January 7: St. Raymond of Penyafort

Raymond is originally a Germanic male name which means Counseling Protector

Born of a noble family in 1175 at the castle of Penyafort in Catalonia, Raymond was allied to the King of Aragon in Spain. At the age of twenty, he taught philosophy in Barcelona. Requiring no remuneration for his services, he endeavoured to form the heart and intellect of his students. At the age of thirty, he went to Bologna to perfect himself in canon law and civil law and receive a doctorate. On his return to Barcelona in 1219, the Bishop made him canon, archdeacon, and vicar general. A few years later in 1222, he entered the Order of St Dominic, eight months after the death of its holy founder.

He laboured zealously for the conversion of the Moors and the Jews and composed a treatise for the instruction of Confessors. Pope Gregory IX summoned him to Rome, appointing him auditor at the Apostolic palace, penitentiary and confessor to himself.

During this period, he composed his work on Canon law, known as the “Five Dectetals”. On his return to his own country, he was elected general of the Dominican Order to succeed Jordan of Saxony, who had been the immediate successor of St Dominic. After arranging and explaining the constitutions of the Oder, he resigned from the office and began again to apply himself to the exercises of apostolic life. He died in 1275, at the age of one hundred.

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May zeal for the house of God compel us to keep doing His will. Amen

St Raymond, pray for us. Amen

Happy feast day to all Raymond.

Roncalli