by J.C. Kirkfleet, O. Praem.; 1916, B. Herder, London

TIME PERIOD A:

From the Birth of Norbert Until the Foundation of his Order

CHAPTER A-3:

The Penitent

Argenti vilescit honos, nimiumque cupitas

Prodiga Norberti dextera spargit opes.

Despising worldly goods, Norbert with a lavish hand bestows all he has upon the poor.

The three years following his ordination were for the greater part spent in solitude on a high mountain, called "Furstenberg," near Xanten. They are termed the formation-period of his religious life. As the shining marble of Paros and Carrara, the same in substance as common limestone, is fashioned in secret by the wonderworking hand of nature; as the sparkling diamond, identical in composition with charcoal, receives its marvelous crystalline structure in nature's own secret laboratory—so has it often pleased God, to form the saint from the sinner under His divine action in solitude, by prayer and meditation.

There was a little chapel on the Furstenberg, which had long been entirely deserted. This Norbert arranged for his new dwelling. Here he mortified his body by fasting and discipline; here he offered daily the Holy Sacrifice, and spent most of his nights as well as days in prayer.

. . . Then with fasts, With scourges, and with iron chain, Thou'lt seek to expiate the past, And heal, with care, the former pain Thy pride inflicted . . .

Occasionally he would come down from his Thabor to preach to the people or to visit the Abbot of Siburg, who still continued to be his spiritual adviser. He had now become accustomed to rely on Abbot Conon for spiritual direction, and in the many trials sent by God at this time to arm him for the future battle, the abbot's help was indispensable to Norbert.

One of his greatest trials at this period must have been his inability to preach to the people in the church at Xanten. We are informed that on one occasion when Norbert was on his way to Siburg and wished to deliver a sermon to the people of Xanten, he was actually driven from the church by his former colleagues. Like all reformers, he was disliked by most of the canons, and even hated by some. At their instigation the enemies of Norbert, all former friends, had formed a party, a clique we might say, whose only object was to oppose and persecute in every way the innovator, as Norbert was called by them. However, though they prevented him from speaking to the people, he nevertheless continued fearlessly to address the canons themselves at every opportunity, in private as well as in public. Needless to say that he thus found numerous occasions for the practice of many virtues. When, for instance, they reproached him, calling him a newcomer, a convert of a day.... etc., he found therein a reason for increasing his spiritual and penitential exercises, hoping by these means and by the grace of God, to become a trained soldier in God's army in a short time. He was persuaded that his constant example and unwavering virtue would be more convincing than his preaching. Virtue, in fact, always triumphs even where the most powerful and eloquent sermons have miserably failed.

With this end in view he began to walk about barefooted, even in the midst of winter, wearing only his sheepskin tunic and penitential cape. In accordance with the strictest observance of earlier Christianity, he also began to observe, the whole year around, the fast and abstinence of the Lenten season. Except on Sundays, he took no meal till evening, and by his austerity became another St. John the Baptist. His daily life became a most powerful and continual sermon, which no one was able to prevent, and which, Norbert reasoned, was bound to succeed. But human nature is ever the same, and to see a man strictly perform duties in which we ourselves fail, is for us a constant rebuke. Soon, through real spite, did the enemies of Norbert look for an occasion to take their revenge.

But let us turn from them for the moment to follow Norbert on one of his excursions to Abbot Conon of Siburg. The monks of this abbey were very strict in the observance of their rule, and Norbert loved to listen to their singing the divine praises. He often joined them in their diligent study of Holy Scripture, and made great progress in the knowledge of God's Word. But his greatest attraction was the abbot, whose exemplary life always stimulated him to persevere in his good resolutions. To spend some time in his presence, and to be able to see him and to converse with him, worked like an inspiration on our Saint. After these visits, as he himself later testified, long fasts and severe discipline lost even their natural repugnance, and the nights spent in prayer were full of heavenly consolation.

. . . for higher love

Has fortified thy glowing heart,

And, barefoot, through the snow thou'lt move

As one all heedless of the smart

Of scorn and insult....

His returns to the abbey were therefore quite frequent. Another pious diversion in his solitude was his frequenting a grotto near Rolduc, which he visited on his way to the Canons Regular of that place. He often spent some time in the abbey, where the clerics were still in their first fervor. The abbey had been founded in 1104 by St. Ailbert, of noble birth, who had for some time been connected with the cathedral chapter of Tournay, in Belgium. After his ordination, being anxious to lead a more perfect life, he had come to this place and founded a monastery. He, like Norbert, also went barefooted, and with his companions led a strictly apostolic life according to the rules of St. Augustine. These two Saints, in fact, became very much attached to each other, and as we shall see later, Norbert took St. Ailbert's abbey as a model, in founding his order.

Norbert loved especially to offer the Holy Sacrifice in the above-mentioned grotto. One day, at the moment of the consecration of the Chalice, a large spider fell into the Precious Blood. In those days spiders were generally considered poisonous, as, in fact, the old English name: attercope, attyrcoppe, literally poison-cup, still indicates. The Saint knew perfectly well what the rubrics of the Mass allow on such occasions, but his biographers explain, such was his reverence for the Precious Blood, that at the time of the Communion, resigned to die at the foot of the altar, he consumed the Precious Blood containing the venomous insect. But God, Who watched over his servant, rewarded his lively faith by instantly relieving him of the dangerous insect.

"This fact," adds a contemporary author of the life of St. Norbert, "shows how lively was his faith and how great God's goodness towards him." "Two special virtues," continues this same biographer, "were necessary to enable him to do the work for which God had destined him: patience and faith. Patience served as a shield, lest being unarmed he should yield; faith, for strength, lest being too weak, he should fail.'' [A-3-1] Doubtless at this time, he was endowed with other virtues, but faith was his characteristic virtue; by it he wrought many miracles, and it animated all he did. It was a common saying that faith excelled in Norbert, charity in Bernard and humility in Milo, Bishop of Therouanne and a disciple of Norbert [A-3-2]

We now return to our Saint in the period of his spiritual formation. How admirably does divine Providence guide the future Founder of a religious Order! Thus far God has led him through the canonical life at Xanten—has made him acquainted with monasticism in the monastery of Abbot Conon—has directed him to St. Ailbert, who with his disciples was leading the life of the Apostles, and lastly, that Norbert might know the eremitical life, He leads him to the hermit Ludolph, a man of great sanctity and extreme austerity, who lived at Bedburg. Ludolph's object in life also was to reform the people by first reforming the clergy, and so, like Norbert, he must bear insults and injuries. We are not surprised to learn that Norbert and Ludolph became sincere friends, for like aims invariably draw souls close together.

There is surely no ground for the supposition that Norbert had at this time the faintest idea of founding a religious Order. Still, since his aim was "reform," he, being a Canon, must have felt himself drawn into the reform of canonical life, which at that time was taking place. History informs us that about the eleventh century canonical life was given up by the clergy in many churches, and thus we read of the distinction which henceforth was made between those clerics who lived by themselves in separate houses and others who still adhered to the old discipline. The former were called " Canonici saeculares, " the latter " Canonici regulares, " and these names have ever since distinguished them. We shall refer to this again in the second volume.

When we accompanied Norbert on his visits to Siburg and Rolduc, or found him in company with Ludolph, we saw him constantly exposed to the vilest abuse by his former colleagues of Xanten. His strict fasts and long vigils had emaciated his body, and the study of the lives of saints added to constant prayer and meditation, had so spiritualized our Saint, that his mere appearance among his former friends was now a sufficient excuse for a new outbreak. It must be remarked, however, that they never reproached his former life. Worldly Norbert had been, but no one ever accused him of having led a scandalous life. What mostly roused his opponents was the fact that Norbert, only a short time before one with them, was now trying to be their reformer. They refused to believe that his conversion was sincere, notwithstanding the numerous proofs he constantly gave of his sincerity. Also his success in preaching made him a number of enemies. Norbert, as we know, was very anxious to preach. He lost no opportunity of ascending the pulpit, where he spoke with real eloquence. He was considered one of the most eloquent speakers of his day, and immense crowds gathered to listen to him. How much good he effected by his preaching we know from the Annals of those days, especially of the year 1117, when one calamity succeeded another, so that the end of ,the world was generally thought to be at hand. "The most learned men of the time," thus says Baronius in his Annals, "looked upon the enormities of sin and the calamities of the age as signs of the coming of the Antichrist and the end of the world." [A-3-3]

Norbert's success in preaching, added to his austere life, at last led his enemies, no longer satisfied with illusage, to discredit him in the eyes of his ecclesiastical superiors. The clique which had been formed some time previous, now began to work in earnest and systematically, trying to find evidence against him. Well may one of the early historians compare their work to a coming thunderstorm, when small and insignificant clouds are gathering together to darken a clear sky. The moment was near at hand when their petty accusations, heaped together, were to burst forth like the thunder and lightning of a heavy storm.

