In the tenth century, St. Romauld witnessed his father slay a relative in cold blood. Horrified by this crime, he entered a monastery to spend forty days in penance for the soul of his father.
Soon, St. Romauld realized that his vocation was to become a Benedictine monk. His life was so austere and virtuous that evil spirits constantly attacked him with the intent of breaking his resolve to live entirely for Jesus Christ. But St. Romauld's perseverance was rewarded with propitious graces which enabled him to restore the primitive rule of the Order of St. Benedict.
He succeeded in founding some hundred monasteries in Italy and in France, the principal one being in Camaldoli where his disciples were the called the famed Camaldolese. His exemplary life converted his father who repented , entered religion and died in the odor of sanctity.
Among his disciples were St. Adalbert, St. Boniface, St. John, St. Benedict of Poland and Emperor St. Henry.
The life of St. Romauld is an excellent testimony that God always brings good out of evil. A crime was committed. St. Romauld responded with the proper indignation and offered himself to make reparation for the sin. It would have been easier just to sit back and remark about how terrible the crime was.
But St. Romauld took an action which proved his love of God and his love for his father. God rewarded the saintly action by giving St. Romauld a very high vocation of founding monasteries and teaching others the spiritual path to Heaven.
St. Romauld became a saint and he led many others to become saints. Are we not all called to this same lofty end? The journey may be different for each of us but God's destination for us is the same.
Let us consecrate ourselves to Our Lady and ask her to be our guide and our strength in this perilous sojourn on earth. Let us always turn to her for the proper disposition of soul to fight evil generously offering ourselves in reparation for the crimes against her Immaculate Heart.
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