Old Calendar: St. Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and doctor; St. Apollonia, virgin and martyr
Today the feast of St. Teilo, bishop, is celebrated in Wales.
According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and doctor, and St. Apollonia, virgin and martyr. St. Cyril's feast in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on June 27th. St. Apollonia was a young martyr of Alexandria. She was arrested and executed in about 250 during a riot provoked against the Christians. Her executioners broke all her teeth. She is invoked for the cure of a toothache.
According to tradition Teilo, or Elios as he was sometimes known, was born about the year 480 AD at either Gumfreston or Penally in south Pembrokeshire. He studied under Paulinus at Ty Gwyn where he met Dewi (Saint David), the two becoming firm friends. Later, the two set out on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and en route were joined by Padarn.
Upon their return home, Teilo was given charge of the church at Llandaff and the surrounding area. Shortly afterwards there was an outbreak of Yellow Fever and Teilo led his followers to Cornwall to escape its effects. From Cornwall they travelled to Brittany where they were welcomed by Archbishop Solomon of the Church of Dol. They stayed for seven years, during which time Teilo and his followers are said to have planted three miles of fruit trees. He returned to Llandaff where he ministered for many years. He died in 566 AD.
Several churches in south Wales and Brittany are dedicated to St Teilo. He is depicted on a fifteenth century stained glass window in a church at Plogonnec, Finistére, and also in a statue in the Chapel of Our Lady, Kerdévot. In both cases he is shown wearing bishop's robes and mitre and seated on a stag, suggesting, as was the case with many other saints of the time, that he had an affinity with the natural world.
National Museum Wales
Patron: Horses and fruit trees.
Things to Do:
St. ApolloniaThe Martyrology reads: "At Alexandria the holy virgin Apolloniaunder the Emperor Decius (249-251) her teeth were beaten out; then the executioners built and lit a funeral pyre, and threatened to burn her alive unless she would repeat their blasphemies. After some reflection she suddenly tore herself loose from her tormentors and threw herself into the flames. The fire of the Holy Spirit that glowed within her was more intense than the burning pyre. Her executioners were astounded to see a weak woman willingly embracing death with such determination before they were ready to carry out their threats."
The saint was already well on in years. An account of St. Apollonia's martyrdom was written by Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria (died 265), a contemporary. She is honored as the patroness against toothache.
Apollonia, it might seem, committed suicide. Her act was used by the ancients as proof that it is permitted to escape dishonor or persecution through voluntary death. But the most authoritative moralists, including Saint Augustine, declare that even in such cases suicide is not permitted, and seek to justify Apollonia's heroic act by assuming that she acted according to a special mandate from God; without such a divine injunction no one is allowed to follow her example. The saints are not to be imitated on every point.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Dentists, tooth disease, toothache.
Symbols: Deaconess holding a set of pincers which often holds a tooth; gilded tooth; pincers grabbing a tooth; pincers; tooth and a palm branch; tooth; woman wearing a golden tooth on a chain.
Things to Do:
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5th Week in Ordinary Time
He put his finger into the mans ears and, spitting, touched his tongue. (Mark 7:33)
Life has become much more automated recently, hasnt it? Driverless cars are on the horizon. Cell phones can now be unlocked through facial recognition software. If you go to the grocery store or the public library, youll find people flocking to the self-checkout stand. Certainly these innovations have made life more convenient. But theres still something to be said for the old-fashioned kind of customer service, in which a cashier hands you your money, and you sometimes end up chatting about the weather, sports, or a recent family outing. Its what we sometimes call the human touch.
Human contact is not only important to us, but its important to God as well. Thats why Jesus held children in his lap, and its why he had no hesitation touching lepers. Its also why, in todays reading, he didnt just pray words of healing. He made it a point to touch the deaf and mute man.
Jesus may no longer be present on earth physically, but he still wants to touch people. He wants to do it through us. This is especially important in our time, as we live in a world where human interaction seems to be decreasing every day.
Something that seems as insignificant as a warm handshake or a pat on the shoulder can be a huge comfort at times. A warm embrace can bring healing to a close friend who is struggling. Even a simple hello coupled with a smile can lift someones spirits. And if you have the opportunity to pray with someone, you might ask if its okay to hold their hand or place your hand on their shoulder while you pray.
God has given all of us a healthy desire to give and receive love. When that desire is bottled up, we suffer, and the people we have an opportunity to help suffer as well.
So lets make it a point to go out of our way to touch people with a smile and a warm gesture of affection today. In our homes, lets make it a point to offer displays of affection to our spouse and children. After all, Jesus did tell us to love one another as he loves us—and he loves to touch us!
Lord, help me to be more kind and loving to everyone I meet."
1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19
Psalm 81:10-15