St. Raymond Nonnatus, Confessor (31 August) ~ Dom Prosper Guéranger

About this sermon

St. Raymond Nonnatus gave up his freedom to rescue Christians in danger of losing their faith—and endured having his lips pierced and padlocked rather than cease preaching Jesus Christ. Born at Portell in Catalonia through an emergency delivery after his mother’s death, Raymond received the name “Nonnatus,” meaning “not born” in the ordinary manner. From childhood, he rejected worldly distractions and devoted himself to prayer and virtue. At a chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas, Raymond begged the Blessed Virgin Mary to adopt him as her son and teach him the way of salvation. Our Lady led him to the newly founded Order of Mercy—the Mercedarians—established for the redemption of Christian captives. Sent to North Africa, Raymond freed many enslaved Christians. When his ransom money was exhausted, he surrendered himself as a pledge so that others would not be abandoned. His preaching brought conversions, provoking his captors to imprison and torture him. To stop him from proclaiming Christ, they pierced his lips and fastened them with an iron padlock. Pope Gregory IX called him to the College of Cardinals, but Raymond retained his religious humility. On his journey to Rome, he became gravely ill at Cardona. According to tradition, when priests were delayed, angels wearing the Mercedarian habit brought him Holy Viaticum. He died in 1240. From Dom Prosper Guéranger’s The Liturgical Year for August 31. St. Raymond Nonnatus, deliver captives and pray for us! 0:00 St. Raymond Nonnatus, Confessor 0:18 August closes with a feast of deliverance 0:34 Divine Wisdom begins humanity’s redemption 0:50 Christ freely chooses suffering and the Cross 1:13 The saints follow the way of suffering 1:37 Their victories over the world and evil 1:53 The origin of the Mercedarian Order 2:01 Our Lady of Mercy and the redemption of captives 2:16 Why Raymond was called “Nonnatus” 2:25 His noble Catalonian family 2:32 Remarkable holiness from childhood 2:56 The chapel of St. Nicholas at Portell 3:11 Asking Mary to adopt him as her son 3:26 Our Lady calls him to the Order of Mercy 3:42 Raymond travels to Barcelona 3:52 Consecrated virginity and religious virtue 4:01 Charity toward enslaved Christians 4:09 Sent to Africa to redeem captives 4:18 Offering himself as a pledge for others 4:26 Converting Muslims through his preaching 4:34 Imprisonment and torture 4:42 His lips pierced and padlocked 4:57 Pope Gregory IX makes him a cardinal 5:04 Remaining humble amid ecclesiastical dignity 5:12 His final illness at Cardona 5:20 Angels bring him Holy Viaticum 5:37 His death in 1240 5:43 The miraculous choice of his burial place 5:51 The blind mule returns him to St. Nicholas’s chapel 6:00 His monastery, miracles and pilgrims 6:14 The binding chains of Divine Wisdom 6:30 The padlock endured for Christian charity 6:38 His eternal reward 7:01 Prayer to walk in Wisdom’s ways 7:08 Deliverance from captivity to sin 7:17 Humility, self-denial and love of neighbor 7:26 Loving God for His own sake #LiturgicalYear #SaintRaymondNonnatus #CatholicSaints #MercedarianOrder #TraditionalCatholic #CatholicFaith #FeastDay https://sensusfidelium.com/the-liturgical-year-dom-prosper-gueranger/august/august-31-st-raymond-nonnatus-confessor/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