October 26th - Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons
When the Gospel was first preached in Britain, the island was inhabited by
Celtic peoples. In the 400's, pagan Germanic tribes, the Angles, Saxons,
and
Jutes, invaded Britain and drove the Christian Celts out of what is now
England
into Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. The new arrivals (called collectively
the
Anglo-Saxons) were then converted by Celtic missionaries moving in from
the one
side and Roman missionaries moving in from the other. (They then sent
missionaries of their own, such as Boniface, to their pagan relatives on
the
Continent.)
In the 800's the cycle partly repeated itself, as the Christian
Anglo-Saxons
were invaded by the Danes, pagan raiders, who rapidly conquered the
northeast
****tion of England. They seemed about to conquer the entire country and
eliminate all resistance when they were turned back by Alfred, King of the
West
Saxons.
Alfred was born in 849 at Wantage, Berk****re, youngest of five sons of
King
Aethelwulf. He wished to become a monk, but after the deaths (all in
battle, I
think) of his father and his four older brothers, he was made king in 871.
He
proved to be skilled at military tactics, and devised a defensive
formation
which the Danish charge was unable to break. After a decisive victory at
Edington in 878, he reached an agreement with the Danish leader Guthrum,
by
which the Danes would retain a ****tion of northeastern England and be
given
other concessions in return for their agreement to accept baptism and
Christian
instruction. From a later point of view, it seems obvious that such a
promise
could not involve a genuine change of heart, and was therefore meaningless
(and
indeed, one Dane complained that the white robe that he was given after
his
baptism was not nearly so fine as the two that he had received after the
two
previous times that he had been defeated and baptized). However, Alfred's
judgement proved sound. Guthrum, from his point of view, agreed to become
a
vassal of Christ. His nobles and chief warriors, being his vassals, were
thereby
obligated to give their feudal allegiance to Christ as well. They accepted
baptism and the presence among them of Christian priests and missionaries
to
instruct them. The door was opened for conversions on a more personal
level in
that and succeeding generations.
In his later years, having secured a large degree of military security for
his
people, Alfred devoted his energies to repairing the damage that war had
done to
the cultural life of his people. He translated Boethius's Consolations of
Philosophy into Old English, and brought in scholars from Wales and the
Continent with whose help various writings of Bede, Augustine of
Canterbury, and
Gregory the Great were likewise translated. He was much impressed by the
provisions in the Law of Moses for the protection of the rights of
ordinary
citizens, and gave order that similar provisions should be made part of
English
law. He promoted the education of the parish clergy. In one of his
treatises, he
wrote:
"He seems to me a very foolish man, and very wretched, who will not
increase his
understanding while he is in the world, and ever wish and long to reach
that
endless life where all shall be made clear."
He died on 26 October 899, and was buried in the Old Minster at
Winchester.
Alone among English monarchs, he is known as "the Great."
The writer G.K. Chesterton has written a long narrative poem about Alfred,
called, "The Ballad of the White Horse." In my view, it would be improved
by
abridgement (I would, for example, terminate the prologue after the line
"And
laid peace on the sea"), but I think it well worth reading as it stands,
both
for the history and (with minor reservations) for the theology.
This version taken from:
http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/10/26.html
Quote:
The measure of charity may be taken from the want of desires. As desires
diminish in a soul, charity increases in it; and when it no longer feels
any
desire, then it possesses perfect charity.
-St. Augustine
Bible Quote
13 I had many things to write unto thee: but I would not by ink and pen
write to
thee. 14 But I hope speedily to see thee, and we will speak mouth to
mouth.
Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Salute the friends by name. (3
John
1:13-14)
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Indulgenced Prayers
O blessed Trinity, one God, in Thee I believe, in Thee I hope,
Thee I love, Thee I adore, have mercy on me now and at the
hour of my death, and save me.
Almighty, everlasting God, grant us an increase of faith, hope,
and charity; and that we may merit to attain what Thou dost
promise, grant us to love what Thou dost ordain. Through
Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my
understanding, and all my will, whatsoever I have and
possess. Thou hast given all these things to me; to Thee, O
Lord, I restore them; all are Thine, dispose of them all ac-
cording to Thy Will. Give me Thy love and Thy grace, for this
is enough for me.
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Prayer
O Sovereign Lord, who didst bring thy servant Alfred to a
troubled throne that he might establish peace in a ravaged
land and revive learning and the arts among the people:
Awake in us also, we beseech thee, a keen desire to increase
our understanding while we are in this world, and an eager
longing to reach that endless life where all will be made clear;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with
thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
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Prayer for the Helpless Unborn
Heavenly Father, in your love for us,
protect against the wickedness of the
devil, those helpless little ones to
whom you have give the gift of life.
Touch with pity the hearts of those
women pregnant in our world today
who are not thinking of motherhood.
Help them to see that the child they
carry is made in your image- as well
as theirs- made for eternal life.
Dispel their fear and selfishness and
give them for womanly hearts to love
their babies and give them birth and
all the needed care that a mother
alone can give.
We ask this through Jesus Christ,
your Son, our Lord, who lives and
reigns in the Holy Spirit, one God,
forever and ever.
Amen.
**Don't forget to pray the Stations of the Cross on Fridays
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