Nomen

SAINT ROMBOUT/RUMBOLD/RUMOLDUS

(My prayer for Saint-Rumbold each year on July 1st, his patron feast see here )

Nomen est omen. The name is a sign. Your own name is too. Carry it with dignity and live up to it. You can argue that your name was ‘given’ to you by your parents, or by somebody else, or just by circumstances, either way, your name came to you, and when it is spoken, you turn around, you look up, you listen. When you see it written, your attention is drawn to it. Be sure: your name is not a coincidence, it fits you, so wear it to its full potential and don’t be ashamed. If you don’t know its meaning: look it up! If you keep looking for the answer to the question: “Who am I?”, start with your name, the rest will follow!

(I also invite you to read my post “The Identidity Code” about the book and ideas of Larry Ackerman who “strongly believes that every human being’s identity is absolutely formed at the moment of conception”. Larry shows that your identity is like your DNA: unique, and discovering it is like “rebirthing”, finally living up to the talent that was meant for you and only for you ).

This is who I am:

My parents gave me a Christian name: Rombout. “Rom” meaning ‘fame’ and “bout” ‘bold, brave’. I was named after my patron: Saint Rombout (or ‘Rumbold’/’Rumoldus’, believed an Irish bishop from the 8th century AD, travelling to the mainland to do his missionary work, and as such arriving in Mechelen).

In Belgium, Mechelen’s Cathedral carries his name. The cathedral was built under supervision of  architect Rombout Keldermans, and dates back to the 13th century AD. On top (+90m) you have a beautiful vista of the area, up to Antwerp and Brussels.

The legend tells us how Saint Rombout built a little church in Mechelen, and paid the workers more than their due. This aroused the rumour that he was very rich. When the Saint found out that one of his parishioners was cheating on his wife, he confronted him with the truth. The man was not pleased, and together with a ‘fellow in crime’ he forged a plan to murder the Saint and steal his money. After they killed him, they found out he was not so rich after all, and threw his body in the river. Instantly a bright light, as a spear from heaven, marked the spot where the Saint’s body was afloat. The killers fled, never to be apprehended.
The parishioners, overwhelmed with this sign, treated the body as if it were Jesus himself, and buried it in a prominent place in the church that the beloved Saint had build. Soon afterwards miracles and instant healings started, and to this day the cathedral  to believers and pilgrims is a local Lourdes, praying to Saint Rombout to grant them a favour.

The remains of Saint Rombout are kept in a shrine, and just recently it was opened and investiged by scientists using the C14 method to date the evidence.

The scientist forensic work links the evidence to a man between 30/40 years of age and approx 6 feet tall, suffering rachitis, but cured. His death is almost certainly to be situated between 580 AD and 655 AD. Other evidence points out that the man must have lived in a monastery, and taking into consideration the remarkable state of the remains and other findings, one can conclude that this would be a very close match to the Saint in question.

In Belgium we commemorate Saint Rombout on July 1st. The coincidence here is that I was born exactly a month earlier, on June 1st. So, each year on July 1st I pray to my patron Saint @ 1pm (13:00h) –I was born 1am 😉 ) for his blessing and I invite all my beloved ones and friends to pray with me, wherever they are.

The picture above of Saint Rombout’s Cathedral is a detail from a painting by my father, he painted it especially on my demand. I asked him to paint the sea, Saint Rombout’s Cathedral, a Moai from Eastern Island and two Swans, symbolizing my astrological sign: Twins. In the middle I wanted the Lion at Venice’s San Marco Square, guarding the Angel’s words to Saint Marc, the Evangelist: ‘Pax tibi Marce, Evangelista Meus’. The painting was and still is in my opinion an expression of my personality, of “who I am”.
I’m eternally thankful that my father painted it, without questioning my demand, and putting his love into it. It’s one of my closest treasures!
Here it is in full:

At my birth, my father wrote a poem,and designed my birth card,  in which he described his wish for his newborn son. When young, I didn’t fully comprehend the meaning, or better: I was afraid I would never be able to live my life to my father’s expectations. It took me years of struggling with myself, and with my father (deceased at age 82 in 1989) to come to terms with this heritage. But I’m thankful that my father and I had a deep and long conversation, three years before his death, and still with a sound mind, because the last years of his life he lost the power on his brilliant thoughts.  Much was said then, even more unsaid, but at that moment, we came to peace, I could see him, not only as my father, but also as a man of flesh and blood, carrying his own burdens. I no longer walked in his shadow, and the more discovering my own light, the more I could love him. So when he passed away, I was able to greet him with the utmost respect for everything he had learned me.

