My earthly desires have been crucified
The delights of this world and all its
kingdoms will not profit me. I would prefer to die in Jesus Christ than
to rule over all the earth. I seek him who died for us, I desire him who
rose for us. I am in the throes of being born again. Bear with me, my
brothers; do not keep me from living, do not wish me to die. I desire to
belong to God; do not give me over to the world, and do not seduce me
with perishable things. Let me see the pure light; when I am there, I
shall be truly a man at last. Let me imitate the sufferings of my God.
If anyone has God in him, let him understand what I want and have
sympathy for me, knowing what drives me on.
The prince of this world would snatch me away and destroy my desire to
be with God. So let none of you who will be there give him help; side
rather with me, that is, with God. Do not have Jesus Christ on your lips
and the world in your hearts. Give envy no place among you. And if, when
I get there, I should beg for your intervention, pay no attention to me;
no, believe instead what I am writing to you now. For I write to you
while I yet live, but I long for death. My earthly desires have been
crucified, and there no longer burns in me the love of perishable
things, but a living water speaks within me, saying: "Come to the
Father."
I take no delight in corruptible food or in the pleasures of this life.
I want the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of
David's seed, and for drink I want his blood, the sign of his
imperishable love.
I no longer wish to live, as men count life. And I shall have my way, if
you wish it so. Wish it, then, so that you too may have God's favor.
With these few words I beg you to believe me. Jesus Christ will make
plain to you the truth of what I say; he is the true voice that speaks
the Father's truth. Pray for me that I may reach my goal. I have written
to you not prompted by merely human feelings and values, but by God's
purpose for me. If I am to suffer, it will be because you loved me well;
if I am rejected, it will be because you hated me.
Remember in your prayers the church of Syria: it now has God for its
shepherd instead of me. Jesus Christ alone will be its bishop, along
with your love. For myself, I am ashamed to be counted among its
members, for I do not deserve it, being the least of all, born out of
due time. Yet, if I attain to God, by his mercy I shall be something. I
greet you from my heart, and so do the churches that have welcomed me in
love not as a mere passerby but as the representative of Jesus Christ.
Yes, even the churches that were not on my route humanly speaking,
though spiritually on the same journey, were there to meet me in city
after city.
T324 Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr, a letter to the Romans by the Saint
Let me not only he called a Christian, but prove to be one
You have never
begrudged the martyrs their triumph but rather trained them for it. And so I am
asking you to be consistent with the lessons you teach them. Just beg for me the
courage and endurance not only to speak but also to will what is right, so that
I may not only be called a Christian, but prove to be one. For if I prove myself
to be a Christian by martyrdom, then people will call me one, and my loyalty to
Christ will be apparent when the world sees me no more. Nothing you can see is
truly good. For our Lord Jesus Christ, now that he. has returned to his Father,
has revealed himself more clearly. Our task is not one of producing persuasive
propaganda; Christianity shows its greatness when it is hated by the world.
I am writing to all the churches to declare to them
all that I am glad to die for God, provided you do not hinder me. I beg you not
to show me a misplaced kindness. Let me be the food of beasts that I may come to
God. I am his wheat, and I shall be ground by the teeth of beasts, that I may
become Christ's pure bread.
I would rather that you coaxed the beasts to become my tomb and to leave no
scrap of me behind; then when I have died I will be a burden to no one. I shall
be a true disciple of Christ when the world no longer sees my body. Pray to
Christ for me that by these means I may become a sacrifice to God. I do not give
you orders like Peter and Paul. They were apostles, I am a condemned criminal;
they were free, I am still a slave. But if I suffer, I shall become the freedman
of Jesus Christ and I shall rise again to freedom in him.
Now as a prisoner I am learning to give up my own wishes. All the way from Syria
to Rome I am fighting wild beasts, by land and by sea, by day and by night,
chained as I am to ten leopards, I mean the detachment of soldiers who guard me;
the better you treat them, the worse they become. I am more and more trained in
discipleship by their ill-usage of me, but I am not therefore justified. How
happy I will be with the beasts which are prepared for me! I hope that they will
make short work of me. I shall even coax them to devour me quickly and not to be
afraid of touching me, as sometimes happens; in fact, if they hold back, I shall
force them to it. Bear with me, for I know what is good for me. Now I am
beginning to be a disciple. May nothing visible or invisible rob me of my prize,
which is Jesus Christ! The fire, the cross, packs of wild beasts, lacerations,
rendings, wrenching of bones, mangling of limbs, crushing of the whole body, the
horrible tortures of the devil---let all these things come upon me, if only I
may gain Jesus Christ!
T1415 John Chrysostom, bishop, a homily on the Acts of the Apostles by the Saint
Make known to us, Lord, the one you choose
In those days, Peter stood up in the midst of the
disciples and said : As the fiery spirit to whom the flock was entrusted by
Christ and as the leader in the band of the apostles, Peter always took the
initiative in speaking: My brothers, we must choose from among our number. He
left the decision to the whole body, at once augmenting the honor of those
elected and avoiding any suspicion of partiality. For such great occasions can
easily lead to trouble.
Did not Peter then have the right to make the choice himself? Certainly he had
the right, but he did not want to give the appearance of showing special favor
to anyone. Besides he was not yet endowed with the Spirit. And they nominated
two, we read, Joseph, who was called Barsabbas and surnamed Justus, and
Matthias. He himself did not nominate them; all present did. But it was he who
brought the issue forward, pointing out that it was not his own idea but had
been suggested to him by a scriptural prophecy. So he was speaking not as a
teacher but as an interpreter.
