An early Northumbrian saint, Benet Biscop was renowned for his reform of monasticism, as well as his foundation of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory. Towards the end of his life, he was afflicted with paralysis. St Bede the Venerable says of him: ‘Nor must I omit to mention that the venerable Abbot Benedict, to lessen the wearisomeness of the night, which from his illness he often passed without sleeping, would frequently call a reader, and cause him to read aloud, as an example for himself, the history of the patience of Job, or some other extract from Scripture, by which his pains might be alleviated, and his depressed soul be raised to heavenly things. And because he could not get up to pray, nor without difficulty lift up his voice to the usual extent of daily psalmody, the prudent man, in his zeal for religion, at every hour of daily or nightly prayer would call to him some of the brethren, and making them sing psalms in two companies, would himself sing with them, and thus make up by their voices for the deficiency of his own’.

May this saint with a true Benedictine spirit pray for us, and may God bless you this day.