Today the Holy Catholic Church remembers the life of St. Norbert (c.
1080 - June 6, 1134). Born at Xanten, Germany into nobility, St. Norbert
served as an almoner for Emperor Henry V. Living a worldly life, St.
Norbert decided to receive Holy Orders only as part of a career move.
St. Nobert joined the joined the Benedictines at Siegburg and after a
narrow escape from death, took his vows seriously and experienced an
interior conversion.
In the United States, there still exists vibrant Norbertine communities. I was given the opportunity back in 2009 to review "
Anthology: Chants and Polyphony from St. Michael's Abbey". The CD features the recordings of
the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael's Abbey. While I have heard
first-hand experience of the Norbertine order falling headfirst into
liberalism, St. Michael's Abbey remains as a beacon of hope for the
order. The CD features 18 beautifully Catholic titles including Exultet,
Attende Coelum, Panis Angelicus, Ave Maria, Verbum Caro, and more! I
highly recommend this CD to all Catholics.
Saint Norbert, Bishop and Confessor
(from the Liturgical Year, 1904)
The helpful influence
of the Holy Ghost is more and more multiplied, along the Church's path.
It seems as though He would show us today, how the divine power of His
action is not crippled by lapse of years: for here we have, twelve
centuries after his first coming among us, miracles of grace and
conversion quite as brilliant as those that marked His glorious descent
upon earth.
Norbert, in whose
veins flowed the best blood of emperors and kings, was, from the very
breast of his mother, Hedwige, supernaturally invited to a nobility
loftier still: yet did he devote, to the unreserved enjoyment of
pleasure, three and thirty years of a life that was to number but fifty
in all. The Holy Ghost at length hastened to the conquest. There bursts a
sudden storm, a thunderbolt falls right in front of the prodigal,
throwing him to the ground and making a frightful chasm, between him and
the point whither, a moment ago, he was hastening in pursuit of new
vanities that needs must fail, as all others had done, to fill the
hopeless void in his heart. Then, in the very depths of his soul
resounds a voice, such as Saul once heard on his way to Damascus:
"Norbert, whither goest thou?" Like another Paul he replies: " Lord,
what wilt thou have me to do? " He is answered: " Depart from evil and
do good; seek after peace and pursue it." Twenty years later, and
Norbert is in heaven, seated amidst pontiffs, upon a glorious throne,
and all radiant with that special brilliancy, that distinguishes the
Founders of the great Religious Orders, when they have reached the
eternal Home.
Deep are the traces
left by him on earth, of his few years of penitential life. Germany and
France receive his preaching; Antwerp is delivered from a shameful
heresy; Magdeburg is rescued by this her Archbishop, from the
irregularities that were sullying the House of God: such are his works;
and though these alone would have sufficed to a long life of holiness,
yet they are not the only titles, nor the most brilliant which Norbert
has to the Church's gratitude. Before being called, against his will, to
the honours of the episcopate, this once gay courtier, made choice of
an uninhabitable solitude amidst the forests of the diocese of Laon,
wherein to devote himself to prayer and to the maceration of his flesh.
The renown of this holy penitent gained rapidly; and Premontre soon
beheld her swampy marshes invaded by a vast multitude, formed of the
fairest names of picked nobility, pressing thither to learn the science
of salvation, from the lips of the saintly anchorite. There too, did Our
Lady show to him, in vision, the white habit wherewith his disciples
were to be clothed; and Saint Augustine, in like manner, delivered to
him his own Rule. Thus was founded the most illustrious branch of the
Order of Canons Regular. They add to the obligation of solemnizing the
Divine Office, the austerities of an uninterrupted penance; and devote
themselves, moreover, to the service of souls, by preaching and the
administration of parishes.
In the foregoing
century, the episcopacy and papacy had been raised by the monks, from
out the reach of feudal servitude; and Norbert was now raised up, to
give the needed completion to their work. Although, on principle, the
monastic life excludes no sort of labour useful to the Church, the monks
could not (however numerous they might be) quit their cloisters, in
order to undertake charge of souls. Yet, great were the wants of the
lambs of the flock, at that time, for many unworthy pastors of secondary
order, slaves to simony and immorality, still continued to lead astray
the simple laity. The religious life was alone capable of raising the
priesthood from such degradation, whether on the pinnacles of the
hierarchy or amongst the lowest degrees of sacred Orders. Norbert was
the man chosen by God to effect, in part at least, this immense work:
and the importance of his mission explains the sublime prodigality
wherewith the Holy Ghost multiplied vocations to his standard. The
number and rapidity of foundations, permitted succour to be promptly and
everywhere afforded. Even into the far East did the light of Premontre
reach, almost at its first dawn. In the eighteenth century,
notwithstanding the devastations of the Turks and the ravages of the
pretended Reform, the Order, divided into twenty-eight provinces, still
contained, in nearly each one of its houses, as many as from fifty to
one hundred and twenty Canons; and the parishes that continued under
their care, might be counted by thousands.
