Pope Benedict IX

Pope Benedict IX (c. 1012 – c.1085), born Theophylactus of Tusculum, was Pope on three occasions between 1032 and 1048. One of the youngest popes, he was the only man to have been Pope on more than one occasion and the only man ever to have sold the papacy.
Benedict IX’s immoral character aroused much indignation. In 1044 a Roman faction drove him from office as unfit to rule due to his dissolute lifestyle but a year later he reinstated himself. The pope proceeded to marry his cousin and sell the papacy to his godfather, Gregory VI. In 1047 Benedict regained the papal throne again before finally being driven out from Rome a year later. After 16 years under Benedict the papacy had reached an all-time low in immorality and debauchery.

Saint Benedict

Born at Nurcia in Umbria, Benedict (c480-543) was a pious and virtuous child. He was sent to study at Rome and at the age of 15, disgusted at the vices of the city, fled to a cave on the face of a cliff in the mountains of Subiaco. Benedict survived on bread lowered to him in a basket attached to a rope by Romanus, a monk living at one of the numerous monasteries nearby.He had forsworn the consumption of meat in order to suppress his own carnal desires. After three years in the cave, the fame of Benedict's virtues reached some monks whose abbot had just died and they insisted that he become his successor. Though Benedict remained in the cave, more and more disciples placed themselves under his guidance. Eventually he established an abbey at Vicovano to house the growing number of his followers. It was the first of twelve monasteries he built for them, each of twelve monks.
About 529 Benedict founded the Monte Cassino abbey on the site of an ancient temple dedicated to the God, Apollo. He established there his Rule of St Benedict, which he composed 15 years earlier. The rule encouraged monks to participate in manual labour and studying, a novel idea at the time, but a monument of wisdom that has survived the centuries. Benedict declared “Idleness is hostile to the soul, and the brethren should be occupied at fixed times in manual labour and at definite hours in religious reading.”
A few weeks after the death of his sister Scholastica, Benedict had her tomb opened as he wished to be laid to rest beside her. He was then without warning taken with a violent fever. The dying Benedict was carried into the chapel at Monte Cassino by his fellow Benedictines where he received communion before he drew his last breath standing erect supported by his disciples.

Ben Hur

Lew Wallace (1827-1905), the Governor of the New Mexico Territory decided to write a book that would explode once and for all the supposedly absurd claims of Jesus Christ. After researching his material he began writing only to find he couldn’t go any further as it contradicted his original thesis denying Christ is the Son of God. So he converted his book into a novel, whose primary purpose was to support the claims of Jesus. The novel’s title was Ben Hur, and it became the best selling American novel of the nineteenth century, surpassing Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and it had the honor of being the first work of fiction to be blessed by a Pope.

Beggars

Lambert le Bègue, (d c1187) a Flemish priest, was deeply perturbed by the pitiful sight of the many destitute wives and children of crusaders who had been killed. He made it his special mission to assist such homeless widows and orphans. To house them, he established refuges all over the area. It did not take long for them to be called after the priest who had done so much for them, to be referred to as a Bèghard. That is how the word “beggar” came into the world.

Ludwig van Beethoven

In 1820 the composer Beethoven wrote his Mass in D Minor (Missa Solemnis). Despite writing such spiritually uplifting music, Beethoven was not a conventional Christian himself. However he considered his compositions to be inspired by God.

Henry Ward Beecher

Henry Ward Beecher (1813 – 1887) was a 19th century prominent, Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, abolitionist and speaker. Born to US Congregational and Presbyterian minister Lyman Beecher, Henry was the seventh of 13 siblings, some of whom were famous in their own right, including Harriet Beecher Stowe who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin.
In 1847 Henry was appointed the first pastor of Plymouth Congregational Church in Brooklyn, New York. For the next thirty years he crusaded from the pulpit for temperance and against slavery and became one of the most influential public figures in America. One of the great preachers of the age, amongst the many thought-provoking quotes in his Life Thoughts was, “There are many people who think that Sunday is a sponge to wipe out all the sins of the week.”
In the highly publicized scandal known as the Beecher-Tilton Affair he was tried on charges that he had committed adultery with a friend's wife, Elizabeth Tilton. After a sensational trial, in 1875 he was acquitted, however the whole affair scandalized America as Beecher was an immensely popular and respected Christian public figure.

Saint Bede

At the age of seven Bede (672-735) was confided to the care of the Abbot Benedict by his family at the newly founded monastery in Wearmouth. The monastery was founded by Benedict Biscop, formerly the Abbot of St Peter’s in Canterbury. He bought builders and glass-workers from continental Europe to help erect the building, thus introducing stone edifices and glass windows to England.
Bede later transferred to Jarrow monastery, where he became a priest in about 703. He devoted his life there to study, writing and prayer. He cheerfully often spent a whole night in prayer and thanksgiving to God. He once wrote “I have devoted my energies to the study of the scriptures, observing monastic discipline and singing the daily services in church; study, teaching and writing have always been my delight.”
Much of our knowledge of England in the Dark Ages prior to the 8th century depends on Bede's historical works and his painstaking efforts to research and validate original sources. Rather than copying from any one source, he researched from several sources to create single volume bibles, a practice which was highly unusual for the time: previously, the bible had circulated as separate books. He also worked on translations of parts of the Bible into old English, unfortunately these have not survived.
His Ecclesiastical History of the English People is a primary source for early English history. It tells of the early Anglo Saxon kingdoms and their conversion to Christianity.
The 62-year old Bede spent the last day of his life at Jarrow Monastery teaching and distributing the few goods he owned to fellow priests. He then knelt on the floor to pray before dying surrounded by his brethren.