Cheers! to Saint Arnulf

On this, the Memorial of Saint Arnulf of Metz (c. 582 — 640), patron saint of brewers¹, let us hoist a tankard to his memory and say a prayer for his intercession.

For some reason, the English found “Arnulf” too difficult, so in many English-language resources he is known as “Arnold”. Go figure.

It was July 642 and very hot when the parishioners of Metz went to Remiremont to recover the remains of their former bishop. They had little to drink and the terrain was inhospitable.

At the point when the exhausted procession was about to leave Champigneulles, one of the parishioners, Duc Notto, prayed “By his powerful intercession the Blessed Arnold will bring us what we lack.”

Immediately the small remnant of beer at the bottom of a pot multiplied in such amounts that the pilgrims thirst was quenched and they had enough to enjoy the next evening when they arrived in Metz.

(Source)

It’s also a good day to remember that the venerable Rituale Romanum has an approved blessing for beer. Might be a good day to trot that out, Fathers!

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord. R. Who made heaven and earth. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.	V. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini. R. Qui fecit cælum et terram. V. Dominus vobiscum. R. Et cum spiritu tuo.
Let us pray.   Bless, + O Lord, this creature beer, which thou hast deigned to produce from the fat of grain: that it may be a salutary remedy to the human race, and grant through the invocation of thy holy name; that, whoever shall drink it, may gain health in body and peace in soul. Through Christ our Lord.	Oremus.   Benedic, + Domine, creaturam istam cerevisiæ, quam ex adipe frumenti producere dignatus es: ut sit remedium salutare humano generi, et præsta per invocationem nominis tui sancti; ut, quicumque ex ea biberint, sanitatem corpus et animæ tutelam percipiant. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
R. Amen.	R. Amen.

1. And not coincidentally the Octave Day of Saint Benedict.