NOVEMBER 14, 2024 – ST. DIDACUS. & ST. LAURENCE O’TOOL.

• St. Josaphat (1623). Bishop, Martyr. (Traditional)
• St. Laurence O’Toole (1180). Bishop. (Historical)
• St. Sidonius (633). Abbot or Abbess. (Historical)

ST. DIDACUS was born in Spain, in the middle of the fifteenth century. He was remarkable from childhood for his love of solitude, and when a youth retired and led a hermit life, occupying himself with weaving mats, like the fathers of the desert. Aiming at still higher perfection, he entered the Order of St. Francis. His want of learning and his humility would not allow him to aspire to the priesthood, and he remained a lay-brother till his death, perfect in his close observance of the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and mortifying his will and his senses in every way that he could contrive. At one time he was sent by his superiors to the Canary Islands, whither he went joyfully, hoping to win the crown of martyrdom. Such, however, was not God’s will, and after making many conversions by his example and holy words, he was recalled to Spain. There, after a long and painful illness, he finished his days, embracing the cross which he had so dearly loved through his life. He died with the words of the hymn “Dulce lignum” on his lips.

REFLECTION: If God be in your heart, He will be also on your lips; for Christ has said, “From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”

ST. LAURENCE O’TOOL

ST. LAURENCE, it appears, was born about the year 1125. When only ten years old, his father delivered him up as a hostage to Dermod Mac Murchad, King of Leinster, who treated the child with great inhumanity, until his father obliged the tyrant to put him in the hands of the Bishop of Glendalough, in the county of Wicklow. The holy youth, by his fidelity in corresponding with the divine grace, grew to be a model of virtues. On the death of the bishop, who was also abbot of the monastery, St. Laurence was chosen abbot in 1150, though but twenty-five years old, and governed his numerous community with wonderful virtue and prudence. In 116I, St. Laurence was unanimously chosen to fill the new metropolitan See of Dublin. About the year 1171, he was obliged, for the affairs of his diocese, to go over to England to see the king, Henry II, who was then at Canterbury. The Saint was received by the Benedictine monks of Christ Church with the greatest honor and respect. On the following day, as the holy archbishop was advancing to the altar to officiate, a maniac, who had heard much of his sanctity, and who was led on by the idea of making so holy a man another St. Thomas, struck him a violent blow on the head. All present concluded that he was mortally wounded; but the Saint coming to himself, asked for some water, blessed it, and having his wound washed with it, the blood was immediately stanched, and the archbishop celebrated Mass. In 1175, Henry II of England became offended with Roderic, the monarch of Ireland, and St. Laurence undertook another journey to England to negotiate a reconciliation between them. Henry was so moved by his piety, charity, and prudence, that he granted him every thing he asked, and left the whole negotiation to his discretion. Our Saint ended his journey here below on the 14th of November, 118, and was buried in the church of the abbey at Eu, on the confines of Normandy.

WORD OF THE DAY

DECENCY. The social aspect of the virtue of modesty. It implies due concern for what society in general or people in particular consider proper in the external practice of chastity. As the morality of a culture falls below the objective norms of Christian chastity, the standards of decency tend to be formed by the prevalent customs of the people. (Etym. Latin decere, to be fitting.)

Modern Catholic Dictionary, Fr. John Hardon SJ (Get the real one at Eternal Life — don’t accept an abridged or edited version of this masterpiece!)

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