CrucisSt. Caesarius of Arles
St. Caesarius of Arles was born about 470 in the region of Chalon-sur-Saône in Gaul and, after forming himself in the monastic life on the island of Lérins, was made bishop of Arles about 502, an office he held for some forty years. He became the foremost churchman of Gaul in his age, presiding over important councils and guiding the Church through the upheavals of the barbarian kingdoms that had replaced Roman rule.
A tireless preacher, he left a great collection of sermons, plain, vivid, and pastoral, intended to instruct ordinary people in the faith and root out lingering pagan customs, and he encouraged the laity to take an active part in the psalms and prayers of the liturgy. He composed one of the earliest monastic rules written for women, for the convent his sister governed, and at the Council of Orange in 529, over which he presided, he secured the Church's decisive rejection of Semi-Pelagianism and the affirmation of the necessity of grace. He died in 542, and is venerated as a saint, his memory kept on 27 August.
Selected quotes
“Do not put off conversion until old age; the tree falls where it leans, so lean toward God now.”
“Read the Scriptures at home, or have them read to you; the soul is fed by the Word as the body by bread.”
“Do not return evil for evil; the one who conquers anger with patience wins a greater battle than any soldier.”