Today is the feast day of St. Benedict – the patron saint of kidney disease.
Many of you know after reading my book, that I was raised Irish Catholic on the South Side of Chicago. The Saints and their Feast Days were a part of my faith and upbringing. What I loved when I learned about the saints is that many of the saints were not always saints!
What made them become saints? Each saint has a fascinating story. Sometimes I scratch my head in wonder with questions and astonishment trying to understand. Life is hard. All of us deal with day to day issues that are difficult. Life doesn’t always bring out the best in us. The saints were just like us.
St. Benedict was known for the monasteries he formed – his system was admired and respected. It is now known as the Benedictine way and is held in high esteem.
When St. Benedict was asked to help form another monastery in the Middle Ages, he did so in the same way he always had. His system had humility at its core and also had rules to deal with issues. My research shows the monks rebelled at his system and tried to poison his drink. Whether the poison was to try to cause his kidneys to fail, I don’t know. When St. Benedict prayed over the drink, the cup shattered. He lived to build more monasteries and to serve others.
I like to believe in miracles. Even if I am not a saint, the beauty of life is the way each new day gives us the opportunity to live the way God calls us to live. Today I said a prayer to St. Benedict to bless our kidneys and help us as we all fight kidney disease together.