Saints celebrated on the 17th of July
SAINT ZOERARD, HERMIT
Saint Zoerard (Zoerardus), who is also called Sucradus, Zuirardus, or Zucradus, flourished in the early 11th century in Hungary, spending his life in penitential severity and holiness. His fatherland was today's Poland, his place of birth is unknown. This Saint, grown from peasant stock "like a rose from thorns," once saw a monk busy working in the fields and said to himself: "If a monk can do farm work, then a farmer can also become a monk." He had long been fascinated by the constant prayer and singing, worship and penitential life of the monks. To this end he went to Hungary, at the time when the first Christian king of that country, Saint Stephen, had ascended the throne.
The name of the monastery where he was welcomed under the name Andrew was Zomora (Zabor) near Neitra. After a while, with the approval of Abbot Philip, Saint Zoerard exchanged the monastic cell for the life of a hermit. He took up residence in a hollow tree, the walls of which were studded with protruding wooden nails so that he would not have any comfort even when leaning on it. After he had moved into his new abode, he immersed himself entirely in contemplating the selflessness, obedience and suffering of Jesus Christ.
His occupation during the day was wood-cutting, and he devoted the greater part of the night to prayers. For three days each week, he abstained completely from food and drink. During Lent he took no other nourishment than the forty nuts that the abbot sent him as provision for the penitential period. To avoid pampering his body with a comfortable rest, he braided his head with a pointed crown at night; he also spread four stones over it which were attached to ropes at the top in such a way that every time he dozed off and leaned against one of them, it would hit him and wake him up. As if all this wasn't enough, Saint Zoerard also had wound iron chains around his torso which grew so completely into the flesh over time that when, after his passing, the corpse was washed, they could only be noticed by the clasps still protruding from the navel area. The detailed description of the above penances is contained in a biography that Surius* published of Saint Zoerard, and in a life story of his which is thought to have been penned by Bishop Maurus of Pécs. The text is reproduced in the works of the Bollandists* (IV. 326 to 337) and of Mabillon* (Saec. VI. p. 1. fol. 68–70 ed Ven.).
Along with this holy hermit the Bollandists* mention his fellow monk Benedict, who survived him for three years. Every day he prayed at Zoerard's grave at the hollow oak tree until one day he was killed by robbers. The Zabor monastery near Neitra took both bodies and interred them in a befitting manner. The Bollandists* place Saint Zoerard's death in the year 1020.
Mr. Knoblich, General Vice Councilor of Breslau, writes the life story of this saint along quite different lines, based on reliable historical research. He states: “Saint Zoerard (Seohardus) is one of the messengers of the faith of young Christianity in Poland. He came from royal blood and was a disciple of Saint Romuald of the Camaldolese Order. These friars ran the missions in Hungary and the Nordic countries alongside the Scottish brothers from various convents. For a long time, Zoerard lived as a hermit in the area of Ohlau on the Oder, two miles from Breslau. During the pagan uprising he managed to escape to Hungary. Five brothers of his Order had already died as martyrs near Kasimiria, not far from Gnesen, in 1003. After his blessed passing Zoerard was canonised."
In 1468 he still had an altar venerated to him in Ohlau, which Prince-Bishop Rudolf of Rüdesheim had transferred to a new church built in his honour. This building is currently in the hands of the Protestants. Saint Zoerard is venerated on May 1 (according to Surius*); in the calendars of the Poles and Hungarians he occurs on the 16th and 17th of July, and in the martyrologies of the Benedictine Order Zoerard is listed on the 4th of December.
(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 5, Augsburg, 1882, pp. 864-65)
*A hagiography source used by the authors
Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations
PRAYER:
Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Zoerard may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org
Comments
Post a Comment