July 16th - Gondulf of Tongeren-Maastricht

As a big Tolkien geek, I had to go with Gondulf over Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
There is nothing, perhaps, exciting about Gondulf; he lived an exemplary life, grew the Church, and died, probably in his sleep: but for me, that is the best life of any servant of God.
Although, there is a great story that arose when his and the body of another were exhumed to move them. The record of this was later mis-read giving rise to a legend that the two saints rose from their tombs in order to assist at the dedication of Aachen cathedral. Even though it did not, I would like to think that happened because that is the beauty of apocryphal stories.
Especially because Gandalf the Grey went down into the earth and rose as an literary image of Christ; long live the Lamb that was slain: all honor and glory to him!

---

“'It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill Gollum when he had the chance.'
'Pity? It's a pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play in it, for good or evil, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.'
'I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.'
'So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides that of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.'”

-- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Shadow of the Past, The Fellowship of the Ring