Saint Note

Thomas Becket-Retired the hard way!

Hi Saint Gang!  

Today is the last day of my secular job.   I am retiring.   When you get this, I will have 7.5 hour to go, depending on when you open your emails of course.   

Many have been with this saint list since its inception back in 1996.   Wow!   Its been a long time.   

I plan to devote more time to my work in the parish, and enjoy my grandkids.   The Whip and I are going to travel a little bit, our first trip is going to be Metropolis Illinois, Superman's Hometown.  I can't wait.

I hope to keep this Saint Blog going in my retirement, but if I take a day or two off from time to time, I hope you will understand.  

Today is Augustine of Canterbury, celebrate accordingly...

Tom

Sub tutela vel sancti… Under the personal protection of Saints:

George
Thomas Becket
Anthony
Jude
Nicholas
Gabriel Possenti
Therese of Lisieux
Genesius
Michael the Archangel
Laurence
Stephen
Francis
Padre Pio

Pope Eleutherius

Today is the Feast of Philip Neri, we did him last year.  Today I give you:

Pope Saint Eleutherius

Also Known As:
Eleutherus

memorial
26 May

Profile

Our Saint today was a deacon under Pope Saint Soter and was elected thirteenth Pope about the year 171.  He was martyred somehow and was buried on the Vatican Hill near Saint Peter.   His bodine was moved around a few times and now is in the Church of Saint Susanna, in Rome.    

During his time there were a bunch of heretical knuckleheads called the Montanists.  The Montanists were the Pentecostals of the day, relying on personal inspiration by the Paraclete as their new theology.   This along with strict interpretation of the Scripture, snake handling, screaming gibberish and claiming it's "speaking in tongues." All that junk.    The Montanists tried to revert back to the Jewish Dietary laws put to rest by St Peter and Paul.   Our Saint today finally said, if God made it and you can eat it, it's okay to eat unless it's disgusting to eat.....I may be paraphrasing....

The Gnostics were still around pumping out their balderdash too...Eleutherius  told them the right time of day in no uncertain terms, you'd think that was the end of it....but no.   

Bede the Venerable once wrote that the King of England contacted Pope Eleutherius informing him the Country wanted to become Christian.   This has since been proven to be one of Bede the Venerable's bloviating tall tales.   See his entry from yesterday for further insight.     

Bede the Venerable

Saint Bede the Venerable

Also known as
Venerable Bede
Father of English History

memorial
25 May

Profile

Our saint was born around the time England was finally completely Christianized. Bede was basically raised from an early age in the abbey of Saints Peter and Paul, and lived there the rest of his life. Growing up, he was thoroughly immersed in the church and learning. With nowhere else to go he became a Benedictine monk, when he finally came of age.

Bede was a great teacher and author, he wrote about history, rhetoric, mathematics, music, astronomy, poetry, grammar, philosophy, homiletics, Bible commentary, and hagiography (the study of Saints, but he did not have a saint list or email at the time).

He was without question the most learned man of his day. His astronomical studies noted the sun, stars and planets were out of sync with the calendar we all followed at the time given to us from Julius Caesar. In his religious writings he floated the idea of dating this era (A.D.) from the incarnation of Christ; and correcting the calendar. Many years later this was finally taken up by Pope Gregory XIII under whose direction the current calendar we use today, The Gregorian Calendar, was eventually developed by the monk Dionysis Exegious.

Bede wrote a history of the Church whose central theme was to use its spiritual power to stamp out violence and barbarism. He was known as Bede the Venerable while still alive. Bede was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1899. However, there are some who say that since Bede was so learned, if he didn’t know the answer to a question he made one up…..the ignorant masses were clueless and the intelligent were intimidated by his rep, so they never challenged him.

Born
672 at Wearmouth, England

Died
25 May 735 of natural causes

Patronage
lectors

Representation
monk writing at a desk
old monk dying amidst his community
old monk with a book and pen
old monk with a jug

Vincent of Lérins

Saint Vincent of Lérins

Also known as
Vincentius

memorial
24 May

Profile

Our Saint today may have been a soldier at one time, but we are glad he made the lateral move into theology. He retired to become a monk at Lerins, France where he wrote a treatise defending the faith against newfangled weird theologies that popular thinkers were coming up with. These unorthodox types have been popping up since right after the apostles, modalists, gnostics, judizers, montanists, arians…the list goes on and on to this day.

