You're listening to the SSPX Podcast. We're happy to present another installment of true heroes.

Stories of the Lives of the Saints, delivered by Father Thomas Tam.

Father has also put together a video of each of these episodes. You can see the video at

SSPX Podcast.com. Now here's Father Tam.

You will never enjoy the sweetness of a quiet prayer unless you shut your mind to all worldly

desires and temporal affairs.

Hello, my friends, and welcome to true heroes.

Today we are going to look at St. Norbert, who began his life in luxury and pleasure,

but then turned his back on the world and lived in penance and sacrifice

in reparation for the sins of his early life. Let us begin his story.

St. Norbert was born at Zanton in the Rhineland, about the year 1080.

The early part of his life was devoted to the world and its

pleasures. The story of his conversion is rather similar to St. Paul's. A thunderstorm had boiled up

suddenly as Norbert was outriding. Norbert, who had always chosen the easy way,

would never have deliberately gone on a journey that promised danger, risk, or discomfort.

He had moved easily from the comforts of the noble family he was born into to the pleasure-loving

German court. He had no hesitations about joining in any opportunity to

enjoy himself, no matter what the source of that pleasure. To ensure his success at court,

he also had no qualms about accepting holy orders as a canon and whatever financial benefits

that came with that position. Although he did hesitate

at becoming a priest and the implied responsibilities that came with that vocation.

But now high winds pushed and pulled at his fashionable garments, rain slashed at his fancy clothes,

...