SAINTS: Here they come... February 19 - 25, 2005 -- part 2

From: "Alfred de Tavares" <alfredtavares@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2005 11:41:32 +0100

OBS: TODAY WE CELEBRATE BLESSED JACINTA & FRANCESCO, THE LITTLE SHEPERDS OF FATIMA. SOON, THEIR ELDER COUSIN, LUCIA, WHO HAS JUST JOINED THEM, IS EXPECTED TO BE ADDED TO THEIR FEAST DAY. AdeT.

SAINTS: February 19 - 25, 2005:

Wednesday, February 23: St POLYCARP, bishop of Smyrna (modern Izmir, Turkey), disciple of St. John the Apostle and friend of St. Ignatius of Antioch was a revered Christian leader during the first half of the second century. D. 156.

St. Ignatius, on his way to Rome to be martyred, visited Polycarp at Smyrna, and later at Troas wrote him a personal letter. The Asia Minor Churches recognized Polycarp?s leadership by choosing him as a representative to discuss with Pope Anicetus the date of the Easter celebration in Rome?quite a controversy in the early Church.

Only one of the many letters written by Polycarp has been preserved, the one he wrote to the Church of Philippi, Macedonia.

At 86, Polycarp was led into the crowded Smyrna stadium to be burned alive. The flames did not harm him and he was finally killed by a dagger. The centurion ordered the saint?s body burned. The ?Acts? of Polycarp?s martyrdom are the earliest preserved, fully reliable account of a Christian martyr?s death. He died in 156.

Comment: Polycarp was recognized as a Christian leader by all Asia Minor Christians?a strong fortress of faith and loyalty to Jesus Christ. His own strength emerged from his trust in God, even when events contradicted this trust. Living among pagans and under a government opposed to the new religion, he led and fed his flock. Like the Good Shepherd, he laid down his life for his sheep and kept them from more persecution in Smyrna. He summarized his trust in God just before he died: ?Father... I bless Thee, for having made me worthy of the day and the hour... .? (Martyrdom, Chapter 14).

Quote: ?Stand fast, therefore, in this conduct and follow the example of the Lord, ?firm and unchangeable in faith, lovers of the brotherhood, loving each other, united in truth,? helping each other with the mildness of the Lord, despising no man? (Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Saints Today: Sts. ALEXANDER AKIMETES; BOSWELL: CERNEUF; DOSITHEUS; FELIX OF BRESCIA; FLORENTIUS; JURMIN; LAZARUS ZOGRAPHOS; MARTHA; MEDRALD; MILBURGA; ORDONIUS; ROMANA; SERENUS THE GARDENER; WILLIGIS; ZEBINUS ================================================================================

Thursday, February 24: Bl. LUKE BELLUDI, Franciscan friar. B. 1200; d. 1285. In 1220, St. Anthony was preaching conversion to the inhabitants of Padua when a young nobleman, Luke Belludi, came up to him and humbly asked to receive the habit of the followers of St. Francis. Anthony liked the talented, well-educated Luke and personally recommended him to St. Francis, who then received him into the Franciscan Order.

Luke, then only 20, was to be Anthony's companion in his travels and in his preaching, tending to him in his last days and taking Anthony's place upon his death. He was appointed guardian of the Friars Minor in the city of Padua. In 1239 the city fell into the hands of its enemies. Nobles were put to death, the mayor and council were banished, the great university of Padua gradually closed and the church dedicated to St. Anthony was left unfinished. Luke himself was expelled from the city but secretly returned. At night he and the new guardian would visit the tomb of St. Anthony in the unfinished shrine to pray for his help. One night a voice came from the tomb assuring them that the city would soon be delivered from its evil tyrant.

After the fulfillment of the prophetic message, Luke was elected provincial minister and furthered the completion of the great basilica in honor of Anthony, his teacher. He founded many convents of the order and had, as Anthony, the gift of miracles. Upon his death he was laid to rest in the basilica that he had helped finish and has had a continual veneration up to the present time.

Comment: The epistles refer several times to a man named Luke as Paul?s trusted companion on his missionary journeys. Perhaps every great preacher needs a Luke; Anthony surely did. Luke Belludi not only accompanied Anthony on his travels, he also cared for the great saint in his final illness and carried on Anthony?s mission after the saint?s death. Yes, every preacher needs a Luke, someone to offer support and reassurance?including those who minister to us. We don?t even have to change our names! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Saints Today: Sts. ADELA; BETTO; EDILBERT; JOHN THERISTUS; MATTHIAS; MODESTUS; MONTANUS & LUCIUS; SERGIUS ================================================================================

Friday, February 25: Bl. SEBASTEAN OF APARICIIO. B. 1502; d. 1600. Sebastian?s roads and bridges connected many distant places. His final bridge-building was to help men and women recognize their God-given dignity and destiny.

Sebastian?s parents were Spanish peasants. At the age of 31 he sailed to Mexico, where he began working in the fields. Eventually he built roads to facilitate agricultural trading and other commerce. His 466-mile road from Mexico City to Zacatecas took 10 years to build and required careful negotiations with the indigenous peoples along the way.

In time Sebastian was a wealthy farmer and rancher. At the age of 60 he entered a virginal marriage. His wife?s motivation may have been a large inheritance; his was to provide a respectable life for a girl without even a modest marriage dowry. When his first wife died, he entered another virginal marriage for the same reason; his second wife also died young.

At the age of 72 Sebastian distributed his goods among the poor and entered the Franciscans as a brother. Assigned to the large (100-member) friary at Puebla de los Angeles south of Mexico City, Sebastian went out collecting alms for the friars for the next 25 years. His charity to all earned him the nickname "Angel of Mexico."

Sebastian was beatified in 1787 and is known as a patron of travelers.

Comment: According to the Rule of St. Francis, the friars were to work for their daily bread. Sometimes, however, their work would not provide for their needs; for example, working with people suffering from leprosy brought little or no pay. In cases such as these, the friars were allowed to beg, always keeping in mind the admonition of Francis to let their good example commend them to the people. The life of the prayerful Sebastian, still hard at work in his 90's, certainly drew many closer to God.

Quote: St. Francis once told his followers: "There is a contract between the world and the friars. The friars must give the world a good example; the world must provide for their needs. When they break faith and withdraw their good example, the world will withdraw its hand in a just censure" (2 Celano, #70). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Saints Today: Sts. ANANIAS ll; ANANIAS lll; AVENTANUS; DONATUS; CAESARIUS OF NAZIANZUS; ETHELBERT OF KENT; ROMEO; TARASIUS; VICTORINUS; WALBURGA; Bls. DOMINIC LENTINI; DIDACUS CARVALHO; CONSTANTIUS ================================================================================

(SOURCES: An AmericanCatholic.org Web Site from the Franciscans and St. Anthony Messenger Press ?©1996-2004; The Penguin Dictionary of Saints and other.)

Alfred de Tavares,
Maltesholmsvagen 83,
SE-165 55 Hasselby, Sweden
Tel: 0046 8 759 6213; 0046 (0)70 295 4091

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