Subj : March 4th - Bl. Humbert III of Savoy To : All From : rich Date : Wed Mar 03 2021 09:05:09 From: rich March 4th - Bl. Humbert III of Savoy HUMBERT III, Count of Savoy, was born in 1136 at Avigliana, and his parents, Amadeus III of Savoy and Matilda of Vienne, were at pains to give him a good and religious education. They entrusted his training to Bl. Amadeus, Bishop of Lausanne, under whom the youth made great progress, especially in the life of prayer. Called to rule at his father's death, he sacrificed a desire for solitude to the task imposed upon him, and though a mere boy when he took up the reins of government he showed himself fully equal to his position, finding it quite possible to reconcile the duty of a secular ruler with that of self-sanctification. When his wife died childless, the count sought in the monastery of Aulps the consolation he needed, and would fain have remained there, but his vassals came to entreat him not to abandon them and to take steps to ensure the succession in his family. Yielding to these representations he again took up the burden and contracted two, if not three, more marriages. By his second wife, Germana of Zahringen, he had a child, Agnes, who was betrothed to John Lackland, afterwards king of England, but both mother and daughter died before the marriage could take place. During this period Humbert had occasion to repel aggression by force of arms, and he then proved himself as capable in warfare as in peace. =E2=80=9CBrave in contest, undaunted in reverse, just and moderate in victory, he was ever unflinching in his adherence to what he held to be just.=E2=80=9D His reputation for wisdom and probity reached far beyond the limits of his own country, and won for him the confidence of his contemporaries. We read, however, that on one occasion he came into violent conflict with St. Anthelmus, Bishop of Belley. Happily the two holy men, though they had lost their tempers badly, arrived at a very edifying reconciliation. The time came at last when Count Humbert felt that he was justified in retiring from the world to prepare himself for death. He accordingly withdrew to the Cistercian abbey of Hautecombe, where he gave himself up to the humblest and most austere practices of the religious life. According to some authorities, however, he was not suffered to remain long in retirement; the call of his people, who were again threatened with invasion from Germany, summoned him from the cloister to take command of the army. Though forewarned of his approaching death he marched with them as far as Chamb=C3=A9ry, where he died in 1188. This account of the close of his troubled career is, it must be confessed, very doubtful. There is good reason to believe that Bl. Humbert died peacefully in his Cistercian retreat, where also was buried nearly a century later Bl. Boniface of Savoy, who had been archbishop of Canterbury. The cultus of Bl. Humbert was approved in 1838. There seems to be no early biography of Bl. Humbert. The facts have to be gathered from the imperfect and often conflicting accounts of the chroniclers. Most of the story can be gleaned from the important work of Samuel Guichenon, Histoire g=C3=A9n=C3=A9alogique de la royale Maison de Savoye, of which the first edition appeared in 1660. See also the convenient little volume of F. G. Allaria I1 b. Umberto III storia e leggende (1879). It is noteworthy that Guichenon strongly maintains that Humbert was married, not three, but four times, and that his fourth wife, when he retired to his Cistercian abbey, herself became a nun at Messines in Flanders. Bible Quote: 19 Where words are many, sin is not wanting; but those who restrain their lips do well. 20 Choice silver is the tongue of the just; the heart of the wicked is of little worth. 21 The lips of the just nourish many, but fools die for want of sense.*=C2 Proverbs 10:19-21: * [10:21] The wise by their words maintain others in life whereas the foolish cannot keep themselves from sin that leads to premature death. Saint Quote: It should be our principal business to conquer ourselves and, from day to day, to go on increasing in strength and perfection. Above all, however, it is necessary for us to strive to conquer our little temptations, such as fits of anger, suspicions, jealousies, envy, deceitfulness, vanity, attachments, and evil thoughts. For in this way we shall acquire strength to subdue greater ones. -- St. Francis De Sales <><><><> Memorare Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful; O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy clemency hear and answer me. Amen. <><><><> Mary, Mother of the Unborn Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very much, I beg you to spare the life of the unborn child that I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion. ( Fulton J. Sheen ) --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .