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THE GUARDIAN ANGELS
From
early times liturgical honour was paid to all angels in the
office of the ANGELS (αγγελς, messenger) are
pure spirits, persons but
bodiless, created by God with more acute intelligence and greater power
than
have human beings. Their office is to praise God, to be His messengers
and to
watch over man. That particular angels are appointed and commanded by
God to
guard each particular person that is born into the world is the general
teaching of theologians, but the belief has not been defined by
the Church and
so is not of faith.
These
guardian angels lead
the individual towards Heaven by defending him from evil, helping him
in
prayer, suggesting virtuous deeds, but acting upon the senses and
imagination,
not directly on the will, so that our co-operation is required. The
psalmist
assures us, “He hath given His angels charge over thee, to keep thee
in all
thy ways”.
And in another place, “The angel of the Lord shall encamp
round
about them that fear Him, and shall deliver them”.
The patriarch Jacob
prayed
his good angel to bless his two grandsons, Ephraim and Manasses, “The
angel
that delivereth me from all evils, bless these boys”.
Judith said, “His angel
hath been my keeper, both going hence, and abiding there, and returning
from
thence hither”.
Christ
deters us from scandalizing any of His little ones,
because their angels always behold the face of God, and they will
demand
punishment of God against any by whose malice those who are their wards
suffer
harm. So certain and general was the belief of a guardian angel being
assigned
to every one by God, that when St Peter was miraculously delivered out
of
prison the disciples could not at first believe it, and said, It is his
angel
Dedication
of the church of St Michael the Archangel in Via Salaria on
September 29, and in the oldest extant Roman
sacramentary, called Leonine, the prayers for the feast make indirect
reference
to them as individual guardians. A votive Mass, Missa ad
suffragia angelorum postulanda, has been in use at least
from the time of Alcuin—he died in 804—who refers to the subject twice
in his
letters. Whether the practice of celebrating such a Mass originated in
England
is not clear, but we find Alcuin’s text in the Leofric Missal of the
early
tenth century. This votive Mass of the Angels was commonly allotted to
the
second day of the week (Monday), as for example in the Westminster
Missal,
written about the year 1375.
In
Spain it became
customary to honour the Guardian Angels not only of persons, but of
cities and
provinces. An office of this sort was composed for Valencia in 1411. Outside of Spain, Francis of
Estaing, Bishop of Rodez, obtained
from Pope Leo X a bull in 1518 which approved a special office for an
annual
commemoration of the Guardian Angels on March 1. In
England also there seems to have been much devotion to them.
Herbert Losinga, Bishop of Norwich, who died in 1119, speaks eloquently
on the
subject; and the well-known invocation beginning Angele
Dei qui custos es mei is apparently traceable to the
verse-writer Reginald of Canterbury, at about the same period. Pope
Paul V
authorized a special Mass and Office and at the request of Ferdinand II
of Austria
granted the feast to the whole empire. Pope Clement X extended it to
the
Western church at large as of obligation in 1670 and fixed it for the
present
date, being the first free day after the feast of St Michael.
An
excellent article by Fr J. Duhr in the Dictionnaire
de spirirualite, vol. (1933), cc. 580—625, treats exhaustively devotion to the
Guardian Angels and its history. On the general
question of the
veneration of angels see also DTC., vol. i, cc. x 1222—1248 and on the liturgical aspect
Kellner, Heortology (1908), pp. 328—332. On the representation of angels
in antiquity and art consult
DAC., vol. i, cc. 2080—2161, and Künstle, Ikonographie,
vol. i, pp. 239-264.
October 2, 2009 Feast
of the Guardian Angels
Perhaps no aspect
of Catholic piety is as comforting to parents as the belief that an
angel protects their little ones from dangers real and imagined. Yet
guardian angels are not just for children. Their role is to represent
individuals before God, to watch over them always, to aid their prayer
and to present their souls to God at death.
The concept of an angel assigned to guide and nurture each human being
is a development of Catholic doctrine and piety based on Scripture but
not directly drawn from it. Jesus' words in Matthew 18:10 best support
the belief: "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for
I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of
my heavenly Father."
Devotion to the angels began to develop with the birth of the monastic
tradition. St. Benedict gave it impetus and Bernard of Clairvaux, the
great 12th-century reformer, was such an eloquent spokesman for the
guardian angels that angelic devotion assumed its curre nt form in his
day.
A feast in honor of the guardian angels was first observed in the 16th
century. In 1615, Pope Paul V added it to the Roman calendar.
Comment: The concept of an
unseen companion has given rise to many childish titters about leaving
room for an angel in a crowded seat and teacher-induced terrors about
the danger of sudden death for a child who fails to honor the angel
with prayer. But devotion to the angels is, at base, an expression of
faith in God's enduring love and providential care extended to each
person day in and day out until life's end.
Quote: "May the angels lead
you into paradise; may the martyrs come to welcome you and take you to
the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem." (Rite for Christian
Burial)
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Guardian Angels
Festum
sanctórum Angelórum Custódum.
The Feast of the holy Guardian Angels.
What wonderful care God
gives each of us! So special does He believe
you and I are that He has provided us with our own special messenger,
our own guardian angel. God loves each of us personally, and desires
for each of us to return to Him. So He's given each of us a “personal
spiritual assistant” to
help us find the way. Today we celebrate that
glorious gift and thank God for our angel. We also thank Pope Clement X
for instituting this feast in honor of our personal angels in 1670.
The Baltimore Catechism tells that the good angels help us
by praying
for us, by acting as messengers from God to us, and by serving as our
guardian angels, i.e., those angels charged by God with a special care
over human beings. Our guardian angels help us by praying for us, by
protecting us from harm, and by inspiring us to do good.
The belief in guardian angels is ancient. In Psalm 91, we
sing:
“No evil shall befall
you, No affliction come near your
tent. For God commands the angels to guard you
in all your ways.
With their hands they shall support you, lest you
strike your
foot against a stone”. (vv.
11- 12).
There are many Scriptural references to angels. The prophet
Isaiah (Is.
6:1-4) had a vision of the heavenly hosts worshipping God and doing His
bidding, and in the Book of Revelation (cf. 1:1) it is an angel that
brings God's message to the visionary named John. The ancient Jews
believed that these angels served both individuals and nations.
Jesus saw no reason to reject this idea. For Him angels were
spiritual
beings. He said they would support him at His Second Coming (Matt.
25:31; Mark 8:38). Once He took a little child aside and spoke to His
followers about becoming like children and caring for them. Jesus said,
“See that you do not
despise one of these little ones, for I say to you
that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly
Father” (Matt. 18:10).
The notion of guardian angels is implicit in our Lord's own
teaching. During His earthly life, they minister and
serve Him: announcing His
birth, succoring Him in the desert, comforting Him in the Garden of
Gethsemane, and announcing His Resurrection.
Our salvation doesn't rest
on our belief in angels generally, nor our
guardian angel specifically. Yet, our guardian angels are tasked with
keeping us on the right path and communicating God's love to us. God's
incorporeal creatures also help us with their prayers.
For this reason we pray in the Confiteor:
I confess to Almighty God and to you, my brothers and
sisters, that I
have sinned through my own fault: in my thoughts and in my words, in
what I have done and what I have failed to do. And I ask Blessed Mary,
ever Virgin, all the angels and saints, and you my brothers and sisters
to pray for me to the Lord, Our God.
The Holy Scriptures and the Catholic Church tell us that our
angels
protect and guides us (Ps. 91), guard our lips (Ps. 141) to prevent us
from giving offense to God, and intercede for us before God's throne
(cf. Tobit 12:12,15; Job 33:23-24; Matt. 18:10). (See also the letters
of Blessed Peter Fabre and Saint Aloysius Gonzaga on devotion to the
guardian angels of individuals and communities; Saint Basil in Adversus
Eunomium, III, 1; The Catechism of the Council of Trent, “First
Commandment”;
and Saint Ambrose's text in the Roman Breviary for the
Feast of the Guardian Angels.)
Saint Frances of Rome, one of my very favorites, saw her
guardian angel
continually. Your guardian angel is just another of the heavenly
company that surrounds you because of God's generous love for you.
There
is a Guardian Angels for Life Cohort comprised of angels sent
each day at the prayerful request of their human charges to serve in
two basic areas of assigned duty:
(1) to be at the side of the dying
during their final day on earth to help strengthen, encourage, support,
enlighten, and protect these souls at their hour of death, and
(2) to
be present to every expectant mother and father as well as their unborn
child to offer the same services to parents to avoid the temptation to
abort their children.
The prayer:
My dear Guardian Angel, with
God's grace and blessings go forth this
day to be at the side of all those who will die today, to inspire and
encourage each one to accept the graces offered to them for their
salvation, and to provide hope, support and protection in their final
hours.
Go also to attend every unborn
child, it's mother and it's
father. Protect these little, innocent, defenseless ones, and
inspire in the hearts of their parents loving tenderness and a profound
awareness of the sacredness of all life, and most especially, remind
them in Whose Image their child is so wondrously made.
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Primus, Cyril
and
Secundarius martyred in Antioch, Syria, in one of the early
persecutions MM (RM)
Antiochíæ
sanctórum Mártyrum Primi, Cyrílli et
Secundárii.
At Antioch, the holy martyrs
Primus, Cyril, and Secundarius.
These three were martyred in Antioch, Syria, in one of
the early persecutions (Benedictines).
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Romæ pássio sancti
Modésti Sardi, Levítæ et Mártyris; qui, sub
Diocletiáno Imperatóre, equúleo tortus atque igne
adústus est. Ipsíus vero corpus, Benevéntum
póstea translátum, in Ecclésia suo
insigníta nómine collocátum fuit.
At Rome, the martyrdom of St. Modestus, a Sardinian,
deacon and martyr, who was racked and burned with fire by Emperor
Diocletian. His holy body was afterwards translated to Benevento
and buried there in a church named after him.
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303 St.
Eleutherius
soldier in army of coEmperor Diocletian
Nicomedíæ
sancti Eleuthérii,
mílitis et Mártyris, cum áliis innúmeris;
qui, cum Diocletiáni régia incéndio
conflagrásset et falso hujus críminis essent
accusáti, omnes, jubénte eódem
sævíssimo Imperatóre, acervátim
necáti sunt. Horum porro álii gládiis
obtruncabántur, álii cremabántur ígnibus,
álii in mare præcipitabántur; sed inter eos primus
Eleuthérius, cum per síngula torménta, diu
cruciátus, valídior redderétur, martyrium
victóriæ suæ, ígnibus velut aurum
examinátus, complévit.
At Nicomedia, St. Eleutherius, soldier and martyr,
with innumerable others. They were falsely accused of having set
fire to the palace of Diocletian and, by order of this cruel emperor,
were barbarously massacred in groups. Some were put to the sword,
some consumed by fire, while others were cast into the sea. But
the principal one, Eleutherius, after long tortures, being found
stronger after each torment, completed his victorious martyrdom by
fire, as well-tried gold.
ST
ELEUTHERIUS, MARTYR
“WHEN
the palace of Diocletian was burnt down at Nicomedia the holy soldier
and
martyr Eleutherius, with many others, was falsely accused of this
crime. All of
them were summarily put to death by order of the said cruel emperor.
Some were
cut down by the sword, others were burned, others thrown into the sea.
In turn
Eleutherius, the chief among them, whose valour long torture only
increased,
achieved his victorious martyrdom as gold tried in the fire.” In these
terms
the Roman Martyrology refers to this martyr, but nothing certain is
known about
him except his name and the place of his passion.
The
important fact is that
on October a in the Syriac breviarium of
the early fifth century we have the
entry at Nicomedia Eleutherius “. From this the notice passed into the Hieronymianum ; see CMH., p. 537. The
association of the martyr with the incident of the burning of
Diocletian’s
palace is, as Dom Quentin has shown (Lea
Martyrologes historiques, pp. 615—616), simply an invention of the
martyrologist Ado.
In
Nicomedia. accused of setting fire to the
emperor’s palace and was
burned to death after being tortured with companions.
Eleutherius and Companions MM (RM)
The Roman Martyrology tells us that St. Eleutherius was a
soldier-martyr in Nicomedia under Diocletian. The balance of the entry
is very dubious (Benedictines).
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 304
Cyprian
discerned the great power of fervent faith in Christ, and made up
for more than thirty years of service
to Satan. Seven days after
Baptism he was ordained reader, on the twelfth day, sub-deacon, on the
thirtieth, deacon. After a year, he was ordained priest. In a short
time St Cyprian was elevated to the rank of bishop.
Hieromartyr, Virgin Martyr Justina and Martyr
Theoctistus suffered for Christ at Nicomedia
St Cyprian was a pagan and a native of Antioch. From his early
childhood his misguided parents dedicated him to the service of the
pagan gods. From age seven until thirty, Cyprian studied at the most
outstanding centers of paganism: on Mount Olympus, in the cities of
Argos and Tauropolis, in the Egyptian city of Memphis, and at Babylon.
Once he attained eminent wisdom in pagan philosophy and the sorcerer's
craft, he was consecrated into the pagan priesthood on Mount Olympus.
Having discovered great power by summoning unclean spirits, he beheld
the Prince of Darkness himself, and spoke with him and received from
him a host of demons in attendance.
Justina_of_Nicomedia.jpg
After returning to Antioch, Cyprian was revered by the
pagans as a prominent pagan priest, amazing people by his ability to
cast spells, to summon pestilence and plagues, and to conjure up the
dead. He brought many people to ruin, teaching them to serve demons and
how to cast magic spells.
The holy virgin Justina lived in Antioch.
After turning her own father and mother away from pagan error and
leading them to the true faith in Christ, she dedicated herself to the
Heavenly Bridegroom and spent her time in fasting and prayer. When the
youth Aglaides proposed marriage to her, the saint refused, for she
wished to remain a virgin. Agalides sought Cyprian's help and asked for
a magic spell to charm Justina into marriage. But no matter what
Cyprian tried, he could accomplish nothing, since the saint overcame
all the wiles of the devil through her prayers and fasting.
Cyrian sent demons to attack the holy virgin, trying to arouse fleshly
passions in her, but she dispelled them by the power of the Sign of the
Cross and by fervent prayer to the Lord.
Even though one of the demonic princes and Cyprian himself, assumed
various guises by the power of sorcery, they were not able to sway St
Justina, who was guarded by her firm faith in Christ. All the spells
dissipated, and the demons fled at the mere mention of the saint's name.
Cyprian, in a rage, sent down pestilence and plague upon Justina's
family and upon all the city, but this was thwarted by her prayer.
Cyprian's soul, corrupted by its domination over people and by his
incantations, was shown in all the depth of his downfall, and also the
abyss of nothingness of the evil that he served.
"If you take fright at even the mere shadow of the Cross and the Name
of Christ makes you tremble," said Cyprian to Satan, "then what will
you do when Christ Himself stands before you?" The devil then flung
himself upon the pagan priest who had begun to repudiate him, and
attempted to beat and strangle him.
St Cyrian then first tested for himself the power of the Sign of the
Cross and the Name of Christ, guarding himself from the fury of the
enemy. Afterwards, with deep repentance he went to the local bishop
Anthimus and threw all of his books into the flames. The very next day,
he went into the church, and did not want to leave it, though he had
not yet been baptized.
By his efforts to follow a righteous manner of life, St Cyprian
discerned the great power of fervent faith in Christ, and made up for
more than thirty years of service to Satan. Seven days after Baptism he
was ordained reader, on the twelfth day, sub-deacon, on the thirtieth,
deacon. After a year, he was ordained priest. In a short time St
Cyprian was elevated to the rank of bishop.
The Hieromartyr Cyprian converted so many pagans to Christ that in his
diocese there was no one left to offer sacrifice to idols, and the
pagan temples fell into disuse. St Justina withdrew to a monastery and
there was chosen Abbess.
During the persecution against Christians under the emperor Diocletian,
Bishop Cyprian and Abbess Justina were arrested and brought to
Nicomedia, where after fierce tortures they were beheaded with the
sword. St Cyprian, fearful that the holy virgin's courage might falter
if she saw him put to death, asked for time to pray. St Justina
joyfully inclined her neck and was beheaded first.
The soldier Theoctistus, seeing the guiltless sufferings of St Justina,
fell at Cyprian's feet and declared himself a Christian, and was
beheaded with them.
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585 Leudomer
(Lomer) of
Chartres B (AC)
Bishop of Chartres, France (Benedictines). He
is often
listed as a
Frenchman, and is sometimes called Lomer.
No other details are extant. |
676 St.
Gerinus
Martyred brother of St. Leger
Eódem die sancti Geríni Mártyris, qui frater
éxstitit beáti Leodegárii, Augustodunénsis
Epíscopi, et, jubénte ipso Ebroíno,
lapídibus óbrutus est.
On the same day, St. Gerinus, martyr, brother of blessed Leodegarius,
bishop of Autun. He was stoned to death by the same Ebroin.
Brother of Saint Leodegarius
(Leogarius).
Ebroin, mayor of the palace,
martyred the brothers.
Gerinus was stoned to death near Arras, France.
Gerinus (Garinus, Guerin, Werinus) of Arras M (RM). Brother of Saint
Leodegarius, Gerinus was stoned to death near Arras at the order of
Ebroin, mayor of the palace, for reputedly killing King Childeric II
(Benedictines, Encyclopedia).
