Jesu, by that shuddering
dread which fell on Thee;
Jesu, by that cold dismay
which sicken'd Thee;
Jesu, by that pang of heart
which thrill'd in Thee;
Jesu, by that mount of sins
which crippled Thee;
Jesu, by that sense of guilt
which stifled Thee;
Jesu, by that innocence
which girdled Thee;
Jesu, by that sanctity
which reigned in Thee;
Jesu, by that Godhead
which was one with Thee;
Jesu, spare these souls
which are so dear to Thee;
Who in prison,
calm and patient,
wait for Thee;
Hasten, Lord, their hour,
and bid them come to Thee.
To that glorious home,
where they shall ever gaze on Thee. -Amen
- John Henry Newman
<<>><<>><<>>
July 10th - Saint Felicity and her Seven Sons, Martyrs
(d. 150)
Saint Felicity was a noble Roman matron, distinguished above all for her
virtue. This mother of seven children raised her sons in the fear of the
Lord, and after the death of her husband, served God in continence,
concerning herself only with good works. Her good examples and those of her
children brought a number of pagans to renounce their superstitions, and
also encouraged the Christians to show themselves worthy of their vocation.
The pagan priests, furious at seeing their gods abandoned, denounced her.
She appeared with her pious sons before the prefect of Rome, who exhorted
her to sacrifice to idols, but in reply heard a generous confession of
faith.
"Wretched woman," he said to her, "how can you be so barbarous as to expose
your children to torments and death? Have pity on these tender creatures,
who are in the flower of their age and can aspire to the highest positions
in the Empire!" Felicity replied, "My children will live eternally with
Jesus Christ, if they are faithful; they will have only eternal torments to
await, if they sacrifice to idols. Your apparent pity is but a cruel
impiety." Then, turning to her children, she said: "Look towards heaven,
where Jesus Christ is waiting for you with His Saints! Be faithful in His
love, and fight courageously for your souls."
The Judge, taking the children one by one, tried to overcome their
constancy. He began with Januarius, but received for his answer: "What you
advise me to do is contrary to reason; Jesus, the Saviour, will preserve me,
I hope, from such impiety." Felix, the second, was then brought in. When
they urged him to sacrifice, he answered: "There is only one God, and it is
to Him that we must offer the sacrifice of our hearts. Use all artifices,
every refinement of cruelty, you will not make us betray our faith!" The
other brothers, when questioned, answered with the same firmness. Martial,
the youngest, who spoke last, said: "All those who do not confess that Jesus
Christ is the true God, will be cast into a fire which will never be
extinguished."
When the interrogation was finished, the Saints underwent the penalty of the
lash and then were taken to prison. Soon they completed their sacrifice in
various ways: Januarius was beaten until he died by leather straps capped
with lead; Felix and Philip were killed with bludgeons; Sylvanus was thrown
headfirst from a cliff; Alexander, Vitalis and Martial were beheaded.
Felicity, the mother of these new Maccabees, was the last to suffer
martyrdom.
Saint Quote:
[The devil] dreads fasting, prayer, humility, and good works: He is not
able even to stop my mouth who speak against him. The illusions of the devil
soon vanish, especially if a man arms himself with the Sign of the Cross.
The devils tremble at the Sign of the Cross of our Lord, by which He
triumphed over and disarmed them.
-Saint Antony Abbot
Bible
Quote: By your patience you will possess your souls. St. Luke 21:19
<><><><>
A prayer to cultivate the "Heart of a Child," by Leonce de Grandmaison:
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
preserve in me the heart of a child,
pure and transparent as a spring.
Obtain for me a simple heart
That does not brood over sorrows;
A heart generous in giving itself,
Quick to feel compassion;
A faithful, generous heart
that forgets no favor
and holds no grudge.
Give me a humble, gentle heart
Loving without asking any return;
A great indomitable heart
That no ingratitude can close,
No indifference can weary;
A heart tortured by its desire
for the glory of Jesus Christ:
Pierced by His love
With a wound that will heal
only in heaven.
.
|
