• Home
  • About
    • Monastic Life
    • Gallery
    • History
      • Holy Cross Abbey
      • Cistercian Order
      • Property and Battlefield
    • FAQs
    • Videos
  • Take Part
    • Pray with us
    • Visit
      • Service Times
      • Directions
    • Vocation
    • Lay Members
  • Vocation
  • Retreat House
    • Testimonials
  • Cemetery
    • Overview
    • Stones
    • Rules Overview
    • Pricing
  • Store
    • Gift Shop / Porter’s Cottage
    • Bakery Products
    • Webstore
  • Updates
    • News
    • Liturgy
    • Abbot’s Lectio Post
  • Contact

Holy Cross Abbey

901 Cool Spring Lane Berryville, Virginia 22611

Support Us
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

21 March, the Transitus of St. Benedict

March 21, 2012 by James

Since Vatican II and the reform of the Calender of the Saints, most monastic communities celebrate 11 July as the solemnity of St. Benedict. Before that time, 21 March was celebrated, commemorating the presumed day in 547 AD when St. Benedict died.

Why was the date changed? The celebration in July removes the solemnity from the restraints of Lent. The change also respects the primary importance of Lent as a liturgical season, the great period of conversion and catechises leading up the reception of new members into the Church at the Easter Vigil. Here at Holy Cross Abbey we celebrate 11 July as the Solemnity of St. Benedict but it’s worth recalling his passage to God’s Kingdom in March.

Transitus means just that in Latin: a passing from one state to the next. It’s not a euphemism for death but the recognition that death isn’t the end. Death, for the Christian, is a point of departure. Thus the word transitus is used to mark the death of the saints.

St. Gregory the Great, who was born within the lifetime of St. Benedict but long outlived him, being so much younger, wrote the first account of St. Benedict. He tells us that Benedict predicted his death and had his grave dug six days before he died; and that when his end came, he had himself taken to church and received communion. There he died, standing, his arms outstretched. Some later interpreters maintained that this happened at the Easter Vigil. Whatever the details are, the imagery is clear: in his death, Benedict conformed himself to the death of Christ, arms outstretched on the cross, as his hope was to rise with Christ.

It is worth noting that on 21 March, 1098, a group of Benedictine monks left the Abbey of Molesmes to start a new monastic foundation where they could live the St. Benedict’s Rule for Monasteries in all its simplicity and poverty, without gloss or privilege. And where they settled was in a valley known as Citeaux. They consciously chose the feast of St. Benedict to begin the new endeavor which eventually became the Cistercian Order.

Share

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: News

Contact Retreat House

For Guest House reservations
information@hcava.org
540-955-4383

Documentary Trailer

Watch the full-length documentary on the videos page.

More Video

Support Us with a Donation

Contact Us

Newsletter Signup

Holy Cross Abbey

901 Cool Spring Lane
Berryville, Virginia 22611-2700
Phone: (540) 955-4383

  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Quicklinks

  • Cemetery
  • Retreats
  • Directions
  • Links
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Get Involved

  • Pray with us
  • Visit
  • Vocation
  • Support Us

Copyright © Holy Cross Abbey - All Rights Reserved
Website Development and Management by MarketSpark
Maintenance Log -  Webmail -  Admin