Saint Gildas the Wise (29 January): Butler's Lives of the Saints

About this sermon

On January 29, the Church commemorates St Gildas the Wise, one of the greatest saints and spiritual writers of early Britain. This reading is taken from “The Lives of the Saints” by Father Alban Butler, recounting the holy life, severe asceticism, prophetic zeal, and enduring legacy of this 6th-century monk, abbot, and historian. Born around 494 AD, during the era of King Arthur and the victory at Mount Badon, St Gildas was educated at the monastery of St Illtud in Wales, where he became known as the brightest mind of his generation. Drawn to holy solitude, he studied under the spiritual heirs of St Patrick in Ireland, practiced extreme mortification, and devoted his life entirely to God. St Gildas later withdrew to the barren islands off the coast of Brittany, seeking obscurity — yet his holiness could not remain hidden. Fishermen discovered him, crowds gathered, and he founded the monastery of Rhuys, which became a center of sanctity and discipline. He is best known for his fiery work “De Excidio Britanniae”, in which he boldly rebuked the kings and clergy of Britain for moral corruption, warning that national collapse was the consequence of sin — a prophecy fulfilled through invasions by the Picts, Scots, and Saxons. This reading also recounts his guidance of saints such as St Trina, his austere life of fasting and prayer, his death in holy solitude, and the later translation of his relics. 📖 Feast Day: January 29 📍 Patron: City of Vannes, Brittany ✝️ Era: 5th–6th Century Church This is an essential reflection on penance, holiness, solitude, and fearless truth, especially relevant in times of moral and spiritual decline. 00:00 Introduction – Lives of the Saints (Alban Butler) 00:20 January 29 – St Gildas the Wise 00:27 Noble birth and early monastic education 00:39 Birth during the victory of Mount Badon 01:12 Spiritual maturity and early sanctity 01:21 The brightest genius of St Illtud’s school 01:42 Love of sacred study and holy solitude 02:07 Journey to Ireland and discipleship of St Patrick’s heirs 02:49 Severe fasting and extreme asceticism 03:11 A life of continual martyrdom 03:34 Mission to Brittany (Armorica) 03:52 Retreat to the islands of Huys and Hoëdic 04:26 Earthly deprivation, heavenly consolation 04:54 Discovery by fishermen 05:15 Foundation of the Monastery of Rhuys 05:36 Return to deeper solitude 06:02 Guidance of St Trina and her martyrdom 06:54 Writings and De Excidio Britanniae 07:11 Rebuke of British kings and clergy 07:29 Conversion of King Constantine 07:49 Rebuke of negligent clergy 08:02 Death in holy solitude 08:14 Patronage of Vannes and legacy 08:44 Roman Martyrology – January 29 08:57 Historical sources and conclusion https://sensusfidelium.com/the-lives-of-the-fathers-martyrs-and-other-principal-saints/january/st-gildas-the-wise/ Get Butler's Lives of the Saints here: https://loretopublications.idevaffiliate.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=102&url=1 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Support Catholic Businesses here - https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ Sensus Fidelium Press - https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ Sensus Fidelium Apps - https://sensusfidelium.tv/ Support Sensus Fidelium - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 🙏🏻PLEASE HELP OUR CHANNEL GROW 🙏🏻 ▶ 1. Become a Channel Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SensusFidelium ▶ 2. Visit the website https://www.sensusfidelium.com for Gueranger, Saint of the Day, Apologetics, Meditation by the Saints, Scripture Study and more. ▶ 3. Subscribe to Other Video Platforms 🔴 SpiritusTV - https://spiritustv.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 BitChute --- https://www.bitchute.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium/ 🔴 Rumble --- https://rumble.com/c/c-298311 🔴 My Catholic Tube - https://mycatholictube.com/videos/sensus-fidelium-channel/ 🔴 LBRY.tv --- https://lbry.tv/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 ODYSEE - https://odysee.com/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 UGETube - https://videos.utahgunexchange.com/@Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 BrandNewTube - https://brandnewtube.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 GabTV - https://tv.gab.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 GloriaTV - https://gloria.tv/Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 Brighteon - https://www.brighteon.com/channels/sensusfidelium ▶ 4. Paypal, Bitcoin, Anedot, Stripe, Square & PO Box donations - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ ▶ 5. YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 Please "Like" our videos so that Youtube shares it to others by clicking the "Like" thumbs-up under the video = 👍🏻 ▶ 6. Please share this video 📲, and help others find Christ inside the Catholic Church! Please share this video on Facebook and Twitter using the share button. #StGildas #LivesOfTheSaints #CatholicSaints #January29 #EarlyChurch #CelticChristianity #CatholicTradition #AlbanButler #ChurchHistory #MonasticSaints #BritishSaints #RomanMartyrology

Topics

• Wisdom