St. Germanus and Alleluia

I try to spend a few minutes each day reading in the morning before I start my day and at night before I go to bed. Some of these readings are just for enjoyment and others are part of a daily devotional practice. One of my favorite devotional readings is a work called Butler’s Lives of the Saints. This is a collection of daily readings for each day that offers short biographies of historical and sometimes less than historical figures that were important saints traditionally honored on each day. Although this is a catalog limited to Catholic saints, it is interesting to me because the variety of religious experience is so diverse.

Every now and then I come across a story that it not well known that I wish was not so obscure. August 3 was the day to remember St. Germanus and since this story has stayed on my mind for several days, it seemed to be one that needed sharing at this time.

St. Germanus died about 448 A.D. and was important in supporting Christianity in Britain after Rome lost interest in the island. He was married and after a serving as a governor in Gaul was later selected to be a bishop. (At that time, clergy could still marry.) He spent much of his life working to discredit older religions that were still being practiced in Britain.

On his first trip to Britain, he converted many Britons who were much afraid of the Picts and the Saxons who frequently raided their lands. The Britons were greatly outnumbered and they appealed to St. Germanus for help from these groups of raiders. When the enemy was approaching, he led the army into a valley where sounds echoed and waited for the approaching enemy.

When the enemy army grew near, St. Germanus signed for all the Britons to shout “Alleluia” three times which echoed in the valley with such a deafening noise that the opposing army fled before the battle had began since they thought they were facing a much larger force. So the battle was won without any bloodshed, an amazing display of the power of faith in action.

The passage that inspired this idea is traditionally thought to be Rev. 19:1 & 3

After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting "Alleluia” . . . And again they shouted "Alleluia”

This is the type of verse that most of us read over quickly and don’t really think about. We are too busy to get on to the “meat” of the passage. I like this story because it reminds me that an open mind can see more possibilities than a closed one and there is solution for every problem if we only have the faith to look for it. It helps me to remember to take the time to appreciate the details, they may turn out to be the most important bits. St. Geramanus reminds me that I am not clever enought to know what will be the valuable bit so I should pay better attention.