Let us all rejoice in the Lord on the feast of
blessed Olaf, Norway’s eternal king. The angels exult over his martyrdom and
praise the Son of God.
Today, July 29, we celebrate the feast day of Saint
Olaf of Norway (955-1031), martyr, “eternal king” and patron saint of
Norway. Through his efforts, faith, and miracles, Norway was brought to the
faith. Unhappy with his efforts, Olaf was slain in a revolt by his people,
earning him the martyrs’ crown in 1030.
Born Olaf Haraldsson, royalty was in the blood of the
future saint. His father was King Harold Grenske of Norway, and Olaf was to
follow in his footsteps. Referred to as “Olaf the Fat,” he spent his youth as a
Norse raider until approximately age 15 when he was baptized at Rouen. At 18,
Olaf traveled to England and offered his services to the king, fighting against
the invading Danes. Following his father’s death, and his ascension to the
throne, Olaf traveled home to Norway, and fought tirelessly to free his lands
and people from the Danes and Swedes. Succeeding, he immediately requested that
Christian missionaries from England be sent to Norway, and the faith began
spreading across the land.
King Olaf ruled with certainty, reigning over Norway
for 13 peaceful years. He tried to convert his people, using force if necessary
as was common at the time. To Olaf, the fight for souls against Satan required
force. But many of the noble class found his policies harsh and his were slow
to accept the faith. In 1029, they rebelled against him, and siding with King
Canute of Denmark, overthrew Olaf. He was exiled to Russia, where he held to
his faith, and returned to Norway in 1031, only to be slain in battle.
Buried at the Cathedral of Trondheim, numerous miracles
began being reported at his tombside, and he became especially revered and
venerated there. His final resting place became a place of pilgrimage, and the
people of Norway came to recognize him as the champion of Norwegian
independence. He was canonized the patron saint of Norway in 1164. What the
sword couldn’t do even in “good faith, ”the Spirit did. Norway became
predominantly Catholic.
Most memorable among his accomplishments as King was
the development of what came to be known as Saint Olaf’s Law. Ahead of its
time, Olaf’s Law prescribed prayer to Christ for peace, required newborn babies
to be allowed to live and not abandoned in fields or forests, slaves were to be
ransomed each year, polygamy was forbidden, and severe penalties were exacted
for rape and the kidnapping of women. Olaf himself traveled the length of
Norway promoting his new Christian Law, and he insisted that it be applied
equally upon both rich and poor.
Almighty, eternal God, you are the crown of kings
and the triumph of martyrs. We know that your blessed martyr, Olaf, intercedes
for us before your face. We praise your greatness in his death and we pray you,
give us the crown of life that you have promised those who love you, through
our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
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