medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (14. December) is the feast day of:
Spiridion (4th cent.) Spiridion was a Cypriot shepherd. He became
bishop of Tremithus (near Salamis). S. was mutilated and sent to the
mines during the persecution of Maximian, but survived to become a
model of holiness, credited with many miracles and deep knowledge of
the Bible.
Nicasius and companions (d. c. 451) Nicasius was bishop of Rheims,
one of those unfortunate prophets who was caught in the events he
prophesied, in this case an attack by marauding Germans, during which
he tried to save the lives of his flock. He was beheaded for his
pains, along with his deacon, his lector, and his sister---who was
killed when she attacked her brother's killers.
Venantius Fortunatus (d. c. 605) Venantius Fortunatus spent most of
his adult life in the kingdom of the Fanks, where he became advisor
and secretary to St. Radegund. He became bishop of Poitiers in c.
600. VF was a voluminous writer of metrical saints' lives, elegies,
and several truly great hymns, most notably Pange Lingua and Vexilla
regis prodeunt.
A modern saint: John of the Cross (d. 1591) John was a native of Old
Castile, the youngest son of a silk weaver. He became a Carmelite in
1563 and soon joined Teresa of Avila in her efforts to reform the
order. He had a rocky time as head of the male branch of the
Discalced Carmelites, including being imprisoned by his unreformed
brethren for some time. John was of course one of the greatest
Christian mystics of all time---or at least one of the most gifted
writers ever to tell of mystical experience. J. was canonized in
1726 and declared a doctor of the church in 1926.
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