Vincent wrote the treatise; Commonitory, which was a great defense of the faith. In it he includes, among other things, a rule of thumb way to figure out how to distinguish the True Faith from Heresy; if some new concept is in accord with the real faith or some new type of bushwah: Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est which means: has this idea been believed everywhere, always, and by all. If it doesn’t fill all of these criteria it is not part of the faith. An example, we know Gnosticism is not part of the faith, even though it is believed by many it was not believed always, everywhere and by all; none of the apostles were Gnostics for example. Another example, the Flatulent Martin Luther’s concept of Sola Scriptura…..well, you get the idea……

Born
Toulouse, France

Died
c.445 in Lerins, France of natural causes

Bernadine of Siena

Saint Bernadine of Siena

Also known as

Bernadino of Siena
Bernardine of Siena
Bernardino of Siena

memorial
20 May

Profile

Our saint today was a Franciscan who was a gifted preacher. In fact, his preaching brought them in in droves! Thousands of listeners flocked to hear him. In addition to his preaching he put together other ways to bring people to the faith, he did dramatic rituals and reenactments and had those who attended actively participate. “Here Guido, put on this dress…you’re Mary Magdalene in this scene.” These invariably ended in weeping, wringing hands, bonfires of vanities, and exorcisms. His preaching visits would often culminate in mass reconciliations, as listeners were persuaded to exchange the bacio di pace, or kiss of peace. He was a famous peacemaker among the different factions in the wild and wooly Renaissance. Because of this he has become associated with all areas of speaking, advertising, public relations, etc.

He felt that many of our problems in inter relationships particularly in close urban settings is malicious gossip, which led to insults, and, too often, vendetta by aggressive males. Probably very true today.

As an aside, as is fitting with a guy who is into public relations, Bernie was big into trademarks and branding. He popularized the insignia: “IHS” or “JHS” as a symbol for Jesus. He did not invent the sign he just popularized it. From the third century the various names of our Savior are sometimes shortened, in Christian inscriptions. This goes back to the Old Testament when the Hebrews would not inscribe or speak the name of the Almighty and often abbreviate it with the tetragrammaton, YHWH. The IHS or sometimes JHS are the first three letters in the name “Jesus” in Greek. It does not stand for “In His Service” as some think. The IHS image became so popular that Bernardine helped a former gambler make a living by selling copies of it. Demand was so high for this simple piece of sacred art that the man made a small fortune!

Another big insignia, not really associated with our saint today, is the Chi Rho that’s the P and the X superimposed on one another you see in church. Chi and Rho are the first two letters in the word “Christ” in Greek "Χριστός". It is said that God instructed Constantine the Great to inscribe the Chi Rho on his army’s shields, and in this sign he shall be victorious….”In hoc signo, vinces,” just like is says on a Pall Mall cigarette package. He was not told to have the Greeks wear those dopey hats though...that's all their idea.

Anyhoo, I digress…….

Born
1380 at Massa di Carrara, Italy

Died
1444 at Aquila, Italy of natural causes

Patronage
advertisers
advertising
against hoarseness
chest problems
communications personnel
compulsive gambling
gambling addicts
lung problems
lungs
public relations personnel
public relations work
respiratory problems
uncontrolled gambling

Representation
short, elderly Franciscan holding a tablet inscribed IHS
short, elderly Franciscan with three mitres at his feet representing the bishoprics he rejected
sun inscribed IHS
tablet inscribed IHS

Good Saint Dunstan

Saint Dunstan of Canterbury

Also known as:
Good Saint Dunstan

memorial
· 19 May

Profile

Good Saint Dunstan is a famous Saxon saint, big in England before 1066, the Norman Conquest, and is said to be the second most popular English Saint after Thomas Becket. In many writings pitting Normans and Saxons like Robin Hood the Saxons always have a certain patronage to “Good Saint Dunstan”.

