A WORD FOR TODAY, April 4, 2025
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, April 4, 2025
“Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility, to subject yourselves to one another; for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:5-7, WEB
Benedict the African was born to parents who were African slaves in sixteenth-century Sicily. They were given Italian names and became Christians. As loyal servants of their master they were granted freedom for their son before his birth. He was uneducated and illiterate. As a youth, he worked as a shepherd, and though he earned a pittance he was extremely generous, sharing what little he had with the poor. As an adult, he was publicly insulted because of his skin color. His response was patient and dignified, refusing to be angered by the insult. He was noticed by the leader of a group of hermits that followed the rule of St. Francis of Assisi and invited to join them. He gave up all his earthly possessions and became one of them. He served as a cook for the community in the beginning but eventually took over as leader of the group. He later joined the Franciscan Friary of St. Mary of Jesus, beginning first as a cook, but then moving into positions with more responsibility, despite the fact that he was a lay brother, not a priest, and was still illiterate.
He grew in his spiritual life and was widely respected for his deep, intuitive understanding of theology and Scripture. Many people sought him for counseling and healing. He took his responsibilities seriously. He helped the order adopt a stricter version of the Franciscan Rule of Life. His kind and humble attitude drew many people. In his later years, his love of cooking took him back into the kitchen. It is said that Benedict predicted the very day and hour he would die.
Benedict faced racial prejudice and taunts because of his skin color with patience and understanding. He is the patron saint of African Americans. There are a number of historically black Roman Catholic parishes that bear his name. Many of those churches have vibrant ministries that reach out to transient, disenfranchised, and isolated people.
There is no doubt that racism is still a problem in our world. People are taunted for their skin color. Some are profiled. Others are falsely imprisoned. We have made great strides in the past hundred years, but there are always people who see appearances rather than character. It isn’t just skin color that affects our relationships with others. We judge people in all sorts of ways. Children with disabilities. Obesity. Secondhand clothing. The wrong job. The wrong neighborhood. The wrong school. Benedict could have gotten angry, and perhaps even responded with violence at the persecution and the taunts, but he remained patient and humble. He did not demand anything from anyone, but he received far more than he could have imagined.
Today is Benedict the African’s saint day, and we are reminded through his life to take heed of Peter’s words. God knows what is going on in His world. He knows about all the prejudices and taunts that hurt people. He sees the suffering of those the world has cast only injustices. God resists the proud, so we need to learn to be aware of the way we see and respond to our neighbors, because our words and actions can hurt. On the other hand, we also need to learn how to respond when our neighbors are unaware of the ways they are hurting us. As we grow in faith, we can become like Benedict, humbly trusting that God will exalt the downtrodden in His way and in His time. We can cast all our worries on Him because He cares for all of us.
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