Subj : =?UTF-8?Q?February_24th_=E2=80=93_St=2E_Praetextatus=2C_or_Prix=2C__Mar To : All From : rich Date : Sun Feb 23 2020 09:15:30 From: rich February 24th =E2=80=93 St. Praetextatus, or Prix, Martyr d. 586 ST. Praetextatus became bishop of Rouen in 549 and occupied that see for 35 years. During this long episcopate he suffered grievous difficulties, exile and in the end martyrdom due to the rivalry between King Clotaire I's sons Chilperic and Sigebert, and the dead= ly feud of Chilperic's mistress, Fredegund, with Sigebert's wi= fe, Brunhilda, sister to the poisoned second wife of Chilperic. Fredegund contrived the murder of Sigebert in 575, and Chilperic threw Brunhilda into prison at Rouen, from whence she appealed for help to Meroveus, Chilperic's son by his first wife. The young man dreaded the power = of Fredegund, and was not unwilling to take up arms against his father. Furthermore, he fell in love with his step-aunt Brunhilda and married her, thus making common cause with her. Praetextatus found himself placed in a very awkward position. Meroveus had made Rouen his headquarters and expected or exacted contributions from the Church which it was difficult to refuse. The young man was the bishop's spiritual son--that is to say, he had been baptized by him, and the tie was then considered a very close one. Chilperic was ready to believe accusations against Praetextatus and summoned him to appear before a council of bishops in Paris on the charges of having broken the canons by marrying Meroveus to his aunt and also of fomenting the rebellion by giving aid to the prince. With regard to the first of these charges there is some uncertainty. It is thought by some that the bishop, in order to prevent a grievous scandal, judged the case suitable for a dispensation and actually married them and acknowledged that he had done so, but Gregory of Tours, who was present and who is the authority for all that happened, says that Praetextatus denied having married them. At first the bishop would plead guilty to neither charge, but he was afterwards prevailed upon by false friends to acknowledge that he had favoured and helped Meroveus. He was thereupon condemned and banished to a little island off Coutances. His powerful enemies spared no trouble to blast his reputation, but St Gregory of Tours never wavered in his support. Meroveus and his brothers were put to death by order of the savage Fredegund, who was also suspected of causing the death of her husband to clear the way to the throne for her own son, Clotaire II. On the death of Chilperic, Praetextatus returned to his see by order of King Gontran of Burgundy, but sorely against the wishes of Fredegund. At the Council of Macon he was formally reinstated, and he took a prominent part in the deliberations of that body. He frequently remonstrated with the wicked queen, who often resided at Rouen, and her hatred for him became greater than ever. In 586 she said to him, =E2=80=9CThe time is coming when thou shalt revisit th= e place of thine exile.=E2=80=9D--=E2=80=9CI was a bishop always, whether in = exile or out of exile=E2=80=9D, replied the saint, and a bishop I shall remain; but = as for thee, thou shalt not always enjoy thy crown,=E2=80=9D and he exhorted h= er to abandon her evil ways. On the following Sunday, soon after midnight, as he was saying Matins in Church, an assassin sent by Fredegund stabbed him under the armpit. He was carried to his bed, where he died. Gregory of Tours is our trustworthy authority for this story of Merovingian barbarity. See also Duchesne, Fastes =C3=89piscopaux, vol. ii, p. 206. Saint Quote: "The heart can change several times in one moment--to good or evil, to faith or unbelief, to simplicity or cunning, to love or hatred, to benevolence or envy, to generosity or avarice, to chastity or fornication. O, what inconstancy! O, how many dangers! |O, how sober and watchful we must be!" --St. John of Kronstadt. Bible Quote: 2 And his disciples asked him, =E2=80=9CRabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?=E2=80=9D 3 Jesus answered, =E2=80=9CIt was= not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him.[a] =C2 John 9:2-3 =C2 RSVCE <><><><> PRAYER FOR GOD'S GUIDANCE Father in Heaven, You made me Your child and called me to walk in the Light of Christ. Free me from darkness and keep me in the Light of Your Truth. The Light of Jesus has scattered the darkness of hatred and sin. Called to that Light, I ask for Your guidance. Form my life in Your Truth, my heart in Your Love. Through the Holy Eucharist, give me the power of Your Grace that I may walk in the Light of Jesus and serve Him faithfully. --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .