St. Serenus the Gardener, February 23rd

[Shin]

'Serenus abandoned his home and people to live as a hermit in Sirmiun, Pannonia (modern Hungary) where he directed his thought to prayer, his labour to working a garden of fruit and herbs.

One day he found a woman and her daughters walking in the garden around noon. He recommended they withdraw, and return in the cool of the evening, but the way he said it led her to believe he was simply chasing them out. The woman‘s husband was an imperial guard, and he convinced Emperor Maximian to avenge this imagined insult. Serenus was arrested and brought to trial, but simply repeated what he had said, and was immediately acquitted. However, his demeanor led the judge to suspect that Serenus was a Christian, which was illegal. When questioned about it, Serenus admitted his faith. He was ordered to sacrifice to pagan gods; he refused, and was sentenced to death.'



'It has pleased God to reserve me for this present time. It seemed awhile ago as if he rejected me as a stone unfit to enter his building, but he has the goodness to take me now to be placed in it; I am ready to suffer all things for his name, that I may have a part in his kingdom with his saints.'

St. Serenus at his trial

[Shin]

This reminds me again of one of my favorite books on Saints' Books, 'Mystical Flora or the Christian Life under the Emblem of Plants'

'The garden of the infant Church had remained already some time deprived of the living water, qua est veluti fons aqua salientis in vitam aeternam; that is, bereft of the sweet presence of its good Lord and Master. The fear and dread of Jewish persecution had dimmed these flowers, and withered and wasted all these poor plants, so that they might well say, I have lifted up my hands to you to crave your help, because my soul, without your grace, is like dry and barren land that can bring forth nothing. Expandi manus meas ad te, anima mea sicut terra sine aqua tibi. (Ps. cxlii.) All might cry thus except that blessed lily, the holy Virgin, on whom, by a special influence of Divine love, the dew of heaven continued always to fall in superabundance.

They were all, then, together, offering up prayers to obtain the dew of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, when, behold, this impetuous wind and this noise from heaven fill them with fear, and make them more and more send up sighs and prayers to the Divine Majesty. But this noise, this wind, this violence, in place of terror, changed soon into a soft rain of heavenly graces, which refreshed their courage so sweetly, that henceforth they spoke no more of dryness or aridity: for that happened to them which is said of the just man by the holy King David that he will be like a tree planted by the running waters, which is always verdant, and will bring forth its fruit in due season.'

St. Francis de Sales

[Shin]

St. Serenus, pray for us!

[Therese]

St. Serenus lived and died a true Christian and received the reward of martyrdom.  People should know that we are Christians by our love, our words and actions.  Unfortunately these days people who call themselves Christian/Catholic do not love and do not speak and act like they Christian/Catholic.

I did not get an email notification of your last two posts, Shin, and I don't know why.

[Shin]

Hopefully it was just a temporary glitch? Which posts were they?

[Therese]

Hopefully it was just a temporary glitch? Which posts were they?

I am not sure if there is a problem any more.  I'll let you know if I run into any problems.  Thanks, Shin!

[Shin]

Ok, please do so if it continues. Remember in your 'Profile' and on the left side bar 'Notifications' link you can change the settings on how notifications work.

[Therese]

Ok, please do so if it continues. Remember in your 'Profile' and on the left side bar 'Notifications' link you can change the settings on how notifications work.

Okay, thanks, Shin!

[SenoritaRita]

Beautiful story!!!

This reminds me of the stories taken from the Golden Legend!

I love the short sweet saint stories that stick in your head like this!

What a great way to start the day!  :-)

[CyrilSebastian]

                     Saint Serenus is also known as "Serenus of Billom".

[CyrilSebastian]

A tradition centered in Clermont-Ferrand, France maintains that Austremonius sent serenus to evangelize Thiers.