Liturgical Calendar

Saint of the day

Saint Godfrey (c.1066-c.1115)

Saint Godfrey started his monastic life at a very young age. He was raised from the age of five in the Benedictine Abbey of Mont-Saint-Quentin, where his godfather was abbot. He was given his own tiny habit, and lived life like a Benedictine monk. When he came of age, he truly joined the Benedictine monks, and was then ordained a priest by Bishop Rabod II of Noyon, France. Godfrey became the abbot of Nogent-sous-Coucy in 1096. He restored order to the monastery, and under his highly structured leadership it became a success. Godfrey was known for his rigid strictness. He was a proponent of clerical celibacy, and opposed drunkenness and simony. Godfrey was selected bishop of Amiens, France, where he met a great deal of opposition to his strict ways. Because of this opposition, he considered leaving his position as bishop, but persevered to help his people.

Reflection

Order and strictness when following rules are very important. If rules are broken or not enforced, then people could get hurt. However, many people do not like following strict rules, because they feel that they limit their freedoms. Saint Godfrey followed the rules of his Benedictine monastery with rigid strictness. Because of his adherence to the rules and his highly structured leadership, Godfrey was able to restore order to the Monastery of Nogent-sous-Coucy. Do you always follow the the Ten Commandments and the rules of the Church? Ask for God's help in understanding his laws and following them.

Prayer

God of justice, you have established the Law and sent Jesus to fulfill it for us. Please help me to understand why laws and commandments are so important in helping to keep me free. (Taken from “Good News Day by Day: Bible Reflections for Teens.”)