So, he goes on, we must choose from those men who lived in our company. Notice
how insistent he is that they should be eyewitnesses. Even though the Spirit
would come to ratify the choice, Peter regards this prior qualification as most
important.
Those who lived in our company, to continue the passage, all through the time
when the Lord Jesus came and went among us. He refers to those who had dwelt
with Jesus, not just those who had been his disciples. For of course from the
very beginning many had followed him. Notice how it is written that Peter
himself was one of the two who had listened to John, and followed Jesus.
All through the time when the Lord Jesus came and went among us, to continue
further, beginning with the baptism of John--rightly so, because no one knew
what had happened before that time, although they were to know of it later
through the spirit.
Up to the day, Peter added, on which he was taken up from us, one of these must
be made a witness along with us of his resurrection. He did not say "a witness
of the rest of his actions" but only a witness of the resurrection! That witness
would be more believable who could declare that he who ate and drank and was
crucified also rose from the dead. He needed to be a witness not of the times
before or after that event, and not of the signs and wonders, but only of the
resurrection itself. For the rest happened by general admission, openly; but the
resurrection took place secretly, and was known to these men only.
And they all prayed together, saying: You, Lord, know the hearts of men; make
your choice known to us. you, not we. Appropriately they said that he knew the
hearts of men, because the choice was to be made by him, not by others.
They spoke with such confidence, because someone had to be appointed. They did
not say "choose" but make known to us the chosen one; the one you choose, they
said, fully aware that everything was preordained by God. They then drew lots.
For they did not think themselves worthy to make the choice of their own accord,
and therefore they wanted some sign for their instruction.
T1322 John Chrysostom, bishop, a homily by the Saint
For love of Christ, Paul bore every burden
Paul, more than anyone else, has shown us what
man really is, and in what our nobility consists, and of what virtue this
particular animal is capable. Each day he aimed ever higher; each day he rose up
with greater ardor and faced with new eagerness the dangers that threatened him.
He summed up his attitude in the words: I forget what is behind me and push on
to what lies ahead. When he saw death imminent, he bade others share his joy:
Rejoice and be glad with me! And when danger, injustice and abuse threatened, he
said: I am content with weakness, mistreatment and persecution. These he called
the weapons of righteousness, thus telling us that he derived immense profit
from them.
Thus, amid the traps set for him by his enemies, with exultant heart he turned
their every attack into a victory for himself; constantly beaten, abused and
cursed, he boasted of it as though he were celebrating a triumphal procession
and taking trophies home, and offered thanks to God for it all: Thanks be to God
who is always victorious in us! This is why he was far more eager for the
shameful abuse that his zeal in preaching brought upon him than we are for the
most pleasing honors, more eager for death than we are for life, for poverty
than we are for wealth; he yearned for toil far more than others yearn for rest
after toil. The one thing he feared, indeed dreaded, was to offend God; nothing
else could sway him. Therefore, the only thing he really wanted was always to
please God.
The most important thing of all to him, however, was that he knew himself to be
loved by Christ. Enjoying this love, he considered himself happier than anyone
else; were he without it, it would be no satisfaction to be the friend of
principalities and powers. He preferred to be thus loved and be the least of
all, or even to be among the damned, than to be without that love and be among
the great and honored.
To be separated from that love was, in his eyes, the greatest and most
extraordinary of torments; the pain of that loss would alone have been hell, and
endless, unbearable torture.
So too, in being loved by Christ he thought of himself as possessing life, the
world, the angels, present and future, the kingdom, the promise and countless
blessings. Apart from that love nothing saddened or delighted him; for nothing
earthly did he regard as bitter or sweet.
Paul set no store by the things that fill our visible world, any more than a man
sets value on the withered grass of the field. As for tyrannical rulers or the
people enraged against him, he paid them no more heed than gnats.
Death itself and pain and whatever torments might come were but child's play to
him, provided that thereby he might bear some burden for the sake of Christ.
T1329 John Chrysostom, bishop, a homily by the Saint
I have fought the good fight
Though housed in a narrow prison, Paul dwelt in
heaven. He accepted beatings and wounds more readily than others reach out for
rewards. Sufferings he loved as much as prizes; indeed he regarded them as his
prizes, and therefore called them a grace or gift. Reflect on what this means.
To depart and be with Christ was certainly a reward, while remaining in the
flesh meant struggle. yet such was his longing for Christ that he wanted to
defer his reward and remain amid the fight; those were his priorities.
Now, to be separated from the company of Christ meant struggle and pain for
Paul; in fact, it was a greater affliction than any struggle or pain would be.
On the other hand, to be with Christ was a matchless reward. Yet, for the sake
of Christ, Paul chose the separation.
But, you may say: "Because of Christ, Paul found all this pleasant." I cannot
deny that, for he derived intense pleasure from what saddens us. I need not
think only of perils and hardships. It was true even of the intense sorrow that
made him cry out: Who is weak that I do not share the weakness? Who is
scandalized that I am not consumed with indignation?
I urge you not simply to admire but also to imitate this splendid example of
virtue, for, if we do, we can share his crown as well.
Are you surprised at my saying that if you have Paul's merits, you will share
that same reward? Then listen to Paul himself: I have fought the good fight, I
have run the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth a crown of justice awaits
me, and the Lord, who is a just judge, will give it to me on that day and not to
me alone, but to those who desire his coming. you see how he calls all to share
the same glory?
Now, since the same crown of glory is offered to all, let us eagerly strive to
become worthy of these promised blessings.
