St. Anselm of Canterbury

  Posted on April 20, 2020  by admin  No comments

Born: c. 1033 Aosta, Arles, Holy Roman Empire

Died: 21 April 1109 Canterbury, England Buried Canterbury Cathedral

Feast: 21 April

Venerated: in Catholic Church Anglican Communion, Lutheranism

Canonized: 1163 by Pope Alexander III

Born to the Italian nobility. After a childhood devoted to piety and study, at age 15 Anselm wanted to enter religious life, but his father Gondulf prevented it, and Anselm became rather worldly for several years. Upon the death of his mother, Ermenberge, Anselm argued with his father, fled to France in 1056, and became a Benedictine monk at Bec, Normandy in 1060. He studied under and succeeded Lanfranc as prior of the house in 1063. Abbot of the house in 1078. Because of the physical closeness and political connections, there was frequent travel and communication between Normandy and England, and Anselm was in repeated contact with Church officials in England. He was chosen as reluctant Archbishop of Canterbury, England in 1092; officials had to wait until he too sick to argue in order to get him to agree. 

As bishop he fought King William Rufus’s encroachment on ecclesiastical rights and the independence of the Church, refused to pay bribes to take over as bishop, and was exiled for his efforts. He travelled to Rome, Italy and spent part of his exile as an advisor to Pope Blessed Urban II, obtaining the pope’s support for returning to England and conducting Church business without the king’s interference. He resolved theological doubts of the Italo-Greek bishops at Council of Bari in 1098. 

In 1100 King Henry II invited Anselm to return to England, but they disputed over lay investiture, and Anselm was exiled again only to return in 1106 when Henry agreed not to interfere with the selection of Church officials. Anselm opposed slavery, and obtained English legislation prohibiting the sale of men. He strongly supported celibate clergy, and approved the addition of several saints to the liturgical calendar of England. Anselm was one of the great philosophers and theologians of the middle ages, and a noted theological writer. He was far more at home in the monastery than in political circles, but still managed to improve the position of the Church in England. Counsellor to Pope Gregory VII. Chosen a Doctor of the Church in 1720 by Pope Clement XI. 

Prayer to St. Anselm of Canterbury

Lord Jesus Christ; Let me seek you by desiring you, and let me desire you by seeking you; let me find you by loving you, and love you in finding you.

I confess, Lord, with thanksgiving, that you have made me in your image, so that I can remember you, think of you, and love you.

But that image is so worn and blotted out by faults, and darkened by the smoke of sin, that it cannot do that for which it was made, unless you renew and refashion it.

Lord, I am not trying to make my way to your height, for my understanding is in no way equal to that, but I do desire to understand a little of your truth
which my heart already believes and loves.

I do not seek to understand so that I can believe, but I believe so that I may understand; and what is more, I believe that unless I do believe, I shall not understand. Amen.

Prayer of St. Anselm of Canterbury

O Lord my God. Teach my heart this day where and how to find you.

You have made me and re-made me, and you have bestowed on me all the good things I possess, and still I do not know you. I have not yet done that for which I was made.

Teach me to seek you, for I cannot seek you unless you teach me, or find you unless you show yourself to me.

Let me seek you in my desire; let me desire you in my seeking. Let me find you by loving you; let me love you when I find you.

Prayer of St. Anselm of Canterbury

My prayer is but a cold affair, Lord, because my love burns with so small a flame, but you who are rich in mercy will not mete out to [my friends] your gifts according to the dullness of my zeal, but as your kindness is above any human love so let your eagerness to hear be greater than the feeling in my prayers. Do this for them and with them, Lord, so that they may speed according to your will, and thus ruled and protected by you, always and everywhere, may they come at last to glory and eternal rest, through you who are living and reigning God, through all ages. Amen.