• December 2nd - St. Chromatius, Bishop of Aquileia

    From rich@1:396/4 to All on Sun Dec 1 08:09:45 2019
    From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

    December 2nd - St. Chromatius, Bishop of Aquileia

    CHROMATIUS was brought up in the city of Aquileia, of which he was
    probably a native, and lived there with his widowed mother (of whom
    St. Jerome's good opinion is seen in a letter written to her in the
    year 374) his brother, who also became a bishop, and unmarried
    sisters. After his ordination to the priesthood St. Chromatius took
    part in the synod of Aquileia against Arianism in 381, baptized
    Rufinus in his early manhood, and soon acquired a great reputation. On
    the death of St Valerian in 388 he was elected bishop of Aquileia, and
    in that office became one of the most distinguished prelates of his
    time. He was a friend and correspondent of St. Jerome (who dedicated
    several of his works to him), at the same time preserving his
    association with Rufinus, and trying to act as peace-maker and
    moderator in the Origenistic dispute.

    =C2 It was owing to the encouragement of St. Chromatius that Rufinus
    undertook the translation of the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius
    and other works, and at his suggestion St Ambrose commented on the
    prophecy of Balaam; he helped St. Heliodorus of Altino to finance St.
    Jerome's translation of the Bible. Chromatius was an energetic and
    valued supporter of St. John Chrysostom, who had a high opinion of
    him; he wrote to the Emperor Honorius protesting against the
    persecution of Chrysostom, and Honorius forwarded the protest to his
    brother, Arcadius, at Constantinople. But the efforts of Chromatius
    were without effect. He was himself a capable commentator of the Holy Scriptures; 17 of his treatises on parts of St Matthew's gospel are
    extant and a homily on the Beatitudes. St Chromatius died about the
    year 407, and is named in the Roman Martyrology; his feast is observed
    in the churches of Gorizia and Istria, formerly parts of the Aquileian province. Part of Chromatius' commentary on St. Matthew is extant.

    There seems to be no formal biography; but some attention has been
    directed to St. Chromatius of late years on account of the writings
    attributed to him. See Bardenhewer, Geschichte der altkirchilchen
    Literatur, vol. iii, pp. 548-551; P. de Puniet in the Revue d'histo=
    ire
    eccl=C3=A9siastique, vol. vi (1905), pp. 15-32, 304-318 P. Paschini in the Revue B=C3=A9n=C3=A9dictine, vol. xxvi (1909), pp. 469-475. The works attri= buted
    to Chromatius are printed in Migne, PL., vol. XX, CC. 247-436, but the
    state of the text is very unsatisfactory. To him must probably be
    attributed the =E2=80=9CExpositio de oratione dorninica=E2=80=9D printed by=
    M. Andrieu
    in Lea Ordines romani du haut moyen =C3=A2ge, vol. ii (1948), pp. 417-447.


    ST. CHROMATIUS INVITES US TO ENTER INTO CONTACT WITH GOD

    VATICAN CITY, DEC 5, 2007 (VIS) - In today's general audience, which
    was held in the Paul VI Hall, Benedict XVI dedicated his remarks to
    the figure of St. Chromatius, bishop of Aquileia in northern Italy, "a
    dynamic center of Christian life located in the 'Decima regione' of
    the Roman empire, 'Venetia et Histria'."=C2 "Between the middle of the
    third century and the early years of the fourth," said the Pope, "the persecutions of Decius, Valerian and Diocletian had produced a large
    number of martyrs." At the same time, the Church of Aquileia was
    facing "the threat of the Arian heresy."
    =C2 In 381 Chromatius, then a priest and the expert assistant of Bishop Valerian of Aquileia, participated in a synod "to eliminate the last
    residues of Arianism in the West."

    =C2 The Holy Father recalled how Chromatius was born in Aquileia in the
    year 345, "he was ordained a deacon then a priest and finally elected
    as pastor of that church in 388. Having received episcopal
    consecration from St. Ambrose, he dedicated himself courageously and energetically to a task of immense proportions because of the vastness
    of the lands entrusted to his care: the ecclesial jurisdiction of
    Aquileia stretched to what is currently the territory of Switzerland,
    Bavaria, Austria and Slovenia, even reaching as far as Hungary." The
    saintly bishop died an exile in Grado in 407, the same year as St.
    John Chrysostom.

    The Holy Father indicated that of St. Chromatius' works, more than 40
    sermons and over 60 commentaries on the Gospel of St. Mark survive.
    "He was wise master and a zealous pastor," said the Pope. "In his
    teaching he always began from the Word of God and to that he always
    returned. Among subjects particularly dear to him were, primarily, the Trinitarian mystery which he considered in its revelation throughout
    the history of salvation, the theme of the Holy Spirit, ... and the
    mystery of Christ. The incarnate Word is true God and true man: He
    fully assumed the human condition so as to give it His own divinity."

    His "insistence on the human nature of Christ led Chromatius to speak
    of the Virgin Mary," said the Pope, pointing out how the saint
    described Mary in various ways such as "the evangelical virgin capable
    of accepting God," and compared her with the Church, both being
    "virgins and mothers." The Holy Father then explained that
    "Chromatius' ecclesiology is developed above all in his commentary on
    Matthew," where he writes that "the Church is unique, she is born from
    the blood of Christ."

    Chromatius "knew how to address his people using a fresh, vivacious
    and incisive language." As a "good pastor, in troubled times such as
    his own marked by the barbarian incursions, he stood alongside the
    faithful to comfort them and open their souls to faith in God, Who
    never abandons His children."

    In off-the-cuff remarks at the end of his talk, the Pope noted how
    "St. Chromatius reminds us that Advent is a time of prayer, in which
    we must enter into contact with God. God knows us, He knows me, He
    knows each of us. He loves me, He does not abandon me. Thus
    trustingly, let us proceed into the liturgical time that has just
    begun." AG/ST. CHROMATIUS/...=C2 =C2 VIS 071205 (560)


    Saint Quote:
    If you find it impossible to pray, hide behind your good Angel and
    charge him to pray in your stead.
    ---Saint John Vianney

    Bible Quote:
    For the lips of the priest shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek
    the law at his mouth: because he is the angel of the Lord of hosts.
    (Malachias 2:7)


    <><><><>
    God's eternal quest

    God's eternal quest must be the tracking down of souls. You should join Him
    in His quest.=C2 Glorious to follow where the Leader goes. You are seeki=
    ng
    lost sheep. You are bringing the good news into places where it has not bee=
    n
    known before. You may not know which soul you=C2 will help, but you can = leave
    all results to God. Just go with Him in His eternal quest for souls. -
    --From Twenty-Four Hours a Day

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