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677 St.
Leger
abbot
introduced the Rule of St. Benedict
Leger was raised at the court of King Clotaire II and by his uncle,
Bishop Didon of Poitiers. Leger was made archdeacon by Didon, was
ordained, and in about 651, became abbot of Maxentius Abbey, where he
introduced the Rule of St. Benedict. He served Queen Regent St.
Bathildis and helped her govern when Clovis II died in 656, and was
named bishop of Autun in 663. He reconciled the differing factions that
had torn the See apart, introduced reforms, fortified the town, and was
known for his concern for the poor. On the death of Clotaire III, he
supported young Childeric II for King against his brother Thierry, who
had been backed by Ebroin, mayor of the palace. Ebroin was exiled to
Luxeuil and became a bitter enemy of Leger, who became Childeric's
adviser. When Leger denounced the marriage of Childeric to his uncle's
daughter, he also incurred the enmity of Childeric, and in 675 Leger
was arrested at Autun and banished to Luxeuil. When Childeric was
murdered in 675, his successor, Theodoric III, restored Leger to his
See. Ebroin was also restored as mayor of the palace after he had had
the incumbent Leudesius murdered and pursuaded the Duke of Champagne
and the bishops of Chalons and Valence to attack Autun.
To save the town, Leger surrendered. Ebroin had him blinded, his lips
cut off, and his tongue pulled out. Not satisfied, several years, he
convinced the King that Childeric had been murdered by Leger and his
brother Gerinus. Gerinus was stoned to death, and Leger was tortured
and imprisoned at Fecamp Monastery in Normandy.
After two years Leger was summoned to a court at Marly by Ebroin,
deposed, and executed at Sarcing, Artois, protesting his innocence to
the end. Though the Roman Martyrology calls him Blessed and a martyr,
there is doubt among many scholars that he is entitled to those honors.
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 678 St.
Leodegarius
Benedictine bishop martyr humble spirit
In
território Atrebaténsi item pássio
beáti Leodegárii, Augustodunénsis Epíscopi;
quem, váriis injúriis et
divérsis supplíciis pro veritáte afflíctum,
Ebroínus, Major domus régiæ
Theodoríci, intérfici jussit.
In the
vicínity of Arras, the martyrdom of
blessed Leodegarius,
bishop of Autun. After being subjected to various insults and
torments
for the truth, he was put to death by Ebroin, chief minister of
Theodoric.
679
ST LEODEGARIUS, OR LEGER, BISHOP OF AUTUN, MARTYR
ST
LEODEGARIUS was born about the year 616. His parents sent him to
the
court of
King Clotaire II, who in turn sent him to Didon, his uncle arid bishop
of
Poitiers, who appointed a priest to instruct him. Leodegarius made
great
progress
learning
and still more in
the science of the saints, and in consideration of his abilities and
merit his
uncle ordained him deacon when he was only twenty years old, and soon
after
made him archdeacon. When he had become a priest he was obliged to take
upon
himself the government of the abbey of Saint-Maxence, which he held six
years.
Leodegarius was about thirty-five when he became abbot, and his
biographer
represents him as already a rather awe-inspiring person: “Being not
uninformed
in civil law he was a severe judge of lay people and, learned in the
canons, an
excellent teacher of the clergy. Never having been softened by the joys
of the
flesh, he was strict in his treatment of sinners.” He is said to have
introduced the Rule of St Benedict into his monastery, which was in
need of his
reforming hand.
St
Leodegarius was called
to court by the queen regent, St Bathildis, and in 663 nominated bishop
of
Autun. That see had been vacant two years whilst the diocese was torn
asunder
by factions, of which one leader killed the other and so forfeited his
claim to
the see. The arrival of Leodegarius quieted the disturbances and
reconciled the
parties. He took care to relieve the poor, instructed his clergy,
frequently
preached to his people, adorned churches and fortified the town. In a
diocesan
synod he enacted many canons for the reformation of manners and
regarding the
monastic order, He says that if the monks were what they ought to be
their
prayers would preserve the world from public calamities.
The
saint had been bishop
ten years when King Clotaire III died in 673. Upon this news he went at
once to
court, where he successfully supported Childeric against the schemes of
the
Neustrian mayor of the palace, Ebroin, who was exiled to Luxeuil. King
Childeric II governed well so long as he listened to the advice of St
Leodegarius, who had so great a share in public affairs in the
beginning of
this reign that in some writings he is styled mayor of the palace. But,
being
young and violent, the king at length abandoned himself to his own will
and
married his uncle’s daughter without dispensation. St Leodegarius
admonished
him, without effect; and certain nobles took the opportunity to render
the
saint’s fidelity suspect when, at Easter 675, Childeric was at Autun.
Leodegarius
was arrested and, barely escaping with his life, banished to Luxeuil,
where his
opponent Ebroin still was. But Childeric, having caused a nobleman
called
Bodilo to be publicly scourged, was slain by him, and Theodoric III was
put on
the throne; St Leodegarius was restored to his see, and received
at Autun with
honour and rejoicing. Ebroin also left Luxeuil, however, and to deal
with
Leodegarius, his principal opponent, he sent an army into Burgundy
which
marched to Autun. St Leodegarius would not fly, but ordered a fast
and a
procession, in which the relics of the saints were carried round the
walls; at
every gate the bishop prostrated himself, and besought God that, if He
called
him to martyrdom, his flock might not suffer. When the enemy came up,
the
people made a stout defence. But after a few days St Leodegarius said
to them,
“ Fight no longer. It is on my account they are come. Let us send one
of our
brethren to know what they demand.” Waimer, Duke of Champagne, answered
the
herald that Leodegarius was to be delivered up to them. Leodegarius
went boldly
out of the town and offered himself to his enemies, who having seized
him, put
out his eyes. This he endured without suffering his hands to be tied or
emitting the least groan. Waimer carried St Leodegarius to his own
house in
Champagne, where he returned him the money he had taken from the church
of
Autun, which St Leodegarius sent back to be distributed among the poor.
