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sometimes it is through tragedy that
great destinies are achieved such was
the case with Saint Claude old who is
better known as st. cloud he was the
grandson of the famous King Clovis the
United the Franks clouds father Claude
Amir was also a king and cloud as a
prince was heir to his father's throne
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he was born in the lap of luxury but
once he found Christ he understood that
true riches come from dedication to God
in the pursuit of his kingdom after Rome
fell in 410 to the hordes of violent
invaders from the north the church in
the western part of the Roman Empire
struggled to preserve the faith
unblemished for many more centuries
all the while endeavoring to convert the
Barbarian newcomers that vied for power
and control in Europe arguably the most
powerful of these tribes were the Franks
by the fifth century the pagan Frankish
Kingdom centered in Paris dominated much
of Europe
their Dominion included present-day
France Belgium and western Germany the
pagan Frankish king who united the
tribes of the Franks Clovis the first
married a Christian woman clotilda
clotilda was a Burgundian princess
holding to the Orthodox faith against
the challenges of the Aryans among the
Franks who did not honor Christ as God
she steadfastly endeavored to convince
her husband to embrace Christianity when
finally in 496 Clovis became an Orthodox
Christian he led the Christianization of
all of France under the Orthodox Creed
but when Clovis died in 511 ad his
kingdom was divided among his four sons
Theodoric
claudemir shield a bear and cloth are
and this marked the beginning of many
troubles
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claudemir the king of or Leon was the
father of cloud and also had two other
sons Tebow and Gong fair when Clara Mir
abruptly died in battle in 524 cloud was
only three years old or Leon would have
been divided among Claude Amir's sons
but the boys were too young to rain soon
after his death his brother clothes are
took over early on after marrying clouds
mother she went to stay with him in his
palace while her three sons were sent to
Paris to live with their grandmother
Queen clotilda five years had passed and
the boys were growing up in the peaceful
and loving care of the Queen Mother when
suddenly the evil one spoke violent
thoughts in the hearts of two of her
sons according to Gregory of Tours
shield a bear who ruled over Paris had
written to close are saying our mother
keeps our brothers sons with her and
wishes them to become Kings the boys
were growing up he explained and would
certainly become a threat as they came
of age so the two uncles agreed and
resolved to kill Claude Amir's sons in
order to ensure their permanent control
over or Leehom and eliminate the
possibility that any of their nephews
would claim succession as they came of
age clothes are then travelled to Paris
to join his brother they appeared
together in front of their mother
concerned about the burden she was
carrying caring for the boys they
offered that she may send them to them
so that they may help raise them as
heirs to the throne Queen clotilda not
suspecting anything evil on their behalf
acquiesced to her son's request and sent
the boys off to go to them but the boys
in their entourage were ambushed and
seized by a band of soldiers working for
their two uncles and were brought in
front of the two kings both of clouds
brothers ages 10 and 7 were murdered in
cold blood by their uncle clothes are
who stabbed them both to death somehow
the eight-year-old cloud was spared the
slaughter by what seems to have been
God's providence he escaped unharmed
having been freed by the aid of brave
men as we learn from Gregory of Tours
account of the event
cloud eventually made it back to his
grandmother
for the next 10 years he was carefully
protected from his uncle's evil
machinations and nurtured by his
Christian grandmother to be a faithful
Orthodox Christian his saintly
grandmother Queen clotilda was later
recognized as a saint of the church
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between the ages of 16 and 18 cloud met
the elder Severn of Paris a hermit well
known for his holy ways who lived near
the gates of Paris cloud was in awe of
the Hermits asceticism and decided right
then that he also wanted to be a monk
when he turned 18 he went to live near
elder severence and placed himself under
his tutelage learning the ways of the
prayerful ascetics from this experienced
holy man
the quiet ascetic and prayerful life
made cloud happier and more fulfilled
than anything he experienced before even
in the midst of wealth and luxury in the
palace when he was 20 years old
cloud decided to publicly renounce his
royal lines by cutting his hair the
symbol of royal lineage among the franks
he wanted everyone to know that he only
wanted to live the life of a monk and to
dedicate himself to the pursuit of
holiness through the ascetic lifestyle
of Solitude
cloud officially joined the monastic
ranks and continued to pursue a life of
stillness and peace immersed in prayer
and the ascetic life the death of his
spiritual father Severn was a turning
point for cloud having no reason to
remain in Paris he left to live as a
hermit in the deep forests of Provence
in the depths of the wilderness his
sincere and pure life was visited and
blessed by divine grace slowly but
surely people learned of him and his
spiritual gifts and began visiting him
his fame grew more and more as people
discovered that he had the gifts of
discernment and healing people from far
and near came to see him for advice and
ask to be healed through his prayers but
cloud wanting to escape the growing
attention and yearning for anonymity and
solitude decided to return to Paris soon
however the pious people of Paris
recognized the good young man who had
become a monk under their beloved
spiritual father Saint Severin and they
received him enthusiastically as time
went on the people realized clouds
exceptional gifts of healing and were
moved by his humility with great
determination they petitioned Eusebius
the Bishop of Paris to ordain cloud to
the Holy priesthood Bishop Eusebius
having heard so much about this young
monastic agreed wholeheartedly summoning
cloud he ordained him to the holy
priesthood in the year 551 and assigned
him to priestly duties in Paris the
newly ordained father cloud served there
as a priest for a short while and
obedience to his bishop but his heart
was still yearning for a life of quiet
in the meantime his continuing miracles
of healing caused his fame to grow even
further as it had happened in Provence
before so cloud seeking peace and
yearning for the ascetic life in
solitude decided to flee again
this time he retired to the small town
of no John not too far from Paris but
just far enough he had hoped in the
quiet hamlet of no Jean father cloud
immersed himself again in a life of
prayer but as his fame spread once more
in the surrounding area like-minded
young men also seeking the kingdom of
God came to join him a monastery was
established cloud was chosen to be their
abbot and spiritual father
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more and more young men fleeing the
violent and harsh life of the world came
to him and found comfort and guidance it
was here in his monastery that st. cloud
spent the remaining time of his earthly
life instructing the monks and
spiritually enriching and healing the
visitors according to tradition st.
cloud predicted his death in advance and
prepared his disciples for the time when
he would not be with them here while
surrounded by his monks the Lord called
him to his kingdom which cloud had
sought so zealously most of his life at
the very early age of 38 on September
7th in the Year 560
surrendered his sanctified soul to his
maker miracles of healings began to
occur at the site of his burial
confirming the sanctity of his life and
his strong relationship with God shortly
after his departure to the Lord
cloud was declared a saint and the small
town of no shell outside of Paris was
renamed st. cloud in his honor and so it
remains until this day
st. cloud please pray for us that we may
also understand that the true riches of
life are found only in the pursuit of
the kingdom of God and His Holiness amen
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you