Homily: June 6 - St. Norbert, Bishop - Called to deeper love of Christ

About a thousand years ago, there lived a man by the name of Norbert who started a religious order called the Premonstratensians.  For some reason, most people know them today as the Norbertines.    Norbert was of noble birth, and when he was ordained a subdeacon he was chaplain to the emperor, and put in charge of dispersing alms to the poor.  However, Norbert began to take on a lot of the bad habits of the emperor’s court, and became very worldly.  Conversion came when, during a violent thunderstorm, Norbert had a close brush with death.  At his ordination to the priesthood in 1115, Norbert gave away all of his possessions and moved to the valley of Premontre in northern France, from which we get the name Premonstratensian.

The opening prayer said that God made Bishop Saint Norbert a servant of the Church outstanding in his prayer and pastoral zeal.  As a priest and later as an archbishop, Norbert spent many hours in contemplation of the divine mysteries.  Consequently, His preaching and teaching were infused with the fruit of his time in prayer.

Part of his plan for renewal and evangelization in his diocese was deep devotion to the Holy Scriptures.  He encouraged the members of his religious order to read the scriptures often, and to pattern their lives after the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  These days when we are talking more and more about evangelization, that means Catholics must become much more familiar and devoted to the Scriptures, so that we can draw people to Christ through them.

Norbert was also devoted to the Blessed Sacrament, and Norbert attributed the conversion of sinners , the reform of the clergy, and the spread of the Gospel throughout his diocese to time spent in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  Religious art often depicts him holding a monstrance or kneeling in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

In the Gospel today Jesus asked Peter three times, “Simon Peter, do you love me?”  Jesus calls us over and over to a deeper love.  Though a subdeacon, Jesus called St. Norbert to a deeper love, free from the wealth and trappings of the imperial court.  And Norbert’s love for the Lord continued to deepen through reading scripture and adoration of the blessed Sacrament.

There is a program for renewal that each of us are to follow: to always seek that deeper conversion to the Lord, and to let our words and our deeds infused with the fruit of study and prayer.  May we know the prayers of Saint Nortbert today in our daily conversion and evangelization for the glory of God and salvation of souls.