July 11 marks the feast of St. Benedict in the Catholic Church's calendar. Benedict (ca. 480-550) may at first glance seem quite remote, at least as compared with heroes of July 4th and American independence such as George Washington or Thomas Jefferson. For Benedict not only lived a millennium and a half ago, and in Italy, but he was a celibate monk. He is best known for the rule he wrote for monasteries.
I would like to suggest that at least some of the wisdom found in the Rule of St. Benedict could well inform and guide current U.S. debates about immigrants, health care, taxation policies, and balance between work and the rest of life.
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