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stitchwhich) wrote2010-03-07 10:09 pm
stitchwhich) wrote2010-03-07 10:09 pm
Entry tags:
Almost forgot!
Drausius of Soissons (d. c. 576/674) Drausius was bishop of Soissons. He strongly encouraged the monastic life in his diocese, even getting the tyrannous Ebroin to build a convent near the city. Ebroin's usual style was pillaging monasteries and killing off bishops who disagreed with him. For this reason Drausius is invoked for help against the plots of enemies. It was believed that those who spent a night praying for intercession at the tomb of Drausius would become invulnerable against all hostile machinations. In 1166, John of Salisbury reported that Robert de Montfort spent the night at the shrine in prayer before his encounter with Henry, Earl of Essex - and Thomas Becket is supposed to have visited his shrine before his final return to England.
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Paul the Simple (d. ca. 339) The Desert Father Paul is said to have been a small farmer or herdsman who at age 60, after observing his wife commit adultery abandoned his former life and wandered into the desert. After a while he met St. Anthony of Egypt and through a combination of persistence and absolute obedience was accepted by the latter as Anthony’s disciple. He ultimately attained such a degree of perfection that he was blessed with visions and with the power of thaumaturgy. Stories about Paul treat him as extraordinarily literal-minded and as capable of other foolish behaviors that are used to highlight spiritual lessons. In some respects, then, he is an early monastic version of the Franciscans' Brother Juniper.
Some stories:
Antony sensed that he was a simple sort of man, and told him that if he would abide by the instructions that he (Anthony) would give him, he would be saved. He replied that he would do whatever he was asked. To test this promise Antony said to him as he stood outside the door of his cell: "Wait here and pray until I come back again". He then went inside and stayed there for a day and a night, from time to time watching Paul secretly through the window. He saw that Paul prayed without ceasing, never moving at all, just standing there in the heat of the day and the dew of the night, so intent on what he had been told that he did not move from the spot in the slightest degree. When Antony came out the next day he took him in and began to teach him about each sort of manual work customary in solitude. Work with the hands took care of the needs of the body, while the thoughts of the heart and the intention of the mind made room for what came from God. He told him to take food in the evening, but warned him never to satisfy his hunger completely, and to be particularly sparing in what he drank, for mental fantasies were encouraged just as much by too much water as bodily heat by too much wine. And when he had fully instructed him how to conduct himself properly in all things he built a cell for him not far away, that is, at a distance of three miles, where he ordered him to carry on doing what he learned. He visited him from time to time, and was delighted to see that he was keeping a firm grasp on what he had been taught, persevering wholeheartedly in his solitude.
One day some senior brothers came to visit the holy Antony, men very advanced in spirituality, and Paul happened to be visiting at the same time. There was a long conversation on deep and mystical subjects, and much discussion about the Prophets and the Saviour. "Did Christ come before the Prophets?" asked Paul out of the simplicity of his heart. Antony was rather embarrassed for him for asking such a stupid question. "Get away with you, say no more," he said, in the indulgent sort of tone of voice reserved for idiots. But Paul believed that everything Antony told him to do was as it were a command from God, and obeyed immediately. He went back to his cell and accepted this command and began to keep absolute silence, allowing not a word to pass his lips. When Antony realised that he had not heard from Paul for a while, nor had he spoken at a later visit, he wondered why he was behaving like this - for he was quite unaware that he had given Paul any command. He ordered him to speak, and tell him why he was keeping silent.
"You, father," said Paul, "told me to get away and say no more."
Antony was amazed that Paul was taking literally the words which he had quite carelessly said "This man puts us all to shame," he said. "For we fail to hear what is spoken to us from heaven, whereas he observes whatever comes out of our mouth."
Antony was determined to teach him a great deal about obedience, and was accustomed to give orders which seemed quite unreasonable and purposeless, in order to train his mind in the habit of obedience. He told him once to draw water from the well and pour it out on the ground, he told him to unravel baskets and then weave them together again, to tear his garment apart then sew it up again, then take it apart again. In all such practices, Antony bears witness that Paul remained totally receptive. He learned not to contradict in any of those unreasonable things that he was commanded to do, and so he was brought on by all these things and soon arrived at a state of perfection.
Because of the abundance of his gifts, many people came from all parts to be cured by him. Antony feared that the attentions of such a large crowd would overwhelm him, so he sent him deeper into the desert where it was not so easy for anyone to get to him, and Antony would thus be more able to deal with visitors. But if Antony himself could not cure anyone he would then send him or her to Paul as being more abundantly supplied with healing gifts. And Paul cured them.
