From: rich <
richarra@gmail.com>
October 12th - SS. Felix and Cyprian and many other Martyrs
d. 484
The second entry in the Roman Martyrology today runs: =E2=80=9CIn Africa, t=
he
passion of 4966 holy confessors and martyrs in the Vandal persecution
under the Arian king, Huneric, some of whom were bishops of the
churches of God and some priests and deacons, with the multitudes of
the faithful associated with them. They were driven into exile in a
horrible desert for defending Catholic truth. Many of them were
cruelly treated by the Moors, being compelled to run by the points of
spears and struck with stones; others were dragged like corpses, with
their legs tied together, over rough and stony ground, and torn limb
from limb; all of them, being tortured in various ways, at the last
achieved martyrdom. Among them were those distinguished priests of the
Lord, the bishops Felix and Cyprian.=E2=80=9D Victor of Vita, an African
bishop who was contemporary and an eyewitness describe the persecution
of orthodox Christians by the Arian Vandals thus summarized at length.
Huneric exiled them by hundreds into the Libyan desert, where they
perished under conditions of the greatest barbarity. Numbers were
concentrated in a small building, where Bishop Victor, who found
prisoners and prison in a state reminiscent of the =E2=80=9Cblack hole=E2= =80=9D of
Calcutta, visited them. When at length the order was brought to lead
the Catholics into the wilderness, they came out singing psalms and
amid the lamentations of their fellow-Christians. Some even, including
women and children, voluntarily followed the confessors to exile and
death. St Felix, the bishop of Abbir, was very old and half paralysed,
and it was represented to Huneric that he might just as well be left
to die at home. But the brutal king replied that if he could not ride
a horse he could be tied to a yoke of oxen and dragged. Eventually the
old man made the terrible journey tied across the back of a mule. Many
even of the young and strong did not reach their destination: stones
were thrown at them and they were pricked with spears to make them
keep up, till they collapsed by the wayside and perished of thirst and exhaustion. St Cyprian, another bishop, expended all his time, energy
and property in caring for the confessors and encouraging them, till
he too was apprehended and sent into banishment, where he died a
martyr from the hardships he endured.
We know, practically speaking, no more of these martyrs than is told
us by Victor of Vita. His text is quoted and discussed in the Acta
Sanctorum, October, vol. vi. It is curious that no identifiable notice
of the group seems to occur in the ancient calendar of Carthage or in
the =E2=80=9CHieronymianum=E2=80=9D.
Reflection: The Saints fasted, toiled, and wept, not only for love of
God, but in fear of damnation. How shall we, with our self-indulgent
lives and unexamined consciences, face the judgment-seat of Christ?
Saint Quote:
No, my dear brethren, this gracious virtue of purity is not known to
those young men whose eyes and hands are defiled by glances and...Oh
God, how many souls does this sin drag down to Hell...This beautiful
virtue is not known to those worldly and corrupt girls who make so
many preparations and take so many cares to draw the eyes of the world
towards themselves, who by their affected and indecent dress announce
publicly that they are evil instruments which hell makes use of to
ruin souls--those souls which cost so much in labors and tears and
torments to Jesus Christ. Look at them, these misfortunates, and you
will see that a thousand devils surround their heads and their
breasts. An even more astounding thing to understand is how their
mothers endure them in a state unworthy of a Christian. I would tell
these mothers they are worth no more than their daughters.
-- Saint John Vianney
<><><><>
Prayer--Goffine's Devout Instructions
How lovely, O God, are Thy tabernacles! My soul longeth and fainteth
for Thy courts, O living God, Who art the crown and reward of the
saints, and repayest their sufferings and sorrows in this world with
eternal joy. How blessed are all they who, in this life, have served
Thee faithfully! They behold Thee and the Lamb of God face to face;
they bear Thy name on their foreheads, and reign with Thee forever. We therefore beseech Thee, O God, through their intercessor, to grant us
Thy grace to serve Thee after their example, in sanctity and justice;
to follow them in poverty, humility, meekness, repentance, in ardent
longing for all virtues, in peace-making and patience, and one day,
like them, to share in the joys of heaven. Amen.
--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)