Ebroin
became absolute
master in Neustria and Burgundy. He pretended a desire to revenge the
death of
King Childeric, and accused St Leodegarius and his brother Gerinus of
having
concurred in it. Gerinus was stoned to death in his brother’s presence,
and is
named as a martyr in the Roman Martyrology on this same day. St
Leodegarius could
not be condemned till he had been deposed in a synod, but he was first
treated
with the utmost barbarity, his tongue mutilated and his lips cut off;
after
which he was delivered into the hands of Count Waring, who placed him
in the
monastery of Fécanip in Normandy, where when his wounds healed
he was able to
speak, as it was thought, miraculously. When Gerinus was murdered he
wrote a
letter to his mother Sigradis, who was then a nun at Soissons. In it he
congratulates with her upon her happy shelter from the world and
comforts her
for the death of Gerinus, saying that that ought not to be a grief to
them
which was an occasion of joy to the angels; he speaks of himself with
constancy
and courage, and of the forgiveness of enemies with tenderness and
charity.
Two
years later Ebroin
caused St Leodegarius to be brought to Marly, where he had assembled a
few
bishops that he might be deposed by their sentence. He was pressed to
own
himself privy to the death of Childeric, but constantly denied it. His
accusers
tore up his robe as a mark of deposition, and then he was delivered to
Chrodobert, count of the palace, to be put to death. Ebroin, fearing
lest he
should be honoured as a martyr, ordered his body to be concealed in a
well.
Chrodobert disliked the task of executioner and left it to four
servants, who
led Leodegarius into a wood, where three of them fell at his feet,
begging him
to forgive them. He prayed for them and, when he said he was ready, the
fourth
cut off his head. In spite of Ebroin’s order, the wife of Chrodobert
had the
body interred in a small oratory at a place called Sarcing in Artois,
but three
years after it was removed to the monastery of Saint-Maxence at
Poitiers. The
struggle between St Leodegarius and Ebroin is a famous incident in
Merovingian
history, and not all the right was on one side; some good men, e.g. St Ouen, were supporters of the
notorious Ebroin. It was inevitable in those days that bishops should
take an
active part in high politics, but, though the Roman Martyrology says St
Leodegarius (whom it calls beatus) suffered pro veritate, it is not
obvious why he should be venerated as a
martyr.
In
the Acta Sanctorum (October,
vol. i, published in 1765) Father C. de
Bye devotes more than a hundred folio pages to the history of this
saint. Two
early lives are printed which, though they are by no means always in
agreement,
he believed to be the work of contemporaries. It was reserved for B.
Krusch in
the Neues Archiv, vol. xvi (1890),
pp. 565—596, to explain more or less satisfactorily the problem
presented by
their textual identity in some passages and their divergences in many
others.
He holds that neither was of contemporary origin, but that there was a
third
life of which a considerable portion is preserved in a Paris MS.
(Latin 17002),
and that this was written some ten years after the death of Leodegarius
by a
monk of Saint Symphorien who aimed at excusing the conduct of St
Leodegarius’s
successor in the see. The lives published by the Bollandists were
compiled from
fifty to seventy years later, with this as a basis, but are still of
historical
importance. Krusch (in MGH., Scriptores
Merov., vol. v, pp. 249—362) has reconstituted the text of what he
believes
to have been the original life. Let us add that the letter of
Leodegarius to
his mother Sigradis is unquestionably an authentic document, whereas
the will
attributed to him is open to grave doubt. See further the Analecta
Bollandiana, vol. xi (1890), pp. 104—110, and Leclercq in
DAC., vol. viii, cc. 2460—2492. Pitra’s Histoire
de S. Léger (1890) now out of date, though it called
attention to some new
texts. Father Camerlinck’s life in the series “Les Saints”(1910), is
inclined
to panegyric and sometimes uncritical, but he gives an acceptable
account of
this tragic history. As the calendars show, Leodegarius was honoured in
England
from quite early times, mostly on October 2, but also on the 3rd.
He was
educated at Poitiers, France,
and in 653 became abbot of St. Maxentius. When King Clovis II died,
Leodegarius assisted the regent, Queen Bathildes, and became bishop of
Autun in 659. Erchinoald, the mayor of the royal palace, had
Leodegarius imprisoned, blinded, and murdered. Leodegarius is revered
in France as St. Leger.
Leodegarius (Leger), OSB BM (RM) Born c. 616; died near
Arras in 678.
Leodegarius was raised at the court of King Clotaire II and educated by
his uncle, Bishop Didon of Poitiers. He was made archdeacon by Didon,
was ordained, and about 651-653 became abbot of Maxentius (Maixent)
Abbey, where he introduced the Rule of St. Benedict. During this time
it appears that Saint Leodegarius acquired a humble spirit and became a
true priest.
It is unknown whether Leodegarius was summoned or went to
the court of
his own accord. Nevertheless, he counselled Queen Saint Bathildis
during the minority of her son Clotaire III after the death of her
husband, Clovis II, in 656.
Leodegarius was appointed bishop of Autun in 663,
though he
continued to advise the queen.
Autun was in a state of complete disorder. There had been no
bishop for
two years and before that there were two claimants for the episcopal
throne. One of them had been murdered and the other exiled because of
his abuses of power. Leodegarius began by physically restoring the
town: its walls and the cathedral.
It is said, "Those who were not led to peace and concord by
preaching,
were forced there by justice and terror." Although Leodegarius had a
reputation as a very strict bishop, he managed to reconcile the
factions that had torn apart the see, introduced reforms, imposed the
Benedictine Rule in all monasteries, and was known for his concern for
the poor.
