Saint of the day and Feast days - Part 2

[Shin]

St Eulalia, virgin and martyr, pray for us!

 

[Shin]

'ST. EULALIA was born of a noble Spanish family at Merida, then the capital of Lusitania, toward the be ginning of the fourth century, when the persecution of Diocletian and Maximian was raging most violently, that is to say, in 304.

Her parents were pious Christians, who took care to educate her in sentiments of piety; and they had the consolation of seeing her totally given to practices of virtue and inflamed with the love of Jesus Christ, to whom she consecrated her virginity at a very early age, and for whose honor she was anxious to suffer martyrdom. She therefore took the greatest pleasure in hear ing of the victories, or reading the Acts of the martyrs.

St. Eulalia was only twelve years old when she heard the edicts of the emperors published in Merida; yet she began to prepare herself for the struggle. Her mother, perceiving her ardor, endeavored to mitigate it, by representing to her the horrible tortures to which the confessors of the faith were exposed, but this only inflamed the holy enthusiasm of Eulalia still more. Calpurnianus, having arrived at Merida to execute the imperial man dates, her mother brought her to a country house, and watched her very closely.

The saint, inspired by God, spoke to a young lady named Julia, who had been given her as a companion, and persuaded her to escape with her to the city, in search of martyrdom. This they effected in the night, travelling without a light or a guide. The impatient zeal of Eulalia caused her to walk so quickly, that Julia, being unable to keep pace with her, at length exclaimed: "Walk as fast as thou canst I have a presentiment that I shall receive the crown of martyrdom before thee."

The two young heroines, travelling by night over an unknown country, injured their feet very much ; they arrived, however, at the city in the morning, and presented themselves to Calpurnianus, whom Eulalia up braided with the impiety of doing honor to the devil, by worshipping statues of wood and stone. The prefect, surprised to hear a young girl speak so, asked her who she was, and why she spoke with such boldness. The saint replied: "I am a Christian, and the God whom I adore inspires me with a horror of thy impiety." The prefect said: "But knowest thou, child, to whom thou speakest ?" She answered: "I am aware that I speak with the governor, and therefore it is that I call it an impiety to oblige Christians to sacrifice to false gods." Calpurnianus endeavored to gain her over, first by promises, and afterwards by threats; but the saint continued to proclaim herself a Christian, and that she was most anxious to lay down her life for Jesus Christ. Cardinal Orsi and Fleury add, that she spat in the face of the judge, threw down the idols, and trampled upon the flour which had been provided for an offering. . .

The tyrant, enraged at the constancy of the young virgin, ordered that her flesh should be torn off with iron hooks until the bones should be laid bare. The saint, then, with uplifted eyes, exclaimed: "Behold, my Saviour, these wounds make me believe that I am destined to be thy spouse; do thou, of thy mercy, render me worthy to be so." Finally, the tyrant, perceiving that nothing could weaken her constancy, determined to burn her alive.

The executioners therefore kindled a great fire around her, and the flames catching her hair she was quickly smothered. This circumstance is described in verse by Prudentius, who lived toward the end of the century in which she suffered. She consummated her sacrifice on the 10th December.

Prudentius also relates, and Fleury also adds his testimony, that, when the holy martyr expired, the by standers saw a dove, so resplendent that it dazzled the beholders, proceeding from her mouth, and winging its flight to heaven.

A great snow fell, and covered the saint s body, which gave the Christians an opportunity of burying it near the place of her martyrdom. When peace had been restored to the Church under Constantine, a magnificent church was raised over her tomb, which the Lord glorified by many miracles. In the eighth century, that the body of the saint might be preserved from the profanations of the Saracens, it was translated to the cathedral of Oviedo, and placed in a rich chapel dedicated in her honor. '

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, 'Victories of the Martyrs'

[Shin]

Saint Eulalia of Merida
Martyr.
Eulalia was born in 290 in Spain. According to Dictionary of Saints by John J. Delaney, though a Saint by this name did live and suffer martyrdom in Merida Spain, what is known about her is legendary. According to the legend, she was a twelve year old Spanish girl who, despite her mother’s attempts to prevent her from doing so, denounced Judge Dacian for attempting to make Christians apostacize. She was tortured and put to death when she refused to sacrifice to the gods.
The year was 304.
Saint Augustine reportedly praised her martyrdom and Saint Prudentius also reportedly wrote a hymn in her honor.
Saint Eulalia of Merida,
Pray for us!