In thinking of Paul we should not consider only his noble and lofty virtues or
the strong and ready will that disposed him for such great graces. We should
also realize that he shares our nature in every respect. If we do, then even
what is very difficult will seem to us easy and light; we shall work hard during
the short time we have on earth and someday we shall wear the incorruptible,
immortal crown. This we shall do by the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus
Christ, to whom all glory and power belongs now and always through endless ages.
Amen.
B1212 John Damascene, priest, The Statement of Faith
You have called me, Lord, to minister to your people
O Lord, you led me from my father's loins and
formed me in my mother's womb. You brought me, a naked babe, into the light of
day, for nature's laws always obey your command.
By the blessing of the Holy Spirit, you prepared my creation and my existence,
not because man willed it or flesh desired it, but by your ineffable grace. The
birth you prepared for me was such that it surpassed the laws of our nature. You
sent me forth into the light by adopting me as your son and you enrolled me
among the children of your holy and spotless Church.
You nursed me with the spiritual milk of your divine utterances. you kept me
alive with the solid food of the body of Jesus Christ, your only-begotten Son
and our God, and you let me drink from the chalice of his life-giving blood,
poured out to save the whole world.
In this way you have humbled yourself, Christ my God, so that you might carry
me, your stray sheep, on your shoulders. You let me graze in green pastures,
refreshing me with the waters of orthodox teaching at the hands of your
shepherds. You pastured these shepherds, and now they in turn tend your chosen
and special flock. Now you have called me, Lord, by the hand of your bishop to
minister to your people. I do not know why you have done so, for you alone know
that Lord, lighten the heavy burden of the sins through which I have seriously
transgressed. Purify my mind and heart. Like a shining lamp, lead me along the
straight path. When I open my mouth, tell me what I should say. By the fiery
tongue of your Spirit make my own tongue ready. Stay with me always and keep me
in your sight.
Lead me to pastures, Lord, and graze there with me. Do not let my heart lean
either to the right or to the left, but let your good Spirit guide me along the
straight path. Whatever I do, let it be in accordance with your will, now until
the end.
And you, O Church, are a most excellent assembly, the noble summit of perfect
purity, whose assistance comes from God. You in whom God lives, receive from us
an exposition of the faith that is free from error, to strengthen the Church,
just as our Fathers handed it down to us.
T1404 John of God, religious
a letter by the Saint
Christ is faithful and provides all things
Saint John of God was born in Portugal in 1495. After a hazardous period in the military service, he chose the better way of life and devoted himself entirely to the care of the sick. Founding a hospital in Granada, Spain, he selected assistants who later formed the Order of Hospitallers of Saint John of God. He as most distinguished for his charity to the needy and the sick. Saint John died in Granada in 1550.
If we look forward to receiving God's mercy, we
can never fail to do good so long as we have the strength. For if we share with
the poor, out of love for God, whatever he has given to us, we shall receive
according to his promise a hundredfold in eternal happiness. What a fine profit,
what a blessed reward! Who would not entrust his possessions to this best of
merchants, who handles our affairs so well? With outstretched arms he begs us to
turn toward him, to weep for our sins, and to become the servants of love, first
for ourselves, then for our neighbors. Just as water extinguishes a fire, so
love wipes away sin.
So many poor people come here that I very often wonder how we can care for them
all, but Jesus Christ provides all things and nourishes everyone. Many of them
come to the house of God, because the city of Granada is large and very cold,
especially now in winter. More than a hundred and ten are now living here, sick
and healthy, servants and pilgrims. Since this house is open to everyone, it
receives the sick of every type and condition: the crippled, the disabled,
lepers, mutes, the insane, paralytics, those suffering from scurvy and those
bearing the afflictions of old age, many children, and above all countless
pilgrims and travelers, who come here, and for whom we furnish the fire, water,
and salt, as well as the utensils to cook their food. And for all of this no
payment is requested, yet Christ provides.
I work here on borrowed money, a prisoner for the sake of Jesus Christ. And
often my debts are so pressing that I dare not go out of the house for fear of
being seized by my creditors. Whenever I see so many poor brothers and neighbors
of mine suffering beyond their strength and overwhelmed with so many physical or
mental ills which I cannot alleviate, then I become exceedingly sorrowful; but I
trust in Christ, who knows my heart. And so I say: "Woe to the man who trusts in
men rather than in Christ." Whether you like it or not, you will grow apart from
men, but Christ is faithful and always with you, for Christ provides all things.
Let us always give thanks to him. Amen.
T1447 JUSTIN, MARTYR, The Acts of the martyrdom of Saint Justin and his companion saints
I have accepted the true doctrines of the Christians
Saint Justin, philosopher and martyr, was born of pagan parents at Flavia Neapolis in Samaria at the beginning of the second century. Following his conversion to the faith he wrote many works in defense of religion, of which we have only two: the Apology and the Dialogue with Trypho He also opened a school at Rome in which public debates were held. Justin was martyred along with several companions during the reign of Marcus Aurelius around the year 165.
The saints were seized and brought before the
prefect of Rome, whose name was Rusticus. As they stood before the judgment
seat, Rusticus the prefect said to Justin "above all, have faith in the gods and
obey the emperors." Justin said: "We cannot be accused or condemned for obeying
the commands of our Savior, Jesus Christ."
Rusticus said: "What system of teaching do you profess?" Justin said: I have
tried to learn about every system, but I have accepted the true doctrines of the
Christians, though these are not approved by those who are held fast by error."
The prefect Rusticus said: "Are those doctrines approved by you, wretch that you
are?" Justin said: "Yes, for I follow them with their correct teaching."
