Pope Benedict XVI in English - Weekly General Audience
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today’s catechesis on the life and teaching of Saint
Theodore the Studite places us at the heart of the medieval Byzantine period. Born
in 759 to a noble and pious family, Theodore entered the monastery at the age of twenty-two.
He vigorously opposed the iconoclastic movement since, he argued, abolishing images
of Christ entails a rejection of his work of redemption. Theodore also initiated
a thorough reform of the disciplinary, administrative and spiritual aspects of monastic
life. A particularly important virtue according to Theodore is philergia –
the love of work – since diligence in material tasks indicates fervour in one’s spiritual
duties. He even described work as a type of “liturgy”, asserting that the riches
mined from it must be used to help the poor. The Studite’s Rule holds particular
relevance for us today because it highlights the unity of faith and the need to resist
the danger of spiritual individualism. May we heed Theodore’s summons to nurture
the unity of the Body of Christ through well-ordered lives and by cultivating harmonious
relationships with one another in the Holy Spirit.
I warmly greet all the
English-speaking pilgrims. In a special way, I welcome members of the Schola Cantorum
of Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, Texas; seminarians and priests from Sacred
Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan; and members of the Order of Knights of
Saint John from Nigeria. God bless all of you!