There are problems with some of the more modern books about the saints, they being too quick to dismiss many historical events as legendary due perhaps to modern sensibilities. I wonder if this is not the case in this instance, given that Prudentius lived in so close a time to this young martyr, as St. Alphonsus Maria relates, and he does not give the account with a disclaimer.

I heard too that Butler's for example, had been very badly adulterated by a later editor, compared to earlier editions.

[odhiambo]

December 11
Today, let us Remember
Saint Daniel the Stylite
Among many other Saints

[odhiambo]

Saint Daniel the Stylite
Daniel was born in 409 at Maratha, near Samosata, which is present day Samsat, a small town in Turkey. At the age of twelve, he joined a nearby monastery and became a monk there.
On an occasion, he accompanied his abbot on a trip to Antioch. On the way, they stopped to see Saint Simeon the Elder on his pillar. If I may digress here for the benefit of anyone who may be wondering, as I did, "what is all this about stylites and pillars"? According to Catholic Encyclopedia "Stylites were solitaries who, taking up their abode upon the tops of a pillar (stylos), chose to spend their days amid the restraints thus entailed and in the exercise of other forms of asceticism." In other words, these were monks who spent their lives in pillars!
It appears that the first ever stylite was this Simeon the Elder.
Back at their monastery, when the abbot died, the other monks requested Daniel to be their abbot but he refused. He made a pilgrimage to the Holy land and lived for nine years as a hermit at Philemora,( Philempora) near Constantinople. He then decided to follow in the footsteps of Simeon and live on a pillar. He spent the next thirty three years, the age of Our Lord, on a series of pillars built near Constantinople and was ordained on one of them when he refused to come down for his ordination.
Daniel reportedly prophesied a disastrous fire in Constantinople in 465. He became famed for his holiness and healing miracles and attracted huge crowds with the sermons delivered from the top of his pillar. He counseled people from all walks of life. Daniel came down from the pillar only once to denounce Emperor Basilicus for a crime he had committed.
Daniel died on his pillar that was erected near Constantinople and he was buried at its foot.
He was canonized Pre-Congregationally.
Saint Daniel the Stylite,
Pray for us!

[Shin]

St. Daniel and St. Simon! Two incredible saints!


Now when he was twelve years old he heard his mother say 'My child, I have dedicated you to God'. Thereupon one day without saying anything to anybody he went out of the village for a distance of about ten miles where there was a monastery containing fifty brethren. And entering the monastery he fell at the abbot's feet and begged to be received by him. But the abbot said to him, 'Child, you are still very young in years and are not able to endure so hard a discipline; you know nothing of the monks' life; go home, stay with your parents and after some time when you are able both to fast and to sing and to endure discipline, then come back to us'. But the child answered, 'Father, I should prefer to die in these hardships than to quit the shelter of your flock!' And when, in spite of all he could do, the archimandrite was unable to persuade the child, he said to the brethren, 'In truth, my children, let us receive this boy for he seems to me to be very much in earnest' And they all yielded to the abbot's counsel, and thus Daniel remained in the brotherhood.

And shortly afterwards his parents, who had sought him found him in this monastery and rejoiced with great joy, and then besought the abbot to give him the tonsure. And he, having noticed his advancement in godliness and good disposition, sent for him and said, 'Child, do you wish me to give you the tonsure?' Daniel immediately threw himself at his feet and said, 'I beseech your Holiness, father, do it to-day!' But the abbot again said, 'You are unable to endure the discipline' To this the boy replied, 'I know well that I am young and weak, but I trust in God and your holy prayers, because the Lord Who accepts our purpose gives us strength, for He is a God of purposes'. Then after blessing him and praying fervently over him, the archimandrite with the wisdom that had been given him by God instructed him in the things necessary for salvation. And afterwards according to custom he bade all the brethren gather together, and while they sang a hymn he bestowed upon him the holy robe of the monk. And dismissing the parents with blessings he bade them not to visit their son frequently.

