Feb 9 Alto d. 760

Thommy and John

good morning
i love you

February 9 St. Alto d. 760

What difference does your paternity, family, clan matter? To you? To history - to us who come later and learn about you. That Alto was an Irishman got my attention and my reading his bio and pondering his lessons and gifts to me. But, he may be an Anglo-Saxon, a son of my enemies. Is his saintliness less a lesson for me then? Or a greater lesson? Besides, whether Irish or Anglo-Saxon, his imprint was left near Augsburg, Germany. [Thus, more likely an Irish missionary.]

Alto lived in a simple hut in wild lands. There are lots of ways to influence people. The best is to live consistently, persistently the life of faith and vocation. To do over and over what is right, and the world does change around you. Maybe the locals thought this guy was crazy. He did achieve a reputation for holiness and austerity.

When word of Alto’s good works reached King Pepin, Pepin gave him a parcel of land near the modern Friesling Diocese in Bavaria. It is here that Alto built an abbey which was dedicated in 750 by St Boniface, some imprimatur! King Pepin and Boniface - have to work at screwing that opportunity up....

Alto. missionary. hermit. man of good works. austere. holy. founder of an abbey.

What will be in our bio? On our Tombstone?

I love you
dad