![Picture](/uploads/1/0/3/2/10321570/702574748.jpg)
![]() In the reign of the Emperor Theodosius the younger, his wife Eudocia went to Jerusalem in fulfilment of a vow, and there was gifted with many presents. Among other things, they gave her in especial an iron chain, adorned with gold and precious stones, which they affirmed to be the same wherewith the Apostle Peter had been bound by King Herod. Eudocia, with godly reverence, afterwards sent this chain to Rome, to her daughter Eudoxia, who brought it to the Pope, and the Pope in return shewed to her another chain wherewith the same Apostle had been shackled under the Emperor Nero.
![]() Shortly before the revolt of Judas Maccabeus (2 Maccabees 8), Antiochus IV Epiphanes arrested a mother and her seven sons, and tried to force them to eat pork. When they refused, he tortured and killed the sons one by one. The narrator mentions that the mother "was the most remarkable of all, and deserves to be remembered with special honour. She watched her seven sons die in the space of a single day, yet she bore it bravely because she put her trust in the Lord." Each of the sons makes a speech as he dies, and the last one says that his brothers are "dead under God's covenant of everlasting life". The narrator ends by saying that the mother died, without saying whether she was executed, or died in some other way. The Orthodox Church celebrates the Holy Maccabean Martyrs on August 1. The Roman Catholic Church includes them in its official list of saints, assigning them August 1 as their feast day. From the time of the Tridentine Calendar until 1960, they were mentioned through a commemoration within the feast of St. Peter ad Vincula. When, among other second feasts of a single saint, Pope John XXIII suppressed this feast of Saint Peter, the Maccabees continued only to be commemorated, but this time within the Mass of the feria. What is believed to be the Maccabees' relics - kept in the Maccabees Shrine - is venerated in St. Andrew Church, Cologne, Germany. Some continue to use this calendar of John XXIII, or indeed an older one, but the General Roman Calendar officially in force since 1969 has omitted this commemoration. The Holy Maccabees are still recognized as saints and martyrs, and as such may be venerated by all Catholics everywhere on their feast and at other times. ![]() Commemorated 28th July Born at Albano, near Rome, Italy; died in Rome, March 12, 417. Innocent, pontiff at the time of the capture and sacking of Rome by the Goths under Alaric, succeeded Pope Saint Anastasius I, on December 22, 401. During Innocent's pontificate, he emphasized papal supremacy, commending the bishops of Africa for referring the decrees of their councils at Carthage and Milevis in 416 that condemned Pelagianism, to the pope for confirmation. It was his confirmation of these decrees that caused Augustine to make a remark that was to echo through the centuries: "Roma locuta, causa finita est" (Rome has spoken, the matter is ended). Earlier Innocent had stressed to Bishop Saint Victrius and the Spanish bishops that matters of great importance were to be referred to Rome for settlement. Innocent strongly favored clerical celibacy and fought the unjust removal of Saint John Chrysostom. He vainly sought help from Emperor Honorius at Ravenna when the Goths under Alaric captured and sacked Rome in 41. He was buried in a basilica above the catacomb of Pontianus, and was venerated as a saint. He was a very energetic and active man, and a highly gifted ruler, who fulfilled admirably the duties of his office. ![]() ANTHUSA (Saint) Virgin (July 27) (8th century) Various versions are given of the life of this Saint. All agree that she was a Greek maiden of Constantinople, distinguished by her zeal for the Catholic practice of the veneration of holy pictures, and that she thereby incurred the indignation of the Iconoclast Emperors of the period. It also seems certain that she was at least once arrested and put to the torture. But, while some say that she died in exile, others have it that she was recalled and taken into favour by the Empress, wife of Constantine Copronymus, and that she died peacefully at Constantinople in extreme old age. There is further a tradition that the Empress named one of her daughters after this holy woman, and that this second Anthusa also became a Saint and was venerated in the East as such. ![]() Sermon by St. John of Damascus The home of Anne is set before us, wherein to see an ensample both of married and of maiden life, the one in the person of the mother, the other in that of the daughter, whereof the one hath but now ceased to be barren, and the other is in a little while destined, beyond the course of nature, to become the Mother of the Messiah by a singular birth, specially designed by God to build up anew our nature. It is with reason then that Anne, filled with the Holy Ghost, with joyful and jubilant spirit singeth aloud: Rejoice with me, for out of my barren womb I have borne the bud of promise, and, as I have longed, I nourish at my breasts the fruit of benediction. I have laid aside the mournful garments of barrenness, and put on the joyful raiment of fruitfulness. Let Hannah the adversary of Peninnah make merry with me, and join with me for fellow-feeling, in singing of this new and unhoped-for wonder that is wrought in me. ![]() A martyr, of the third century. Although St. Christopher is one of the most popular saints in the East and in the West, almost nothing certain is known about his life or death. A heathen king (in Canaan or Arabia), through the prayers of his wife to the Blessed Virgin, had a son, whom he called Offerus (Offro, Adokimus, or Reprebus) and dedicated to the gods Machmet and Apollo. Acquiring in time extraordinary size and strength, Offerus resolved to serve only the strongest and the bravest. He bound himself successively to a mighty king and to Satan, but he found both lacking in courage, the former dreading even the name of the devil, and the latter frightened by the sight of a cross at the roadside. ![]() St. James