Pope thanks Benedictine religious for the good they do for the Church

"Dear brothers and sisters, thank you for the immense and hidden good that you do for the Church, through your offering, your unceasing prayer, your service, and the witness of your lives. Continue this work, which is the 'work of God.'”

Pope Leo XIV gave this encouragement to three communities of Benedictine nuns - the monastic community of the Abbey of Saint Scholastica in Subiaco, the monastic community of the Abbey of Saint Mary of the Mount in Cesena, and the Benedictine nuns of the Abbey of Saint Scholastica in Bari - together with a group of monks on Monday in the Vatican.

The Pope expressed his delight to meet with them and to reflect together on the value of the Benedictine charism in their lives, in the Church, and in the world.

Pope Leo recalled how Saint Benedict exhorted the faithful to “continually guard the actions of one’s life,” and pointed out that contemplative Benedictine religious are mindful of how prayer and prayerful reading of the Word of God help maintain this vigilance.

In this way, the Pope said, those who practice it are able to understand the truth about themselves, recognizing their own weaknesses and sins, and celebrating the graces and blessings of the Lord. In this way, our desire to belong to Him is strengthened, and the vow of our consecration is confirmed.

Therefore, the Holy Father underscored, Scripture should always be “the nourishment of your contemplation and of your daily life, so that you can share this transforming experience.”