Saint Lambert

Bishop of Maestricht, Martyr (640-705)

Feast – September 17

Baptism of the Merovingian King Clovis by St. Remigius On Christmas Eve of 496 opened a new era. France, the first daughter of the Catholic Church, was born.

While St. Remigius was speaking, a splendorous light appeared in the chapel that far outshone the dim light of the candles, and a loud voice was heard saying: “Peace be with you. It is I, do not fear. Remain in my love.” The physiognomy of the man of God was shining with a fiery brilliance. The King and the Queen knelt before the Prelate. Moved by the spirit of God, he made this prophecy: “Your posterity shall nobly govern this kingdom, which will give much glory to the Holy Church. It shall inherit the Empire of the Romans. This nation will not cease to prosper so long as it follows the path of truth, but decadence will come upon it with vices and bad customs. For, in truth, it is in this way that all kingdoms and nations have fallen into ruin.”

King Clovis proved that when Christ reigns through the earthly kings, we have the Kingdom of Christ. After his death his four sons divided kingdom, each reigning from a different centre: Thierry at Metz, Clodomir at Orléans, Childebert at Paris, and Clotaire at Soissons. They continued the career of conquest inaugurated by their father, and, despite the frequent discords that divided them, augmented the estates he had left them. In 558, Clotaire I, the last of the four brothers, become sole heir to the estate of his father, Clovis. He died in 561 leaving four sons: Gontran, Charibert, Sigebert and Chilperic. Once more the monarchy was divided, being partitioned in about the same way as on the death of Clovis in 511. Sigebert had won the hand of the beautiful Brunehilde, daughter of Athanagild, King of the Visigoths. Chilperic had followed Sigebert’s example by marrying Galeswintha, Brunehilde’s sister, but at the instigation of his mistress, Fredegonda, he soon had Galeswintha assassinated and placed Fredegonda upon the throne. Brunehilde’s determination to avenge the death of her sister involved in bitter strife not only the two women but their husbands. Charibert’s death in 567 and the division of his estate occasioned quarrels between Chilperic and Sigebert, already at odds on account of their wives.

The sad prediction of Christmas Eve of 496; “This nation will not cease to prosper so long as it follows the path of truth, but decadence will come upon it with vices and bad customs. For, in truth, it is in this way that all kingdoms and nations have fallen into ruin,” started to become reality. For a Christian country to survive when its king becomes lukewarm and abandons God’s laws it is necessary to have a strong Catholic Church with saintly bishops and priests.

In times of tumults and distress in the Merovingian kingdom, in the town of Maastricht (in modern-day Belgium), around the year 640, Saint Lambert was born to Apre, lord of Liège, and his wife Herisplende. Saint Lambert was baptized by his godfather, Bishop Remaclus. His noble father entrusted his education to the Landoald, Archpriest of the city and later to his uncle St. Theodard who succeeded Remaclus as Bishop of Maastricht.

As a young man he wrought miracles, one day bringing forth a spring to quench the thirst of some workers building a church, and in this way he became known to all the city. Early biographers described him as “a prudent young man of pleasing looks, courteous and well-behaved in his speech and manners, well-built, strong, a good fighter, clear-headed, affectionate, pure and humble, and fond of reading.” Saint Lambert appears to have frequented the Merovingian court of Childeric II, son of St. Balthild, who was King of Austrasia from 662 and the sole King of the Franks from 673.

When St. Theodard was assassinated in the defense of the possessions of the church, St. Lambert was chosen by the people, at the age of only 21 years, to be his successor.

He was loved by his flock, he taught them the maxims of the Gospel and reproved vice with an apostolic liberty. His soul was perfectly nourished by grace and was totally dead to all earthly pleasures; his hands were open to distribute alms, his arms to receive those who were suffering, and his heart to take pity on the afflicted.

In 675 King Childeric II was assassinated.  St. Lambert openly condemned this act as contrary to Sacred scripture and the teachings of Catholic Church. When Ebroin came to power over the province of Neustria (to which Maastricht belonged) a second time in 675 AD, he banished our Saint from his see.

He withdrew to the recently founded Abbey of Stavelot where he lived for seven years as one of the brethren, obeyed the rule as strictly as the youngest novice claiming no privileges despite his office.

Once, getting up to pray during the night, he accidentally let fall a wooden sandal and disturbed the monastic silence. The Abbot gave orders that the offender go and pray before the cross which stood before the church door. St. Lambert, without any answer, went out into the court as he was, barefooted and covered only with his hair shirt; and in this condition he prayed for several hours, forgotten, as he knelt before the cross. Finally, in the morning they noticed the holy bishop there, covered with snow, his face shining. The Abbot and the monks fell to their knees and asked his pardon, but St. Lambert replied that he was honored to serve God like the Apostles, in cold and nakedness.

When King Pepin of Heristal took power in 681, he restored Lambert to his See, despite the Saint’s desire to remain in obscurity.

Although St. Lambert had been personally enriched in the peace of his holy retirement, he had wept at seeing the majority of the churches of France laid waste. The holy bishop renewed his pastoral labors with vigor, visiting the most distant parishes. In company with St. Willibrord “Apostle to the Frisians” who had come from England in 691, he preached the gospel in the lower stretches of the Meuse, in the area to the north despite danger and threats. In conjunction with St. Landrada he founded a female monastery at Munsterblizen. He was also the spiritual director of the young noble Hubertus, eldest son of Bertrand, Duke of Aquitaine. Hubertus would later succeed St. Lambert as bishop of Maastricht.

But when King Pepin put away his wife and replaced her with his concubine Alpais, St. Lambert was the only Bishop who dared to rebuke him.

He was murdered by the troops of Dodon, Pepin’s domesticus (manager of state domains), in his house on the 17th of December, 705. His assassins carried out their evil commission, even though they found a cross shining above the humble dwelling where he was staying.

St. Lambert’s two nephews, Peter and Audolet, were also killed defending their uncle. They too, were viewed as saints.

References and Excerpts

[1]          “Saint Lambert, Bishop of Maastricht.” http://www.oodegr.com/english/biographies/arxaioi/Lambert_maastricht.htm (accessed Sep. 26, 2020).

[2]          “Saint Lambert, Bishop of Maestricht, Martyr.” https://sanctoral.com/en/saints/saint_lambert.html (accessed Sep. 26, 2020).

[3]          “Lambert of Maastricht,” Wikipedia. Sep. 25, 2020, Accessed: Sep. 26, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lambert_of_Maastricht&oldid=980208858.

[4]          “CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: The Franks.” https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06238a.htm (accessed Sep. 26, 2020).