Apparently unconscious of what was going on around him, Norbert kept up his good work, preaching by word and example and bringing a number of sinners back to God. The Annals of Cleves give us an interesting detail of his missionary zeal at this very time. At Lunen, in Westphalia, there still existed a remnant of the old Saxon paganism, in the form of an idol dedicated to Venus, the evening star, and venerated by the inhabitants. In his holy zeal and enthusiasm, Norbert not only broke this idol, but even succeeded in having a church, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, built in its place. [A-3-4]

At last the storm broke. On July 26th, in the year 1118, Cuno, Cardinal Archbishop of Preneste and Legate of Pope Gelasius II, had assembled an important National Council at Fritzlar in Lower-Hesse. The object of this Council was to find means to maintain the Pope's authority in Germany, where it was threatened by Henry V and his antipope, Maurice Bourdin. Present at the Council were a great number of archbishops and bishops, abbots and priests, also many of the most prominent laymen. Norbert's enemies considered this a fine opportunity for taking their long-planned revenge. Led by the Canons of Xanten, they appeared at Fritzlar and demanded that the Council should begin proceedings against the fanaticism of Norbert. The Council gave them a hearing; and, after considering the matter, judged it wise to have Norbert appear before them in person. His enemies lost no time in bringing him before this tribunal. [A-3-5]

Norbert, known to nearly all present as the gay courtier, the former chaplain of Henry, whose doings are being condemned, now stands before this distinguished assembly; he is accused of being a religious fanatic. His features are completely changed—his body, emaciated from fasting and discipline, is wrapped in a penitential robe of sheepskin. Calm and dignified, he faces his accusers, who are shouting at him—calling him a hypocrite —one who cloaks evil designs under the pretext of religious zeal, etc.... The Council asks for clear and detailed accusations. Ah! they have plenty, everything is ready. Their first reproach is for having taken unto himself the function of preaching. Who, they ask, has charged him with this mission? Secondly, they accuse him of attacking, in his sermons, the lives of clergymen, and even of prelates. Is he their ecclesiastical superior? Furthermore, why should he live like a monk since he is not a member of a religious Order? Why has he put aside the traditional habit of the Canons, and clothed himself in sheepskin?

The Saint, remembering his past sins, confessed that he deserved all manner of contempt and ill-treatment, and rejoiced at injuries and afflictions. Nevertheless, reflecting on what he owed to God's honor, he cleared himself of all their calumnies to the entire satisfaction of the judges. [A-3-6] Certainly, he might easily have been their accuser, and charged them not only with the neglect of their sacred duties, but with grievous interference in the apostolic labors of a zealous priest. But Norbert no longer knew of any revenge but the revenge of the Saints, namely to suffer and to forgive. Jesus, his Master, had also been falsely accused, ill-treated and even crucified, and he was trying to resemble that divine Master as closely as possible. "Calumny," he later repeatedly told his followers, "is the test of a patient and generous heart, which bears with it rather than to give up working for God."

At the close of this trial, we find that the most eminent men of the Council greatly admired Norbert. The Archbishops of Cologne, of Mainz, of Munich, and even the Legate himself, did not fail to see that the underlying cause of all these various accusations was the sting of rebuke caused by Norbert's virtuous life, and his zeal for bringing about a much-needed reform among the clergy. The Legate therefore advised Norbert to present himself to the Holy Father and ask for general jurisdiction, in other words, permission to preach everywhere. That the Saint had privately spoken with the Legate after the Council seems very probable from his subsequent conduct. From that time on Norbert put away his sheepskin and began to wear a woolen cassock. In this he is said to have acted on the advice of the Legate. Later we shall find Norbert introducing into his Order, customs which up to that time were new to Canons, excepting those whom Cuno had helped to found. [A-3-7]