After Bathildis had retired and on the death of Clotaire
III, he
supported young Childeric II for king against his brother Thierry, who
had been backed by Ebroin, mayor of the palace. Ebroin was exiled to
Luxeuil, where he became a tonsured monk and a bitter enemy of
Leodegarius, who became Childeric's adviser. Leodegarius's exalted
position didn't last for long for he alienated many with his severity.
When Leodegarius denounced the marriage of Childeric to his uncle's
daughter, he also incurred the enmity of Childeric .
One Easter Childeric
refused Leodegarius's invitation to attend the
Easter Mass at the cathedral of Saint-Nazaire in Autun. Later Childeric
interrupted the Mass. He was drunk and shouted insults, but as he was
king, no one said anything. Because no one said anything, the king
believed that there was nobody there, and left. But the next day his
fury against Leodegarius had not abated. The saint decided to flee, but
he was soon caught, returned to court, judged and banished to Luxeuil
in 675. There he met and was reconciled to his enemy Ebroin. In Luxeuil
they prayed side-by- side and pledged eternal friendship.
When Childeric was murdered in 675, his successor, Theodoric
III,
restored Leodegarius to his see. Ebroin was also restored as mayor of
the palace after he had the incumbent Leudesius murdered and persuaded
the duke of Champagne and the bishops of Chalons and Valence to attack
Autun. To save the town, Leodegarius surrendered himself.
Ebroin had him blinded, his lips cut off, and his tongue
pulled out.
Leodegarius accepted his fate. His death did not come at once, and he
suffered in silence and prayer. Ebroin sent him to a forest and ordered
that the blind man should be left there to die of hunger. But
Leodegarius's guard took pity on him and after a few days went to find
him. He took him into his home and cared for him.
Not satisfied, several years later, Ebroin convinced the
king that
Childeric had been murdered by Leodegarius and his brother Saint
Gerinus. Gerinus was stoned to death, and Leodegarius was tortured and
imprisoned at Fécamp monastery in Normandy, a cripple. A letter
written by Leodegarius to his mother about the death of his brother
still exists.
Two years later Leodegarius was summoned to a court at Marly
by Ebroin.
A court of bishops declared him deposed from his see. Finally, his
enemies executed him at Sarcing, Artois, protesting his innocence to
the end. Though the Roman Martyrology calls him blessed and a martyr,
and he is popularly regarded as Saint Leger, there is doubt among many
scholars that he is entitled to those honors. It is primarily his
political supporters who advanced his veneration. Only God knows if
Leodegarius was one of his own (Attwater, Benedictines, Delaney,
Encyclopedia).
In art, St. Leodegarius is depicted as his eyes are bored
out with a
gimlet. His executioner stands behind him with a sword. At times,
Leodegarius may be shown enthroned and holding the gimlet or holding a
hook with two prongs (Roeder).
His feast is kept in Lucern, Switzerland. Leodegarius is the
patron of
millers and is invoked against blindness (Roeder).
|
725 St.
Beregisius
Confessor of Pepin of Heristal
and founder of the abbey of Saint-Hubert in the Ardennes region of
France. There is some doubt as to whether he was a monk, though
some sources call him abbot (Benedictines).. Father Beregisus served as
confessor to Pepin of Heristal, who helped
him to found the monastery of Saint-Hubert in the Ardennes.
|
 8th v. Princes David
and Constantine Mkheidze of Argveti faithful Christian martyrs
The 8th century was extremely difficult for the Georgian
people. Marwan bin Muhammad (called “the Deaf” by the Georgians and
“the Blind” by the Armenians), the Persian ruler and military leader
for the Arab caliph, invaded eastern parts of the Byzantine Empire,
then Armenia and Georgia.
With fire and the sword he fought his way across Georgia from the east
to the city of Tskhumi (now Sokhumi) in the region of Abkhazeti. The
princes David and Constantine Mkheidze of Argveti were faithful
Christians and skilled military leaders. When they heard about the
enemy’s invasion, the brothers prayed to God for protection, assembled
their armies, and urged their people to pray fervently for God’s help.
The Persian warriors approached Argveti from Samtskhe and attacked the
Georgians on Persati Mountain. The Georgian army won the battle, with
David and Constantine leading the resistance against the fearsome
conquerors.
But before long the enraged Marwan the Deaf gathered an enormous army
and marched toward Argveti to take revenge. This time the enemy routed
the Georgian army. Many were killed and those who survived were forced
to flee to the forests. The commanders David and Constantine were taken
captive.
The Persian soldiers bound David and Constantine and brought them
before Marwan the Deaf, who began to mock them. But they reacted with
complete composure, saying, “Your laughter and boasting are in vain,
since earthly glory is fleeting and soon fades away. It is not your
valor that has captured us, but our own sins. For the atonement of
these sins have we fallen into the hands of the godless enemy!”
The furious Marwan ordered that the brothers be beaten without mercy,
but they steadfastly endured the suffering. Stunned by the brothers’
resolve, Marwan decided to win them over with flattery instead.
Promising him great honors and command of the armies, he turned to the
older brother, David, saying, “I have heard of your valor, and I advise
you to abandon your erroneous faith and submit yourself to the faith of
Muhammad!”
St. David crossed himself and answered, “Let not this disgrace come
upon us, that we would depart from the light and draw nearer to the
darkness!” Then he condemned the error of the Islamic faith: “Muhammad
converted you from the worship of fire, but he could not instill in you
the knowledge of the True God. Therefore it appears as though you
suffered a shipwreck and saved yourselves from the depths of the sea,
but drowned in the shallow waters of the coast.”
Enraged at this reply, Marwan turned to the younger brother,
Constantine, hoping to win him over to his side. But Constantine was
also unbending, and he fearlessly glorified the Most Holy Trinity: “My
brother David and I believe and follow the one Faith and one doctrine
in which we have been instructed. Our faith is in the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit, and we will die for the sake of the One True
God!”
