We All Have One Teacher

[Weedy]

We All Have One Teacher

"Remembering and bearing in mind the obligations of my
servantship--such is my attitude as I teach you. Hence, I speak not as
a master but as a minister, not to pupils but to fellow pupils since I
speak not to servants but to fellow servants.

We all have one Master, whose school is on earth and whose seat is in heaven."
--St. Augustine--Sermon 242, 1

Prayer: To those who love you, O Lord, according to your command, you
show yourself and it is enough for them. Thus they do not fall away
from you nor back into themselves. This is the house of God, made not
of the earth, nor of any physical heavenly body, but it is a spiritual
sharing in your eternity.
--St. Augustine--Confessions 12, 15

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May 28th - St. William of Gellone

d. 812
IN the time of Pepin the Short, the wife of Thierry, count of
Toulouse, gave birth to a son to whom they gave the name of William.
Upon attaining manhood William went to court, where he soon became a
favourite with Charlemagne, who by this time had succeeded to his
father’s throne. He filled various offices to the monarch’s
satisfaction and then was sent by him against the Saracens who were
threatening France. At the same time he was created duke of Aquitaine.
William vanquished the Saracens, and raised the prestige of
Christianity amongst the Moslems by his bravery, justice and piety.
Amongst those of his own faith also he came to be regarded as the
ideal Christian knight, and he figures as the principal character in
several chansons de gene, such as La price d’Orange and Aliscans. He
could not, however, rest satisfied with serving his king; he desired
to place himself at the disposal of the King of kings. With this
object in view he sought for a suitable site on which to build a
monastery, and discovered it at Gellone, at about an hour’s distance
from the celebrated abbey of Aniane. There he founded his monastery,
which he peopled with monks from the neighbouring religious houses,
especially from Aniane. He also built in the vicinity a convent for
women, in which his sisters took the veil.

For some time William continued to live in the world, attending the
royal court, where he was regarded with great favour, but the call to
abandon all came to him as it had done to his sisters. He obtained the
requisite permission from Charlemagne, and then made his way to
Brioude in the Auvergne, where he hung up his weapons in the church of
St. Julian after he had laid an offering on the altar. From thence he
went to Gellone, where he received the habit from St. Benedict of
Aniane, who became from that time his director and spiritual guide.
Perfect as had been St. William’s conduct as a layman, it was equally
perfect as a monk. He died on May 28, 812, and was buried in his own
monastery, which was afterwards renamed St. William in the Wilderness.

The life printed in the Acta Sanctorum, May, vol. vi, cannot be the
work of a contemporary, as it purports to be, but it is relatively
sober. See “L. Clarus” (W. Volk), Herzog Wilhelm von Aquitanien (1865)
G. Morin in the Revue Charlemagne, vol. ii (1913), pp. 116-126; A.
Becker, Die alt-französische Wilhelm-sage (1896); Bédier, Les Légendes
Épiques (1926), t.i.


Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth. [Matt. 5:4 ]
11. As without faith it is impossible to please God, so without
mildness it is impossible to please men and to govern them well.
--St. Bernard

The same Saint proved this by his example. When he was made Abbot, he
proceeded at first with much austerity and severity; and though his
monks had a high opinion of him, they could not adapt themselves to
each other. Therefore, he was warned by God to show more suavity and
sweetness; and when he did so, he gained for himself the affection of
all, and a most exact obedience.

Nicetus, in his Annals, tells of a certain emperor who at his death
called together the chief men of the empire, and said to them: "My two
sons, as you see, are both good; but I consider the younger better
fitted to govern than the elder, for, besides his other virtues, he is
inclined to clemency and docility, and when he has made any mistake,
he follows the counsels of others, and obeys the voice of reason. The
other is easily made angry, and in his fits of passion he cannot
control himself. This trait is most opposed to good counsel, and
brings ruin on the wise."


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Two prayers:

Grant me grace, O merciful God, to desire ardently all
that is pleasing to Thee, to examine it prudently, to
acknowledge it truthfully, and to accomplish it perfectly,
for the praise and glory of Thy Name. Amen.

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O Mary, Mother of mercy and Refuge of sinners, we
beseech thee, be pleased to look with pitiful eyes upon
poor heretics and schismatics. Thou who are the Seat of
Wisdom, enlightened the minds that are miserably
enfolded in the darkness of ignorance and sin, that they
may clearly know that the Holy Catholic Church is the
one true Church of Jesus Christ, outside of which neither
holiness nor salvation can be found. Call them to the
unity of the one fold, granting them the grace to accept
all the truths of our holy Faith, and to submit themselves
to the Supreme Roman Pontiff, the Vicar of Jesus Christ
on earth; that so, being united with us in the sweet chains
of divine charity, there may soon be one only fold under
the same one Shepherd; and may we all, O glorious
Virgin, sing forever with exultation: Rejoice, O virgin
Mary, thou only last destroyed all heresies in the whole
world. Amen.
Hail Mary... (thrice)