The prefect Rusticus said: "What sort of teaching is that?" Justin said:
"Worship the God of the Christians. We hold him to be from the beginning the one
creator and maker of the whole creation of things seen and things unseen. We
worship also the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He was foretold by the
prophets as the future herald of salvation for the human race and the teacher of
distinguished disciples. For myself, since I am a human being, I consider that
what I say is insignificant in comparison with his infinite godhead. I
acknowledge the existence of a prophetic power, for the one I have just spoken
of as the Son of God was the subject of prophecy. I know that the prophets were
inspired from above when they spoke of his coming among men. "
Rusticus said: "You are a Christian, then?" Justin said: "Yes, I am a
Christian."
The prefect said to Justin: "You are called a
learned man and think you know what is true teaching. Listen: if you were
scourged and beheaded, are you convinced that you would go up to heaven?" Justin
said: "I hope that I shall enter God's house if I suffer in that way. For I know
that God's favor is stored up until the end of the whole world for all who have
lived good lives. "
The prefect Rusticus said: "Do you have an idea that you will go up to heaven to
receive some suitable rewards?" Justin said: "It is not an idea that I have; it
is something I know well and hold to be most certain."
The prefect Rusticus said: "Now let us come to the point at issue, which is
necessary and urgent. Gather round then and with one accord offer sacrifice to
the gods." Justin said: "No one who is right-thinking stoops from true worship
to false worship. "The prefect Rusticus said: "If you do not do as you are
commanded you will be tortured without mercy." Justin said: "We hope to suffer
torment for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so be saved. For this will
bring us salvation and confidence as we stand before the more terrible and
universal judgment-seat of our Lord and Savior."
In the same way the other martyrs also said: "Do what you will. We are
Christians; we do not offer sacrifice to idols."
The prefect Rusticus pronounced sentence, saying: "Let those who have refused to
sacrifice to the gods and to obey the command of the emperor be scourged and led
away to suffer capital punishment according to the ruling of the laws."
Glorifying God, the holy martyrs went out to the accustomed place. They were
beheaded, and so fulfilled their witness of martyrdom in confessing their faith
in their Savior.
T1375 Marie Bernadette Soubirous, virgin, a letter by the Saint
The lady spoke to me
I had gone down one day with two other girls to
the bank of the river Cave when suddenly I heard a kind of rustling sound. I
turned my head toward the field by the side of the river but the trees seemed
quite still and the noise was evidently not from them. Then I looked up and
caught sight of the cave where I saw a lady wearing a lovely white dress with a
bright belt. On top of each of her feet was a pale yellow rose, the same color
as her rosary beads.
At this I rubbed my eyes, thinking I was seeing things, and I put my hands into
the fold of my dress where my rosary was. I wanted to make the sign of the cross
but for the life of me I couldn't manage it and my hand just fell down. Then the
lady made the sign of the cross herself and at the second attempt I managed to
do the same, though my hands were trembling. Then I began to say the rosary
while the lady let her beads slip through her fingers, without moving her lips.
When I stopped saying the Hail Mary, she immediately vanished.
I asked my two companions if they had noticed anything, but they said no. Of
course they wanted to know what I was doing and I told them that I had seen a
lady wearing a nice white dress, though I didn't know who she was. I told them
not to say anything about it, and they said I was silly to have anything to do
with it. I said they were wrong and I came back next Sunday, feeling myself
drawn to the place.
The third time I went the lady spoke to me and asked me to come every day for
fifteen days. I said I would and then she said that she wanted me to tell the
priests to build a chapel there. She also told me to drink from the stream. I
went to the Cave, the only stream I could see. Then she made me realize she was
not speaking of the Cave and she indicated a little trickle of water close-by.
When I got to it I could only find a few drops, mostly mud. I cupped my hands to
catch some liquid without success and then I started to scrape the ground. I
managed to find a few drops of water but only at the fourth attempt was there
sufficient for any kind of drink The lady then vanished and I went back home.
I went back each day for fifteen days and each time, except one Monday and one
Friday, the lady appeared and told me to look for a stream and wash in it and to
see that the priests build a chapel there. I must also pray, she said, for the
conversion of sinners. I asked her many times what she meant by that, but she
only smiled. Finally with outstretched arms and eyes looking up to heaven she
told me she was the Immaculate Conception.
During the fifteen days she told me three secrets but I was not to speak about
them to anyone and so far I have not.
T1365 Methodius of Sicily, bishop, AGATHA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR a homily on Saint Agatha by the Saint
The gift of God, the source of all goodness
My fellow Christians, our annual celebration of a
martyr's feast has brought us together. she achieved renown in the early Church
for her noble victory; she is well known now as well, for she continues to
triumph through her divine miracles, which occur daily and continue to, bring
glory to her name.
She is indeed a virgin, for she was born of the divine Word, God's only Son, who
also experienced death for our sake. John, a master of God's word, speaks of
this: He gave the power to become children of God to everyone who received him.
The woman who invites us to this banquet is both a wife and virgin. To use the
analogy of Paul, she is the bride who has been betrothed to one husband, Christ.
A true virgin, she wore the glow of a pure conscience and the crimson of the
Lamb's blood for her cosmetics. Again and again she meditated on the death of
her eager lover. For her, Christ's death was recent, his blood was still moist.
Her robe is the mark of her faithful witness to Christ. It bears the indelible
marks of his crimson blood and the shining threads of her eloquence. She offers
to all who come after her these treasures of her eloquent confession.
Agatha, the name of our saint, means "good." She was truly good, for she lived
as a child of God. She was also given as the gift of God, the source of all
goodness to her bridegroom, Christ, and to us. For she grants us a share in her
goodness.
What can give greater good than the Sovereign Good? Whom could anyone find more
worthy of celebration with hymns of praise than Agatha?