Our Saint was educated at Glastonbury Abbey by Irish monks. He is known as an expert goldsmith, blacksmith, metal-worker, and harpist. Our Saint was Bishop of Worcester, England, and of London, England. He was elevated to Archbishop of Canterbury, in 960. The combination of spiritual authority and political influence made him the virtual regent of the kingdom.

In this capacity, He was the advisor to King Edwy until he commented on the king’s profligate sexual ways, which caused him, as Archbishop, to be exiled.

In 978, with the ascension of King Ethelred the Unready (or King Odo Fathead the Excessive, I’m not sure which) he retired from political life to Canterbury. Good Saint Dunstan had the gift of prophecy.

Pious fiction tells us that Good Saint Dunstan was, at this time, having great success in his spreading of the gospels around the south of England, to the increasing annoyance of the Infernal Regions. So one day, the Devil himself disguised as a beautiful young woman and visited Dunstan in his forge. As a girl, he batted his eyes and swung his hips, he laughed and joked with the saint and used all his charms in an attempt to seduce him; but Dunstan did not even look up from his blacksmithing. Eventually, the Devil's prancing around the room revealed his hooves beneath the billowing skirts. Unmasked, Old Nick was no match for St. Dunstan who calmly took a large pair of red-hot tongs from the blazing fire and clamped them hard on the Devil's nose. His screams could be heard from three miles away as his wings unfurled and he shot into the sky in uncontrollable agony.

While falling back to Earth Old Nick saw a well, so he swooped down to cool off his blazing bugle in the waters….To this day this is how residents of Kent explain the reddish color and sulfur taste in the water of Tunbridge Wells.

There is a convent built on the spot of Good Saint Dunstan’s Episcopal palace. It still displays the very tongs used by St. Dunstan in this incident (though the unimaginative will tell you they date from the 13th century).

In “A Christmas Carol” Charles Dickens uses this blacksmith tongs metaphor in describing the cold weather nipping at Scrooge’s nose. “If the good Saint Dunstan had but nipped the Evil Spirit's nose with a touch of such weather as that, instead of using his familiar weapons, then indeed he would have roared to lusty purpose.”

Another Good Saint Dunstan story explains the superstition of nailing a horseshoe over the door for good luck and to keep out evil spirits. The legend begins with St. Dunstan living in his cell and happily going about his daily tasks of metalworking, singing, and playing his harp. The devil again makes his appearance spreading "germs of wicked deeds" throughout the countryside. When the devil hears Good St. Dunstan's music, he becomes enraged with jealousy.

The devil begins making horrendous noises, hurting Good St. Dunstan's ears. The next morning, Good St. Dunstan prepares an iron horseshoe and nails. When the devil arrives, Good St. Dunstan grabs his foot and nails the burning hot horseshoe to the devil's foot.

The devil's screams awakens everyone in the village. When Good St. Dunstan finished nailing the horseshoe to the devil's foot, he smiled, asking the devil for a dance.

From that day foreword, the devil will not enter a house that has a horseshoe hanging over the door. He was permanently dissuaded due to this, and the nasal appraisal we discussed earlier. Good Saint Dunstan was buried in Canterbury his burial site was lost for years, but rediscovered by Archbishop Washam , but his relics were all destroyed during the “Glorious” Protestant Reformation

Born
· 909 at Baltonsborough, Glastonbury, England

Died
· 988 at Canterbury, England of natural causes

Patronage
· armorers
· blacksmiths
· blind people
· gold workers
· goldsmiths
· jewelers
· lighthouse keepers
· locksmiths
· musicians
· silver workers
· silversmiths
· swordsmiths

Representation
· gold cup
· horseshoe
· man holding a pair of smith’s tongs
· man putting a horseshoe on the devil’s cloven foot
· man with a dove hovering near him
· man with a troop of angels before him
· man working with gold or metal, usually in a monastery or cloister,
sometimes with an angel speaking to him
· metal working tools
· pincers

Felix of Cantalice

Saint Felix of Cantalice

Also known as
Ass of the Capuchins (what he called himself...)
Brother Deo Gratias ("Deo Gratias" [Thank God] was his habitual greeting)

memorial
18 May

Profile

Our Saint today was born a peasant. He had no education, he never learned to read and write he made money as a shepherd and a farm hand. He was a prayerful, simple, illiterate fellow who had a friend of his read the lives of the saints and the Early Church Fathers to him. Later, Felix petitioned to join the Capuchins as a lay brother. The Capuchins seem to have a predilection for taking in the simple, see Joseph of Cupertino for example.

