From: rich <
richarra@gmail.com>
July 8th - St. Grimbald
Born at Th=C3=A9rouanne (Pas-de-Calais), France, c.825; died 903. Grimbald became a Benedictine monk about 840, was ordained priest in 870, and
was abbot of Saint-Bertin. He entertained King Alfred on his way to
Rome in 885. As a well-known scholar, he went to Rheims in 886.
Upon the advice of Archbishop Eldred of Canterbury and through Fulk of
Rheims, Alfred invited Grimbald to England in 887. Grimbald accepted
the offer. He lived in Winchester in a small =E2=80=9Cmonastery=E2=80=9D an=
d served as
a court-scholar, assisting Alfred with his translations of Latin works
into Old English, including Saint Gregory's Pastoral Care (Liber
regulae pastoralis). Eventually, Grimbald was appointed the first
professor of divinity at Oxford (some say that he actually founded the university).
Upon the death of Eldred in 889, Alfred tried to persuade Grimbald to
become archbishop of Canterbury, but he refused and became instead
dean of the secular canons of New Minster at Winchester, the
town-church where prominent citizens had burial rights. Alfred's so=
n,
King Edward, reburied his father and mother (Queen Alswithe) in this
new church, which probably absorbed the small community that Grimbald
had previously governed. (Later, King Henry I removed New Minster to
Hyde, now called Saint Grimbald's monastery.)
Grimbald restored learning in England. He may have brought to England
the 9th-century manuscript of Prudentius, now at Corpus Christi
College in Cambridge, as well as the famous Utrecht Psalter.
During his last illness, the extremely feeble Saint Grimbald rose out
of bed and prostrated himself on the ground to receive the holy
viaticum. Thereafter, he asked to be left alone with God for three
days. On the fourth day the community was called into his chamber, and
amidst their prayers the saint calmly breathed forth his happy soul in
his 83rd year.
His body was reposed in New Minster and honored amongst its most
precious relics together with those of Saint Judocus. It was taken up
by Saint Alphege, and exposed in a silver shrine. Other translations
occurred in 938, c.1050, and 1110, when the whole establishment was
moved to Hyde. Grimbald's vita was written by Goscelin, monk of
Saint-Bertin's. While his cultus centered on Winchester, it was
extended by Malmesbury to other Benedictine abbeys and to York and
Hereford (Benedictines, Encyclopedia, Farmer, Husenbeth).
Saint Quote
I am gently going to my grave. It is the will of God, and I thank Him
very much for letting me die of the same disease and in the same way
as my lepers. I am very satisfied and very happy.
--Blessed Father Damien de Veuster
Bible Quote
But Peter and the apostles answering, said: We ought to obey God,
rather than men. The God of our fathers hath raised up Jesus, whom you
put to death, hanging him upon a tree. Him hath God exalted with his
right hand, to be Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel,
and remission of sins.=C2 (Acts 5:29-31)
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Be simple as doves.=C2 [Matt. 10:16 ]=C2 July: Simplicity
31. God is a Being most simple in His essence, admitting no
composition whatever. If, then, we desire to render ourselves as much
like Him as possible, we should endeavor to be by virtue what He is by
nature; that is, we ought to have a simple heart, a simple soul, a
simple intention, a simple mode of action. We ought to speak simply,
and to act frankly, without deceit or artifice, always letting our
exterior reflect our interior, and never regarding anything in all our
actions except God, Whom alone we endeavor and desire to please.
--St. Vincent de Paul
Such, in fact, was the simplicity of this Saint, for his exterior was
always in entire conformity to his interior. Whoever heard his words
could immediately know what was in his heart, which he always kept
upon his lips. And however numerous and varied might be his
occupations, they all had the same end, which was to please God alone.
It might be truly said that he possessed this virtue to such a degree
that the faculties of his soul were wholly steeped in it, and whatever
he said or did proceeded from this source.
("A Year with the Saints".)
--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)