St. Paul of Latrus (20 December): Butler's Lives of the Saints

About this sermon

St Paul of Latros was a Byzantine hermit of extraordinary austerity, prayer, and contemplative grace. Born in Pergamus, Asia Minor, and trained under holy abbots on Mount Olympus and Mount Latros, he renounced all worldly comfort to pursue radical solitude for the love of God. Living in caves, enduring hunger, temptation, and extreme mortification, St Paul devoted himself entirely to prayer, fasting, and penance. God rewarded his fidelity with spiritual consolations, miraculous provisions, and profound wisdom. His sanctity drew disciples, emperors, bishops, and monks seeking counsel — including Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus. Despite his desire for solitude, St Paul founded and governed several lauras (monastic settlements), restored those destroyed by Saracens, and composed rules for monastic life. His love for the poor was so great that he once offered to sell himself into slavery to relieve their suffering. He died peacefully on December 15, 956, after celebrating Holy Mass and giving final instructions to his monks. 🕯️ Commemorated: December 15 (Greek calendars also record December 21) This reading is ideal for: Daily saint meditations Traditional Catholic spirituality Eastern Christian monastic history Lives of the Saints readings Advent and December devotions 🙏 “When nothing diverts my thoughts from God, my heart swims in excess of overflowing joy.” — St Paul of Latros 00:00 Introduction – Lives of the Saints, December 15 00:20 Birth & Family of St Paul of Latros 00:43 His Brother Basil & Monastic Vocation 01:05 Renunciation of the World 01:52 Early Formation & Obedience 02:04 Ascetic Practices & Prayer Life 02:31 Desire for Solitude & Cave Dwelling 02:45 Extreme Fasting & Suffering 03:02 Temptations & Victory Through Prayer 03:16 God Provides Water in the Wilderness 03:22 Formation of the Laura 03:39 Withdrawal into Deeper Solitude 04:01 Joy, Sorrow & Mystical Contemplation 04:32 Mission to the Island of Samos 04:46 Restoration of Monastic Life 05:01 Counsel to Emperors & Bishops 05:13 Charity Toward the Poor 05:30 Final Rule & Last Days 05:38 Holy Death of St Paul (†956) 05:52 Liturgical Commemoration https://sensusfidelium.com/the-lives-of-the-fathers-martyrs-and-other-principal-saints/december/st-paul-of-latrus/ 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. ▶ 7. Follow on Social Media: 🔴 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SensusFidelium/ 🔴 Twitter: https://https://twitter.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Parler: https://parler.com/profile/Sensusfidelium/posts 🔴 SP3RN: https://www.sp3rn.com/community/pages/14-sensus-fidelium 🔴 GAB: https://gab.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Bastyon: https://bastyon.com/sensusfidelium 🔴 GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/sensus_fidelium 🔴 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sensusfidelium/ 🔴 Telegram: https//t.me/RealSensusFidelium 🔴 Truth Social - @SensusFidelium ▶ 8. Follow on iTunes: 🔴 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sensus-fidelium-catholic-podcast/id1477010758 #StPaulOfLatros #LivesOfTheSaints #CatholicSaints #OrthodoxSaints #DesertFathers #MonasticLife #CatholicTradition #SaintOfTheDay #ChurchHistory #Asceticism #ChristianMysticism