Felix's reputation for holiness spread like wildfire, even though he was unable to read or write his understanding of deep theological truths was well known; theologians consulted him on spiritually and Scripture. It was said he could read souls, much like St Padre Pio, because of this ability, and Felix’s desire to show it off by calling for specific people to repent of specific sins, folks on the street would hide from him when it became obvious he could see their sins, and knew their hearts, and “outed” them publicly, so to speak.

Felix preached in the street, rebuked corrupt politicians and officials, again publicly and openly. He exhorted young men to stop leading dissolute lives. Felix and Saint Philip Neri once broke up the town’s annual carnival, as he felt it was full of debauchery and other sinful goings on. The water in the clown’s mouth was a real sin magnet….I’m sure this was much to the townsfolk’s delight …. no TV back then remember?

Felix’s inherent simplicity and lack of education made him rather childlike, and children trusted him. He composed simple teaching canticles, and had the children gather in groups to sing them as a way to teach them catechism. Like the Babysitters club did with the brain, the brain, the center of the chain, that will never happen
if you use your brain; and singing and thinking is the best, now you better go and study, so you pass your science test! But I digress.....

During one of his private prayer sessions, he received a vision of the Virgin Mary during which she allowed Felix to hold the Christ Child in his arms. Upon his death the folks in Rome acclaimed him a saint immediately. So many came to his funeral that some were injured in the mad rush to get into the church, once in there the crush was incredible, an extra door had to be knocked through one wall so they could exit. He was buried under an altar in the church of the Immaculate Conception in Rome and miracles are reported at his tomb.

Born
18 May 1515, Abruzzi, Italy where Bruno Sammartino hails from

Died
18 May 1587 in Rome, of natural causes

Representation
holding the Infant Jesus in his arms
Capuchin carrying a beggar's wallet

Pascal Baylon

Saint Pascal Baylon

Also known as
Paschal

memorial
17 May

Profile

Our Saint for today was born on Pentecost in 1540 and died on Pentecost in 1592 in Spain. Paschal was the son of a couple of pious peasants; he early on, had a great devotion to the Eucharist. He was a shepherd until his early 20’s when he became a Franciscan lay brother.

He served as cook and doorkeeper among other menial tasks. His outstanding charity and patience put the other Franciscans in the house to shame. Remember all these Franciscans pride themselves on their humility…..(Pride….Humility…get it?!?)

In his travels he ran into a bunch of Huguenots in France. These Calvinists don’t believe in the real presence, and so this particular Huguenot preacher was having a wild blasphemous field day until Paschal came along.  Paschal made verbal mincemeat of this Huguenot Clown with his defense of the Eucharist.      But, this goon had friends; Our Saint narrowly escaped death at the hands of the Huguenot mob followers after he decided to go toe to toe with this mope.

Growing up as a poor shepherd Paschal didn’t really spend too much time in formal learning, even so his advice was sought after by rich and poor alike. He’s big in Spanish speaking countries and Sicily…the Sicilians like the story of Paschal taking on the mob. His tomb was desecrated and his remains burned in the Spanish Civil War by anticlerical leftists. You must remember this: Rick Blaine fought against them……the loyalists would have paid him much more though.

Born
24 May 1540

Died
15 May 1592 in Spain of natural causes

Ascension Thursday

For those of you who have been around a while, I haven't done this classic rant of mine since 2016.  Here it is: 

Ascension Thursday

Today is the Feast of the Ascension, in Dioceses that still celebrate it correctly, if your diocese has not re-instituted the Mass Obligation though it is not a Holy Day of Obligation with all its requirements, but it usually is…..you have been warned!  Even so, it is a big deal.    