Marwan ordered that the brothers be starved to death. After they had
suffered for ten days, Marwan sent sorcerers and charmers to arouse in
them a desire to convert to Islam, but their efforts were in vain.
Finally the holy brothers David and Constantine were led to the
riverbank near the Church of Sts. Cosmas and Damian. There they were
brutally beaten and bound. Heavy rocks were hung from their necks, and
they were drowned in the river.
That night three beams of light descended from the heavens and lit up
the place where the brothers had been drowned. According to God’s holy
will, the ropes binding the holy martyrs were loosed, and their bodies
floated to the surface. A group of faithful Christians carried them out
of the river and buried them on the bank of the Tsqaltsitela River, in
a church that Marwan the Deaf had devastated.
The place of their burial remained concealed until the beginning of the
12th century, during the reign of King Bagrat the Great (1072–1117).
Then, in fulfillment of King Bagrat’s decree, the Monastery of the
Martyrs (Motsameta) was built over that place, and the incorrupt relics
of the Great Martyrs are still preserved there.
|
750
St. Theophilus Monk and martyr Bulgarian exiled by Emperor Leo
the Isaurian for his opposition to the iconoclasts
Constantinópoli sancti Theóphili Mónachi,
qui pro defensióne sanctárum Imáginum a
Leóne Isáurico sævíssime cæsus et in
exsílium pulsus, migrávit ad Dóminum.
At Constantinople, St. Theophilus, a monk. He
was cruelly scourged by Leo the Isaurian for his defense of holy
images, was driven into exile, and there went gloriously to heaven.
Originally from Bulgaria, he joined a monastery in Asia Minor (modern
Turkey) and was an outspoken opponent of the imperial policies of
lconoclasticism. For this he was sent into exile by Emperor Leo III the
Isaurian (r. 717-741) and was brutally mistreated.
Theophilus of Bulgaria, OSB (RM) Born in Bulgaria. Theophilus was a
Benedictine monk in Asia Minor, who was beaten, imprisoned, and exiled
by Emperor Leo the Isaurian for his opposition to the iconoclasts
(Benedictines, Encyclopedia) .
|
760 Abbot
Ursicinus II of Chur Reluctant bishop OSB B (AC)
Reluctantly in 754, Abbot Ursicinus of Disentis became bishop of Chur,
Switzerland. In 758, he resigned and became a hermit (Benedictines).
|
 936 Blessed Andrew, Fool-for-Christ; With indifference he underwent beatings,
hunger and thirst, cold
and heat, begging alms and giving them away to the poor. For his great
forebearance and humility the saint received from the Lord the gift of
prophecy and wisdom, saving many from spiritual perils, and he unmasked
the impiety of many.
He was a Slav and lived in the tenth century at
Constantinople. From his early years, he loved God's Church and
the Holy Scriptures. Once during a dream, the saint beheld a vision of
two armies. In the one were men in radiant garb, in the other, black
and fiercesome devils. An angel of God, who held wondrous crowns, said
to Andrew, that these crowns were not adornments from the earthly
world, but rather a celestial treasure, with which the Lord rewards His
warriors, victorious over the dark hordes. "Proceed with this good
deed," the angel said to Andrew. "Be a fool for My sake and you will
receive much in the day of My Kingdom."
The saint perceived that it was the Lord Himself summoning him to this
deed. From that time Andrew began to go about the streets in rags, as
though his mind had become muddled. For many years the saint endured
mockery and insults. With indifference he underwent beatings, hunger
and thirst, cold and heat, begging alms and giving them away to the
poor. For his great forebearance and humility the saint received from
the Lord the gift of prophecy and wisdom, saving many from spiritual
perils, and he unmasked the impiety of many.
While praying at the Blachernae church, St Andrew beheld the Most Holy
Mother of God, holding her veil over those praying under her Protection
(October 1). Blessed Andrew died in the year 936.
|
 1338 Anna of Kashin The Holy Right-believing Princess; withdrew into Tver's Sophia monastery and
accepted tonsure with
the name Euphrosyne. Later, she transferred to the Kashin Dormition
monastery, and became a schemanun with the name Anna; Miracles at St Anna's grave began in 1611
Daughter of the Rostov prince Demetrius Borisovich, in
1294 became the wife of the holy Great Prince Michael Yaroslavich of
Tver, who was murdered by the Mongol-Tatars of the Horde in 1318,
(November 22). After the death of her husband, Anna withdrew into
Tver's Sophia monastery and accepted tonsure with the name Euphrosyne.
Later, she transferred to the Kashin Dormition monastery, and became a
schemanun with the name Anna. She fell asleep in the Lord on October 2,
1338.
St Anna's sons also imitated their father's steadfast confession of
faith in Christ. Demetrius Mikhailovich ("Dread Eyes") was murdered at
the Horde on September 15, 1325; and later, Alexander Mikhailovich,
Prince of Tver, was murdered together with his son Theodore on October
29, 1339.
Miracles at St Anna's grave began in 1611, during the siege of Kashin
by Polish and Lithuanian forces. There was also a great fire in the
city which died down without doing much damage. The saint, dressed in
the monastic schema, appeared to Gerasimus, a gravely ill warden of the
Dormition cathedral. She promised that he would recover, but
complained, "People show no respect for my tomb. They ignore it and my
memory! Do you not know that I am supplicating the Lord and His Mother
to deliver the city from the foe, and that you be spared many hardships
and evils?" She ordered him to tell the clergy to look after her tomb,
and to light a candle there before the icon of Christ Not-Made-By-Hands.
At the Council of 1649 it was decided to uncover her relics for general
veneration and to glorify the holy Princess Anna as a saint. But in
1677 Patriarch Joachim proposed to the Moscow Council that her
veneration throughout Russia should be discontinued because of the Old
Believers Schism, which made use of the name of St Anna of Kashin for
its own purposes. When she was buried her hand had been positioned to
make the Sign of the Cross with two fingers, rather than three.
