That last recommendation is one I'll take to heart.
St. Boniface was compelled to return to Germany in his later years -- decades after his first missions -- when the people relapsed into paganism. Vigilance will always be part of evangelization.
I'm guessing that St. Boniface didn't use "man makeup." It would be hard to take a challenge to Thor seriously if it came from a guy with sculpted eyebrows.
Heh. Dale, I have you to blame for the fact that I've used the phrase "the St. Boniface approach to ecumenism" more than once. 
peace,
The miraculous power of St. Boniface is clearly manifested in his ability to chop down such a huge tree with that little hatchet.
Of course, to be fair, in the 8th, 9th and 10th centuries a lot of Aesirtru types burned down churches and monastaries, slaughtered clerics, carried off Christians as slaves, shot the martyred king of East Anglia full of arrows, and generally had a high old time murdering, raping and pillaging all over Europe (and some of them got as far as Persia).
They'd be entitled to ask the same question... 8-).
In honor of the day, I did chop down that oak tree in my back yard.
(OK, so it was more of a sapling, and it had died over the winter, and as far as I know had never been dedicated to Thor ...)
Forgot the German beer part, though. Maybe later.
peace,
Steve (S):
True. And the Muslims were wont to use the same taunt--verbatim--when they had the upper hand in their battles with Christians.
Given how generally nasty the pagan Saxons were, I've never had much sympathy for their encounter with St. Boniface the Lumberjack.
I'm equally glad their Norse cousins ran into Alfred the Great. Heather and I have a devotion to King St. Edmund the Martyr, too.
I've heard it said that many Germans view St. Boniface the way the Irish do St. Patrick. Interesting that both were English.
"They'd be entitled to ask the same question... 8-)."
After Charlemagne, I'm sure they had their answer.
"I've heard it said that many Germans view St. Boniface the way the Irish do St. Patrick. Interesting that both were English."
-- technically, Patrick was proto-Welsh. Or a Romano-Briton, which is sort of the same thing. At that time the Angles and Saxons were still on the Continent sacrificing people to Woden.
"Given how generally nasty the pagan Saxons were, I've never had much sympathy for their encounter with St. Boniface the Lumberjack."
-- "Saxon" translates as "guy with the big knife"... 8-).
The Romans had a saying when someone was being insensately rapacious: "Go teach piracy to a Saxon."
"As treacherous as a Frank" was also a proverb.
I stand corrected. Thank you Mr. Stirling.
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