Many bishops throughout the USA have moved the celebration to next Sunday so as not put Catholics out by asking them to go to church in the middle of the week…..I’m glad Our Lord didn’t feel like he was being put out during the whole scourging/crucifixion thing.

The Ascension commemorates the elevation of Christ into heaven by His own power in presence of His disciples the fortieth day after His Resurrection. "I go to return to My Father and your father; to My God and your God." After Christ’s Ascension the first “Novena” began; the following nine days until Pentecost and the descent of the Holy Spirit. A man asks a Franciscan and a Jesuit if it would be proper to pray a novena so he could have a Maserati. The Franciscan asks, "What's a Maserati?" but the Jesuit asks "What's a novena?"

Anyhoo, every year I get an email from one or another of you saying I am too critical with my complaint about moving this feast:

“I believe you are being a tad uncharitable in your sweeping condemnation of those, who’s Ordinaries have removed the obligation of attending Mass today. There are lots of economic reasons for their actions.”

To which I say: there are Masses all throughout the day and evening; vigil the night before and the evening of Thursday, I am certain that most people who work can find a Mass to go to with a little sacrifice. As always there are unique situations like; if one is sick, cares for one who is sick or if one is required to work for reasons of the Public Good like Nurses, Firemen, EMTs Paramedics and Police, they are naturally dispensed as always. This didn’t seem to be a problem on Ash Wednesday did it? And Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation. People jumped over one another to “get ashes,” even with this pandemic going on……

Ostensibly, the reason to transfer the feast to Sunday is, a way to expose more people to the mystery of the Ascension of the Lord. Let’s be honest, included in that calculation was also the notion that it is tooo haaard for people to go to Mass also on Thursday. “Mass twice in a week? Tooo haaard!” Fast 2 days in the whole year? Tooooo HAAAARRRRD! No meat on Friday? TOOOOO HAAAARD! We have to get ordained in May of 2013…..TOOOOO HAAAARD! STOP IT!!!

The big complaint I have is, let’s face it, most people don't even try, "I was too tired after work," or "The kids are all brats." is not a valid excuse. You can see many of them pouring out of Madison Square Garden or Yankee Stadium, or The Borgata in Atlantic City every day of the week...they have no problem finding time in the middle of the week to do that....It is to these folk I am speaking not uncharitably but with love, in my own sarcastic way which everyone on this list knows and understands.... since one of the Spiritual works of Mercy is to Admonish the Sinner I am doing just that. Vatican II reaffirms the fact that we are all called to holiness..not perfection, so we should at least try. This is not a question really of Catholic requirement it is rather asking people to take advantage of the rich, redemptive, resources of Holy Mother Church. Look at it this way, you don’t have to go to Mass today…..you get to go to Mass today!

My present view of humanity suggests that when Holy Mother Church lowers expectations regarding the liturgy, people get the hint and lower their own personal expectations of themselves. Maybe…the feast just isn’t that important. As a matter of fact, maybe none of this Catholic stuff, with all these rules, is that important. This is what happened with lowering expectations about Friday abstinence (hardly anyone pays attention to it anymore), going to confession regularly, and confession of all mortal sins, the Eucharistic fast, dressing appropriately for Mass, etc. etc. etc. “Gee Tom I forgot I was scheduled to serve the 9 o’clock Mass, my kid had a soccer game.” If you change how people pray (or tell them they don’t have to) you change the way people believe. There is a reciprocal relationship between our prayer and our belief. Lex ordandi – Lex credendi. Finally, I cannot conceive of a situation where the church has not made allowances for someone to not go to church within reason on a holy day of obligation when they legitimately cannot.

Palladus of Rome

Today is also the Feast of St. Pancras, we did him last year it is also:

Saint Palladius of Rome

memorial
12 May

Our saint was martyred during the persecutions of our old friend Diocletian, around the year 304.   He was only 14 years old...That's all I have.      

Mayeul

Saint Mayeul

Also known as
· Maiolus

memorial
· 11 May

Profile

Mayuel was the head Deacon In Charge (HDIC) of Macon, France. More literary types call this the Archdeacon, an office we really don’t have in the western church anymore.