The simplicity of his faithfulness was great in the eyes of the Lord. They say that once someone suffering from rabies was biting like a dog everyone who was trying to come and cure him. He was brought to Paul, who persisted in prayer that the demon troubling him should be put to flight. And after a while, when there did not seem to be anything happening, he is said to have cried out indignantly, like a small child, to the Lord: "If you don't cure him, I am not going to get anything to eat today!" And immediately God granted him his request, as if he were a favourite child. The rabies was instantly cured.
---***---
Paul the Simple (d. ca. 339) The Desert Father Paul is said to have been a small farmer or herdsman who at age 60, after observing his wife commit adultery abandoned his former life and wandered into the desert. After a while he met St. Anthony of Egypt and through a combination of persistence and absolute obedience was accepted by the latter as Anthony’s disciple. He ultimately attained such a degree of perfection that he was blessed with visions and with the power of thaumaturgy. Stories about Paul treat him as extraordinarily literal-minded and as capable of other foolish behaviors that are used to highlight spiritual lessons. In some respects, then, he is an early monastic version of the Franciscans' Brother Juniper.
Some stories:
Antony sensed that he was a simple sort of man, and told him that if he would abide by the instructions that he (Anthony) would give him, he would be saved. He replied that he would do whatever he was asked. To test this promise Antony said to him as he stood outside the door of his cell: "Wait here and pray until I come back again". He then went inside and stayed there for a day and a night, from time to time watching Paul secretly through the window. He saw that Paul prayed without ceasing, never moving at all, just standing there in the heat of the day and the dew of the night, so intent on what he had been told that he did not move from the spot in the slightest degree. When Antony came out the next day he took him in and began to teach him about each sort of manual work customary in solitude. Work with the hands took care of the needs of the body, while the thoughts of the heart and the intention of the mind made room for what came from God. He told him to take food in the evening, but warned him never to satisfy his hunger completely, and to be particularly sparing in what he drank, for mental fantasies were encouraged just as much by too much water as bodily heat by too much wine. And when he had fully instructed him how to conduct himself properly in all things he built a cell for him not far away, that is, at a distance of three miles, where he ordered him to carry on doing what he learned. He visited him from time to time, and was delighted to see that he was keeping a firm grasp on what he had been taught, persevering wholeheartedly in his solitude.
One day some senior brothers came to visit the holy Antony, men very advanced in spirituality, and Paul happened to be visiting at the same time. There was a long conversation on deep and mystical subjects, and much discussion about the Prophets and the Saviour. "Did Christ come before the Prophets?" asked Paul out of the simplicity of his heart. Antony was rather embarrassed for him for asking such a stupid question. "Get away with you, say no more," he said, in the indulgent sort of tone of voice reserved for idiots. But Paul believed that everything Antony told him to do was as it were a command from God, and obeyed immediately. He went back to his cell and accepted this command and began to keep absolute silence, allowing not a word to pass his lips. When Antony realised that he had not heard from Paul for a while, nor had he spoken at a later visit, he wondered why he was behaving like this - for he was quite unaware that he had given Paul any command. He ordered him to speak, and tell him why he was keeping silent.
"You, father," said Paul, "told me to get away and say no more."
Antony was amazed that Paul was taking literally the words which he had quite carelessly said "This man puts us all to shame," he said. "For we fail to hear what is spoken to us from heaven, whereas he observes whatever comes out of our mouth."
Antony was determined to teach him a great deal about obedience, and was accustomed to give orders which seemed quite unreasonable and purposeless, in order to train his mind in the habit of obedience. He told him once to draw water from the well and pour it out on the ground, he told him to unravel baskets and then weave them together again, to tear his garment apart then sew it up again, then take it apart again. In all such practices, Antony bears witness that Paul remained totally receptive. He learned not to contradict in any of those unreasonable things that he was commanded to do, and so he was brought on by all these things and soon arrived at a state of perfection.
Because of the abundance of his gifts, many people came from all parts to be cured by him. Antony feared that the attentions of such a large crowd would overwhelm him, so he sent him deeper into the desert where it was not so easy for anyone to get to him, and Antony would thus be more able to deal with visitors. But if Antony himself could not cure anyone he would then send him or her to Paul as being more abundantly supplied with healing gifts. And Paul cured them.
The simplicity of his faithfulness was great in the eyes of the Lord. They say that once someone suffering from rabies was biting like a dog everyone who was trying to come and cure him. He was brought to Paul, who persisted in prayer that the demon troubling him should be put to flight. And after a while, when there did not seem to be anything happening, he is said to have cried out indignantly, like a small child, to the Lord: "If you don't cure him, I am not going to get anything to eat today!" And immediately God granted him his request, as if he were a favourite child. The rabies was instantly cured.