Envy comes to us from Hell

Envy comes to us from Hell

Envy, my children, follows pride; whoever is envious is proud. See,
envy comes to us from Hell; the devils having sinned through pride,
sinned also through envy, envying our glory, our happiness. Why do we
envy the happiness and the goods of others? Because we are proud; we
should like to be the sole possessors of talents, riches, of the
esteem and love of all the world! We hate our equals, because they are
our equals; our inferiors, from the fear that they may equal us; our
superiors, because they are above us.
--Saint John Vianney

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6 March – Saint Chrodegang of Metz

(c 714-776)
 First Bishop of Metz, Protector and Father of the poor and orphans,
Reformer of the Clergy, a relative of King Pepin and of Prince Charles
Martel, both of whom he was Court Chancellor, Royal Diplomat, Saint
Opportuna of Montreuil was his brother. Born in c 714 at Hesbaye,
Brabant, near Liege, Belgium and died on 6 March 776 at Metz, France.
Also known as – Chrodegand, Chrodegangus, Chrodegrang, Chrodegrangus,
Chrodogand, Chrodogandus, Chrotgang, Chrotgangus, Droctegangus,
Godegrand, Godegrandus, Grodegandus, Grodegangus, Grodogangus,
Gundigran, Krodegandus, Ratgang, Rodigang, Rudigangus, Ruggandus,
Ruodgangus, Ruotgangus, Rutgangus, Sirigang and Sirigangus. Additional
Memorial – 3 October (Augustinians).

The Roman Martyrology states: “In Metz in Austrasia, in today’s
France, St Crodegango, Bishop, who arranged for the Clergy to live as
if within the walls of a cloister under an exemplary rule of life and
greatly promoted liturgical chant.”

Chrodegang was born in c 714 at Hesbaye, Brabant, near Liege, Belgium
into a noble family. His parents, of Frankish origin, sent him to be
educated at the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Trond. Chrodegang was a
good-looking young man, very educated and an excellent linguist.
Charles Martell, Duke and Prince, noticed his great skills and
appointed him head of the diplomatic and juridical corps at his
service. When Charles Martel died in 742, his successor, Charlemagne,
also appointed him Bishop of Metz. Codregando, however, was still a
layman and, therefore ,had to receive Diaconal and Priestly
Ordinations and Episcopal Consecration. He retained his political
office and took advantage of the prestige achieved by the exercise of
the two offices and exploited his influence for a good purpose.

As King Pepin’s Ambassador to Pope Stephen II, Chrodegang carried out
a profound reform of the Clergy, which at that time was in a deadly
moral crisis. Determined to intervene in the difficult situation, he
began with the Priests of his City. He ,therefore, gathered all the
Clergy in houses and established for them a rule of life inspired by
that of St Benedict. The code that he applied to Metz was made up of
thirty-four chapters and everyday, in the presence of the whole
community, one was read – hence these meetings took the name of
“Chapter.” Soon, this name was extended to the people who attended the
readings, while all those who were linked to the canons were called
“Canons” and those who followed a rule began to define themselves as
“Regular,”

Other norms of community life were inserted later, concerning
enclosure, domicile, study, liturgy, dress and meals and were aimed at
providing the ecclesiastics with mutual support in remaining faithful
to the vow of chastity and other commitments proper to the Clergy. The
main difference from the friars was in the possibility of retaining
their possessions, a habit that was later questioned. The Rule of
Chrodegang was then adopted by other Diocese and finally, extended by
Charlemagne to all Priests, who were thus required to be either Monks
or Canons. This Rule also found success abroad and over the centuries
it repeatedly returned to vogue, albeit not in its original form.

On the initiative of Chrodegang, the Roman Rite and Chant were also
introduced in Metz, the repertoire of which returned to Rome enriched
by French compositions and from there, spread throughout Europe. The
“schola cantorum” – “School of Singers'” of Metz, fame lasted for
centuries. In 805 Charlemagne even ordered that all singing teachers
should be trained in Metz.

