Subj : =?UTF-8?Q?February_3rd_=E2=80=93_St=2E_Laurence_of_Canterbury?= To : All From : rich Date : Sun Feb 02 2020 07:23:20 From: rich February 3rd =E2=80=93 St. Laurence of Canterbury, OSB Died February 2, 619; feast day was February 2. Saint Laurence was one of the 13 monks of Saint Andrew's Monastery, Rome, sent by Pope Saint Gregory the Great with Saint Augustine of Canterbury to England in 597. Augustine sent him back to Rome to report on the progress of the English mission and to bring back reinforcements for the work. He also brought back Gregory's answers to Augustine's questions about the organization of the Church in Canterbury. As Augustine's most trusted helper, he named Laurence to succeed him as Archbishop of Canterbury in 604 As archbishop of Canterbury, Laurence followed Augustine's policy of consolidation in the southeast of Britain and attempted cooperation with the British bishops in the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons. Unsuccessful in convincing the Britons to accept the Roman liturgical practices, Laurence was faced with even greater difficulties when Eadbald succeeded his father, Ethelbert, as king of Kent in 616, married his father's wife, and allowed the country to lapse into pagan practices. Saints Mellitus and Justus retired temporarily to Gaul. Laurence considered joining them there but, according to Bede, was rebuked, then physically beaten black and blue by Saint Peter in a vision for thinking about abandoning his flock. The story seems to be a conflation of the Quo Vadis? legend of Saint Peter and a famous letter of Saint Jerome. Whether the story Bede tells is true, Laurence decided to remain, and the day after his vision converted King Eadbald to Christianity when he displayed the stripes on his back to the king and told him their origin. Laurence was buried in the monastery church of Saints Peter and Paul (later called Saint Augustine's), Canterbury, which he had himself consecrated. His body and those of other early saints of Canterbury were translated in 1091. His tomb was opened in 1915. The Irish Stowe Missal commemorates him by name in the canon of the Mass and marks his feast. There is a feast of the translation of his relics at Canterbury on September 13 (Attwater, Benedictines, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Farmer, Gill). St. Laurence is mentioned in the Roman Martyrology. We know little about him beyond what is found in Bede, Hist. Eccles., bk ii, cc. 4. 6 and 7. William of Malmesbury, Gesta Pontificum (Rolls Series), pp. 5. 6 etc. refers to the life by Goscelin. Two manuscripts of this are still preserved, as Hardy records, Catalogue of British History, II, i, 217-218. The tomb of St Laurence has of late years been reopened, but the bodies of all the early archbishops were translated by Abbot Wido in 1091 to a place of greater honour. A full account of the excavations was given by Sir William St John Hope in Archaeologica. vol. lxvi, pp. 377-400, with plans and photographs. Saint Quote: Let us faithfully transmit to posterity the example of virtue which we have received from our forefathers. --Saint Peter Damian Bible Quote: Thus saith the Lord: Stand ye on the ways, and see. And ask for the old paths, which is the good way, and walk ye in it, and you shall find refreshment for your souls. (Jeremias 6:16) <><><><> 3. Whoever is not very humble, can never draw profit from contemplation, in which any little atom of insufficient humility, though it may seem nothing, works the greatest harm. --St. Teresa One day, the Blessed Virgin prayed her most holy Son that He would bestow some spiritual gifts upon St. Bridget. But He gave her this reply: "Whoever seeks lofty things ought first to be exercised in the lowly, by the paths of humility." Because the blessed clara of montefalco experienced a vain pleasure in some things she had done, the lord withdrew from her for 15 years, his lights and celestial consolations, which she could not regain during all that time, though she begged for them earnestly, with tears, prayers, and the use of the discipline. (Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". February =E2=80=93 Humility) --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .