From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

February 24th =E2=80=93 St. Praetextatus, or Prix, Martyr

d. 586

ST. Praetextatus became bishop of Rouen in 549 and occupied that see
for 35 years. During this long episcopate he suffered grievous
difficulties, exile and in the end martyrdom due to the rivalry
between King Clotaire I's sons Chilperic and Sigebert, and the dead=
ly
feud of Chilperic's mistress, Fredegund, with Sigebert's wi=
fe,
Brunhilda, sister to the poisoned second wife of Chilperic. Fredegund
contrived the murder of Sigebert in 575, and Chilperic threw Brunhilda
into prison at Rouen, from whence she appealed for help to Meroveus, Chilperic's son by his first wife. The young man dreaded the power =
of
Fredegund, and was not unwilling to take up arms against his father. Furthermore, he fell in love with his step-aunt Brunhilda and married
her, thus making common cause with her. Praetextatus found himself
placed in a very awkward position. Meroveus had made Rouen his
headquarters and expected or exacted contributions from the Church
which it was difficult to refuse. The young man was the bishop's
spiritual son--that is to say, he had been baptized by him, and the
tie was then considered a very close one. Chilperic was ready to
believe accusations against Praetextatus and summoned him to appear
before a council of bishops in Paris on the charges of having broken
the canons by marrying Meroveus to his aunt and also of fomenting the
rebellion by giving aid to the prince. With regard to the first of
these charges there is some uncertainty. It is thought by some that
the bishop, in order to prevent a grievous scandal, judged the case
suitable for a dispensation and actually married them and acknowledged
that he had done so, but Gregory of Tours, who was present and who is
the authority for all that happened, says that Praetextatus denied
having married them.

At first the bishop would plead guilty to neither charge, but he was
afterwards prevailed upon by false friends to acknowledge that he had
favoured and helped Meroveus. He was thereupon condemned and banished
to a little island off Coutances. His powerful enemies spared no
trouble to blast his reputation, but St Gregory of Tours never wavered
in his support. Meroveus and his brothers were put to death by order
of the savage Fredegund, who was also suspected of causing the death
of her husband to clear the way to the throne for her own son,
Clotaire II. On the death of Chilperic, Praetextatus returned to his
see by order of King Gontran of Burgundy, but sorely against the
wishes of Fredegund. At the Council of Macon he was formally
reinstated, and he took a prominent part in the deliberations of that
body. He frequently remonstrated with the wicked queen, who often
resided at Rouen, and her hatred for him became greater than ever. In
586 she said to him, =E2=80=9CThe time is coming when thou shalt revisit th=
e
place of thine exile.=E2=80=9D--=E2=80=9CI was a bishop always, whether in = exile or
out of exile=E2=80=9D, replied the saint, and a bishop I shall remain; but =
as
for thee, thou shalt not always enjoy thy crown,=E2=80=9D and he exhorted h=
er
to abandon her evil ways. On the following Sunday, soon after
midnight, as he was saying Matins in Church, an assassin sent by
Fredegund stabbed him under the armpit. He was carried to his bed,
where he died.

Gregory of Tours is our trustworthy authority for this story of
Merovingian barbarity. See also Duchesne, Fastes =C3=89piscopaux, vol. ii,
p. 206.


Saint Quote:
"The heart can change several times in one moment--to good or evil, to
faith or unbelief, to simplicity or cunning, to love or hatred, to
benevolence or envy, to generosity or avarice, to chastity or
fornication. O, what inconstancy! O, how many dangers! |O, how sober
and watchful we must be!"
--St. John of Kronstadt.

Bible Quote:
2 And his disciples asked him, =E2=80=9CRabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?=E2=80=9D 3 Jesus answered, =E2=80=9CIt was=
not that
this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be
made manifest in him.[a] =C2 John 9:2-3 =C2 RSVCE


<><><><>
PRAYER FOR GOD'S GUIDANCE

Father in Heaven,
You made me Your child
and called me to walk in the Light of Christ.
Free me from darkness
and keep me in the Light of Your Truth.
The Light of Jesus has scattered
the darkness of hatred and sin.
Called to that Light,
I ask for Your guidance.
Form my life in Your Truth,
my heart in Your Love.
Through the Holy Eucharist,
give me the power of Your Grace
that I may walk in the Light of Jesus
and serve Him faithfully.
--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)