Saint Maurus, Abbot, Disciple of St. Benedict

January 15, Saint Maurus, Abbot, Disciple of St. Benedict.

St.Maurus rescues St.Placidus

　
This Maurus was born of a noble Roman family, and as a child was offered to god by his father Equitius, to be under the personal teaching of Saint Benedict. And that in a short while the youth made such progress that he became a wonder to his master, who often held him up to his other disciples as a pattern of regular observance and all virtues. Pope Saint Gregory the Great, who hath preserved for us in his writings much sacred history, hath recorded, as a wonderful instance of his obedience, this following tale. Placidus the monk fell into a lake, and as he was being swept away by the current, the holy Patriarch called Maurus and bade him run to the rescue ; which same he did, walking on the water till he reached Placidus, whom he took by the hair of the head, and dragged to the shore. Holy Maurus was sent by Saint Benedict into France ; and that he there founded the celebrated monastery which bore his name ; and that he governed the same for many years ; and that he from thence passed to heaven, famous for holiness and miracles, when he was more than seventy years of age, which would be about the year 584.

Collect:

Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that the prayers of thy holy Abbot, blessed Maurus may commend us unto thee, that we, who have no power of ourselves to help ourselves, may by his advocacy find favour in thy sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I made a new video for my youtube channel. Check it out!

A video of the Propers for Placidus and Companions.

Watch here!

St. Placidus

Placidus was the son of Tertullus, one of the noblest persons of Rome. He was offered to God when a child and given over to holy Benedict, in whose teaching and Rule of monks he so profited that he was reckoned among the chiefest of his disciples. By him he was sent into Sicily, where he founded near the port of Messin a church and monastery in honour of St. John Baptist, and lived therein with his monks in wonderful holiness. Thither there came to see him his brothers Eutychius and Victorinus and his virgin sister Flavia, and while they were together, there landed there a certain brutal pirate, named Manucha, who took the monastery, and when he could in no wise prevail upon Placidus and the others to deny Christ, he commanded him, his brothers, and his sister to be cruelly murdered. With them Donatus, Firmatus a deacon, Faustus, and thirty other monks brought the conflict of testimony to the blessed end of martyrdom, upon the fifth day of October, in the year of salvation 539.

Antiphon on the Benedictus:

Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered; * fear not therefore; ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Antiphon on the Magnificat:

In the heavenly kingdom the souls of the Saints are rejoicing, even such as walked in the footsteps of Christ their Master, for love of whom they gave without stint their very life-blood; * therefore with Christ they now do reign for ever and ever.

Let us pray.

O God, who vouchsafest unto us to keep the heavenly birthday of blessed Placidus and his companions, thy holy Martyrs : grant, we beseech thee ; that we may rejoice in the perpetual felicity of their fellowship in heaven. Through.