The Pope told this saint to “walk along the roads of the cloister and not along the grand highways of the world"

               April 8 -- St. Walter of Pointoise

St. Walter was born in Picardy, France in 1030.

St. Walter studied diligently and became a professor of rhetoric and philosophy, achieving success and honors in these fields.  But he was discontent with worldly accomplishments and , thus, traveled widely to discern the Will of God for his life. 

Finally, after much discernment, he decided to enter the Benedictine Monastery of Rebais-en-Brie.  After several years, King Philip I commissioned him to be abbot of a new monastery called Saint Martin's near Pointoise. 

Wanting to escape the accolades of his high position, St. Walter chose to petition the Holy Father to leave his post as Abbot and to return to seeking God's will through travel.

Pope Gregory VII counseled him, "Turn back, Father Abbot. From now on you must walk along the roads of the cloister and not along the grand highways of the world." Was St. Walter unhappy to hear a counsel opposed to his own wishes?  On the contrary, he was ecstatic!  With all his soul he wanted God's Will and now it was given to him by Christ's own Vicar. 

He understood that the image of our life that is fashioned by God is infinitely more preferable to the image that we conjure for our self.  When one follows this rule , always the next step is Heaven.  St. Walter entered the Eternal Paradise on Good Friday, 1099.

St. Walter pray for us to seek and follow God's Will in all things. Let us not be swayed by trials and sufferings for sometimes the road is not well defined. But, if we are persistent in our search, God will send his Blessed Mother to assist and guide us through the highways of life to our final home, Heaven.