From Butler’s Lives: If the Lion Won’t Behave, It Will Have to Live Elsewhere

Last updated on: December 26, 2014 at 4:33 pm by Jennifer Fitz

From Butler’s Lives: If the Lion Won’t Behave, It Will Have to Live Elsewhere 2014-12-26T16:33:25-05:00 Jennifer Fitz

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

PEG suggested I share some examples of why I think the old Butler’s Lives is the best thing going. Here’s an excerpt from today, December 5th, from the life of St. Sabas:

Among the stories told of St. Sabas is that he once lay down to sleep in a cave that happened to be the den of a lion. When the beast came in it clawed hold of the monk’s clothes and dragged him outside. Nothing perturbed, Sabas returned to the cave and eventually reduced the lion to a considerable degree of friendliness. But it was still a rather troublesome companion, and at length Sabas told it that if it could not live with him in peace it had better go away. So the lion went away.

Since this is Butler, at the end of the saint’s life are the usual notes on the history of the documentation of the saint’s life, where the reader can go to learn more, and how reliable he thinks the whole thing is. St. Sabas gets a decent rating: “The Life of St. Sabas, written in Greek by Cyril of Scythopolis, is one of the most famous and trustworthy of early hagiographical documents.”

Another saint for today, the martyr St. Crispina, a favorite of St. Augustine of Hippo, gets the transcript of her trial before the proconsul Anulinus of Theveste recorded in Butler’s Lives. But it’s observed in the documentation notes, “Among similar records which are so often overlayed with wordy declamations and extravagant miracles, the document ranks high.”

Tip: Check your local library to see if they stock the 1956. Good way to preview, if you get so lucky. Some years ago, my local branch was letting all four volumes circulate. They’ve now been relegated to reference, but I managed to put Birthday Claus to work before that happened, so I’m okay.

Mar Saba in the Kidron Valley, site of the largest of St. Saba’s monasteries.

Impage by Bukvoed (Own work) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Books

Catholic Q&A

Previous Post

December 4, 2014

Which Saint Book Do You Want for Christmas? This One.

Next Post

December 7, 2014 To Make Things Beautiful is to Make Yourself Human

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Books Catechesis Catholic Q&A Chastity Church Craziness Come See Me Talk Disability & Chronic Illness Economics Evangelization Facepalm Forgiveness Good Things History Homeschooling Human Rights It's All Catholic Listen to Me Survey Series Liturgical Living Marriage Modesty Not Satire. But almost. Rant-o-Rama Sacred Art & Music Satire South Carolina Spark Clutter Stick that Corner Suffering Thinking Topics Writing Stuff

Select a Month September 2026 July 2026 June 2026 January 2026 December 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 November 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 May 2019 April 2019 February 2019 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Whose bones were to be carried from Egypt back to Canaan?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Benjamin Jacob Levi Joseph