Browsing Category Saint of the Day

The Rev’d Alban Butler (1710-1773) undertook to write a thoroughgoing account of saints for the Catholic Book Society (Derby, England: Thomas Richardson & Son). What resulted was a massive 12-volume (one per month) work: The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints: Compiled from Original Monuments and Other Authentic Records. The first edition was completed in 1759, and became a classic in hagiography, with later editions that included commentary, such as the 1842-1846 work, used here.
[Because subsequent research showed that certain individuals never existed or had actually been pagan deities cloaked in a Christian veneer, or because the miracles were simply too “out there” for a more modern audience, a severe gelding of Butler’s magisterial work took place in 1956. Alas.]
Out of each day’s multiple stories, I shall lift up those vignettes to riff on. Enjoy and (if it’s in your particular vernacular) be edified! – TK

March 26: The Iambic Poet-Saint

Tim Koch Saint of the Day 0 Comment

One of today’s saints was named Braulio, and he was the Bishop of Saragossa. I’ll be honest: I had fun saying out loud “Announcing Braulio, Bishop of Saragossa!!” while writing this blog. Try it–it’s fun, especially if you affect a vaguely Spanish accent (Saragossa of then is now spelled “Zaragoza” and is a city in northeastern Spain).

What I like about “Braulio, Bishop of Saragossa” is that he was a writer and a poet. In fact, one of the very few writings of Braulio, Bishop of Saragossa, that has been preserved (since the 7th century, no less) was written in iambic verse, in honor of someone called Saint Emilian.

Butler has little-to-nothing to share about Braulio (other than his being Bishop of Saragossa) and that Braulio wrote. Sometimes, just “doing our art” is the surest and best way to lead our lives. Maybe that’s always the case. If we are created in the image of the Creator, then it seems like that’s a good bet regarding what we’re supposed to do, too.

Iambic, huh?