Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Today's Mass Readings

Today, Benedictines throughout the world celebrate the solemn feast of the Transitus of St. Benedict. Transitus or “passing over” refers to his passage from this world into eternal life.
St. Gregory the Great describes Benedict’s death in is biography of the saint, The Dialogues:
“That day two monks…received the very same revelation. They both saw a magnificent road covered with rich carpeting and glittering with thousands of lights. From his monastery it stretched eastward in a straight line until it reached up into heaven. And there in the brightness stood a man of majestic appearance, who asked them, ‘Do you know who passed this way?’ ‘No,’ they replied. ‘This, he told them, is the road taken by blessed Benedict, the Lord’s beloved, when he went to heaven’” (Book II, Chapter 37). St. Gregory obviously borrowed imagery from the book of Genesis: “Jacob had a dream. He dreamed there was a ladder that was on the ground and reached up into heaven. He saw the angels of God going up and down the ladder” (Gn 28:12). And that connection is significant because God promised Jacob that he would be the father of many descendants: “You will have as many descendants as there are particles of dust on the earth. They will spread east and west, north and south” (Gn 28:14). The Lord’s prediction has come to pass: countless numbers of monks and nuns have followed in the footsteps of St. Benedict since his death in 547.

But there is an even more significant meaning to the word “transitus.” This feast always occurs near Easter and it is a reminder of Christ’s Passover from death to life. St. Benedict’s Rule is the means by with we follow in the footsteps of Jesus’ journey through suffering and death to Resurrection: “But as we advance in the religious life and faith, we shall run the way of God’s commandments with expanded hearts and unspeakable sweetness of love; so that never departing from His guidance and persevering in the monastery in His doctrine till death, we may by patience share in the sufferings of Christ, and be found worthy to be coheirs with Him of His kingdom” (RB: Prologue).

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the life and example of our Blessed Father Benedict. Help us to follow the path that he trod and through perseverance, one day share in the fullness of life in your Kingdom.

Reflection by Br. Michael Marcotte, OSB