Lectio Divina: Sacred Scripture and Mental Prayer
Lectio Divina means “Divine Reading...
This is the feast day of blessed Cesar de Bus.
Born into a wealthy family in what is now France in 1544, Cesar grew up with a desire to serve in the military, and at the age of 18, joined the king’s army. However, his experience in the army made him a witness to a great injustice, the murder of thousands of Huguenots, and Protestant reformers, during the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572.
The experience so severely upset Cesar that he became physically ill. Prior to this, he had allowed himself to enjoy worldly pleasures without troubling his conscience. Now he resolved to dedicate his life to serving as a priest and to reform.
In 1582, he became a priest and went into the countryside to bring catechesis to the families of those living in rural areas. These efforts met a group of neglected Catholics who were thirsty for education in their faith.
This work also led to a new order, the Fathers of Christian Doctrine.
He died on this day in 1607, but his work continued.
60 years after his death, a book entitled “Instruction for the Family on the Four Parts of Roman Catholic Catechism” was published.
Blessed Cesar de Bus. Please pray for us
