Canticle 1 Chronicles 29
To God alone be honour and glory
Blessed are you, Lord, God of our father Israel, through all the ages.
All power and greatness are yours, O God; glory, splendour, and majesty.
All things are yours, in the heavens and on the earth; you rule over them, Lord,
you are high above them all.
All riches and glory come from you, you rule over all things.
In your hand lie strength and power, your hand raises all things and sets them
firm.
So now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
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September 6th - Saint Eleutherius, Abbot
(d. ca. 585)
A wonderful simplicity and spirit of compunction were the distinguishing virtues
of this holy sixth century abbot. He was elected to preside Saint Mark's
monastery near Spoleto, and favored by God with the gift of miracles.
A child who was confided to the monastery, to be educated there after having
been delivered by the Abbot from a diabolical possession, appeared to everyone
to be entirely exempt from further molestations. And Saint Eleutherius chanced
to say one day: "Since the child is among the servants of God, the devil dares
not approach him." These words seemed to savor of vanity, and thereupon the
devil again entered into and tormented the child. The Abbot humbly confessed his
fault and undertook a fast, in which the entire community joined, until the
child was again freed from the tyranny of the fiend.
Saint Gregory the Great, finding himself unable to fast on Holy Saturday on
account of extreme weakness, called for this Saint, who was in Rome at the time,
to offer up prayers to God for him that he might join the faithful in the solemn
practice of that day's penances. Saint Eleutherius prayed with many tears, and
the Pope, when they came out of the church, felt suddenly strengthened and able
to accomplish the fast as he desired. The same Pope, remarking that the Abbot
was said to have raised a dead man to life, added: "He was so simple a man, one
of such great penance, that we must not doubt that Almighty God granted much to
his tears and his humility!" After resigning his abbacy, Saint Eleutherius died
in Rome in Saint Andrew's monastery, about the year 585.
Reflection: "Be not seen by men as fasting, but by thy Father who is in heaven;
and thy Father, who sees in secret, will reward thee." (Cf. Matt. 6:16-18)
Bible Quote:
25. But Jesus called them to him, and said: You know that the princes of the
Gentiles lord it over them; and they that are the greater, exercise power upon
them. 26. It shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be the greater among
you, let him be your minister: 27. And he that will be first among you, shall be
your servant. 28. Even as the Son of man is not come to be ministered unto, but
to minister, and to give his life a redemption for many. (Matthew 20:25-28)
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Martyrology
SS. Perpetua and Felicitas, who, on March 7, received from the Lord the glorious
crown of martyrdom.
At Tortona (in Italy), St. Marcian, bishop and martyr. While Trajan was emperor,
he was slain for the sake of Christ and thus received his crown.
At Nicomedia, the birthday of the holy martyrs Victor and Victorinus, who,
together with Claudian and his wife Bassa, for three years were kept in prison
and subjected to many tortures. They died while in prison.
In Cyprus, St. Conon, martyr. In the reign of the Emperor Decius, his feet were
pierced with nails; then he was forced to run before a chariot until, failing to
his knees, he died while praying.
In Syria, the suffering of forty-two holy martyrs who were arrested at Amorium
(in Phrygia). They were conducted to Syria where, after a glorious combat, they
received the palm of martyrdom as victors.
At Constantinople, St. Evagrius who, in the time of Valens, was chosen bishop by
the Catholics. Sent by the (Arian) Emperor into exile, he died in the Lord.
At Bologna, St. Basil, bishop, who was ordained by Pope St. Silvester. He
governed the Church entrusted to him in the greatest holiness both by word and
example.
At Barcelona in Spain, Blessed Ollegar, at first a canon and later Bishop of
Barcelona, and Archbishop of Tarragona.
At Viterbo, St. Rose, virgin, of the Third Order of St. Francis.
At Ghent in Flanders, St. Colette, virgin. At first she followed the rule of the
Third Order of St. Francis. Then, guided by the Spirit of God, she restored many
monasteries of nuns of the Second Order to their ancient discipline. Adorned
with divine virtues and renowned for innumerable miracles, she was inscribed by
the Sovereign Pontiff, Pius VII, in the roll of the saints.
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