Agatha, her goodness coincides with her name and way of life. She won a good
name by her noble deeds, and by her name she points to the nobility of those
deeds. Agatha, her mere name wins all men over to her company. she teaches them
by her example to hasten with her to the true Good, God alone.
T1458 Norbert, bishop, From the life of the Saint
At ease in the company of the humble and great
Saint Norbert was born in the duchy of Cleves around; the year 1080. A canon of the church of Xanten, he was converted from a worldly life and, embracing the religious state, was ordained to the priesthood in 1115. Undertaking the apostolic life, he accepted the duty of preaching, particularly throughout France and Germany. Gathering together some companions, he laid the foundations of the Premonstratensian Order, for which he also founded monasteries. Elected Archbishop of Magdeburg in 1126, he reformed the Christian life and spread the faith to nearby pagan nations. Saint Norbert died in 1134.
Norbert is deservedly numbered by historians
among those who made an effective contribution to the reform movement under Pope
Gregory VII. He established a clergy dedicated to the ideals of the Gospel and
the apostolic Church. They were chaste and poor. They wore "the clothing and the
symbols of the new man; that is to say, they wore the religious habit and
exhibited the dignity proper to the priesthood." Norbert asked them "to live
according to the norms of the Scriptures with Christ as their model." They were
"to be clean in all matters pertaining to the altar and divine worship, to
correct their faults and failings in their chapter meeting, and to care for and
give shelter to the poor."
The priests lived in community, where they continued the work of the apostles.
Inspired by the practice of the early Church, Norbert exhorted the faithful to
join the monastic life in some capacity. So many men and women responded to the
invitation that many asserted that no man since the apostles themselves had
inspired so many to embrace the monastic life.
When Norbert was appointed an archbishop, he urged his brothers to carry the
faith to the lands of the Wends. In his own diocese he tried unsuccessfully to
convince the clergy of the need for reform and was confronted with noisy
protests both in the street and in the church.
One of the principal goals of Norbert's life was to foster harmony between the
Apostolic See and the German empire. At the same time he wanted to maintain
Rome's freedom in the matter of ecclesiastical appointments. Apparently his
efforts were so successful that Pope Innocent II thanked him profusely in a
letter in which he called him a "devoted son," and Lothair made him chancellor
of the realm.
Norbert did all these things with a steadfast faith: "Faith was the outstanding
virtue of Norbert's life, as charity had been the hallmark of Bernard of
Clairvaux's." Affable and charming, amiable to one and all, "he was at ease in
the company of the humble and the great alike." Finally, he was a most eloquent
preacher; after long meditation "he would preach the word of God" and with his
fiery eloquence purged vices, refined virtues and filled souls of good will with
the warmth of wisdom." He spent many hours in contemplation of the divine
mysteries and fearlessly spread the spiritual insights which were the fruit of
his meditation.
T1367 Paul Miki and his companions, an account of the martyrdom of the Saints by a contemporary writer.
You shall be my witnesses
The crosses were set in place. Father Pasio and
Father Rodriguez took turns encouraging the victims. Their steadfast behavior
was wonderful to see. The Father Bursar stood motionless, his eyes turned
heavenward. Brother Martin gave thanks to God's goodness by singing psalms.
Again and again he repeated: "Into your hands, Lord, I entrust my life." Brother
Francis Branco also thanked God in a loud voice. Brother Gonsalvo in a very loud
voice kept saying the Our Father and Hail Mary.
Our brother, Paul Miki, saw himself standing now in the noblest pulpit he had
ever filled. To his "congregation" he began by proclaiming himself a Japanese
and a Jesuit. He was dying for the Gospel he preached. He gave thanks to God for
this wonderful blessing and he ended his "sermon" with these words: "As I come
to this supreme moment of my life, I am sure none of you would suppose I want to
deceive you. And so I tell you plainly: there is no way to be saved except the
Christian way. My religion teaches me to pardon my enemies and all who have
offended me. I do gladly pardon the Emperor and all who have sought my death. I
beg them to seek baptism and be Christians themselves."
Then he looked at his comrades and began to encourage them in their final
struggle. Joy glowed in all their faces, and in Louis' most of all. When a
Christian in the crowd cried out to him that he would soon be in heaven, his
hands, his whole body strained upward with such joy that every eye was fixed on
him.
Anthony, hanging at Louis' side, looked toward heaven and called upon the holy
names---"Jesus, Mary!" He began to sing a psalm: "Praise the Lord, you
children!" (He learned it in catechism class in Nagasaki. They take care there
to teach the children some psalms to help them learn their catechism.)
Others kept repeating "Jesus, Mary!" their faces were serene. Some of them even
took to urging the people standing by to live worthy Christian lives. In these
and other ways they showed their readiness to die.
Then, according to Japanese custom, the four executioners began to unsheathe
their spears. At this dreadful sight, all the Christians cried out, "Jesus,
Mary!" And the storm of anguished weeping then rose to batter the very skies.
The executioners killed them one by one. One thrust of the spear, then a second
blow. It was over in a very short time.
T1453 Paul VI ---CHARLES LWANGA AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS the homily at the canonization of the martyrs of Uganda by the Pope
The glory of the martyrs---a sign of rebirth
Owing to religious hatred, many faithful Christians were killed in Uganda by King Mwanga during the years 1885-87. Some of them had enjoyed the good graces of the king at his court, and some were even related to him. Among them, Charles Lwanga and his twenty-one companions, adhering steadfastly to the Catholic faith, were put to death, some by sword, others by burning, because they would not accede to the king's unreasonable demands.
