Introduction

This blog contains regular postings relating to the Traditional Latin Liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church. It includes regular commentary on the saints days and the liturgical cycle, with brief background and extracts from the liturgy both in Latin and English. Much of the material has been extracted from the 'St Andrew's Daily Missal', Dom Gueranger's 'Liturgical Year', or similar sources.

Related website: http://www.liturgialatina.org/





Tuesday 15 July 2014

15th July, St. Henry, Emperor and Confessor

St. Henry, Emperor and Confessor

Henry II, surnamed the Pious, was king of Bavaria in 972, king of Germany in 1002, and head of the Holy Roman Empire from 1014 to 1024. He promised on oath to Benedict VIII, who had crowned him, "to be faithful in all things to him and his successors". He did his best to spread religion, restoring destroyed churches, and founding monasteries which he liberally endowed (Epistle). Detained at Monte Cassino by severe illness, he was miraculously cured through the intercession of St. Benedict.

In order to be ready for the coming of the Divine Master (Gospel, Communion), he returned from Italy through France, was admitted as a secular oblate at Cluny and asked to be received into the Benedictine abbey of St. Vanne at Verdun. The abbot welcomed him, but immediately commanded him, in the name of religious obedience, to re-ascend the imperial throne.

He so loved the law of God (Introit), that he preserved absolute virginity in marriage (Introit). Indeed, by agreement with his holy spouse Cunegund, he determined to make Jesus Christ their heir, and with this view he founded the bishopric of Bamberg, to which he left all his possessions. He was buried in its cathedral in 1024.

Os justi meditabitur sapientiam, et lingua ejus loquetur judicium; lex Dei ejus in corde ipsius. * Noli aemulari in malignantibus: neque zelaveris facientes iniquitatem.
The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom, and his tongue shall speak judgement: the law of his God is in his heart. * Be not emulous of evildoers: nor envy them that work iniquity.
(Psalm 36:30-31,1 from the Introit of Mass)

Deus, qui hodierna die beatum Henricum Confessorem tuum e terreni culmine imperii ad regnum aeternum transtulisti: te supplices exoramus; ut, sicut illum, gratiae tuae ubertate praeventum, illecebras saeculi superare fecisti, ita nos facias, ejus imitatione, mundi hujus blandimenta vitare, et ad te puris mentibus pervenire.
O God, who on this day didst remove blessed Henry, Thy  confessor, from the government of an earthly empire and raise him to the eternal kingdom; we humbly beseech Thee that, even as Thou didst prevent him with the fulness of grace and didst give him  strength to overcome the enticements of this life, so Thou wouldst enable us through his example, to shun the allurements of this world and come to Thee with pure hearts.
(Collect)

From the Catholic Encyclopaedia: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07227a.htm

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