St. Raymund had never known his mother of whom he was prematurely deprived by death. He implored the Virgin to adopt him as her son. Mary herself one day revealed to him that to please her he was to devote himself to the ransoming of captives (Collect). He immediately renounced worldly riches, and determined only to use them to help his neighbour (Epistle), he enrolled himself in the Order of our Lady of Ransom and was sent to Africa with the mission to ransom Christians who had fallen into the hands of the Mohammedans. He delivered a great many and gave himself up as a hostage so as not to expose to apostacy those who remained behind unransomed. His mouth was closed with a padlock which cruelly pierced his lips, and he was thrown into a narrow cell. He died in 1240.
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 in liberandis fidelibus tuis ab impiorum captivitate, beatum Raymundum Confessorem tuum mirabilem effecisti: ejus nobis intercessione concede: ut, a peccatorum vinculis absoluti, quae tibi sunt placita, liberis mentibus exsequamur.
O God, who didst bless holy Raymund, Thy confessor, with wondrous success in delivering Thy faithful held in bondage by the infidels: give ear to his prayers, and vouchsafe to us, together with freedom from the slavery of sin, the grace, readily to perform whatsoever we know to be pleasing to Thee.
(Collect)
From the Catholic Encyclopaedia: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12671b.htm
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