The African martyrs add another page to the
martyrology---the Church's roll of honor---an occasion both of mourning and of
joy. This is a page worthy in every way to be added to the annals of that Africa
of earlier times which we, living in this era and being men of little faith,
never expected to be repeated.
In earlier times there occurred those famous deeds, so moving to the spirit, of
the martyrs of Scilli, of Carthage, and of that "white robed army" of Utica
commemorated by Saint Augustine and' Prudentius; of the martyrs of Egypt so
highly praised by Saint John Chrysostom, and of the martyrs of the Vandal
persecution. Who would have thought that in our days we should have witnessed
events as heroic and glorious?
Who could have predicted to the famous African confessors and martyrs such as
Cyprian, Felicity, Perpetua and--- the greatest of all--- Augustine, that we
would one day add names so dear to us as Charles Lwanga and Matthias Mulumba
Kalemba and their twenty companions? Nor must we forget those members of the
Anglican Church who also died for the name of Christ.
These African martyrs herald the dawn of a new age. If only the mind of man
might be directed not toward persecutions and religious conflicts but toward a
rebirth of Christianity and civilization!
Africa has been washed by the blood of these latest martyrs, the first of this
new age (and, God willing, let them be the last, although such a holocaust is
precious indeed). Africa is reborn free and independent.
The infamous crime by which these young men were put to death was so unspeakable
and so expressive of the times. It shows us clearly that a new people needs a
moral foundation, needs new spiritual customs firmly planted, to be handed down
to posterity. Symbolically, this crime also reveals that a simple and rough way
of life enriched by many fine human qualities yet enslaved by its own weakness
and corruption---must give way to a more civilized life wherein the higher
expressions of the mind and better social conditions prevail.
T1477 Paulinus of Nola, bishop, a letter by the Saint
God everywhere produces his love in his people through the Holy Spirit
You have shown, my lord, that you bear within you
true charity and perfect love toward my humble person. Truly holy and deservedly
blessed, you are a most desirable friend, for my cousin Julian on his return
from Carthage delivered the letter which conveyed to us the shining light of
your sanctity. As a result it seems to me that l am not just now coming to know
your love for me but rather recognizing it as something I was already aware of.
For clearly this love of yours came forth from the one who predestined us for
himself from the foundation of the world. In him, the maker of all that is to
be, we were made before we were born, because he made us and not we ourselves.
Shaped by his work and his foreknowledge, then, we were already joined by
charity into a likeness of wills and a union of faith, or a faith of unity, that
anticipated our present acquaintance. So before we met in person, we became
known to each other in the revelation of the Spirit.
Hence I give thanks and boast in the Lord, who, one and the same throughout the
world, produces his love in his people through the Holy Spirit whom he pours out
upon all flesh. With the flow of the river he gladdens his city among whose
citizens he rightly established you to be the first among the princes of his
people in your apostolic see. Likewise, he wanted me, whom he raised up when I
was downtrodden, and lifted up from the earth when I was destitute, to be
numbered among your associates. But I am more grateful for that gift of the Lord
by which he established a place for me in your heart and allowed me so to
penetrate your affections that I might claim a personal trust in your love.
Moved by such kindnesses and gifts, I could not love you in a merely casual or
negligent way.
But you should know everything about me and you should be aware that I am a
sinner of long standing. It is not so long ago that I was led out of darkness
and the shadow of death; only recently have I begun to breathe in the air of
life; only recently have I put my hand to the plough and taken up the cross of
Christ. I need to be helped by your prayers to persevere to the end. And if you
should lighten my burden by your intercession, this is the reward that will be
added on to your merits, for the holy man who helps a laborer (I dare not call
myself a brother) will be exalted like a great city.
We have sent to you a loaf of bread in token of our unity; it symbolizes as well
the substance of the Trinity. By accepting it you will make it a bread of
blessing.
T1401 Perpetua and Felicity, martyrs
the story of the death of the holy martyrs of Carthage
Called and chosen for the glory of the Lord
Saints Perpetua and Felicity suffered martyrdom in the persecution of Septimus Severus at Carthage in 203. A most accurate account of their death still exists, derived partly from their own testimonies and partly from a writer of the period:
The day of the martyrs' victory dawned. They
marched from their cells into the amphitheater, as if into heaven, with cheerful
looks and graceful bearing. If they trembled it was for joy and not for fear.
Perpetua was the first to be thrown down, and she fell prostrate. She got up
and, seeing that Felicity was prostrate, went over and reached out her hand to
her and lifted her up. Both stood up together. The hostility of the crowd was
appeased, and they were ordered to the gate called Sanavivaria. There Perpetua
was welcomed by a catechumen named Rusticus. Rousing herself as if from sleep
(so deeply had she been in spiritual ecstasy), she began to look around. To
everyone's amazement she said: "When are we going to be led to the beast?" When
she heard that it had already happened she did not at first believe it until she
saw the marks of violence on her body and her clothing. Then she beckoned to her
brother and the catechumen, and addressed them in these words: "Stand firm in
faith, love one another and do not be tempted to do anything wrong because of
our sufferings."
Saturus, too, in another gate, encouraged the soldier Pudens, saying: "Here I
am, and just as I thought and foretold I have not yet felt any wild beast. Now
believe with your whole heart: I will go there and be killed by the leopard in
one bite." And right at the end of the games, when he was thrown to the leopard
he was in fact covered with so much blood from one bite that the people cried
out to him: "washed and saved, washed and saved!" And so, giving evidence of a
second baptism, he was clearly saved who had been washed in this manner.