He was so effective, well liked and popular he was the front-runner to become the new bishop. Deacons were often chosen to be Bishops and sometimes even the Pope back in the good old days. The slow decline of the Order of Deacons beginning in the year 500 had as a big component what the Vatican calls, "Corporatism." Specifically, priests were circling the wagons in deference to their own interests at the expense of the Order of Deacons.

In 1998 no less than the CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION, CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY published a document which said: The local Ordinary should foster a “spirit of communion” among deacons and priests ministering in his diocese and avoid any form of “corporatism” which was a factor in the decline and eventual extinction of the permanent Diaconate in earlier centuries.

You see, many Bishops (including the Bishop of Rome) were chosen from the Order of Deacons due to their popularity and success with the general population, being ministers of service. This bothered a lot of the order of Presbyters who saw Deacons as competition in a secular career rather than all servants of the Lord. I would like to say this doesn’t continue today…..That’s what I would like to say.

Unfortunately many in the educated and even ordained Catholic community still do not realize the depth of the diaconal Vocation, yet. The president of the Cofraternity of Catholic Clergy, Fr. John Trugilio, has said:

There is no such thing as a 'lay' deacon. That is an oxymoron. All deacons, priests and bishops are clergy. Some deacons are transitional, some permanent. Permanent deacons may be married but only prior to being ordained. That being said, it makes sense to have clergy wear clerical attire of some sort when doing ecclesiastical work or when engaged in the apostolate. Some deacons are accused of being clerical, however, simply because they want to witness to their vocation as ordained ministers. When working in their secular occupations or when off duty with their family and friends, it makes sense that these men dress appropriately but all the more so when they are doing the work of Church.

When a prisoner or a hospital patient ask to see the chaplain, if they see a man in shirt and tie, they do not recognize an ordained cleric. Seeing a deacon in some form of collar, be it black or gray, assures them this man is a CATHOLIC CLERIC. And if the person requests confession or anointing, guess what? The deacon then calls for the priest. My priesthood is not threatened nor encroached by the diaconate. …Clericalism tries to clericalize the laity and laicize the clergy. It is a caricature and a distortion of what should and ought to be.

Anyway when our saint got wind of this move to make him bishop he felt himself unworthy so he became a monk at Cluny Abbey. He was chosen assistant abbot in 954, and then abbot in 965 much against his will.

Mayeul was devoted to learning, and led his brothers by good example. He became counselor to Holy Roman Emperors Emperor Otto I and Emperor Otto II. Otto II wanted to put Our Saint as a candidate for Pope, but Mayeul would have none of it.

Born
c.906 at Avignon, France

Died
994 at Souvigny, France en route to Paris

John of Avila

Today is also the feast of Damien of Molokai.

Saint John of Avila

Also known as
• Apostle of Andalusia
• Juan de Ávila Jijón

memorial
• 10 May

Profile

Our saint for today was born to a wealthy Castilian family with Jewish ancestry. John studied law at a young age and following the death of his parents, he liquidated most of his large fortune, and gave it to the poor. He felt the call to religious life and was ordained in 1525.

He spent most of his time re-evangelizing a region previously ruled by the Moors (Moops, for those who live in a bubble). He spoke boldly against the sins of the ruling classes, made powerful enemies, and at one point was imprisoned in Seville, Spain, probably because he annoyed the rich and powerful. John was released, and his preaching became more popular than ever.

He is one of the 36 Doctors of the Church. He was elevated to this exclusive club by Pope Benedict XVI at World Youth Day 2011. Our Saint personally influenced a lot of deep church thinkers like Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Francis Borgia, Saint John of God, Saint John of the Cross, Saint Peter of Alcántara, and Saint Louis of Granada. John of Avila shares a birthday with the Whip.

Born
• 6 January 1499, Spain

Saint John before the Latin Gate

Not Slytherin!!

Saint John before the Latin Gate

memorial

·           6 May

About the Feast

I really like the story behind this feast.   The Apostle John was a real troublemaker to the Roman Authority of the time.   He was the Bishop of Ephesus, and was quite outspoken apparently. 

