From: rich <
richarra@gmail.com>
February 15th - St. Sigefride, or Sigfrid, Bishop, Apostle of Sweden
OUR zealous ancestors having received the light of faith, propagated
the same throughout all the northern provinces of Europe. St.
Anscarius had planted the faith in Sweden, in 830; but it relapsed
soon after into idolatry. King Olas Scobcong entreated King Edred, who
died in 951, to send him missionaries to preach the gospel in this
country. Sigefride, an eminent priest of York, undertook that mission,
and on the 21st of June, in 950, arrived at Wexlow (V=C3=A4xj=C3=B6), in Gothland, in the territory of Smaland. He first erected a cross, then
built a church of wood, celebrated the divine mysteries, and preached
to the people. 12 principal men of the province were converted by him,
and one who died, was buried after the Christian manner, and a cross
placed upon his grave. So great numbers were in a short time brought
to the faith, that the cross of Christ was triumphantly planted in all
the 12 tribes into which the inhabitants of South-Gothland were
divided.
The fountain near the mountain of Ostrabo, since called Wexlow (V=C3=A4xj=C3=B6), in which St. Sigefride baptised the catechumens, long retained the names of the 12 first converts, engraved on a monument.
King Olas was much pleased with the accounts he heard of the man of
God, and many flocked from remote parts, out of mere curiosity to hear
his doctrine, and to see him minister at the altar, admiring the rich
ornaments of linen, and over them of silk, which he wore in
celebrating the divine mysteries, with a mitre on his head, and a
crosier, or pastoral staff in his hands. Also the gold and silver
vessels which he had brought with him for the use of the altar, and
the dignity and majesty of the ceremonies of the Christian worship,
attracted their attention. But the sublime truths of our religion, and
the mortification, disinterestedness, zeal, and sanctity of the
apostolic missionaries, engaged them to give them a favourable
reception, and to open their eyes to the evidence of the divine
revelation.
St. Sigefride ordained two bishops, the one of East, the other of West Gothland, or Lingkoping, and Scara. The see of Wexlow (V=C3=A4xj=C3=B6) he continued himself to govern so long as he lived. His three nephews,
Unaman a priest, and Sunaman and Wiaman, the one a deacon, the other a subdeacon, were his chief assistants in his apostolic labours. Having
intrusted the administration of his see of Wexlow(V=C3=A4xj=C3=B6) to Unama=
n,
and left his two brothers to assist and comfort him, the saint himself
set out to carry the light of the gospel into the midland and northern provinces. King Olas received him with great respect, and was baptized
by him, with his whole court and his army.
St. Sigefride founded many churches, and consecrated a bishop of
Upsal, and another of Strengues. The former of these sees had been
founded by St. Anscharius in 830, and the bishop was declared by Pope
Alexander III. in 1160, metropolitan and primate of the whole kingdom.
During the absence of our saint, a troop of idolatrous rebels, partly
out of hatred of the Christian religion, and partly for booty,
plundered the church of Wexlow, and barbarously murdered the holy
pastor Unaman and his two brothers. Their bodies they buried in the
midst of a forest, where they had always remained hid. But the
murderers put the heads of the martyrs into a box, which, with a great
stone they had fastened to it, they threw into a great pond. But they
were afterwards taken out, and kept richly enshrined in the church of
Wexlow (V=C3=A4xj=C3=B6) till their relics were removed by the Lutherans. T= hese
three holy martyrs were honoured in Sweden. Upon the news of this
massacre St. Sigefride hastened to Wexlow (V=C3=A4xj=C3=B6) to repair the r= uins
of his church. The king resolved to put the murderers to death; but
Sigefride, by his earnest entreaties, prevailed on him to spare their
lives. However, he condemned them to pay a heavy fine, which he would
have bestowed on the saint, but he refused to accept a single farthing
of it notwithstanding his extreme poverty, and the difficulties which
he had to struggle with, in laying the foundation of that new church.
He had inherited the spirit of the apostles in an heroic degree.
Our saint died about the year 1002, and was buried in his cathedral at
Wexlow (V=C3=A4xj=C3=B6), where his tomb became famous for miracles. He was canonized about the year 1158, by Pope Adrian IV., [1] an Englishman,
who had himself laboured zealously, and with great success, in the
conversion of Norway, and other northern countries, about a 140 years
after St. Sigefride, who was honoured by the Swedes as their apostle,
till the change of religion among them. [2]
Note 1. Vastove, Vinea Aquilonis.
Note 2. In the life of St. Sigefride, published by Benzelius, it is
mentioned, that St. Sigefride, upon his first arrival in Sweden,
preached chiefly by interpreters.
From Joan. Magnus, Hist. Goth. l. 17. c. 20. quoted by Bollandus, and
chiefly from a life of this saint, compiled at Wexlow about the year
1205, published from an ancient MS. by the care of Ericus Benzelius,
junior, in his Monumenta Historica vetera Ecclesi=C3=A6 Suevogothic=C3=A6, printed at Upsal in 1709, p. 1. ad p. 14. and in Prolegom. sect. 1.
The editor was not able to discover the author's name: upon which h=
e
repeats the remark of the learned Maussac (in Diss. Critica ad
Harpocrat.) that =E2=80=9Cmany monkish writers endeavoured to conceal their names out of humility.=E2=80=9D On which see Mabillon, Diar. Ital. p. 36. Benzelius gives us a considerable fragment of a second life of this
holy prelate, ib. p. 21. ad 29. and some verses of Bishop Brynoth the
3rd, on St. Sigfrid and the other bishops of this province, ib. p.72.
Saint Quote:
A man who has been assiduous in acquiring the fruits of love will not
cease loving even if he suffers a thousand calamities. Let Stephen,
the disciple of Christ, and others like him persuade you of the truth
of this (cf. Acts 7:60). Our Lord Himself prayed for His murderers and
asked the Father to forgive them because they did not know what they
were doing (cf. Luke 23:34).
--St. Maximos the Confessor
Bible Quote:
"But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of
you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." (Heb 3:13)
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St Anthony's Prayer for the help of the Holy Spirit
O God, Send forth your Holy Spirit;
into my heart--that I may perceive,
into my mind--that I may remember,
and into my soul--that I may meditate.
Inspire me to speak
with piety, holiness, tenderness, and mercy.
Teach, guide, and direct my thoughts
and senses from the beginning to the end.
May your grace ever help and correct me,
and may I be strengthened now
with wisdom from on high,
for the sake of your infinite mercy.
St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
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