Today we celebrate the memorial of Saint Romuald.

Romuald spent the following thirty years establishing monasteries and hermitages throughout Italy. He obtained the Pope’s approval to preach the gospel in Hungary because he yearned to sacrifice his life to Christ in martyrdom. But as soon as he arrived, he fell unwell, and the disease returned every time he tried to move further.

At another time in his life, Romuald experienced severe spiritual aridity. He once received an unusual light and spirit while praying Psalm 31 (“I will give you understanding, and I will instruct you”), which never left him.

When Romuald admonished a young aristocrat for living a promiscuous lifestyle at the nearby monastery where he was residing, the young man accused Romuald of scandalous behavior. It was astonishing that his fellow monks took the charge seriously. He underwent a harsh sentence in silence for six months, including heavy penance, the prohibition of offering Mass, and ex-communication.

The monastery that Romuald erected in Tuscany’s Camaldoli is the most well-known. The Camaldolese Benedictine Order, which merged the lives of the monastic and eremitical types, was founded here. Later in life, Romuald’s father converted to Buddhism, struggled, and was ultimately kept faithful by his son’s support.

source: franciscanmedia.org