The Jordan of Saxony

Jordain , or the Jordan of Saxony (also called Jourdan of Saxony , Gordanus , Giordanus or Jordanus de Alamaia ), born towards 1190 and died in 1237, was a German Diacre, member of the Ordre of the Preachers and main general of this same kind of 1222 to its death.

Youth

The Jordan of Saxony was born towards 1190 in Burgsberg, in Saxony, in the family of the counts d' Eberstein. It goes then to the university of Paris to make studies of theology there; it is there that in 1219 it meets Dominique de Guzmán.

In 1219 he is sub-deacon and graduate in theology; it is the following year which, under the spiritual influence of Réginald, senior of collegial Saint-Aignan of Orleans, which the Jordan takes the dress, the Ash Wednesday, with the convent of Jacques Saint. Two months later, Dominique undertakes to join together with Bologna the first general chapter of the order. The Jordan, like three other brothers, is indicated to take part in it. On its return to Paris, he teaches the Scriptures until in 1221, when Dominique names it provincial Lombardy.

General Master of the Dominican ones

A few months later, the Jordan east elected to succeed the founder of the order, which has just died. Under its généralat, four new provinces are created, like 240 new convents of brothers and sisters. Its courses in the European university big cities would have attracted more than thousand professors and pupils in the order, among which Albert Large the. In addition, the Jordan takes an important share with the development of the Constitutions of the Order.

In 1233 it makes carry out the translation of the body of Dominique, before governing the festivals of its canonization in 1234. It writes the Libellus of principiis Ordinis Praedicatorum , text which is at the same time a precis of the Dominican rule and documented account of the life of Dominique de Guzmán and beginnings about the Preachers.

The Jordan of Saxony had at the same time an immense spiritual role, but also an important political role, not hesitating to stigmatize Frederic II. It also maintains a deep friendship and a vast correspondence with Diane d' Andalo, moniale Dominican of Bologna, later béatifiée.

In 1236, it leaves out of Holy Land to visit the convents of the Order which were established there. With the return, the ship which brought back it makes shipwreck on February 13rd, 1237, close to the coasts of Syria. Its body, rejected by the sea, is then buried with the Dominican convent of Acre, currently in Israel. Raymond de Peñafort takes his continuation as general Master of the Dominican ones. The Jordan of Saxony is venerated today like the owner of the Dominican vocations; béatifié in 1825 by the pope Leon XII, it is celebrated the February 13rd, birthday day of its death.

Quotations

With a prosecutor having required of him to be raised of its load, the Jordan answered: “My son, this load has four appendices: negligence, impatience, work and the merit; I discharge to you from the two first and I leave you the two others”.

“All the other saints rather exert their right of patronage on those which are especially entrusted to them and they help their servants much more than the other faithful ones, while the Mother of God, being the Queen of all the men, it is also the protective one of all and gets busy with the hello of all”

“Just as the life of the body is supported by the mixture of drink and of food, thus so that the life of the heart develops, it is alternatively necessary to pass from the speech being studied of the Holy Scriptures. ”.

Sources

Chéry, Henri-Charles, Holy and happy of the Dominican family , Dominican Fraternity Lacordaire, Lyon, 1991
the Happy Jordan of Saxony , Paris, Desclée de Brouwer, 1924
Libellus of pricipiis ordinis praedicatorum (Account of the history of the foundation of the order and the life of Dominique saint by the Jordan of Saxony)

External bonds

Life of the Jordan of Saxony
Homélie of the Brother Daniel Bourgeois on the spiritual friendship of the Jordan and Diane
Portrait of Dominique saint by the Jordan of Saxony
Prayer of the Jordan of Saxony with saint Dominique

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