• =?UTF-8?Q?May_23rd_=E2=80=93_St=2E_Desiderius_of_Vienne?=

    From rich@1:396/4 to All on Fri May 22 10:27:35 2020
    From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

    May 23rd =E2=80=93 St. Desiderius of Vienne BM (RM)

    Born in Autun, France; died 608; second feast on February 11.
    Desiderius was educated in Vienne, where he became archdeacon and rose
    to be bishop. This was a time of much laxity among the clergy and the
    new bishop zealously set about reforming them. He was ready to rebuke
    the highest in the land for their immorality.

    One of these was Queen Brunhildis. Desiderius found the behavior of
    her courtiers shameful, and said so. The queen appealed to Pope
    Gregory the Great, accusing the bishop of being too much interested in
    the writings of pagans. Pope Gregory remonstrated with him for
    personally giving lessons in so profane a subject as grammar--Latin
    grammar. (Gregory also wrote to Desiderius to request hospitality for
    Saint Augustine of Canterbury on his way to England from Rome.)

    For several years the bishop was banished but eventually Gregory the
    Great came to see that he was innocent of Brunhildis's charges and
    restored him to Vienne. Desiderius also attacked the queen's grandson,
    King Thierry II of Burgundy, whose life was as immoral as his
    grandmother's. Thierry found a new false charge to bring against
    Desiderius: He alleged that Desiderius had an immoral relationship
    with a lady named Justa. In consequence, Desiderius was banished from
    his diocese for some years.

    On his return from exile, he was soon in trouble again for having
    rebuked King Thierry for his shameful life. As he was being taken into detention, three of his escort set on him (at a place now called Saint-Didier-sur-Chalaronne) and cruelly murdered him, apparently on
    the initiative of the soldiers rather than by order of Thierry.

    Desiderius is venerated as a martyr because he was put to death in the execution of his duty as a bishop (Attwater, Benedictines, Bentley).

    In art, Saint Desiderius is a bishop holding a rope, or strangled. He
    is invoked against fever (Roeder).


    Saint Quote:
    For his human nature was not something subsisting apart by itself,
    neither did he speak with the divinity separated and the human nature
    existing apart, as though they were different persons, but with the
    human nature united with the divine (there being one consecration),
    and in the same even now knowing the most perfect things, it being now
    united in God and joined to the one deity.
    --Saint Epiphanius of Salamis

    Bible Quote
    An ancient man rebuke not, but entreat him as a father: young men, as
    brethren: 2 Old women, as mothers: young women, as sisters, in all
    chastity. 3 Honour widows, that are widows indeed. (1 Tim 5:1-3)


    <><><><>
    SPLINTERS FROM THE CROSS

    Little headaches, little heartaches
    Little griefs of every day,
    Little trials and vexations
    How they throng around our way!
    One great cross, immense and heavy,
    So it seems to our weak will,
    Might be borne with resignation,
    But these many small ones kill,
    Yet all life is formed of small things,
    Little leaves, make up the trees,
    Many tiny drops of water blending,
    Make the mighty seas.
    Let us not then by impatience
    Mar the beauty of the whole,
    But for love of Jesus bear all
    In the silence of our soul.
    Asking Him for grace sufficient
    To sustain us through each loss,
    And to treasure each small offering
    As a splinter from his Cross.


    --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
    * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)