Chrodegang laboured earnestly for the welfare of Church and State and
was ever solicitous of strengthening the bonds of union between the
temporal and spiritual Rulers. He founded (748) the Abbey of Gorze
(near Metz), and remained its friend and protector. He also
established St Peter’s Abbey, on the Moselle and did much for the
Abbeys of Gengenbach and Lorsch. For the latter, he is said to have
obtained the relics of St Nazarius, and for Gorze those of St
Gorgonius The holy Bishop also distinguished himself in the
construction and restoration of Churches, Monasteries and charitable
institutions. After the death of St Boniface, Pope Stephen conferred
the Pallium on Chrodegang (754-755), thus making him an Archbishop but
not elevating the See of Metz.

Chrodegang was a man of imposing appearance, of a mild, though firm,
character, of great liberality to the poor, and of more than ordinary
abilities in many fields and was extremely well versed in Latin and
German.

In 762, during a dangerous illness, he introduced among his Priests a
Confraternity of Prayer, known as the League of Attigny. The ‘Rule of
Chrodegang‘ spread far and wide and it seems probable that the Rule
was brought by Irish monks to their native land from the Monasteries
of north-eastern Gaul and that Irish anchorites originally unfettered
by the rules of the cloister bound themselves by it. In the course of
the 9th century mention is made of nine places in Ireland (including
Armagh, Clonmacnoise, Clones, Devenish and Sligo) where communities of
Culdees were established as a kind of annex to the regular Monastic
institutions. They seem especially to have had the care of the poor
and the sick and were interested in the musical part of worship.

On his death, on 6 March 766, he received burial at the Abbey of
Gorze, which he himself had founded and loved more than any other.
Tradition has it that some of his relics are also kept at the
Saint-Symphorien Church in Metz.

https://anastpaul.com/2022/03/06/


“Then the devil left Him …” – Matthew 4:11

REFLECTION
 He departed from him in the form, that is, of the insidious serpent.
He is going to come back in the form of the roaring lion. The One Who
will trample on the lion and the cobra, will conquer him. Satan will
return. He will enter Judas and will make him betray his Master. He
will bring along the Jews, not flattering now but raging. Taking
possession of his own instruments, he will cry out with the tongues of
all of them, “Crucify him, crucify him!” That Christ was the Conqueror
there, why should we be surprised? He is Almighty God.”
 – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop of Hippo, Father and Doctor of Grace
(Sermon 284)


PRAYER – O God, You Who purify Your Church by the yearly Lenten
observance, grant to Your household that what they strive to obtain
from You by abstinence, they may achieve by good works. Through Jesus
Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity
of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Saint Quote:
God is more anxious to bestow His blessings on us than we are to
receive them. For it is not God's way that great blessings should
descend without the sacrifice first of great sufferings.
–- Saint Augustine of Hippo

Bible Quote:
"for the Lord is a judge who is utterly impartial. He never shows
partiality to the detriment of the poor, he listens to the plea of the
injured party. He does not ignore the orphan's supplication, nor the
widow's, as she pours out her complaint." Ecclesiasticus 35:12-13


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O quam glorifica; a hymn honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary:

How glorious the light with which thou shineth, royal
descendent of the root of David! O Virgin Mary, thou art
seated on high, above all who dwelleth in heaven.

O Mother who hast kept thy virginal honour: chastely in thy
holy womb made ready for the Lord of the angels the palace
of thy Heart, From here wast borne the Christ, God Incarnate.

He Whom the whole world doth venerate and adore, before
Whom every knee rightly does bend: With thy help we
implore Him to cast out the darkness, and grant us the joy of
light.

Grant this, Father of all light, through Thine own Son, by the
Holy Ghost, Who liveth with Thee in the brightness of
heaven, ruling and governing all ages. Amen.