Boniface sensed the first stirrings of his vocation as a very young child because he was inspired by the conversation of missionaries who visited his home, writes Michael Andrews, Chancellor of the Diocese of Lansing, upon the Feast of Saint Boniface, the 7-8th century English Benedictine monk who became the great Apostle of the Germans. Michael continues:
In families, it's important that children interact with people outside the immediate family who have deep faith and live with integrity, because these become important examples to follow.
As a Benedictine monk and priest, Boniface exemplified the Order's charism to combine prayer and work to witness to the primacy of God. The Rule of St. Benedict states “Prefer nothing to the love of Christ.” In other words, we must allow nothing to hinder us from loving Our Lord wholeheartedly.
One of the challenges Boniface faced in preaching to the German tribes was that a large number of them already considered themselves to be Christian. The problem was their Christian belief and practice had become watered down and insipid. Their clergy was lax, unformed, and disorganized. In fact, these Christians, clergy and laity alike, were relapsing into paganism and superstition. That's the reason behind the famous scene of Boniface cutting down the “Donareiche,” Thor's Oak.
Sin in our lives must be met with drastic corrective action. Faith in Christ is to be lived in its entirety, leaving no room for any type of false god. To do any less is to put our salvation in jeopardy. This bold gesture called the people back to their senses, and abundant fruits of conversion, unity, and peace followed.
Along with establishing several dioceses in Germany, Boniface established monasteries as centers of prayer and culture. He fostered the encounter between the Germanic world and Christian Rome. His life's work had the effect of uniting England and Germany with Rome, which greatly strengthened the foundation of what would later become Christian Europe.
* First published on June 5, 2020.