Nuns, whose holy life
and prayers are the ornament and aid of the Church militant, occupied
from the very beginning, the place deservedly their due in this numerous
family. In the time of the founder, or soon after his death, there were
more than a thousand of them, at Premontre alone. Such an incredible
sum gives us an idea of the prodigious propagation of the Order, from
its very origin. Norbert moreover extended his charity to persons, who
like Thibault Count of Champagne, would gladly have followed him into
the desert, but who were retained by God's will in the world; he thus
made a prelude to those pious associations, which we shall see Saint
Francis and Saint Dominic organizing, in the thirteenth century, under
the name of "Third Orders."
The Liturgy thus condenses the life of this great servant of God:
Norbert, born of
parents of the highest rank, thoroughly educated in his youth, in
worldly knowledge, and then a member of the imperial court, turned his
back upon the glory of the world, and chose rather to enlist himself as a
soldier of the Church. Being ordained priest, he laid aside all soft
and showy raiment, clad himself in a coat of skins, and made the
preaching of the word of God the one object of his life. Having
renounced the ecclesiastical revenues which he possessed and which were
very considerable, he distributed likewise his patrimony among the poor.
He ate only once a day and that in the evening, and then his meal was
of Lenten fare. His life was of singular austerity, and he was used even
in the depth of winter, to go out with bare feet and ragged garments.
Hence came that mighty power of his words and whereby he was enabled to
turn countless heretics to the faith, sinners to repentance, and enemies
to peace and concord.
Being at Laon, the
bishop besought him not to leave his diocese, and he therefore made
choice of a wilderness, at a place called Premontre, whither he withdrew
himself with thirteen disciples, and thus he founded the Order of
Premonstratensians, whereof he received the Rule in a holy vision, from
Saint Augustine. When, however, the fame of his holy life became every
day more and more noised abroad, and great numbers sought to become his
disciples, and the Order had been approved by Honorius II. and other
Popes, many more monasteries were built by him, and the Institute
wonderfully extended.
Being called to
Antwerp, he there gave the deathblow to the shameful heresy of
Tauchelin. He was remarkable for the spirit of prophecy and for the gift
of miracles. He was created, (albeit against his will,) archbishop of
Magdeburg, and as such, was a strong upholder of the discipline of the
Church, especially as regards celibacy. At a council held at Rheims, he
was a great help to Innocent II, and went with other bishops to Rome,
where he repressed the schism of Peter de Leon. At last, this man of
God full of good works and of
the Holy Ghost, fell asleep the Lord, at Magdeburg, in the year of
Salvation eleven hundred and thirty four, on the sixth day of June.
Prayer:
Thou didst indeed
know how to redeem the time (Eph. v. 16), as was fitting in those evil
days, wherein thou thyself, O Norbert, led away by the example of the
senseless crowd, hadst for so long frustrated the designs of God's love.
Those years, at first refused by thee to the true Master of the world,
thou didst at length return unto Him, multiplied a hundredfold, through
those countless sons and daughters thou didst train up in sanctity. Even
thy personal works, in but twenty years' space, filled the whole earth.
Schism crushed; heresy confounded to the glory of the Most Holy
Sacrament which it had already dared to attack; the rights of the
Church, intrepidly defended against worldly princes and unjust
retentions; the priesthood restored to its primitive purity; the
Christian life strengthened on its true basis, namely prayer and
penance; such and so many victories achieved in so few years, are due to
the generosity which prevented thee from looking back, for one moment,
from the day where in the Holy Ghost touched thy heart. Do thou make all
understand that it is never too late to begin to serve God. Were it
even, as in thy case, the evening-fall of life, what yet remains of time
would quite suffice to make us saints, if we would but generously give
that little, fully to Heaven (1 St. Pet. iv. 2).
Faith and Patience
were thy cherished virtues; make them flourish once more, in this sad
world of ours, which vaunts itself on doubting of everything, and with
gibe and jeer hurries onward to the abyss of hell. Forget not, dear
Apostle, now that thou art in heaven, the countries thou didst formerly
evangelize: we implore this of thee, despite their forgetfulness,
despite their criminal return to the deceits of the devil.
Holy Pontiff,
Magdeburg has lost her ancient faith, and therewith, the precious relics
of thy body, which she no longer deserved to possess: Prague is now the
favoured spot of thy repose. But, whilst blessing this hospitable city,
pray still for the ungrateful one that has cast aside her double
treasure. O thou Founder of Premontre, smile once more on France, who
derives from thee one of her fairest glories. Obtain of God, that for
the salvation of these calamitous times, thine Order may recover
something of its former splendour. Bless, few as they are, those sons
and daughters of thine who, despite the ridiculous hostility of the
powers that be, seek to shed once more their beneficent influence on
France. May our own England benefit also of their return to her midst,
and may their fruits be multiplied in every direction. Maintain thine
own spirit among them; may they find in interior peace, the secret of
triumph over Satan and his crew; may the full magnificence of the divine
worship solemnly carried out, be ever unto their souls, as the dearly
loved mount, whence Moses like, they may declare the Will of the Lord,
unto the new Israel, the Christian people.
