August 27
Caesarius was born in France in the last years of the Roman Empire. His interest in religion led him to become a monk at Lerins, an island off the coast of France. There he studied the Scriptures and other Christian readings. After he was put in charge of food and other material goods of the monastery, he began to withhold food from the monks, as he judged them to be too lax. He was removed from his position and, suffering ill health due to his overexertion in fasting, sought out another community, at Arles.
In his new community, Caesarius regained his health and was made a bishop. As bishop, he encouraged the laity to participate in the Divine Office (the official prayer of the Church, usually prayed by priests, monks, and nuns), and he ordered people to study Sacred Scripture at home and to treat the Word of God with the same reverence as the sacraments.
Because Caesarius was influenced by the writings of Saint Augustine, his vision of a united Christian community was a driving force in his life. He organized his clergy into monasteries so that they might shun comfortable living and support one another by good example. He advised bishops to give away all their riches and possessions and to dress and eat simply.
Caesarius is also especially remembered for his short and simple sermons. He encouraged preaching by both clergy and laity, as a sharing of the Good News found in Scripture. His sermons, many of which were preserved in writing, influenced monks in Germany and Anglo-Saxon poetry, and can be found in important works by later theologians, including Saint Thomas Aquinas.
In a time of war and upheaval, Caesarius preached peace, love, and unity. Contemporaries describe that he was concerned not only with the Christians in his diocese but also with the barbarians and enemies of Arles, as they too were part of the City of God and deserving of salvation. Caesarius reminds us that living the true Christian life can save us, not only in the next world but also in the world we live in today.
(Image © Neoclassicism Enthusiast, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)