Raymond

The remaining thirty-five years of his life, he worked to oppose heresy of the Moors in Spain and was also instrumental in convincing Saint Thomas Aquinas to write his work, “Against the Gentiles”.

Saint Raymond of Penyafort (Unknown)

I have recently stumbled across the story of Saint Raymond of Penafort.  This Saint lived for one hundred years from 1175.

He was a member of the Spanish nobility and had received a very good education and had a very promising start to life.  When he was twenty years old he was a teacher of philosophy and by the time he was in his early thirties, he had been awarded a doctorate of both canon and civil law.

When he was forty-one years old, he became a Dominican and Pope Gregory IX called him to Rose to work for him and to serve as the Pope’s confessor.

Because he was very well educated and lived a very long life, Saint Raymond had ample opportunity to make a difference in the world.  He was asked by Pope Gregory IX to compile all the decrees of the Popes and councils that had been made for the period of eighty years prior (since the compilation by Gratian).  Saint Raymond compiled these decrees into a series of five books and called them the Decretals.  From the twelfth century until the 1917 compilation of Church Law into codified canon law, the Decretals were considered the best organised collection of Church Law.

Saint Raymond is credited for his work around the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  He had written a book called, “Summa de casibus poenitentiae” for confessors.  This was not just a list of penance and the sins they were provided in aide of; rather they were the doctrines and laws of the Church that related to problems faced by Confessors.

In our modern age of instant connection and communication, we underestimate how important it is to build a relationship with our confessor so that we can have spiritual guidance to lead us towards holiness.  Saint Faustina made it her practice to pray very much for her confessor prior to making her confession.  She did this so that they would be inspired by God to provide her with advice that she would be able to use for further sanctification.  She prayed for them so much that two of her spiritual advisors are being considered for Sainthood…

When he was sixty years old, Saint Raymond was appointed archbishop of Tarragona, and he struggled very much with this appointment.  Within a couple of years he was sick and resigned from this post.  He longed for peace.  However, at the age of sixty-three, Saint Raymond was elected as the head of the Dominicans and as the successor of Saint Dominic.  This was a very demanding post.  Saint Raymond visited all the Dominicans and reviewed their constitutions and made modifications to them, including that the Master General be allowed to resign. At the age of sixty-five, after that modification was passed, Saint Raymond himself resigned the post.  For the remaining thirty-five years of his life, he worked to oppose heresy of the Moors in Spain and was also instrumental in convincing Saint Thomas Aquinas to write his work, “Against the Gentiles”.

Saint Raymond, pray for me, who has recourse to thee…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.