Canute IV, son of Swein Estrithus, King of Denmark, was conspicuous for his faith, piety and purity of life. Even from his infancy he gave proof of exceeding holiness. Having been elected by the popular vote to the throne held by his father, he at once began zealously to promote religion, to add to the revenues of the Churches, and to provide the same with costly fittings and furniture. Being also inflamed with zeal for the propagation of the faith, he refused not to enter into just war with barbarous nations which, when he had conquered and subdued, he subjected to the law of Christ. Having obtained several glorious victories and increased the riches of his treasury, he laid his regal diadem at the feet of a crucifix, offering himself and his kingdom to Him who is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He chastised his body by fasting, hair-shirts and disciplines. He was assiduous in prayer and contemplation, liberal in his alms to the poor and ever kind to all, never deviating from the path of justice and the divine commandments.
By these and other such virtues, the holy King made rapid strides to the summit of perfection. Now it happened that William, Duke of Normandy, invaded the kingdom of England with a formidable army and the English sought assistance from the Danes. The King resolved to grant them his aid and entrusted the expedition to his brother Glaus. But he, from the desire he had of getting possession of the throne, turned his forces against the King and stirred up the soldiers and people to rebellion. Neither were there wanting motives for this rebellion, for the King had issued laws commanding the payment of ecclesiastical tithes, the observance of the commandments of God and His Church, and the infliction of penalties on defaulters, all which were made handle of by perverse and wicked malcontents who began by spreading murmuring, exciting the people to revolt and, at last, to plot the death of the saintly King.
Foreknowing what was to happen, the King saw that he would soon be put to death for justice’s sake. Having foretold it, he set out to Odense where, entering into the Church of Saint Alban the Martyr as the place of combat, he fortified himself with the Sacraments and commended this his last struggle to our Lord. He had not long been there when a band of conspirators arrived. They endeavoured to set fire to the Church, to burst open the doors and to force an entrance. But failing in this, they scaled the windows and with great violence threw a shower of stones and arrows on the holy King who was on his knees praying for his enemies. Wounded by the stones and arrows and, at last, pierced through with a spear, he was crowned with a glorious martyrdom and fell before the altar, with his arms stretched out. Gregory VII was the reigning Pontiff. God showed by many miracles how glorious was His martyr, and Denmark was afflicted with a great famine and sundry calamities in punishment of the sacrilegious murder which had been perpetrated.
Many persons who were afflicted with various maladies found aid and health by praying at the tomb of the martyr. On one occasion when the Queen endeavoured during the night to take up his body secretly and carry it to another place, she was deterred from her design by being struck with fear at the sight of a most brilliant light which came down from Heaven.
Dom Prosper Gueranger:
The Magi Kings, as we have already observed, have been followed to the crib of Jesus by saintly Christian monarchs. And it was just that these should be represented on the Church’s Calendar during the season which is consecrated to the Mystery of His birth. The eleventh century is one of the most glorious of the Christian era and gave, both to the Church and the various States of Europe, a great number of saintly kings. Among them, Canute IV of Denmark stands pre-eminent by reason of the aureole of his martyrdom. He had every quality which forms a Christian Prince: he was a zealous propagator of the faith of Christ, he was a brave warrior, he was pious and he was charitable to the poor. His zeal for the Church (and in those days her rights were counted as the rights of the people) was made the pretext for putting him to death: he died in the midst of a sedition as a victim sacrificed for his people’s sake. His offering to the new-born King was that of his blood, and in exchange for the perishable crown he lost, he received that which the Church gives to her Martyrs and which can never be taken away. The history of Denmark in the eleventh century is scarce known by the rest of the world, but the glory of that country having had one of her kings a Martyr is known throughout the whole Church, and the Church inhabits the whole Earth. This power, possessed by the Spouse of Christ, of conferring honour on the name and actions of the servants and friends of God, is one of the grandest spectacles out of Heaven, for when she holds up a name as worthy of honour, that name becomes immortalised, whether he who bore it were a powerful king or the poorest peasant.
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O holy King, the Sun of Justice had risen upon your country and all your ambition was that your people might enjoy the fullness of its light and warmth. Like the Magi of the East, you laid your crown at the feet of the Emmanuel and, at length, offered your very life in His service and in that of His Church. But your people were not worthy of you. They they shed your blood as the ungrateful Israel will shed the Blood of the Just One who is now born to us, and whose sweet infancy we are now celebrating. You offered your martyrdom for the sins of your people. Offer it now also for them that they may recover the true faith they have so long lost. Pray for the rulers of Christian lands that they may be faithful to their duties, zealous for justice and may have respect for the liberty of the Church. Ask for us of the Divine Infant a devotedness in His cause like that which glowed in your breast. And since we have not a crown to lay at His feet, pray for us that we may be generous enough to give our whole heart.Also on this day according to the ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:
On the Via Cornelia at Rome, the holy martyrs Marius and his wife Martha, with their sons Audifax and Abachum, noble Persians, who came to Rome through devotion in the time of the emperor Claudius II. After they had been beaten with rods, tortured on the rack and with fire, lacerated with iron hooks, and had endured the cutting off of their hands, Martha was put to death in the place called Nympha. The others were beheaded and cast into the flames.
At Smyrna, under Marcus Antoninus and Lucius Aurelius, the birthday of blessed Germanicus, martyr, who, in the bloom of youth, being strengthened by the grace of God and freed from all fear, provoked the beast which, by order of the judge, was to devour him. Being ground by its teeth, he deserved to be incorporated into the true bread of life, Christ Jesus, for whom he died.
In Africa, the holy martyrs Paul, Gerontius, Januarius, Saturninus, Successus, Julius, Catus, Pia and Germana.
At Spoleto, in the days of the emperor Antoninus, the passion of St. Pontian, martyr, who was barbarously scourged for Christ by the command of the judge Fabian, and then compelled to walk barefoot on burning coals. As he was uninjured by the trial, he was put on the rack, was torn with iron hooks, and then thrown into a dungeon, where he was comforted by the visit of an angel. He was afterwards exposed to the lions, had melted lead poured over him and finally died by the sword.
At Lodi, St. Bassian, bishop and confessor, who in conjunction with St. Ambrose courageously combated the heretics.
At Worcester in England, St. Wulstan, bishop and confessor, conspicuous for merits and miracles. He was ranked among the saints by Pope Innocent III.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
