’ speech are described to the Ephesians as being voices of thanksgiving rather than foul or silly talk which is not fitting (Ephesians 5:3-4). John describes saints in Revelation, which is beautifully summarized in the following portion of the Te Deum Laudamus:
We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud,
the Heavens and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee.
The noble army of martyrs praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world
doth acknowledge thee,
the Father, of an infinite majesty,
thine adorable, true, and only Son,
also, the Holy Ghost the Comforter.
The Hebrew writer paints a beautifully encouraging word picture of a great cloud of saints who continually cheer on those of us who continue to run the race of faithful life (Hebrews 12:1). We need heroes that show us what right looks like. St. Benedict was aware of our need to remember and venerate saints who had finished their race. Those saints are esteemed for some example that helps to shore up our faith as we grow fatigued by life’s challenges. By taking time to celebrate their lives we can pause and remember. Remembering, we can connect to saints who have blazed trails of faith through uncharted dangers. Connecting with saints who show to us that faithful Christian living is possible, we are encouraged to charge on. Encouraged to continue living in faith, we join them in glorifying God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our hearts are transformed and sanctified as it was in the beginning, it is now, and will be forever. Amen.
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[1] The Rule of St. Benedict in Latin and English with notes Benediet, Saint, Abbot of Monte Cassino – Liturgical Press – 1981, p.43.
