It's the Feast of
Feria / St. Benedict Labre,
4th Class, with the color of
White. In this episode: the meditation: "A Life of Fidelity", today's news from the Church: "Where Tradition Is Lived Truly, the Church Grows", a preview of the Sermon: "
The Biography of Archbishop Lefebvre: New Audiobook Project", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.
Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows?
podcast@sspx.org
Sources Used Today:
- "A Life of Fidelity" — Eastertide Day by Day
- "Where Tradition Is Lived Truly, the Church Grows" (FSSPX.news)
- "The Biography of Archbishop Lefebvre: New Audiobook Project"
- The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press)
Saint Stephen Harding was one of the great founders of the Cistercian Order, a man whose quiet strength and fidelity helped restore the fervor of monastic life in the Church. He was born in the eleventh century in England and received a solid education, likely in monastic schools. As a young man, he traveled widely, eventually making his way to France, where he sought a deeper and more faithful observance of the Rule of Saint Benedict.
At that time, many monasteries had grown comfortable, and the original simplicity of Benedictine life had begun to fade. Stephen, along with Robert of Molesme and Alberic of Cîteaux, withdrew to a remote place called Cîteaux in 1098. There, they sought to live the Rule in its purity, embracing poverty, manual labor, and a life centered entirely on prayer.
After the deaths of the first leaders, Stephen became the third abbot of Cîteaux. It was under his guidance that the young community took firm shape. He organized the order with wisdom and care, helping to establish unity among the growing number of monasteries. One of his most important contributions was the Carta Caritatis, a document that ensured harmony and mutual support between the houses of the order, preserving both discipline and charity.
Stephen also welcomed into the monastery a young nobleman named Bernard of Clairvaux, whose zeal and holiness would help spread the Cistercian reform throughout Europe. Though Bernard would become widely known, Stephen remained in the background, guiding the order with humility and steady leadership.
Throughout his life, Stephen remained devoted to the ideals that had first drawn him to monastic life: simplicity, obedience, and a continual search for God. He did not seek recognition, but labored faithfully to build a foundation that would endure long after his death.
Devotion to Saint Stephen Harding is especially preserved within the Cistercian tradition, where he is honored as a model of wise governance and spiritual fatherhood. His feast day on April 17 is marked in monasteries with prayers for perseverance and unity in religious life.
His example reminds the faithful that renewal in the Church often begins quietly, through those who are willing to return to the essentials and live them with fidelity.
Saint Stephen Harding, faithful abbot and servant of Christ, pray for us.
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The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.
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The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood.
Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls.
Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it.
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