was by birth a Galilean, and by profession a fisherman with his father and brother, living probably at Bethsaida, where St. Peter also dwelt at that time. Jesus walking by the lake of Genesareth saw St. Peter and St. Andrew fishing, and he called them to come after him, promising to make them fishers of men. Going on a little farther on the shore, he saw two other brothers, James and John, in a ship, with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he also called them; who forthwith left their nets and their father and followed him. Probably by conversing with St. Peter their townsman, and by other means, they had before this call an entire conviction that Jesus was the Christ; and no sooner did they hear his invitation, and saw the marks of his divine will directing them to what was eminently conducive to his honour, but the same moment they quitted all things to comply with this summons. ![]() St. Christopher In the old days, as says a pious tale, there was a gigantic man who was very strong. That gigantic man had only one thing in mind: to serve the most powerful man in the world. He heard about a mighty emperor, of whom everybody was afraid. So, he became that emperor’s servant, and was fighting in the emperor’s wars. One day, a singer came to the castle to sing for the king. In one of the songs, the name of the devil was mentioned. Right away, the king made the sign of the cross. The gigantic man asked the king why he was doing so. The king answered: “this is to make sure that the devil will not harm me.” To which he answered back, laughing: “What, you are afraid of someone? Aren’t you the most powerful king? Let me find the one you are afraid of.” So the gigantic man went to the devil, found him and became his servant. One day, they came by a big crucifix by a road corner. The devil stopped, refused to pass by, and made a detour. That was it: the gigantic man left the devil right away, to find out the one whom the devil was afraid of. He then met a pious hermit, who advised him to stand by the river, and to help to carry the pilgrims who were going to pray at the shrine across the river. The gigantic man did this for many years. One night, when it was stormy, he heard the voice of a little child, who was asking him to carry him on his shoulders. As he put the child upon his shoulders, he appeared to be light as feather. But, the more the gigantic man was walking deep into the river, the more that child appeared to be heavy, up to the point of almost smashing him to the bottom of the river. At last, the gigantic man knew who was the strongest. He bowed his forehead to receive the grace of baptism. Now, we know him as St. Christopher, which means literally: the one who carried Christ. Father Dominique Boulet ![]() Life of Saint Christina describes the life of a beautiful little girl who was tortured by her father and his successors. She finally gained martyrdom at a young age of eleven or twelve. Christina fulfills the divine call of discipleship to propagate christianity among the pagans. Saint Christina is a martyr who lived during the 3rd century A.D. Her icons show her bound to a stone, holding few arrows and with snakes around her feet. There are many stories and accounts regarding the life of Saint Christina. However, the early life of St. Christina is more or less the same in all the texts. ![]() As for other fourth-century saints, little is known of his life. He was a Gaul, influenced by Latin culture. He is said to have been Bishop of Le Mans for 49 years. He built some churches in its neighbourhood, an indication that his missionary activity was limited to the Gaul of his time. He is said to have ordained, in the course of 96 ordinations, 217 priests and 186 deacons. Saint Martin of Tours assisted him when he was dying. He was buried in the Apostle Basilica of Le Mans, beside his predecessor, Julian, the founder of the bishopric. Miracles are said to have to occurred at his tomb. In 835 Bishop Aldrich placed some relics of his body into an altar in the cathedral, and in the following year, on the instructions of Emperor Louis the Pious, sent the body to Bishop Badurad of Paderborn, a diocese founded in 799 by Pope Leo III and Emperor Charlemagne that had no saint of its own. From this arose a "bond of lasting brotherhood" that has survived all the hostilities of the succeeding centuries and is considered to be the oldest contract still in force. Both churches bound themselves to help each other by prayer and material assistance, as they have in fact done on more than one occasion. Since Liborius died in the arms of his friend Martin of Tours, he is looked to as a patron of a good death. Since the thirteenth century he is prayed to for assistance against that gallstones that are caused by the water of the limestone area; the first account of a healing of this kind concerns the cure of Archbishop Werner von Eppstein, who came on pilgrimage to the saint's shrine in 1267. This is the origin of the saint's attribute of three stones placed on a copy of the Bible. In the same period he became the patron of the cathedral and the archdiocese, rather than the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Kilian, who were previously in first place. And as stated above, he is seen as a patron of peace and understanding among peoples. He is invoked against colic, fever, and gallstones. As well as being shown as a bishop carrying small stones on a book, Saint Liborious is also shown with the attribute of a peacock, because of a legend that, when his body was brought to Paderborn, a peacock guided the bearers. The popularity of the saint in Paderborn is shown in the week-long yearly festival that begins on the Saturday after his 23 July feast day. |
Archives
December 2014
Categories
All
While Archbishop Lefebvre Blog is provided free of charge, there are administrative and technical costs associated with making it available to subscribers worldwide and with operating this site. Contributions to offset these costs are appreciated, and may be made via the button below
|