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Old Calendar: St. Agapitus, martyr; St. Helena, widow
According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Agapitus, a martyr of Palestrina, not far from Rome. His cult, which is very ancient, was particularly popular in the eternal city where Felix III (492) caused a church to be built in his honor. Ancient inscriptions show clearly the great confidence placed in the intercession of this martyr. It is also the feast of St. Helena, empress and mother of Constantine the Great. She discovered the True Cross in a rock-cistern near Mt. Calvary.
St. Agapitus
The Office offers these legendary details: "Agapitus was only fifteen years old but already his heart was all aglow with the desire to die as a martyr. Upon orders from the Emperor Aurelian (ca. 257), he was mercilessly whipped with leaded scourges, then thrown into a vile basement to remain there four days without food. After further punishment under the lash, he was suspended head downwards over a smoldering fire so that he should die from the smoke; boiling water was dashed against him, and his jaws were battered. When wild beasts hesitated to harm him, he was beheaded with the sword."
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
Things to Do:
St. Helena
It was the pious boast of the city of Colchester, England, for many ages, that St. Helena was born within its walls; and though this honor has been disputed, it is certain that she was a British princess. She embraced Christianity late in life; but her incomparable faith and piety greatly influenced her son Constantine, the first Christian emperor, and served to kindle a holy zeal in the hearts of the Roman people. Forgetful of her high dignity, she delighted to assist at the Divine Office amid the poor; and by her alms-deeds showed herself a mother to the indigent and distressed.
In her eightieth year she made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, with the ardent desire of discovering the cross on which our blessed Redeemer suffered. After many labors, three crosses were found on Mount Calvary, together with the nails and the inscription recorded by the Evangelists. It still remained to identify the true cross of Our Lord. By the advice of the bishop, Macarius, the three were applied successively to a woman afflicted with an incurable disease, and no sooner had the third touched her than she arose, perfectly healed. The pious empress, transported with joy, built a, most glorious church on Mount Calvary to receive the precious relic, sending portions of it to Rome and Constantinople, where they were solemnly exposed to the adoration of the faithful.
In the year 312 Constantine found himself attacked by Maxentius with vastly superior forces, and the very existence of his empire threatened. In this crisis he bethought him of the crucified Christian God Whom his mother Helena worshiped, and kneeling down, prayed God to reveal Himself and give him the victory. Suddenly, at noonday, a cross of fire was seen by his army in the calm and cloudless sky, and beneath it the words, In hoc signo vinces"Through this sign thou shalt conquer." By divine command, Constantine made a standard like the cross he had seen, which was borne at the head of his troops; and under this Christian ensign they marched against the enemy, and obtained a complete victory. Shortly after, Helena herself returned to Rome, where she expired, 328.
Excerpted from Butler's Lives of the Saints
19th Week in Ordinary Time
Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted. (Matthew 19:11)
Is divorce ever permissible? the Pharisees ask. Jesus reminds them that God intends for marriage to be not only permanent but transformative as well. Its goal, he answers, is that a man and a woman leave their individuality aside and come together to create a whole new unity, a family.
Hearing this exchange, his disciples offer an honest and understandable response: if its so hard, maybe it would be better not to marry at all. Jesus gazes at them with a sad smile. Do you think its easier to make a permanent commitment to being single? he asks. Not on your life! Neither is it easy to live single while remaining open to marriage.
The truth is, living any state of life as God intends takes commitment. Circumstances change, and we scramble to adjust. In one way or another, we all fall short of Gods ideal. We all fail God, our spouse, or our religious community from time to time. This doesnt mean we chose the wrong vocation. It simply means that we have momentarily forgotten how much we need to depend on Gods abundant grace. Fidelity in marriage or singleness is only possible because God is faithful: faithful to guide us, faithful to sustain us, faithful to forgive us.
Look at the refrain for todays Psalm: His mercy endures forever. God expresses it in many different ways at many different moments, but he is always faithful. His enduring mercy is the very thing we need in order to be faithful.
Spend some time today considering your vocation. Thank God for the call he has given you. Thank him too for being faithful to you as you strive to live out that call. Then ask him to show you one particular way to express your faithfulness today. Maybe its a little note of encouragement and love for your spouse. Maybe its a gesture of support to a priest or a sister religious who is going through a rough patch. Maybe God will show you something you are free to do because you havent arrived at a place of permanent commitment. Whatever it is, rejoice and do it!
Father, you are always faithful. Thank you for inviting and enabling me to live out a noble heavenly vocation.
Joshua 24:1-13
Psalm 136:1-3, 16-18, 21-22, 24