Then Saturus said to the soldier Pudens: "Farewell, and remember your faith as
well as me; do not let these things frighten you; let them rather strengthen
you." At the same time he asked for the little ring from Pudens' finger. After
soaking it in his wound he returned it to Pudens as a keepsake, leaving him a
pledge and a remembrance of his blood. Half dead, he was thrown along with the
others into the usual place of slaughter.
The people, however, had demanded that the martyrs be led to the middle of the
amphitheater. They wanted to see the sword thrust into the bodies of the
victims, so that their eyes might share in the slaughter. Without being asked
they went where the people wanted them to go; but first they kissed one another,
to complete their witness with the customary kiss of peace.
The others stood motionless and received the deathblow in silence, especially
Saturus, who had gone up first and was first to die; he was helping Perpetua.
But Perpetua, that she might experience the pain more deeply, rejoiced over her
broken body and guided the shaking hand of the inexperienced gladiator to her
throat. Such a woman, one before whom the unclean spirit trembled, could not
perhaps have been killed, had she herself not willed it.
Bravest and happiest martyrs! You were called and chosen for the glory of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
B1248 Peter Canisius, priest, the writings by Saint
A spiritual experience
Before he set out for Germany---he is rightly
called the second apostle of that country---Saint Peter Canisius received the
apostolic blessing, and underwent a profound spiritual experience. He describes
it in these words.
"Eternal High Priest, you allowed me in your boundless goodness to commend the
fruit and confirmation of that blessing to your apostles, to whom men go on
pilgrimage to the Vatican and who there work wonders under your guidance. It was
there that I experienced great consolation and the presence of your grace,
offered to me through these great intercessors. They too gave their blessings,
and confirmed the mission to Germany; they seemed to promise their good will to
me as an apostle of that country. You know, Lord, how strongly and how often you
committed Germany to my care on that very day: I was to continue to be
solicitous for it thereafter, I was to desire to live and die for it.
At length it was as if you opened to me the heart in your most sacred body: I
seemed to see it directly before my eyes. you told me to drink from this
fountain, inviting me, that is, to draw the waters of my salvation from your
wellsprings, my savior. I was most eager that streams of faith, hope and love
should flow into me from that source. I was thirsting for poverty, chastity,
obedience. I asked to be made wholly clean by you, to be clothed by you, to be
made resplendent by you.
"So, after daring to approach your most loving heart and to plunge my thirst in
it, I received a promise from you of a garment made of three parts: these were
to cover my soul in its nakedness, and to belong especially to my religious
profession. They were peace, love and perseverance. Protected by this garment of
salvation, I was confident that I would lack nothing but all would succeed and
give you glory."
T1472 ROMUALD, ABBOT, The life of Saint Romuald by the Saint
Denying oneself and following Christ
Saint Romuald was born in Ravenna in the middle
of the tenth century. He embraced the hermit's life and for many years traveled
through various lands seeking solitude and establishing small monasteries while
directing himself to a life of perfection by the practice of virtues. He fought
strenuously against the depraved habits of the monks of his day. He died around
the year 1027.
Romuald lived in the vicinity of the city of Parenzo for three years. In the
first year he built a monastery and appointed an abbot with monks. For the next
two years he remained there in seclusion. In that setting, divine holiness
transported him to such a summit of perfection that, breathed upon by the Holy
Spirit, he foresaw many future events and comprehended with the rays of his
intelligence hidden mysteries of the Old and New Testament.
Frequently he was seized by so great a contemplation of divinity that he would
be reduced to tears with the boiling, indescribable heat of divine love. In this
condition he would cry out: Beloved Jesus, beloved, sweet honey, indescribable
longing, delight of the saints, sweetness of the angels, and other things of
this kind. We are unable to express the ecstasy of these utterances, dictated by
the Holy Spirit.
Wherever the holy man might arrange to live, he would follow the same pattern.
First he would build an oratory with an altar in a cell; then he would shut
himself in and forbid access.
Finally, after he had lived in many places, perceiving that his end was near, he
returned to the monastery he had built in the valley of Castro. While he awaited
with certainty his approaching death, he ordered a cell to be constructed there
with an oratory in which he might isolate himself and preserve silence until
death.
Accordingly the hermitage was built, since he had made up his mind that he would
die there. His body began to grow more and more oppressed by afflictions and was
already failing, not so much from weakness as from the exhaustion of great age.
One day he began to feel the loss of his physical strength under all the
harassment of increasingly violent afflictions. As the sun was beginning to set,
he instructed two monks who were standing by to go out and close the door of the
cell behind them; they were to come back to him at daybreak to celebrate matins.
They were so concerned about his end that they went out reluctantly and did not
rest immediately. On the contrary, since they were worried that their master
might die, they lay hidden near the cell and watched this precious treasure. For
some time they continued to listen attentively until they heard neither movement
nor sound. Rightly guessing what had happened, they pushed open the door, rushed
in quickly, lit a candle and found the holy man lying on his back, his blessed
soul snatched up into heaven. As he lay there, he seemed like a neglected
heavenly pearl that was soon to be given a place of honor in the treasury of the
King of kings.
T1396 Polycarp, bishop and martyr a letter on the martyrdom of the Saint by the Church of Smyrna
A rich and pleasing sacrifice
When the pyre was ready, Polycarp took off all
his clothes and loosened his under-garment. He made an effort also to remove his
shoes, though he had been unaccustomed to this, for the faithful always vied
with each other in their haste to touch his body. Even before his martyrdom he
had received every mark of honor in tribute to his holiness of life.
There and then he was surrounded by the material for the pyre. When they tried
to fasten him also with nails, he said: "Leave me as I am. The one who gives me
strength to endure the fire will also give me strength to stay quite still on
the pyre, even without the precaution of your nails." So they did not fix him to
the pyre with nails but only fastened him instead. Bound as he was, with hands
behind his back, he stood like a mighty ram, chosen out for sacrifice from a
great flock, a worthy victim made ready to be offered to God.
