• April 9th - St. Waltrude, Widow

    From rich@1:396/4 to All on Wed Apr 8 09:38:46 2020
    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


    <><><><>
    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)