Room 1

Listen with Your Heart

The Roman Empire had outlived itself. It was only a matter of time until decadent Rome could no longer maintain itself.

Young Benedict left Rome, repulsed by the immorality of the city, and lived in the mountains of Subiaco as a hermit. He found his way to an experience of God step by step: the loneliness of the cave, contact with people looking for direction. At each level he had to learn through experience to recognize the will of his God. Legends describe his life, and his rule for the monks clearly shows his development from a strict ascetic to a wise father of monks. In 529 AD: the foundation of Monte Cassino.

Benedict died in the middle of the 6^th century. He continued to write his monastic rules until the end of his life.
These were to become  the  rule of the early Middle Ages.

In his monastery Benedict founded a school to serve the Lord: In the same way that he sought God all his life, the first thing his monks should try to do was to recognize God’s will. For Benedict the most important criterium for a good monk is that he truly seek God.