St. Boniface, originally named Winfrith, was an extremely studious man, a converted monk, priest, missionary and finally martyr. Born in 672, near Exeter, England, St. Boniface at an early age developed a desire to follow the path of God and live a monastic life. Through non-stop prayer and religious practices, he tuned his mind and body to reach beyond the obstacles and enticements of everyday life at his young adult age. He was a major influence on society during his life and affected the lives and history of Germany permanently. Often called the “Apostle of Germany”, St. Boniface was a strong believer in the principles of the Church and truly wanted to open any pagan believers minds to the knowledgeable and rewarding path of the Christian life. In his youth, St. Boniface encountered many priests or clerics who traveled from town to town. Through these spiritual conversations, it became evident to St. Boniface that he wanted to pursue a life with God. Eventually, after continuos begging and his fathers fatal sickness, he was sent to the care of the Monastery of Examchester. (Appleton) It is here, that St. Boniface expressed to the Abbot at the time, that he wanted to live a monastic life. The father of the monastery, after council, granted him his wish. Here is where the saint began to prove his love for God, and could begin his journey of the Christian life. After exceeding all expectations and surpassing the knowledge of his teachers, he moved to a neighboring monastery, called Nursling, whereby he studied under the influence of Abbot Winbert.(St. Boniface Church) Here he gained vast knowledge of scriptures and the spiritual exposition of the Bible. Here, he gained such a reputation that men and women from far and wide traveled to study scriptures under his guidance. At the age of 30 he was humbly ordained a priest and yet another branch of his life was fulfilled. St. Boniface once again yearned to explore and travel. Through such ventures he could express the meaning of God to non believers and convert as many as possible. After continuos begging, Abbot Winbert gave in and Boniface’s petition was granted. During this journey, Boniface’s first obstacle appeared. “King Radbod, the King of the Frisians, and Prince Charles, the noble Duke of the Franks broke out in ... ... middle of paper ... ...spread their religion and did not stop until their death. It is interesting to find out that there were people like that , that dedicated so much of their lives for a cause. I am sure other saints accomplished as much as St. Boniface, but to my knowledge, he seemed like the most active and aggressive. He not only prayed for change, he went out and made it happen. He took journey’s that lasted years, traveled aimlessly at times, from one ship to another converting pagans and spreading the word as he went along. He even went on these missions in his elder years, though dangerous for his age, he continued until his death. Work Cited Page Appleton, Robert. “New Advent.” St. Boniface. 3 November 2004 . Dunney, Joseph. “Church History, St. Boniface” Catholic Information Network. 20 March 2004 . Garnett, Ken. “Medieval Church.org.uk” St. Boniface . St. Boniface Church. “So-Who was St. Boniface?” St. Boniface Church. 2002-2003 . Talbot, C.H. The Anglo-Saxon Missionaries in Germany. New York: Sheed and Ward, 1954.
Julian of Norwich lived during a time of great fear dominated by economic and physical hardships, feudal era of control, fear of death from the bubonic plague, corruption within the church’s hierarchy and doubt and insincerity was rampant amongst believers. Living a simple existence she depende...
Boniface Wimmer is regarded as one of the greatest missionaries of the nineteenth century. His mission was to establish a Benedictine monastery abroad in the United States to help the thousands of Catholic Germans who fled from their homeland in search of a better life. “Today, there are over thirty Abbeys and monasteries that take their root from Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B.” With the grace of God, Boniface Wimmer succeeded. He was considered to be a “man on a mission.” His tenacious attitude aided him in spreading the mission of the Benedictine Order across the Atlantic Ocean. The Benedictines were seen not only as missionaries, but also as teachers and priests. The strong sense of bonding and connection within the community was vital to the Benedictine Order then, as it still is today.
There is a lot that has been said about the missionary trips of this distinguished servant of Christ which started about fourteen years after his transformation. His travels have left many Bible scholars confused about his powerful impact and how he founded of the Western Christian Church.
In this island landed the servant of our Lord, Augustine, and his companions, being, as is reported, nearly forty men. They had, by order of the blessed Pope Gregory, brought interpreters of the nation of the Franks, and sending to Ethelbert, signified that they were come from Rome, and brought a joyful message, which most undoubtedly assured to all that took advantage of it everlasting joys in heaven, and a kingdom that would never end with the living and true God.
Michael is first introduced to mankind through the scriptures written in the Bible. In the book of Daniel, Michael is introduced as one of the "chief princes" of Heaven as well as the guardian of the people of Israel (Daniel 10:13). His name is translated to mean "Who is like unto God," and he is one of the seven archangels of Heaven who is mentioned in the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments.