Leaving Fritzlar, Norbert again returned to Xanten, but he was not to remain there long. Persecuted on all sides, and misunderstood by those for whose conversion he had sacrificed his life, the Saint sought his consolation at the foot of the Cross. There, after some days and nights alone with God, we find him taking a most unexpected resolution. He decides to leave his native country. Since the day of his ordination, he had done all in his power to change the conduct of clergy and people, but without great results. He fully realized that no prophet is acceptable in his own country. Instead of bringing about the reform he had hoped for, his preaching and mode of living seemed to make conditions; worse. He therefore decided not to give up his work, but to change his field of labor, and after the example of St. Gregory of Nazianzen, to satisfy the wishes of his enemies and to depart. "If on my account," he said, "the whole diocese is upset; if my words, instead of edifying, are but the cause of scandal and strife, for the welfare of my diocese I will go away."

He went to Cologne and resigned all his ecclesiastical preferments into the hands of his Archbishop. It was in vain that Archbishop Frederic endeavored to have him change his decision. As later events will abundantly prove, he was specially guided in this by divine Providence.

Norbert then sold his estates and distributed the money among the poor. The chapel of the Furstenberg, where he had spent nearly three years, and which he had gradually converted into something like a monastery, together with all the surrounding country belonging to himself and his brother Heribert, he donated to the Abbot of Siburg, his dearest friend. [A-3-8] All he reserved for himself were ten silver marks, a mule, and the sacred vestments and articles necessary for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. His numerous servants he had' dismissed long before, except two who had begged to be allowed to be near him, and now wanted to follow him. [A-3-9] One of these was the servant who had witnessed his miraculous conversion on the road to Freden, which event had made nearly as much impression on him as on Norbert himself. The other was probably the servant who had given him his penitential robes in the cathedral, the day of his ordination. Their names we do not know, but Camus observes that both were devoted to Norbert, and to be with him was all they desired.

After the Saint had disposed of all his earthly possessions, he went once more to his native town, now to say farewell to his people. It appears that his father had died before this event, but his pious mother was probably still alive, since there is nowhere any mention of her death before this. No doubt, the saintly woman made the sacrifice most willingly and even joyfully, convinced as she must have been of the saintliness of her son.

Finally, stripped of all earthly goods, Norbert, once the wealthy Lord of Gennep, now barefooted, begins his missionary career. This was towards the end of the year 1118. Not knowing whither to go, he abandoned all to divine Providence. Like Abraham he had heard the voice of God in his inner soul: "Go out from thy country and go to the land which I will show thee." He hearkened to that voice and thus became a willing, and hence a powerful, instrument in the hands of God for the welfare of souls and the good of the Church.

<<start of footnotes for chapter A-3>>

[A-3-1]

Cfr. Vita B., Ch. VI Also Hugo, Histoire de St. Norbert," p. 23, who quotes a manuscript history of the abbey of Kloster-Rath.

[A-3-2]

Ibidem.

[A-3-3]

That St. Norbert shared this belief we know from one of the letters of St. Bernard. Cfr. Letter LVI, sent to Geoffrey, Bishop of Chartres. See also later, Period B, Chapter 10.

[A-3-4]

Annales Cliviae, p. 217.

[A-3-5]

Cfr. Vita B., Ch. VIII

[A-3-6]

It is expressly stated in the Acta SS. And also by Winter, Chron. Gratiae Dei, p. 327, that Norbert had received from his bishop proper jurisdiction to preach.

[A-3-7]

Cfr. Bollandists, Jan. 13^th, p. 112, 113.

[A-3-8]

The charter concerning this donation, which was drawn up the following year, is the only place where any mention is made of the family of Norbert. The name of his brother Heribert is herein mentioned. It must also be observed that in this same charter Norbert is praised by the Archbishop of Cologne as the "Vir ad omne opus bonum paratus." This saying of the Archbishop has been the ‘motto’ of the Premonstratensians ever since.

[A-3-9]

It would seem that these two servants had also been near him on the Furstenberg, but whether they lived with him in his little convent or not is nowhere stated.