From: rich <
richarra@gmail.com>
April 9th - St. Waltrude, Widow
[Or Vautrude, commonly called Vaudru.]
=C2 SHE was daughter to the princess St. Bertille, elder sister to St. Aldegondes, and wife to Madelgaire, count of Hainault, and one of the
principal lords of King Dagobert's court. After bearing him two sons
and two daughters, she induced him to embrace the monastic state at
Haumont, near Maubeuge, taking the name of Vincent. He is honoured in
Flanders among the saints on the 20th of September, and called St.
Vincent of Soignies. She remained two years longer in the world,
devoting herself entirely to exercises of piety, under the direction
of the holy abbot St. Guislain.
Being by that time disengaged from the
encumbrances of the world, she received the religious veil at the
hands of St. Aubert, bishop of Cambray, in 656, and lived in a little
cell, adjoining to which was a chapel in a solitary place called
Castriloc, or Castle-place, now Mons.--Many other ladies resorting to
her, she formed a religious community, which is at present a rich
royal chapter of canonesses. From her reputation and from this
community arose the city of Mons, now the capital of Hainault. Whilst
her sister Aldegondes governed her great monastery at Maubeuge,
Vautrude sanctified herself in her little cell by holy poverty,
meekness, patience, continual fasting and prayer. She suffered much
from the slanders of men, and from severe interior trials and
temptations: but God, after some years, recompensed her fidelity with
a holy peace, and great spiritual consolations.
On the 9th of April, 686, she went to receive the crown promised by
God to those who serve him. Her relics are esteemed the most precious
treasure of the great church which bears her name. She is titular
patroness of Mons, and all Hainault. By the life of St. Vautrude, we
should learn to despise the unjust censures of the world. It
persecutes by its calumnies those by whose lives its false maxims are condemned: but it can only hurt a counterfeit virtue, as the fire
consumes only the dross, but renders true gold brighter and more pure.
Solid virtue is not only tried by humiliations, but gains the greatest advantage and improvement by making a good use of them.
See her ancient life in Mabill. S=C3=A6c. 2. Bened. also Mir=C3=A6us.
Saint Quote:
"The object of his praying, therefore, is that his prayer become like
incense, and the lifting of hands like an evening sacrifices are
acceptable. Now, how would that happen? If both were pure, if both
were spotless, both tongue and hands, the latter cleansed of avarice
and rapacity, the former rid of evil words. After all, as a censor
should hold nothing impure, only fire and incense, so too the tongue
should not utter a tainted word, only holiness and praise; so too the
hands should be a censor. Accordingly, let your mouth be a censor and
see to it that you do not fill it with dung; people who utter shameful
and unclean words are like that."
--St. John Chrysostom.
Bible Quote:
=C2 And he said to his disciples: It is impossible that scandals should
not come. But woe to him through whom they come!=C2 It were better for
him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the
sea, than that he should scandalize one of these little ones.=C2 [Lk
17:1-2] DRB
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Don't shut out Christ
=C2 =C2 The divine Word, coming and knocking at the door of our soul, challenges our indolence and rouses us from slumber. His desire is
always to enter and make his home with us. It is our own fault,
therefore, if he does not always do so, or if, having once entered, he
does not always stay with us.
=C2 =C2 Let your door stand open to receive him, unlock your soul to =
him,
lay bare the hidden recesses of your mind. Show him the coffers of
innocence, the treasure house of peace; let him see how beautiful his
grace has made you. Throw wide the gate of your heart, run toward the
sun whose unfailing light shines on every human being. That true light
shines for everyone, but those who close their windows deprive
themselves of its eternal radiance. If you shut the door of your mind
you shut out Christ. Though he has the power to enter, he does not
care to burst in uninvited or to force himself upon us against our
will.
=C2 =C2 Born of a virgin, Christ came forth from the womb to shed his
light over the whole world, so that everything might be illumined by
his rays. His light is received by all who long to see the splendor of
that everlasting glory which no darkness can ever dim. Here, the sun
of our daily experience is succeeded by the darkness of night; but the
sun of holiness knows no setting, since wisdom can never give place to
evil.
--Guerric of Igny
--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)