Giles (Aedigius) was born in Athens in the middle of the seventh century to an illustrious family. From his childhood Giles applied himself applied himself so earnestly to the study of divine things and to works of charity, that he seemed to care for nothing else. On the death of his parents he he distributed his whole fortune among the poor, even stripping himself of his own garment in order to clothe a poor sick man, who was cured as soon as he put it on. Many other miracles soon made his name so famous, that for fear of renown he fled to Saint Caesarius at Arles. After two years Giles departed from there and retired into a desert where he lived a life of holiness, his only food being the roots of herbs and the milk of a hind who came to him at fixed times. One day the hind being pursued by the royal huntsmen took refuge in his cave. Upon this discovery of the holy man, the king of France begged Giles to allow a monastery to be built on the site of the cave. At the king’s desire he was obliged, against his will, to undertake the government of this monastery. After having for several years discharged that office with much piety and prudence he passed away to Heaven.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
“A simple and upright man, and fearing God, and avoiding evil” (Job xiv. 14): such is the description of the just man in the lessons of the night Office for the time, and it is the portrait of the holy monk whom the Church offers us today for our admiration, our imitation, and our devotion. Fleeing from men in order to find God, he quitted his native land where his rank, and still more his virtues, prevented him from being unknown. He wandered from the coasts of Greece to the borders of the Rhone, and stopped at length in the forests of Septimania, where he seemed to have found his desired solitude. There for three years he dwelt in a cave hidden among the brambles, spending his time in giving thanks to God and praying for the salvation of the people. He lived on herbs and water until our Lord sent him a hind to nourish him with her milk. But his little friend was soon to betray him. One day, hard pressed by the hounds, she fled in terror to the saint, followed by the royal huntsmen. Safe with her protector her fears were calmed, but an arrow aimed at her pierced Saint Giles’s hand, which was never afterwards healed, for he refused to have it dressed, in order that he might hear the pain of it for the rest of his life.
But a greater trial awaited him: his retreat having been thus discovered, a monastery soon rose upon the spot, and he was forced to become its abbot. Moreover he worked so many miracles that crowds came to see him. Farewell to the silence and oblivion of his beloved forest! After the death of the servant of God, the place became more and more frequented. From north and east and south pilgrims poured in, to offer up their prayers and fulfil their vows at the tomb of one who soon became known as one of the most helpful saints in Heaven.
[Saint Giles is the only confessor in the group of fourteen saints known as helpers, whose names are given in ancient missals in the following order: George, Blase, Erasmus, Pantaleon, Vitus, Christopher, Giles, Achatus or Acathius, Denis, Cyriacus, Eustace, Catherine, Margaret, and Barbara. He was even reckoned among the five privileged saints, viz . Denis, George, Christopher, Blase, and Giles, honoured in a more special manner in certain places.]
Among the crowds came Pontiffs [Urban II, who consecrated the altar of the basilica where the holy body rested, Gelasius II, Callistus II, Innocent II. Clement IV was born at Saint Giles’s. Julius II had held the abbey in commendam] and kings [Boleslas III of Poland, and Saint Louis of France.] But the most numerous classes of visitors to the holy relics were soldiers and little children, the former equipped for the crusades, the latter borne in their mothers’ arms; all confiding in the humble, gentle monk who, at the risk of his life, calmed the terror of the poor little hind; all imploring his assistance against the fear which even the bravest may feel in the hour of battle, or the fright that disturbs the little one in his cradle. Saint Giles’s ranked as one of the three great pilgrimages of the west; the other two being Rome and Compostello.
Over the relics of the saint was raised a colossal church, which has been described as “the most perfect type of the Byzantine style when at the height of its splendour.” Around it a town of 30,000 households has sprung up, where formerly there was but a desert. The most illustrious of the powerful Counts of Toulouse gave the preference over his other titles to the one he held from this noble city; he would be known to posterity as Raymund of Saint Giles. A hundred years later, Raymund VI did penance at the threshold of the celebrated basilica for his connivance with heresy. Our saint, who had just given hospitality to Peter of Castelnau for his last resting-place, opened his gates for the reconciliation of the martyr’s presumed murderer.
We should never end, were we to enumerate the churches, parishes, abbeys, and altars consecrated to Saint Giles, in all parts of Christendom, which are so many sources of grace, and new centres for pilgrimages. Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Bavaria, Poland, rival France in this respect. England is second to no country in the world. She has 146 sanctuaries dedicated to the pious monk, and even the established church continues to honour him.
“Go to my servant... and offer for yourselves a holocaust: and my servant... shall pray for you: his face I will accept, that folly be not imputed to you” (Job lxii. 8). This word is unceasingly fulfilled, O blessed Giles, in the innumerable sanctuaries where you are honoured. Make use of your prerogatives for our benefit. Hear our prayers for the glory of Him who has crowned your humility. In return for the beautiful peace you ever preserved in your soul, you now have power over the countless troubles which disturb our miserable existence, from the cradle even to the tomb. You aid mothers to drive away from their babes the nightly phantoms raised by the enemy of the innocents. You preserve the little ones from the terrible maladies to which childhood is liable. You watch over the youth, to secure his good morals, and give him the fear of God which will make him a courageous and upright man. You make him brave and calm in the midst of dangers, whether in thunderstorms or on the field of battle. Above all, you preserve your client from the most cowardly of all fears, that of human respect; and from the saddest kind of shame, that which would withhold him from acknowledging his sins in the sacred tribunal of Penance. The cares and disappointments of middle life do not disturb the peace of him who trusts in you. Old age has no anxious future for him. He falls into his last sleep, in the bosom of God, as in infancy he fell asleep in his mother’s arms. Deign to accept us among your devout clients, and disappoint us not in our expectations.Also on this day according to the ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:
At Benevento, twelve saintly brothers, martyrs.
In Palestine, the Saints Josue and Gedeon.
At Jerusalem, blessed Anna, prophetess, whose sanctity is revealed in the Gospel.
At Capua, on the Via Aquaria, St. Priscus, martyr, who was one of the ancient disciples of Christ.
At Rheims in France, St. Sixtus, a disciple of the blessed Apostle St. Peter, who was consecrated by him the first bishop of that city and received the crown of martyrdom under Nero.
At Todi in Umbria, St. Terentian, bishop and martyr. Under the emperor Hadrian, he was racked, and scourged with whips set with metal by order of the proconsul Laetian, and finally, having his tongue cut out, he ended his martyrdom by undergoing capital punishment.
At Heraclea, St. Ammon, deacon, and forty holy virgins who he instructed in the faith and led with him to the glory of martyrdom under the tyrant Licinius.
In Spain, the holy martyrs Vincent and Laetus.
At Piombino in Tuscany, St. Regulus, martyr, who went there from Africa and consummated his martyrdom under Totila.
At Sens, St. Lupus, bishop and confessor, of whom it is related, that on a certain day, while he stood at the holy altar in presence of the clergy, a gem fell from heaven into the consecrated chalice he was using.
At Capua, St. Priscus, bishop. He was one of those priests who were subjected to various trials for the Catholic faith during the persecution of the Vandals. Being put in an old ship on the coast of Africa, they reached the shores of Campania, and separating, they were placed at the head of various churches, and thus greatly extended the Christian religion. The companions of Priscus were Castrensis, Tammarus, Rosius, Heraclius, Secundinus, Adjutor, Mark, Augustus, Elpidius, Canion and Vindonius.
At Aquino, St. Constantius, a bishop renowned for the gift of prophecy and many virtues.
At Le Mans, St. Victorius, bishop.
In Baden, in the diocese of Constance, St. Verena, virgin.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
