From: rich <
richarra@gmail.com>
December 26th - Saint Archelaus of Mesopotamia
Died c.280
Bishop of Chacar (Kashkar; Cascus; Charchar) Mesopotamia. Fought
Manichaeism. His writings on the heresy were valued by Saint Jerome.
THE Roman Martyrology signalizes the death on this day in Mesopotamia
of St Archelaus the bishop, famous for his learning and holiness. St
Jerome says in his De viris illustribus that,
=E2=80=9CArchelaus, a Mesopotamian bishop, composed a book in Syriac about = the
discussion that he had carried on with Manes, who came from Persia.
This book has been translated into Greek and is known to many.
Archelaus lived in the time of the Emperor Probus, the successor of
Aurelian and of Tacitus.=E2=80=9D
The story is that a Syrian named Marcellus had brought about the
release of a number of Christian slaves, and was congratulated on his charitable action by the heresiarch Manes, who took the opportunity to inculcate his teaching. Marcellus reported the matter to his bishop,
Archelaus, who undertook disputations with Manes. These =E2=80=9Cacts=E2=80= =9D are an
interesting document in the history of Manichaeism, but it was not
written in Syriac or by Archelaus. Photius, in recommending his
brother to read the book against the manichaeans of Heraclian of
Chalcedon (whose style, he says, =E2=80=9Ccombines atticism with ordinary language, like a schoolmaster entering into a contest of superatticism=E2=80=9D), quotes Heraclian as saying that the disputation of Archelaus was written by one Hegemonius. Research has shown that the disputation was only a literary device, and that it was composed years
after Manes was dead. It therefore seems that St Archelaus, of whom
nothing else is recorded, was as fictitious as his dispute, invented
for the occasion by Hegemonius.
The whole matter of the Acta Archelai is very obscure but see
Bardenhewer, Geschichte der altkirchilchen Literatur, vol. iii, pp.
265-269 DCB., vol. i, pp. 152-153 and P. Alfaric, Les =C3=A9critures manich=C3=A9enes (1918), pp. 55 seq.
Archelaus was a foe of the heresy of Manichaeism and is believed to
have debated the movement's founder, Manes, personally. An ancient
bishop of the Christian church, from Kashkar, in Mesopotamia. It
should be noted, however, that there is some dispute over his place of
origin, too long to relate in depth here.
Bible Quote
Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In all things give thanks for this
is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you all. =C2 [Thes. 5:16-18=
] DRB
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Who abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him.--1 John 4:16
13. To lose ourselves in God is simply to give up our own will to Him.
When a soul can say truly, "Lord, I have no other will than Thine," it
is truly lost in God, and united to Him.
--St. Francis de Sales
The venerable Father Daponte made this prayer, and repeated it every
day: "Fiat, Domine de me, in me, pro me, et circa me et omnia mea,
sancta voluntas Tua, in omnibus et per omnia et in
aeternum--Concerning me, in me, for me, in regard to me, and all that
I have, may Thy holy will, O Lord, be done, in all things, and through
all things, and to eternity."
The Lord appeared one day to St. Gertrude and said to her: "Daughter,
behold I bring you in one hand health, and in the other sickness.
Choose which you please!" The Saint, throwing herself at His feet,
with her hands crossed upon her bosom, answered: "O Lord, I pray Thee
not to consider my will at all, but solely Thine own, and to do with
me whatever will result in Thy greatest glory and satisfaction; for I
have no desire except to have whatever Thou wishest me to have." The
Lord was much pleased with this reply, and added: "Let those who
desire that I should often visit them give Me the key of their will,
and never take it back?' Instructed by these words, the Saint composed
for herself this aspiration, which she frequently repeated ever after:
"Non mea, sed Tua voluntas fiat, Jesu amantissime!--Not my will, but
Thine be done, O most loving Jesus!"
(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". =C2 December: Union)
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