The Feast of The Venerable Pachomius The Great – May 15th

Coptic Icon of St. Pachomius

Pachomius was born in Egypt and, in his youth, was a pagan. As a soldier, he fought in battle with Emperor Constantine against Maxentius. Following that, he learned of the One God from Christians and witnessing their devout life, Pachomius became baptized and withdrew to the Tabennisi wilderness, to the famous ascetic Palamon with whom he studied the ascetical life for ten years. Then, an angel appeared to him in the habit of a Schema [The Great Angelic Habit of a Monk] over the place called Tabennisiot and gave him a board upon which was written the Monastic Rule [Constitution] for the Cenobitic Life, ordering him to establish such a monastery in that place, prophesying to him that in this monastery many monks will come for the sake of salvation of souls. Heeding the angel of God, Pachomius began to build many cells even though at that place there was not anyone except his brother John and himself. When his brother reproached him for building unnecessary cells, Pachomius simply said to him that he is following the command of God without regard as to who will come to live there and when. But soon, many men gathered at that place moved by the Spirit of God, and began to live a life of asceticism according to the Rule of Pachomius, which he received from the angel. When the number of monks increased, Pachomius gradually established six more monasteries. The number of his disciples amounted to about seven thousand. St. Anthony is considered to be the founder of the hermitical life but St. Pachomius as founder of the monastic cenobitic way of life. The humility, love of labor and abstinence of this holy father was and remains a rare example for the imitation of the vast number of monks. St. Pachomius worked numerous miracles but endured numerous temptations from demons as well as men. He served men as a father or a brother. He inspired many to follow the path to salvation and directed many on the path to truth. He was and remains a great light of the Church and a great witness to the truth and justice of Christ. He died peacefully in the year 348 A.D. in the seventy-fourth year of his earthly life. The Church has included many of his disciples in the ranks of the saints, such as: Theodore, Job, Paphnutius, Pecusius, Athenodorus, Eponymus, Sorus, Psoi, Dionysius, Psentaesis and others.

Additional reference

This is “the handbook” for oblates…

Benedictine Daily Prayer: A Short Breviary

This is the indispensable handbook for all oblates…it contains a wealth of knowledge and, once an oblate gets used to it, will be taken everywhere. There is no better prayer book available in the whole of classical (Orthodox – Roman Catholic) Christianity.

The following information is quoted from Amazon.com.
Product Description
For those who want to grow spiritually, Benedictine Daily Prayer provides an everyday edition of the Divine Office. People who desire to pray with the church can do so in a simple manner by following this Benedictine daily prayer model. Based on solid and traditional prayer patterns of more than fifteen hundred years of liturgical prayer within the Benedictine monastic tradition, Benedictine Daily Prayer helps readers celebrate and appreciate God’s presence that is found everywhere, especially within the Divine Office. It offers a richer diet of classic office hymnody, psalmody, and Scripture than shorter resources are able to provide.

Benedictine Daily Prayer is designed for Benedictine Oblates, Benedictine monastics, and men and women everywhere. It’s small enough to fit in a briefcase for travel. Scripture readings are from the NRSV.

Benedictine Daily Prayer includes “Introduction,” “An Aid to Praying Benedictine Daily Prayer,” “Monastic Calendar,” “Sunday and Weekday Readings,” “The Ordinary of the Liturgy of the Hours,” “The Weekly Psalter,” “Supplemental Psalms and Canticles for Vigils and Lauds,” “Festival Psalter,” “Common for Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” “Common for Feasts of Apostles,” “Common for Feasts of Martyrs,” “Common for Feasts of Holy Men and Women,” “Office for the Dead,” “Proper of the Season (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Triduum, Easter, Pentecost),” “Proper of the Saints,” and “Appendix: A Selection of Benedictine Prayers.”

About the Author
Maxwell E. Johnson, Ph.D., is an oblate of Saint John’s Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota, and an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He is a professor of liturgy at the University of Notre Dame.

The text can be purchased from Amazon.

East meets West…

P. Juan Javier Flores Arcas OSB addresses H.H. Patriarch Bartholomew I in Istanbul, April 15, 2007.