However, the memory of St Anna, who had received a crown of glory from
Christ, could not be erased by decree. People continued to love and
venerate her, and many miracles took place at her tomb.
On June 12, 1909 her second glorification took place, and her
universally observed Feast day was established. Her Life describes her
as a model of spiritual beauty and chastity, and an example to future
generations.
|
1504 Saint Cassian the Greek of Uglich; led a strict ascetic life; a miraculous vision by night of St
Martinian, urging him to take
monastic tonsure. After a certain period of time, St Cassian left the
monastery going not far from the city of Uglich, near the confluence of
the Volga and Uchma Rivers, where he founded a monastery in honor of
the Dormition of the Mother of God; many miracles of the saint were recorded.
in the world Constantine, was a descendant of the
Greek Mangupa princes. He arrived in Moscow as part of the delegation
to Great Prince Ivan III, together with the daughter of the Byzantine
emperor, Sophia Paleologa.
Having decided to devote his life to the service of God, the saint
declined the offer to remain at the court of the Great Prince, and he
resettled near Bishop Joasaph of Rostov. When the bishop withdrew to
the Therapon monastery for solitude, Constantine followed him, and he
led a strict ascetic life.
He accepted monasticism after a miraculous vision by night of St
Martinian, urging him to take monastic tonsure. After a certain period
of time, St Cassian left the monastery going not far from the city of
Uglich, near the confluence of the Volga and Uchma Rivers, where he
founded a monastery in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God.
Reports of the monk spread widely, and many people began to come to
receive his blessing, to see the wilderness habitation and converse
with him. St Cassian accepted everyone with love, guiding them on the
way to salvation with quiet words.
The monk died in great old age on October 2, 1504. In the Uglich
Chronicles many miracles of the saint were recorded. In particular, the
protection of his monastery from Polish soldiers in the years 1609-1611
by his prayers.
The memory of St Cassian of Uglich is celebrated also on May 21, the
day he shares with his namesake, the holy Emperor Constantine the Great.
|
1622 Bl.
Louis
Shakichi Martyr of Japan layman
who released Blessed Louis Flores
from prison. Louis was burned alive in Nagasaki, and his wife
and children were beheaded. He was beatified in 1867. |
1622 Bl.
Lucy
Chakichi Martyr of Japan
the wife of Blessed Louis Chakichi. She was beheaded with her sons,
Andrew and Francis, at Nagasaki, Japan. She was beatified in 1867.
|
1622 Bl.
Francis
Chakichi Four-year-old martyr of Japan
He was beheaded in Nagasaki, Japan, with
his mother, Blessed Lucy, and his brother Blessed Andrew. His father,
Blessed Louis, was burned at the stake. He was beatified in
1867. |
 1817 St Theodore, one of Russia's greatest naval
heroes of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries;
frequently gave alms to the poor and needy. He never sought
earthly glory or riches, but spent his life in serving God and his
neighbor; The unvanquished
Admiral was the terror of his country's enemies,
and the deliverer of those whom the barbarians had taken captive. He
served during the Russo-Turkish War (1787 - 1791), and also fought
against the French. Although he fought many naval battles in the Black
Sea and in the Mediterranean, he never lost a single one, and he was
never wounded.
He was born in 1745.
St Theodore once visited the Greek island of Kerkyra (Corfu), where he
venerated the relics of St Spyridon of Tremithus (December 12), and
gave support and encouragement to the Orthodox Christians in that place.
Since his naval reforms were unpopular with his superiors, St Theodore
was forced to retire in 1807 by Tsar Alexander I. Having neither wife
nor children, the admiral settled in the town of Alekseevo near the
Sanaxar Monastery, where he regularly attended services on Sundays and
Feast Days. During Great Lent he would stay in the monastery, fasting
with the monks and attending the services.
Igumen Nathaniel of Sanaxar regarded St Theodore as "a neighbor and a
significant patron" of the monastery. In addition to his generous gifts
to the monastery, the admiral frequently gave alms to the poor and
needy. He never sought earthly glory or riches, but spent his life in
serving God and his neighbor.
St Theodore died in 1817 at the age of seventy-two. After navigating
the sea of life with all its storms and struggles, he entered the calm
harbor of eternal rest. He was buried at Sanaxar Monastery beside the
church. The monastery was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in
1991, and St Theodore's grave was found in 1994.
St Theodore was glorified by the Orthodox Church of Russia in 2004, and
a reliquary in the shape of a naval vessel was made to enshrine his
holy relics.
The holy Admiral Theodore should not be confused with his relative St
Theodore (Ushakov) of Sanaxar Monastery (February 19 and April 21), a
monastic saint who lived from 1719 to 1791.
St Theodore is honored as a great military leader who defended Russia
just as St Alexander Nevsky (November 23) and St Demetrius of the Don
(May 19) did before him. One of the Russian Navy's atomic cruisers has
been named for him, and a movie has been made about his life and
career. The composer Khachaturian has also written a musical piece
called "Admiral Ushakov."
|
Memorial
of the Guardian Angels 
Saints of this Day October 02 Sexto Nonas
Octóbris
Quote: Pope
Paul
VI’s 1969 
Among the most important titles we have in
the Catholic Church for the Blessed Virgin Mary are Our Lady of Victory
and Our Lady of the Rosary. These titles can be traced back to one of
the most decisive times in the history of the world and Christendom.
The Battle of Lepanto took place on October 7 (date of feast of Our
Lady of Rosary), 1571. This proved to be the most crucial battle for
the Christian forces against the radical Muslim navy of Turkey. Pope
Pius V led a procession around St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City
praying the Rosary. He showed true pastoral leadership in recognizing
the danger posed to Christendom by the radical Muslim forces, and in
using the means necessary to defeat it. Spiritual battles require
spiritual weapons, and this more than anything was a battle that had
its origins in the spiritual order—a true battle between good and evil.