Within the book, “ Self And Society In Medieval France”, the author, Guibert of Nogent, gives a brief history of his life during the 12th century and shows the reader what a monastic life should look like. During this time it was hard not to see oneself fall into sin, for the temptations and vices of the world were everywhere to be seen. By joining a monastery, individuals were able to escape the sins of the world and live a virtuous life, void of the corruption and temptation. Guilbert uses his book to highlight some of the key characteristics found within a Benedictine Monastic life and also (in some parts) as an illustration of what life is like when one does not choose the life of a monk. Around this time other orders such as Cistercians
During the beginning of Charlemagne's imperial reign, the Church was full of inconsistencies and unorthodox practices. Clergy from different areas practiced the faith in different ways because many of the texts they used were badly translated and contained errors.1 Charlemagne would receive letters, detailing monks prayers, that contained both “correct thoughts and uncouth expressions”2 He was worried that if they could not write correctly, then they might be misinterpreting the bible and God would not be honored. Many of the common people could not distinguish between religion and superstition, which would allow absurd beliefs to become accepted.3 Unorthodox practices like naked people walking around with chains claiming to be doing penance for their sins were also common. The lack of education among the common people made it difficult to correct such errors, since they could be so easily misguided. Charlemagne saw the clear need to reform the Church through education and began a period 'rectification'.4 As the defender of the faith, he was burdened with the responsibility of creating a standard christian orthodox and way of life. Using the historic research of Alessandro Barbero, Paul Dutton, Mayke de Jong, and Rosamond McKitterick, this paper explores Charlemagne's efforts to unify the empire in Christianity through education and the written word with the help of his prominent scholars, Alcuin and Theodulf.
...all the accounts that I’ve read of Columba he knew that his goal was to spread the word of God and he attacked that goal without hesitation and became the saint we know him as today. I admire the feats that Columba met and I hope that I can find my passion and achieve it the same way that he did around fifteen hundred years ago.
In the early first century, Saint Paul traveled around the Middle East and surrounding areas to spread Christianity. Although he helped people while he was alive, his legacy and influence still live on today. Many churches are named after Paul, his letters are read in services all around the world, and his own story is responsible for many conversions in people today. Even though he is now known for the great things he did in his life, he did not always aid the Christian cause. Surprisingly, he started out persecuting Christians. He began by killing Christians, but ended up dying for Jesus. He changed his whole way of life just for Christ, which influences people to turn to God. His leadership and
Francis of Assisi is one of the most influential personalities in the entire world. In the book ‘Francis of Assisi: Performing the Gospel Life,’ Cunningham recounts the life of this humble monk who lived in the medieval times, and shaped the Christian life, which spread in Western culture throughout the rest of history. I believe Cunningham accurately accounts for the life of Francis of Assisi, and in doing so; he provides a trajectory of the Christian faith from its early and historical proponents through its fusion with western culture, and its subsequent spread throughout the world.
Greengrass, Mark. The Longman Companion to The European Reformation, C. 1500-1618. London: Longman, 1998. Print.
There were many saints who contributed to the rise of Monasticism e.g. Saint Anthony of Egypt, Saint Pachomius, Saint Basil, Saint Patrick and Saint Benedict. St Anthony of Egypt (251-356) is considered the "father of monasticism" as he embodied Eremitic monasticism, living alone in prayer and fasting for religious or spiritual reasons (Class notes
The Late Middle Ages saw great theological discrepancies through the progression of Christian mysticism. The exploration into spiritual practices and the unification of the soul during this period led to great philosophical works. The Cloud of Unknowing and The Imitation of Christ are two noteworthy texts that discuss one’s aspiration to attain union with God. The Cloud of Unknowing is an anonymously authored spiritual exercise that accentuates movement toward the contemplative life by acknowledging what is unknown by man. In contrast, The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis is a spiritual guide which emphasizes that the way to be fully Christian is to live in the imitation of Jesus Christ. While many of the thoughts concerning human reason and withdrawal from the corporal world are similar in the texts, the two are inherently different as the account in The Imitation of Christ is more compelling due to its focus on a humanistic objective while acquiring union and salvation with God.
John Hus’s humble beginnings hardly reflect the impact that he would later have on modern day Christianity and the reformation process that would occur within the Church. Yet, his upbringing and early career are an essential part of his legacy, and provide indications of what was to come. John Hus was born in Bohemia, which is located in what is now the Czech Republic. His family was not wealthy but Hus was known for being virtuous, and having a strong set of morals instilled within him, so his decision to study Religion at the University of Prague did not come as a surprise. He received his ...
Francis was born with the baptismal name of John, to Peter Bernardone and his wife Pica, in the fall of 1182 while Peter was away. A well to do businessman in fabrics, furs and fine apparel, Peter was not pleased with the baptismal name that Pica had chosen in honor of John the Baptist, so he insisted on the name Franciscus or Francis in English. Francis was brought up in the privilege that Peter’s business permitted and Peter was grooming him to take over this business one day. During this grooming process, Francis came across many classes of people and all walks of life learning from each person. While learning the tools of Peter’s trade, Francis was learning that a life of privilege supported his life of parties, partiers, and an elaborate wardrobe. Even though his parents did not discipline or control his lavish behavior, they were concerned for his lack of interest in Peter’s business. However, Francis did take note of his wealth when a beggar came to his father’s shop; Francis dismissed him, but later saw his actions as greedy and was re...