From: rich <
richarra@gmail.com>
September 5th =E2=80=93 St. Bertinus of Sithiu, OSB Abbot (RM)
(also known as Bertin, Bercht)
Born near Coutances, France; died at Sithiu, c. 709. Saint Bertinus,
one of the greatest Benedictine abbots, became a monk at Luxeuil under
Saint Waldebert, who had replaced the Rule of Saint Columban with that
of Saint Benedict. His friend, Bishop Saint Omer, invited him and two companions, Saints Mommolinus and Bertrand, to Th=C3=A9rouanne to assist
him in evangelizing among the Morini in the low-lying, marshy land
near Pas-de-Calais in northern France. The trio persisted despite
great physical hardships.
They built the abbeys of Saint-Mommolinus and Sithiu. Bishop Omer
appointed Mommolinus as abbot over both under the Rule of Saint
Columban. When Mommolinus was consecrated bishop of Noyon about 661,
Bertinus replaced him as abbot of Sithiu (called Saint-Bertin after
his death) and built it into one of the great monastic, missionary,
and agricultural centers of France. From there he spread the Gospel
throughout the region. He was such an outstanding abbot that the
monastery grew beyond its walls and spawned several new houses.
Bertinus selected Saint Winnoc to establish one of these at Wormhoudt
near Dunkirk. A church he built with Saint Omer near Sithiu in 663
later became the cathedral of the see of Saint Omer.
The location of Saint-Bertin helped to spread his cultus into Britain. Anglo-Saxon and early Norman ecclesiastics often stopped there on
their way to and from Rome. They carried devotion to him home.
Bertinus's relics were restored to his abbey in 1052 after having been
removed for safekeeping during the invasions of the Northmen
(Attwater, Benedictines, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Farmer).
In art, Saint Bertinus is portrayed as a Black Benedictine with a
pastoral staff and a ship in his hand. The ship is his natural emblem
because Sithiu was originally accessible only by water. He might also
be shown as his soul is carried to heaven by angels (Roeder).
Saint Quote:
Go and exhort men to penance for the remission of their sins and for
peace. You will find some among the faithful, mild and good, who will
receive you with pleasure, and willingly listen to you; others, on the contrary, without religion, proud and violent, will censure you, and
be very hostile to you; but make up your minds to bear all this with
humble patience and let nothing alarm you. Be patient in tribulations,
fervent in prayer, and fearless in labor.
--St. Francis of Assisi
Bible Quote
Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the
just: let the earth be opened, and bud forth a saviour. -- Isa. xlv.
8
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ON What Humility is Not [V]
We are inclined sometimes to aim at a false humility and so to be
hindered in our attainment of true humility. We must be on our guard
against errors in this. Humility does not consist in shutting our eyes
to the talents, ability, graces, and accomplishments that we possess.
To do so is to refuse to acknowledge the good gifts that God had given
us. If we have skill in music, in conversation, in painting, in
languages, it is no humility to deny the fact. We ought to thank God
for His goodness in bestowing upon us this talent. What is contrary to
humility is to take the credit to ourselves, and to plume ourselves on
what we have received from God.
Humility does not consist in self-depreciation and in running
ourselves down before others. This is often a cloak for pride.
Sometimes its object is to obtain from others the praise we deny to
ourselves; sometimes it is a marked expression of discontent. The
continual song: "What a poor worm am I!" is very much opposed to the
spirit of the Catholic Church, and to the cheerfulness that every
Christian ought to show in his words.
Nor does humility consist in, or even admit of discouragement. If we
are discouraged, it generally means that we think more about our own
success than about the glory of God. It means that we are not
perfectly resigned; it means that our pride is wounded and our
self-will thwarted, or that we have worldly motives in what we do, and
seek honor from men and not from God. True humility is willing to fail
in its projects if God so wills it. Examine yourself on these
particulars, and see whether yours is true or false humility.
--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)