Let all keep their places in the monastery established by the time of their entrance, the merit of their lives and the decision of the Abbot. Yet the Abbot must not disturb the flock committed to him, nor by an arbitrary use of his power ordain anything unjustly; but let him always think of the account he will have to render to God for all his decisions and his deeds. Therefore in that order which he has established or which they already had, let the brethren approach to receive the kiss of peace and Communion, intone the Psalms and stand in choir. And in no place whatever should age decide the order or be prejudicial to it; for Samuel and Daniel as mere boys judged priests. Except for those already mentioned, therefore, whom the Abbot has promoted by a special decision or demoted for definite reasons, all the rest shall take their order according to the time of their entrance. Thus, for example, he who came to the monastery at the second hour of the day, whatever be his age or his dignity, must know that he is junior to one who came at the first hour of the day. Boys, however, are to be kept under discipline in all matters and by everyone.

The radical nature of Benedict's order can be obscure to us.

But rejecting nobility of birth and even even maturity of age as cause for precedence was a very new order, indeed, for the sixth century.

With even less concern for order, we might simply allow first come, first serve.

In doing so we betray our cultural descent from Benedict. Whoever came first to the monastery - regardless of pedigree, or wealth, or education, or age - has precedence over whoever came second.

Confucianism gives precedent to the educated. Hinduism respects the well-born. Benedict teaches that Christianity values the grace of God expressed in each person.

Despite Benedict, as the Western Roman Empire collapsed, Christendom adopted a rigid feudal order that defined the culture for nearly 1000 years... and continues to echo.

Across these centuries the Benedictines cherished, nurtured, and modelled how a community could be ordered around grace, until in an abundance of time the vine that Benedict planted claimed the culture.

In 1964 Pope Paul VI proclaimed Benedict patron saint of Europe, explaining, "We celebrate St. Benedict, the abbot, as the announcer of peace, creator of unity, teacher of social traditions... "