Here’s the poem/card, first in Dutch, than my translation:

“In diepe nacht, mijn zoon,
wordt gij geboren;
uitverkoren, in een bestaan
van logen en vertoon,
zij U dit uur. Leef schoon
als deze stilte, kind, gewijd
door Gods onttogenheid;
blijf nacht – de dag is waan.
En treedt gij in het licht,
sta dan als de toren
wiens naam gij draagt:
groter dan wie U belaagt,
levend van vergezicht.”

“The deep of night, my son
brings birth to you;
chosen one, on this stage
of cheat and show,
be you this hour – live
pure as is this Silence,
child, blessed by
God’s unselfishness;
stay night – day is delusion,
When moment comes for you
to stride into the light,
stand as the tower,
which bears thy name;
taller than your foe,
living from vista”

Nomen est omen. I’m proud of my name. I discovered how it is a beacon for me to let my creative light (in all it’s different ways) shine on this world and beyond.
If you are able to unfold the deep meaning of your name, if you dare to enter it, to sing it in glory, to share it, to dance to & with it, you too will be able to ‘come into the Light’ of your true identity, you will be able to unleash all ties that bind, you will be able to live your life as it is intented to Be: unfolding your full potential, unlocking the mystery of your personality and you will shine, you too will enlighten and cheer up this world with your unique song, thus answering the Angel’s call, as he/she spoke to Saint Marc:

“Pax tibi, Marce, Evangelista Meus”.

Namaste, Love&Light, and, paraphrasing, my wish 4 U 2:
“Peace To You, dear friend, bring your joyful message!”

For my patron saint I wrote this prayer:

Today I come to Thee,
Saint Rumbold,
I offer You my Love,
grant me Your Blessing,
make me worthy
to live up to Your Name,
that I may equally be:
righteous, bold and brave,
especially in my darkest hours.
I pray to you to intercede
before The Almighty,
to protect and guide
me, my loved ones,
and everyone in need of
Love, strength and courage.
Blessed are You,
Saint Rumbold,
I honor Thee and kneel
before You, You,
Wise, Brave and Bold
Prophet Of The Soul,
grant me Your Vista.

PAX TIBI. AMEN.

Saint-Rumbold’s Cathedral, Mechelen (Malines), Belgium, detail from a painting my father, Ferdinand Vercnocke, see,above.

Vandaag kom ik tot U,
Heilige Rombout,
Ik bied U mijn Liefde,
verleen mij Uw Zegen,
maak dat ik waardig ben
te leven naar Uw Naam,
en dat ik ook moge zijn:
rechtschapen,
moedig en dapper,
en zeker in ’t donkerst
mijner uren.
Ik bid om Uw Voorspraak
bij de Allerhoogste,
tot bescherming en leiding
voor mij, mijn dierbaren,
en allen die nood hebben
aan Liefde, Kracht en Moed.
Gezegend zijt Gij,
Heilige Rombout,
ik eer U, kniel voor U,
Gij, de Wijze, de Dappere,
de Stoutmoedige
Profeet van de Ziel,
schenk mij Uw Vergezicht.

PAX TIBI. AMEN

Rombout Vercnocke

Mirakels van de Heilige Rombout, cyclus van 25 schilderijen uit het leven van de Heilige Rombout door Colijn De Coter, ca 1500AD:

Bij het overlijden van Bisschop Walraf verschijnt een engel die de gelovigen oproept Sint-Rombout, een Schots koningszoon, tot zijn opvolger aan te duiden

Sint-Rombout verkondigt aan gravin Elisa dat ze een kind zal krijgen:

Sources

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sint-Romboutskathedraal_(Mechelen)
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sint-Rombout 
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bestand:Doorsnede_Sint-Romboutstoren.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Rumbold’s_Cathedral
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Rombout

And here’s how the story continues 🙂 :

Boutman & sons anno 2016 with their family around the Firetable, from left to right:
Riet, Nand, Lene, Mil, Rombout, Wide, Kato, Auke, Bert, Evelien, Tuur ~ (Else, mother of my children and grandmother, passed away in 2014, she is deeply missed and loved by us all XXX )
Embrace your blessings  🙂