From: rich <
richarra@gmail.com>
March 27th - St. Gelasius of Armagh
In 1169, the English pope, Adrian IV, by the bull Laudabiliter,
granted sovereignty over Ireland to King Henry II of England, who
wreaked havoc in the Irish Church by pillaging monasteries and
replacing Irish bishops with Norman bishops. The archbishop of Armagh
at the time was St. Gelasius who tried desperately to undo the damage
done by the Normans and work for the upbuilding of the Irish Church.
Before the Norman takeover, Ireland was undergoing something of a
religious renaissance: literary, artistic, and architectural activity flourished throughout Ireland; the art of illumination was recovered;
monastic centers, like Clonmacnoise, were flourishing; Clonfert was
rebuilt; Mellifont had been founded; and Irish monks were staffing the remarkable monastery founded by Marianus Scotus in Regensburg.
No one really knows the reason for Adrian IV's "donation of Ireland"
to Henry II, but it spelled the end of a uniquely Irish Church.
Gelasius had been abbot of Derry, St. Columba's famous monastery. His
father was a bard, an honored profession among the Irish and most
probably a teacher at Derry, where Gelasius was educated.
Gelasius called a synod at Armagh in 1170 to try to deal with the
Anglo-Norman takeover, but a synod at Cashel in the following year
called by the papal legate who supported the Normans made any effort
of the Irish useless. Norman usages and customs were imposed on the
Irish, many Irish princes submitted to Henry II, and the English
king's religious decrees became the law of the land. In 1172, Pope
Alexander II confirmed Adrian's "donation" to Henry, with Gelasius
trying to undo the harm until his death in 1174. It was a sad time in
the history of the Irish Church, and Gelasius died a broken man with a
broken heart.
Gerald of Wales thus describes what happened in the time of Gelasius:
"The clergy of Ireland are reduced to beggary, the cathedral churches
have been stripped of their possessions." It would take almost 700
years for Ireland to recover.
Taken from "The One Year Book of Saints" by Rev. Clifford Stevens
published by Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, Our Sunday
Visitor, Inc., Huntington, IN 46750.
Reflection:
Sometimes we have to face complete failure, and there is often a
mystery of Divine Providence in the work of the Church. God does not
always ask us to succeed, only to give our best. When that best is not
enough, we have to leave the rest in His hands.
Bible Quote:
Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it
some have unknowingly entertained angels. (Hebrews 13:1-2)
<><><><>
The Golden Sequence
Come, holy Ghost, and bring from above
The splendor of thy light.
Come, father of the poor, come, giver of graces,
Come, light of our hearts.
Best of consolers, sweet guest of the soul,
And comfort of the weary.
Thou rest in labor, relief in burning toil,
Consoling us in sorrow.
O blessed light, fill the innermost hearts
Of those who trust in thee.
Without thy indwelling there is nothing in man,
And nothing free of sin.
Cleanse what is sordid, give water in dryness,
And heal the bleeding wounds.
Bend what is proud, make warm what is cold,
Bring back the wayward soul.
Give to the faithful who trustingly beg thee
Thy seven holy gifts.
Grant virtue's reward, salvation in death,
And everlasting joy.
Amen.
--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)