Friday, 21 March 2025
SAINT BENEDICT
March AD 480 – 21 March AD 548
The Benedictine Wisdom of
“Ora et Labora”
Feast Day: 11 July
Saint Benedict, a patron saint of Europe, born in Norcia, Italy, around 480 AD, was the son of a Roman noble of Norcia. After receiving his primary education in Norcia, Benedict moved to Rome where he studied literature and law. It was during this time that Benedict became disillusioned by the depraved lifestyle of his peers and by Rome’s difficult political situation. He then moved to Affile where he lived with a group of priests. This only lasted a short time as his first miracle made him famous, a fame which drove him to move again.
To withdraw from social life, Saint Benedict took shelter in a cave in the ruins of Nero’s Village, near Subiaco, living the life of a hermit having only intermittent contact with the outside world through a monk called Romanus. Romanus gave Saint Benedict a monk’s habit, and provided for his spiritual and material needs. Three solitary years followed before Benedict was befriended by shepherds who he began teaching. This gave root to the pastoral and apostolic principles of the Benedictine order.
In the mosaic before you, we see Saint Benedict holding the Rule of Saint Benedict in which the spirit is summed up in the Benedictine Confederation pax (peace) and the traditional golden rule of Ora et Labora – “pray and work” – the monks each day devoted eight hours to prayer; eight hours to sleep; and eight hours to manual work, sacred reading, and works of charity. The balance of prayer, work, and study is Saint Benedict’s guiding principle in life.
Saint Benedict is holding a staff, symbolic of his power and leadership as an abbot. Also shown is the raven which had swept in after Benedict had prayed over some bread and carried away the piece of bread which had been poisoned and given to Benedict by a priest who was jealous of him.
The hand-cut mosaic mural is made of glass mosaic, a recyclable green material. The installation underlay is also made from a green material that was invented in Hong Kong called ARpha MPE Palm Board. MPE Board is an eco-friendly alternative to wood, gypsum, and cement-based building boards and is made from abundant recycled natural minerals and palm fibre waste. The palm board is manufactured using an environmentally friendly process that consumes very little energy and emits close to zero carbon emissions. Our school, Shung Tak, is the first ever school in Hong Kong to use the MPE palm board for the installation of a mosaic mural. The mosaic mural also demonstrates how we care for God’s creation as stewards of the earth and in our protection of it.
“Ora et Labora” (Pray and Work) is Shung Tak’s school motto. With this as our guiding principle, we aim to empower students to do their best in academic pursuits and in glorifying the Creator with their work.
May the meditation of the work of Saint Benedict and the contemplation that the mosaic mural brings, remind each and every Shungtakian and those who visit Shung Tak of the importance of prayer and work.
Dr Cecilia Tang
Principal
“He, who labours as he prays, lifts his heart to God, with his hands.” — St Benedict (C 480 – 547)