SAINT ANSELM (1033-1109)
April 21
	For anyone disheartened at how easily contemporary discussions of disputed Church-State issues escalate from civil discourse to shrill polemic, Anselm provides perspective. Grounded in the Benedictine Rule’s balanced “prayer and work,” this monk-scholar, called from his Abbey to become Archbishop of Canterbury, was thrust into firestorms of political intrigue, himself the target of warring bishops and nobles, kings and popes. Yet from depths of inner peace, Anselm wrote this moving exhortation by which today’s Liturgy of the Hours celebrates him: “Rise up, insignificant man! From your preoccupations, flee a while. From your turbulent thoughts, hide for a time. Your crushing responsibilities cast aside. Your burdensome business lay down. Free a little space for God. Rest a little while in him!” “Faith seeking understanding” was his strikingly contemporary motto; and though renowned as an erudite philosopher-theologian, Anselm also left personal letters, profound for their insights on Christian friendship. Along with those, he composed “A Prayer for My Friends” and “A Prayer for My Enemies,” reminding us that those who love God most passionately are also those who love others most humanly. 
—Peter Scagnelli