March 31st - St. Guy of Pomposa
Weedy
Guy of Pomposa, an 11th century Italian saint, was renowned for his
sanctity, wisdom and spiritual advice.
St. Guy (also known as Guido, Guion, Wido, Witen and Wit) was born in
Ravenna (a city in northern Italy located near Venice). His parents
were
proud of their son and always wanted him to look his best, so he paid
special attention to his appearance. Until one July 23 on the feast
of St.
Apollinaris, who, legend says, was a disciple of St. Peter and the
first
bishop of Ravenna. That day, Guy went into Ravenna, took off his
luxurious
clothes, gave them to the poor, replacing them with grubby clothes.
Next, despite his parents' objections, he left for Rome, where he was
tonsured and moved to an island in the river Po under the direction
of
Martin, a hermit.
Three years later, he joined Pomposa Abbey, near Ferrara, and began
training
for the monastic life. Soon, he was named the first abbot of St.
Severus
Abbey at Ravenna. Later, he became abbot of Pomposa.
Before long, great numbers of men-including his father and brother-
were
joining the community. Eventually, Guy had to build another monastery
to
accommodate the large number of monks.
After a few years, he grew tired of the secular requirements of his
job and
delegated those roles to others so he could concentrate on the
spiritual
side of monastic life.
Several times during the year, he would move to a cell three miles
from the
abbey for intense prayer and fasting. During Lent, he added physical
disciplines to his penances, but he was known for treating his monks
kindly.
For two years, he invited St. Peter Damian to lecture on the
Scriptures at
Pomposa Abbey. In appreciation, St. Peter Damian devoted his book, De
Perfectione Monachorum, to St. Guy.
Near the end of his life, St. Guy lived in solitude. One day, Emperor
Henry
III of the Holy Roman Empire summoned him to Piacenza. Guy resisted
making
the trip, but finally agreed to go, first telling the monks that they
would
not see him again.
When he was near Parma, about 75 miles south of Milan, Guy became ill
and
died. Both Pomposa and Parma wanted his body. But the emperor
overruled them
and ordered that St. Guy's relics be taken to St. John the Evangelist
Church
at Speyer in Germany, which was renamed St. Guido-Stift. We celebrate
his
feast on March 31.
St. Guy brought the light of spiritual wisdom to many. What light do
you
bring to others?
Sources: Butler's Lives of the Saints, Dictionary of Saints and 365
Saints.
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Whoever will come after Me, let him deny himself. (Matthew 16:24)
"Everyone has opinions of his own, nor is this opposed to virtue. It
is only
the love and attachment we have to our own opinions, and the high
value we
set on them, which is infinitely contrary to our perfection. This is
the
last thing to be abandoned, and the cause why so few are perfect"
--St. Francis de Sales
This Saint succeeded in abandoning this last thing, so that he was
once able
to write to a friend that he had no such attachment to his own opinion
as to
wish anyone ill who did not follow it, and that he did not claim that
his
sentiments should serve as a rule to anyone.
(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". March - Mortification)
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Invocations
Eternal Father, we offer Thee the infinite merits of Our Lord
Jesus Christ, of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary and of all the
Saints, in expiation for the sins of the world and for the
salvation of souls.
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Communion Visit to Our Lady
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee! O blessed Mother, the
salutation of the angel is abundantly verified in thee, for the Lord
is with
thee; the newborn Savior lay upon thy knees and smiled at thee with
His
tender smile.
O Mother, full of grace, the Lord is with me; the Lord of Heaven and
earth
is now within my heart; I, too, enjoy the great happiness, the exalted
blessing which the Incarnation brings to mankind, for I have received
the
Lord's Body.
O blessed Mother of God, help me to implore the favor of worthily
receiving
the Bread of Heaven, the Bread of the strong, that I may not faint on
the
passage from time to eternity. Support me with thy help when in my
last hour
I stretch out my hands to thee; show to me in that supreme moment the
blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus, Whom I have received today, and let
me
hear to my solace the comforting words of the priest:
"Behold the Lamb of God Who taketh away the sins of the world."