 While Daniel made progress in asceticism and in the splendour of his way of life he could not bear the scrutiny and the praise of the abbot and, still less, that of the whole brotherhood; so he planned to go to the Holy City, Jerusalem, and at the same time to visit the holy and thrice-blessed Simeon, the man on the pillar, in whose footsteps he felt constrained to follow.

Therefore he began to pray the abbot of the monastery to set him free to attain his desire, but he could not persuade him.

Soon after this, since our Master God in truth so willed it and the need of the church demanded it, the Archbishop of that time commanded all the archimandrites of the East to assemble in the capital city of Antioch. And so it happened that this abbot together with some others went, too, and amongst them he allowed the holy man also to travel with him as his disciple.

 As God granted that the matter for which they had suffered many vexations should be brought to a satisfactory settlement, they departed to their own monasteries; and on their way they lodged in a village called Telanissae* where there was a very large monastery and monks pursuing a very noble and virtuous way of life; here, too, the afore-mentioned holy Simeon had received his training. And when the monks there began talking about the achievements of the holy Simeon, the monks from Mesopotamia withstood them, contending that it was but a vainglorious proceeding. 'For', said they, 'it is true that a man even if he were living in your midst might practise a mode of life hitherto unknown and please God, yet never has such a thing happened anywhere that a man should go up and live on a pillar'.

So the monks of that monastery persuaded them to go and see what hardships Simeon was enduring for the sake of the Lord. And they were persuaded and went and the holy Daniel with them. When they arrived at the place and saw the wildness of the spot and the height of the pillar and the fiery heat of the scorching sun and the Saint's endurance and his welcome to strangers and further, too, the love he shewed towards them, they were amazed.

For Simeon gave direction that the ladder be placed in position and invited the old men to come up and kiss him. But they were afraid and declined the ascent of the ladder- one said he was too feeble from old age, another pleaded weakness after an illness, and another gout in his feet. For they said to each other, 'How can we kiss with our mouth the man that we have just been slandering with our lips? Woe unto us for having mocked at such hardships as these and such endurance'. Whilst they were conversing in this manner, Daniel entreated the archimandrite and the other abbots and Saint Simeon as well, begging to be allowed to go up to him. On receiving permission he went up and the blessed man gave him his benediction and said to him, 'What is your name?' and he answered, 'Daniel'. Then the holy Simeon said to him, 'Play the man, Daniel, be strong and endure; for you have many hardships to endure for God. But I trust that the God Whom I serve will Himself strengthen you and be your fellow-traveller'. And placing his hand upon Daniel's head he prayed and blessed him and bade him go down the ladder. Then after the holy and blessed Simeon had prayed for the archimandrites he dismissed them all in peace.

 After they had all by the will of God been restored to their own monasteries and some little time had passed, the holy man, Daniel, was deemed worthy to be raised to the post of abbot.

Thereupon he said to himself, 'At last you are free, Daniel,* start boldly and accomplish your purpose'. When he had made trial of him who held the second place and found that he was able to undertake the duties of an archimandrite, he left everything and quitted the monastery; and when he had reached the enclosure of the holy Simeon he stayed there two weeks.

The blessed Simeon rejoiced exceedingly when he saw him and tried to persuade him to remain still longer, for he found great joy in his company. But Daniel would not consent thereto but pressed towards his goal, saying, 'Father, I am ever with you in spirit'. So Simeon blessed him and dismissed him with the words, 'The Lord of glory will accompany you'. Then Daniel went forth wishing to travel to the holy places and to worship in the church of the Holy Resurrection and afterwards to retire to the inner desert.

- from the Life of St. Daniel the Stylite

[odhiambo]

Shin, where did you get all this from? You have a goldmine of Saints or something?

[Shin]

Ah, I read this a time ago, and I remembered that I had, and so I found it again.

When one has a computer and a search engine, one can find these things when they are on one's computer or the Internet. And then, since I have a few books, if I remember it there, I can type quickly it out too since I took a typing course once, and am not a two fingered typist.

I have a little computer program that can search for a word in any book on my computer.