In the year 95 John, now an old man, was bound and brought to Rome by the order of Emperor Domitian; the Senate condemned him to be taken to the Latin Gate where they attempted to poison him with a chalice of wine laced with a lethal brew.   John blessed the wine and the poison slithered out of the chalice in the form of a serpent.   Then they figured this was more expeditious and had him thrown in a cauldron of boiling oil.    John stepped out of the cauldron without injury.

Instead of wasting any more tortures on this man they exiled him to Patmos where he eventually received the visions from heaven and composed the book of Revelation.   We get most of the sketchy details of this incident from the writings of St. Polycarp of Smyrna, who was a disciple of John.   These Traditions and stories go back to the time of the Apostles.   There are some who like to change the story and say someone else, not John the apostle, was the dude who wrote Revelation.  To them I quote St. Vincent of Lérins: quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est

Pelagia of Tarsus

Saint Pelagia of Tarsus

memorial
4 May

Profile

In or around the year 300 or so, the beautiful maiden, Pelagia was betrothed to the son of Emperor Diocletian. Early Christian women are always beautiful for some reason. Anyhoo…the Emperor’s son must have been a real yahoo, because Our Saint today ran away from the wedding, and encountered a local priest who introduced her to Jesus and baptized her.

On her return, Diocletian’s son was so embarrassed, at his object of desire’s new spiritual affiliation, he killed himself. Diocletian offered to spare Pelagia’s life if she would instead, marry him instead of the dead son. Naturally she refused.

Diocletian, did not suffer this rejection wll, he had Pelagia roasted alive in the belly of a bronze ox. It is said her melted flesh smelled like sweet myrrh.

James the Just

Today is the feast of 2 Apostles, Philip and James. We will discuss James today:

Saint James the Just

Also known as
• Jacobus Minor
• James the Lesser
• James the Less
• James the Younger
• James, son of Alphæus
• James, the brother of the Lord

Memorial
• 3 May

Profile
Our saint for today was a blood relative of Jesus (on his Mother’s side). James was raised in a Jewish home with all the training in Scripture and Law that was part of that life. He was known for his piety. He became a convert and one of the twelve original Apostles.

The cognomen, James the Less is not in reference to his being less important than the other James, (James the Greater), it is in reference to his age or size. He was one of the most important of the apostles; in fact he was chosen to be the first Bishop of Jerusalem. Which is why I prefer the moniker “James the Just,” when we speak of today’s heavenly worthy. James was a just and apostolic man known for his prayer life, he spent so much time on his knees praying they were described as looking thickened like a camel’s. He was devoted to the poor.

Saint Paul the Apostle noted that he went to Jerusalem and met with James and Peter to work out the plans for evangelization of the Gentiles. James and Peter called the first Apostolic Council of Jerusalem; James was the chairman. This council upheld the position that Gentile converts did not have to obey all Jewish religious law particularly circumcision ending this debate once and for all. James continued to observe them himself as part of his heritage and because he was a Jew who followed Christ.

The resident Jewish leaders did not like James. He was well versed in Jewish law and practice and a Christian leader. Because of their animosity, James was thrown from the pinnacle of the temple, and was beaten to death with clubs. Having been beaten to death, a club almost immediately became Our Saint’s symbol. This led to his patronage of fullers, hat makers, and pharmacists, all of whom use clubs in their professions. In the medieval period, the fulling of cloth often was undertaken in a water mill, this was mistakenly translated to a windmill in iconography, which is why the windmill is often connected to James. Another unhappy accident of perception like Saint Agatha and her patronage of bread makers, and bell founders….

It is said soon after the Crucifixion, James announced he would fast until Christ returned; the resurrected Jesus appeared to him, and fixed a meal for James Himself.

James wrote my most favorite of all the Epistles. I feel his words are straightforward and “no nonsense”. May I refer you Protestants to this epistle? Particularly see James Chapter 2 verse 20 “Faith without works is dead.” How come the flatulent Martin Luther missed that little tidbit eh? Ohh he didn’t, he ignored it…..

Died
• martyred c.62 while praying for his attackers

Patronage
• apothecaries
• druggists
• dying people
• fullers
• hat makers
• hatters
• milliners
• pharmacists

Representation
• fuller’s club
• man holding a book
Windmill