From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

August 3rd =E2=80=93 St. Waltheof, Abbot of Melrose
Also known as, Walthen, Waldef, Walden, Waldeve, Wallevus, Walene

Waltheof was second son of Simon, Earl of Huntingdon, and Matilda or
Maud, daughter to Judith, the niece of William the Conqueror.=C2 His
elder brother was called Simon, and in their childhood it was the
pastime of this Simon to build castles and play at soldiers, but
Waltheof's to build churches and monasteries of stones and wood.

When grown up, the elder inherited his father's martial disposition
together with his title; but Waltheof had a strong inclination for the religious life and was mild and peace-loving. Their mother Maud, after
the death of her first husband, was given in marriage by King Henry I
to St. David I, King of Scotland, and Waltheof followed his mother to
that court, where he formed an intimate friendship with St. Ached, who
was master of the royal household at that time. When he went out
hunting with the king Waltheof used to hide himself in some thicket
and there employ the day in meditation or reading. The king, having
one day surprised him at this, told the queen that her son was not a
man of this world, for he could find no satisfaction in its
diversions. Only once did it look as if his vocation might be lost;
he had attracted the attention of one of the ladies of the court and
accepted from her a ring, which he wore on his finger. Such gages
commonly have more serious developments, but when a courtier, noticing
the ring, said, "Ha! At last Waltheof begins to take some notice of
women he pulled himself together, snatched off the ring, and threw it
into the fire.

Soon after he decided to avoid the life of a court cleric and become a religious. He left Scotland, and made his profession among regular
canons of St. Augustine in their monastery at Nostell, near Pontefract
in Yorkshire.=C2 He was soon after chosen prior of Kirkham, in the same county, and, realizing the obligations he now lay under for the
sanctification of others as well as for his own, he redoubled his
austerity and regularity of observance.=C2 In celebrating Mass one
Christmas day, after the consecration of the bread he was favoured
with a wonderful vision.=C2 The divine Word, who on that day had made
Himself visible to mankind by His birth, seemed pleased to manifest
Himself not only to the eyes of faith but also to the bodily eyes of
His servant.=C2 Waltheof saw in his hands, not the form of bread, but
the radiant form of the child Jesus.=C2 When he had laid the Host on the
altar he saw only the sacramental form.

Waitheof, impressed by the life and vigour of the Cistercian monks,
became anxious to join them; naturally he was encouraged by the advice
of his friend St. Aelred, then abbot of Rievaulx, and accordingly he
took the habit at Wardon in Bedfordshire.=C2 Waltheof found Cistercian
life excessively severe, and judged it to be therefore less suitable
for the salvation of souls than Augustinian discretion.=C2 Nevertheless,
only four years after profession, he was chosen abbot of Melrose,
recently founded on the banks of the Tweed by King David.=C2 Whenever he
fell into the smallest failing by inadvertence Waltheof immediately
had recourse to confession, a practice of perfection which the
confessors found rather trying, as one of them admitted to Jordan, the
saint's biographer. Yet cheerfulness and spiritual joy always shone in
his face, and his words were animated with a fire which penetrated the
hearts of those that heard him.

His alms supported the poor of all the country round his abbey, and he
is said to have twice multiplied bread miraculously. He once went to
King Stephen in England, about affairs of his community, carrying a
bundle on his back. His brother Simon, who was present, was very
annoyed and said to the king, "See how this brother of mine, and
cousin of yours, disgraces his family."=C2 "Not so," said the king.=C2=
"If
we understand what the grace of God is, he does honour to us and all
his kindred."=C2 In 1154 Waltheof was chosen archbishop of Saint
Andrews; but he prevailed on St. Aelred to oppose the election and not
to oblige him to accept it.=C2 Once when giving a conference to his
community he had occasion to refer to a vision of the glory of Heaven
which had been vouchsafed to him, but he spoke in the third person as
of another; but at last by inadvertence he spoke in the first person:
he no sooner realized it than, cutting his discourse short, he
withdrew in tears, much afflicted for the word which had escaped him.
St. Waltheof died at a great age on August 3, about 1160.

Under the Latin form "Walthenus", a long life, attributed to Joscelia,
or Jordan, a monk of Furness (c. mc), is printed in the Acta
Sanctonan, August, vol. i.=C2 Though prolix, the narrative may be
considered fairly reliable.=C2 See also T. 1). Hardy, Descriptive
Catalogue of MSS. (Rolls Series), vol. ii, p. 285.


Saint Quote:
The happiness of man on earth, my children, is to be very good; those
who are very good bless the good God, they love Him, they glorify Him,
and do all their works with joy and love, because they know that we
are in this world for no other end than to serve and love the good
God.
--St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney, the Cure of Ars

Bible Quote:
Bear ye one another's burdens: and so you shall fulfil the law of
Christ. For if any man think himself to be some thing, whereas he is
nothing, he deceiveth himself. [Galatians 6:2-3]=C2 DRB


<><><><>
And remember-

'Be kinder than necessary;
For everyone you meet is
Fighting some kind of battle.'

'The truest greatness lies in being kind,
the truest wisdom in a happy mind.'

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* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)