Subj : July 27th - Blessed Berthold of Garsten To : All From : rich Date : Mon Jul 26 2021 10:22:50 From: rich July 27th - Blessed Berthold of Garsten d. 1142 Berthold was born about the year 1090 on the shores of Lake Constance. His wife dying when he was some 30 years old, he became a monk at Sankt Blasien and was promoted to be prior of Goettweig in the Black Forest. Ottokar, Margrave of Styria, had some years previously founded a house of secular canons at Steyer-Garsten, but the institution had not come up to his expectations and fulfilled his intentions, so he determined to dismiss the canons and people the house with Benedictines. This he did about 1111, and put at their head Bl. Berthold, who at once established a rigorous discipline, and the reputation of the abbot and his monks soon made the monastery a place of pilgrimage.=C2 To shelter and entertain them Berthold built a hospice and added thereto a hospital for the benefit of the sick poor of the whole neighbourhood as well as of travellers. These charities, and the succour of the numerous indigent folk who asked for help, were a great strain on the resources of the monastery, but on seven occasions it appeared that God had intervened to supply their needs miraculously. Berthold led the ordinary life of a monk, dividing his time between prayer and study and the work of the house; but this life is designed to be a means of sanctity, and by it Berthold became a saint: in secret he led a life of great penitence, he never ate meat or fish, and spent hours of his short night in private prayer.=C2 People came from far and wide to hear him preach and to ask his blessing; and it is particularly interesting to note, in view of the period at which he lived, that Berthold's zeal manifested itself especially in hearing confessions, both of his own religious and of lay people. In art, Berthold is a Benedictine abbot carrying fish and bread. Sometimes there is an angel near him holding fish on a plate or fishes come to him (Roeder). He is venerated in Constance, Saint Blasien (Schw=C3=A4rzwald, Germany), and G=C3=B6ttweig (Austria) (Roeder). The full life of Bl. Berthold which we possess was written about 20 years after his death, and has been printed with much illustrative matter in the Acta Sanctorum, July, vol. Vi . Saint Quote: When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time. --St. Francis de Sales Bible Quote But the prophet, who being corrupted with pride, shall speak in my name things that I did not command him to say, or in the name of strange gods, shall be slain.=C2 (Deuteronomy 18:20) <><><><> Virgin Full of Goodness, Mother of Mercy Virgin full of goodness, Mother of mercy, I entrust to you my body and my soul, my thoughts and my actions, my life and my death. My Queen, come to my aid and deliver me from the snares of the devil. Obtain for me the grace of loving my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, with a true and perfect love, and after Him, O Mary, of loving you with all my heart and above all things. Amen. By St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) Doctor angelicus --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .