Patron Saints of Beekeeping
The third Sunday in August is celebrated as National Honey Bee Day in the United States. Honeybees have become more or less a darling of conservationist groups in recent years and with good reason. All bees (not just honey bees) have a significant role in the health of our environment and in ensuring that the food we love can grow. As a beekeeper, I am heartened by this enthusiasm. Perhaps surprisingly to some, the Church herself has had a long-standing relationship with the keeping of bees, and with bees as a metaphor for the Christian life.
Monastic Life
The greatest example of this, of course, is religious life. The metaphors are mind-blowing. If you have spent time in a monastery or convent, more than likely you have heard the private rooms referred to as “cells.” This is the exact terminology for the individual hexagonal honeycomb where the queen lays each egg, and the bees live and grow. Add to that the fact that the entire bee colony (besides the queen) is celibate, going about the greater community making wax and gathering nectar and pollen—not for their gain, but for that of the greater good of the whole hive.
Sound familiar?
The presence of a hive (or a monastery) means the flourishing of life in the greater community. In the same way that bees pollinate and collect nectar from the diverse vegetation of an area and allow for crops to grow, so, too, the religious community adds a flourish to its surrounding community by providing health care, education, prayer, agriculture, and service. Many monasteries are producers of honey specifically! Each does so not for personal gain, but for the greater good, the Body of Christ.
“The bee is more honored than other animals not because she labors, but because she labors for others.” // Saint John Chrysostom
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Liturgy
While bees have been in the Latin text of the Easter Vigil Mass since the ninth century, it has only been since 2011 that the mention of bees was returned to the English translation of the Easter Exsultet. The honey bee gets a significant shout-out when the Exsultet invites us to celebrate Christ Our Light, and acknowledge these tiny creatures that help to bring it about:
On this, your night of grace, O holy Father,
accept this candle, a solemn offering,
the work of bees and of your servants' hands,
an evening sacrifice of praise,
this gift from your most holy Church.
But now we know the praises of this pillar,
which glowing fire ignites for God's honor,
a fire into many flames divided,
yet never dimmed by sharing of its light,
for it is fed by melting wax,
drawn out by mother bees
to build a torch so precious. (Easter Exsultet)
All candles used for all Masses are at least half beeswax. Their aroma, purity, and long-burning characteristics are a little-noticed hallmark of our communal worship which are intended to remind us of the purity of Christ.
Scripture
How sweet are Your words to my taste!
Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! // Psalm 119:103
Sacred Scripture is littered with references to the fruit of the bees’ labor: honey. It is used to indicate abundance, sweetness, balm, medicine, and a delicacy. Over and over the Promised Land is described as a place ‘flowing with milk and honey.’ Manna, the bread from heaven, is described as tasting like honey, and King Solomon certainly included honey in the Song of Songs!
Bees are only mentioned by name a handful of times. They are often described as a potential threat. In both cases, as a threat or a symbol of abundance, Scripture is clear about the long-standing relationship cultivated between the people of God and this tiny creature.
Patrons
I have often smiled at the memory of the reporter who described Pope Benedict XVI as being dressed for “Earth Day” in his green Ordinary Time vestments, but he wasn’t wrong about the late Pope Benedict XVI’s commitment to stewardship. During his papacy, Pope Benedict was gifted with many hives in celebration of caring for creation, a fitting gift in honor of a long-standing relationship between the Church and bees.
Out of curiosity, I began to do some research into the patron/patroness of beekeepers. Having our hives blessed, we had invoked the prayers of Saint Benedict of Nursia, the sixth century founder of the Benedictines, but I have since learned that many claim that title, and for a variety of reasons!
Saint Valentine, Saint Ambrose, Saint Gobhalt, Saint Benedict,
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint Kharlamii, Saint Bartholomew, Saint Dominic, and Saint David, pray for us!
In honor of this day, all who work to promote greater stewardship, and the efforts large and small to bear fruit and bring the Light of Christ, we ask for the intercession of these many Saints!
**Beautiful video on beekeeping & its spiritual components.
Article on the return of bees to the Exsultet
Katie Cassady is a regular contributor to the BIS blog. She is a wife and mom to three little girls in Denver, CO. Steeped in theological reflection, beekeeping and motherhood, she is appreciative of any and all wisdom she can glean from those living intentional lives of faith. Find out more about her here. Read all of Katie's posts here.
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