December 26th - St. Tathai of Wales

[Weedy]

December 26th - St. Tathai of Wales

(also known as Meuthin, Tathan, Tahai, Tathaeus, Tathar, Athaeus)

Hermit of Glamorganshire, Abbot of Llantathan Nephew of Saint Sampson
of Dol, Brittany

5th century or early 6th century. Nephew of Saint Samson of Dol, this
Irish saint planted himself in the land of Wales, first as a hermit,
where he founded a church at Glamorganshire and bore good fruit. His
monastery at Llantathan, named after him, was one of the most famous
schools in Wales. From there he went to Caerwent (Gwent), where he
founded another monastic school that produced the great Celtic
scholar, Saint Cadoc.

According to his vita, Tathai was famous as a miracle-worker and as
the "Father of all Gwent, he was the defender of the woodland country
. . . he was never angry . . . whatever was given to him, he gave to
others . . . no one was more generous in the West for receiving guests
and giving them hospitality." Both Caerwent and Llantathan claim to be
the place where he died (Benedictines, Encyclopaedia, Farmer,
Montague).

Troparion of St Tathai tone 8

Teacher of true piety and blessed adornment of Christ's Church, O Father Tathai:
/ as thou didst serve Wales with thy tireless endeavours, teach us,
O Saint, the virtues of unshakeable stability and loyalty to the true Faith,
/ that at the end Christ our God will grant great mercy to our souls.


Saint Quote:
I wish I could persuade spiritual persons that the way of perfection
does not consist in many devices, nor in much cogitation, but in
denying themselves completely and yielding themselves to suffer
everything for love of Christ. And if there is failure in this
exercise, all other methods of walking in the spiritual way are merely
a beating about the bush, and profitless trifling, although a person
should have a very high contemplation and communication with God.
--St. John of the Cross

Bible Quote:
"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him
in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also
will hear their cry and save them." (Psalm 145:18-19)

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The Truth Speaks within Us without Noise of Words

God speaks to the understanding by the light of His Spirit, and to
the heart by His holy inspirations. All that the Prophets deliver in
the Word of God, all the truths which preachers announce to us, cannot
enlighten the understanding nor touch the heart, if God Himself speak
not to us by the motions of His grace. We should therefore entreat the
Lord to speak to our interior while we exteriorly attend to or read
divine truths, for fear that hearing the word of God and not keeping
it, knowing His doctrines and not following them, conscious of His
will and not doing it we should become more and more culpable in His
sight.

Prayer: Speak to me, O Lord, speak in such a manner to my soul that I
may hear and obey Thee. Make known to me Thy designs for my salvation
and enable me to execute them. Teach me and all Christians, O Jesus,
what Thou art to us, and what we ought to be to Thee. Instruct us in
the sacred maxims of Thy Gospel, and induce us to practice them, for
what will it avail us to believe Thy heavenly doctrines, if we
endeavor not to follow them, and to live, as well as to believe, as
becometh Christians? O eternal Word of the Father, by which He spoke,
and all things were made, speak to my soul, say to it, I am thy
salvation. Work in me to will and to do, and consummate my salvation.
Amen.
--Thomas à Kempis, From the Imitation of Christ


The Season of Angels