Looking up to heaven, he said: "Lord, almighty God, Father of your beloved and
blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have come to the knowledge of
yourself, God of angels, of powers, of all creation, of all the race of saints
who live in your sight, I bless you for judging me worthy of this day, this
hour, so that in the company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ, your
anointed one, and so rise again to eternal life in soul and body, immortal
through the power of the Holy Spirit. May I be received among the martyrs in
your presence today as a rich and pleasing sacrifice. God of truth, stranger to
falsehood, you have prepared this and revealed it to me and now you have
fulfilled your promise.
"I praise you for all things, I bless you, I glorify you through the eternal
priest of heaven, Jesus Christ, your beloved Son. Through him be glory to you,
together with him and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen."
When he had said "Amen" and finished the prayer, the officials at the pyre lit
it. But, when a great flame burst out, those of us privileged to see it
witnessed a strange and wonderful thing. Indeed, we have been spared in order to
tell the story to others. Like a ship's sail swelling in the wind, the flame
became as it were a dome encircling the martyr's body. Surrounded by the fire,
his body was like bread that is baked, or gold and silver white-hot in a
furnace, not like flesh that has been burnt. so sweet a fragrance came to us
that it was like that of burning incense or some other costly and sweet smelling
gum.
B1273 Quodvultdeus, bishop, a sermon by the Saint
They cannot speak, yet they bear witness to Christ
A tiny child is born, who is a great king. Wise
men are led to him from afar. They come to adore one who lies in a manger and
yet reigns in heaven and on earth. When they tell of one who is born a king,
Herod is disturbed. To save his kingdom he resolves to kill him, though if he
would have faith in the child, he himself would reign in peace in this life and
for ever in the life to come.
Why are you afraid, Herod, when you hear of the birth of a king? He does not
come to drive you out, but to conquer the devil. But because you do not
understand this you are disturbed and in a rage, and to destroy one child whom
you seek, you show your cruelty in the death of so many children.
You are not restrained by the love of weeping mothers or fathers mourning the
deaths of their sons, nor by the cries and sobs of the children. You destroy
those who are tiny in body because fear is destroying your heart. You imagine
that if you accomplish your desire you can prolong your own life, though you are
seeking to kill Life himself. Yet your throne is threatened by the source of
grace---so small, yet so great---who is lying in the manger. He is using you,
all unaware of it, to work out his own purposes freeing souls from captivity to
the devil. He has taken up the sons of the enemy into the ranks of God's adopted
children.
The children die for Christ, though they do not know it. The parents mourn for
the death of martyrs. The child makes of those as yet unable to speak fit
witnesses to himself. See the kind of kingdom that is his, coming as he did in
order to be this kind of king. See how the deliverer is already working
deliverance, the savior already working salvation.
But you, Herod, do not know this and are disturbed and furious. While you vent
your fury against the child, you are already paying him homage, and do not know
it.
How great a gift of grace is here! To what merits of their own do the children
owe this kind of victory? They cannot speak, yet they bear witness to Christ.
They cannot use their limbs to engage in battle, yet already they bear off the
palm of victory.
T1479 Thomas More, a letter written in prison to his daughter, Margaret, by the Saint
With good hope I Shall commit myself wholly to God
Although I know well, Margaret, that because of
my past wickedness I deserve to be abandoned by God, I cannot but trust in his
merciful goodness. His grace has strengthened me until now and made me content
to lose goods, land, and life as well, rather than to swear against my
conscience. God's grace has given the king a gracious frame of mind toward me,
so that as yet he has taken from me nothing but my liberty. In doing this His
Majesty has done me such great good with respect to spiritual profit that I
trust that among all the great benefits he has heaped so abundantly upon me I
count my imprisonment the very greatest. I cannot, therefore, mistrust the grace
of God. Either he shall keep the king in that gracious frame of mind to continue
to do me no harm, or else, if it be his pleasure that for my other sins I suffer
in this case as I shall not deserve, then his grace shall gi~e me the strength
to bear it patiently, and perhaps even gladly.
By the merits of his bitter passion joined to mine and far surpassing in merit
for me all that I can suffer myself, his bounteous goodness shall release me
from the pains of purgatory and shall increase my reward in heaven besides.
I will not mistrust him, Meg, though I shall feel myself weakening and on the
verge of being overcome with fear. I shall remember how Saint Peter at a blast
of wind began to sink because of his lack of faith, and I shall do as he did:
call upon Christ and pray to him for help. And then I trust he shall place his
holy hand on me and in the stormy seas hold me up from drowning.
And if he permits me to play Saint Peter further and to fall to the ground and
to swear and forswear, may God our Lord in his tender mercy keep me from this,
and let me lose if it so happen, and never win thereby! Still, if this should
happen, afterward I trust that in his goodness he will look on me with pity as
he did upon Saint Peter, and make me stand up again and confess the truth of my
conscience afresh and endure here the shame and harm of my own fault.
And finally, Margaret, I know this well: that without my fault he will not let
me be lost. I shall, therefore, with good hope commit myself wholly to him. And
if he permits me to perish for my faults, then I shall serve as praise for his
justice. But in good faith, Meg, I trust that his tender pity shall keep my poor
soul safe and make me commend his mercy.
And, therefore, my own good daughter do not let your mind be troubled over
anything that shall happen to me in this world. Nothing can come but what God
wills. And I am very sure that whatever that be, however bad it may seem, it
shall indeed be the best.