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Today, 11 April, is the feast of ... Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (461) - Butler writes: "The sagacity of Leo I, his successful defence of the Catholic faith against heresy, as well as his political intervention with Attila the Hun and Genseric the Vandal, raised the prestige of the Holy See to unprecedented heights and earned for him the title of "the Great", a distinction accorded by posterity to only two other popes." (Dear list-members can you name those two other popes?) Barsanuphius, Anchorite (550): He lived in a cell adjoining the monastery at Gaza. He communicated only by writing and was believed neither to eat nor to drink. The Patriarch of Jerusalem doubted that anyone could lead such a holy life and had the wall of Barsanuphius' cell destroyed, whereupon flames burst out and consumed the unfortunate masons. Isaac of Spoleto, Monk (550): Often repeated the following words to his followers: "A monk who wants earthly possessions is not a monk at all." Godeberta, Virgin (700): In the diocese of Noyon the saintly powers of Godeberta were often invoked against calamities of all sorts, but especially against drought and epidemics. Guthlac, Hermit (714): One day, as he was talking with a man called Wilfrid, two swallows alighted on his shoulders and then perched on his arms and knees, chattering all the time as though quite at home. In reply to Wilfrid's exclamations of surprise Guthlac said: "Have you not read that he who elects to be unknown of men becomes known of wild creatures and is visited by angels? For he who is frequented by men cannot be frequented by the holy angels." (Yet another saint who was for the birds.) Waltman, Abbot (1138): Preached against the heretical teachings of the wandering preacher Tanchelm. Rainerius Inclusus, Hermit (1237): Was enclosed for 22 years in a hermit's cell adjoining the cathedral of Osnabruck. Rainerius used every device he could to mortify his flesh. Next to his skin he wore a shirt of chain-mail and hair which was concealed by a coarse habit, and he scourged himself regularly until he bled. When asked why he tortured his body , he would reply: "As our Lord Jesus Christ suffered in all his limbs for me, so do I wish out of love for him, to suffer in all my members." Rainerius at least indulged in a drink every now and then: on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays he fasted on bread and beer. ***************** Dr Carolyn Muessig Department of Theology and Religious Studies University of Bristol Bristol BS8 1TB UK phone: +44(0)117-928-8168 fax: +44(0)117-929-7850 e-mail: [log in to unmask] %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%