I keep all my saints and religious books (many more than are provided on the website, as they are rough, or need reviewing, or not suitable for the site but at least for personal reference), and run through them to find out about any subject, whether it be a particular saint, virtue, vice, etc.

Then I take all the quotes on that subject and note them, one by one, and sort through them to gain the consensus of the saints on the subject, and then I prepare that for the website as time allows, or at least, I keep it in my personal notes so I know and can refer to it (there is much more of this, since it is all rough, again).

And that is how, in a nutshell, have I answered your question?

[odhiambo]

Well, I am impressed. I know where to come whenever I want a particular info on a Saint.

[Shin]

Haha, you are a go to yourself, you know! And more every day!

There is so much I do not know about so many saints. But I am very thankful that God gave me the gift of reading and knowing them.

There are so many saints where there is so little information available about them too.

I sometimes like to especially pray to one of these. Because their presence can still touch our lives here and in a sense we get to know them even though we do not know them, and in the next life we will see.

[odhiambo]

Haha, you are a go to yourself, you know! And more every day!

There is so much I do not know about so many saints. But I am very thankful that God gave me the gift of reading and knowing them.

There are so many saints where there is so little information available about them too.

I sometimes like to especially pray to one of these. Because their presence can still touch our lives here and in a sense we get to know them even though we do not know them, and in the next life we will see.

Amen!

[odhiambo]

December 12
Today we remember
Saint Epimachus,
Among many other Saints

[odhiambo]

There are problems with some of the more modern books about the saints, they being too quick to dismiss many historical events as legendary due perhaps to modern sensibilities. I wonder if this is not the case in this instance, given that Prudentius lived in so close a time to this young martyr, as St. Alphonsus Maria relates, and he does not give the account with a disclaimer.

I heard too that Butler's for example, had been very badly adulterated by a later editor, compared to earlier editions.

I had not noted this earlier. You could be right Shin, I have no way of knowing otherwise.

[odhiambo]

Saint Epimachus
Martyr of Alexandria.
Epimachus was a native of Alexandria, Egypt. He, with Alexander, was imprisoned, then tortured and burned to death for the Faith at Alexandria during the reign of Emperor Trajanus Decius. Four women suffered the same martyrdom with Epimachus. They were: Ammonaria, Mercuria, Dionisia, a mother and a fourth unknown woman, possibly also named Ammonaria.
They were all martyred in.250 in Alexandria, Egypt
Saint Epimachus,
Pray for us.

[odhiambo]

December 13
Today is the Memorial of
Saint Odilia of Alsace
Among many other Saints

[odhiambo]

Saint Odilia of Alsace
Abbes
Also known as Adilia of Alsace and Ottilia of Alsace.
Odilia was born in 660 to a local nobleman, at Oberheim in the Vosges Mountains in Alsace, France. The nobleman was Lord Aldaric, Duke of Alsace. She was born blind. The duke was all for putting his newborn daughter to death because of her birth defect but his wife, Bereswinda( Bereswindis), was able to desuade him from carrying out this act. He agreed to spare the baby on condition that she be sent far away to someone who was not to be told of her parentage. Bereswindis gave the baby to a peasant woman. According to Dictionary of Saints by John J. Delaney, she told this woman the story and sent her to Baume les Dames near Besancon. When she was twelve, Odilia was put in a convent of German nuns at Baume. At the convent, she was baptized by Bishop Saint Erhard of Regensburg. She miraculously gained her sight upon being touched by chrism during the baptism ceremony.
Legend has it that the Bishop told her father of the miracle. When his son, Hugh arranged to bring her back, he was so angered that he struck and killed his son. Then he had a change of heart towards his daughter and lavished affection on her. When he arranged for her to marry a German duke, however, she fled from home. He eventually gave up the idea.
After joining the community, she later founded Hohenburg Abbey at Alsace( reportedly now called Odilenberg) and served as its abbess. She also founded another monastery, Niedermunster and lived there until her death.
She died on 13 December 720 at Niedermunster, Mount Sainte Odile. Her shrine became a great pilgrimage center.
She is the patroness of the blind and of Alsace.
Saint Odilia of Alsace,
Pray for us!