The Lives of the Saints, Volume 01 (of 16): JanuaryBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Religion
The Lives of the Saints, Volume 01 (of 16): January
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Christian saints
Every Saturday night, Genoveva was wont to watch in prayer, that the
Lord coming in the Holy Eucharist of His day, might find his servant
watching. It fell out that one stormy night, as the Sabbath drew
towards Sunday morn, and the cock had crowed, she left her home to
betake herself to the church of S. Denis, with the virgins who were her
fellows, and the lantern that was carried before her was extinguished
by a puff of wind; then the maidens were frightened at the pitch
darkness, the howling of the storm, and the rain, and the road was
so muddy that, without a light, they could not pick their way. Then
Genoveva took the lantern in her hand, and the candle lighted of itself
within; and holding it, she entered the church.
She performed several pilgrimages to the shrine of S. Martin, at Tours,
in company with those holy women who lived with her, and imitated her
virtues. She died at the age of eighty-nine, probably in the year 512;
but the date is not to be ascertained with certainty.
Patroness of Paris.
Relics, in the church of S. Etienne du Mont, at Paris.
In art, S. Genoveva is represented, (1), with a devil blowing out her
candle, and an angel rekindling it. Sometimes, in old sculpture, the
devil is provided with a pair of bellows; or, (2), she is restoring
sight to her mother with the water of the well of Nanterre; or, (3),
guarding her father's sheep; or, (4), with the keys of Paris at her
girdle, as patroness of the city; or, (5), holding bread in her lap;
or, (6), with the well of Nanterre at her side.
S. BERTILIA, V.
(A.D. 687.)
[Belgian and Gallo-Belgian Martyrologies. The life is from a MS.
at Marolles, of uncertain date, but apparently authentic.]
Saint Bertilia was born of noble parents. From an early age her heart
turned to the service of God alone, and she delighted in attending the
offices of religion. A youth of noble blood, named Guthland, sought
her hand in marriage, for she was very beautiful, gentle in speech,
and modest in manner. But Bertilia refused him, desiring to retire
into a solitary place; however, when her parents urged her vehemently,
she gave a reluctant consent to their wishes, and was married.
Nevertheless, at her desire, the young husband and she lived together
in all chastity, as brother and sister, serving the poor, and given
to hospitality. On the death of her husband, she divided his goods
with the Church, and built a great church at Marolles, with a little
cell adjoining it for her habitation. One night, after long protracted
prayer in the church, she returned to her cell, where she was seized
with excruciating pains; nevertheless, she knelt down and prayed with
fervour, and prepared her soul for its departure. After having received
the last Sacraments, she fell asleep in Christ, and was buried in the
church she had built at Marolles. She was taken up and enshrined by
Gerard II., Bishop of Cambray, on September 14th, 1081; and translated
to another shrine on the 8th October, 1221.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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