Subj : September 10th - St. Nemesian & Many Companions, Martyrs To : All From : rich Date : Sun Sep 09 2018 10:06:49 From: rich September 10th - St. Nemesian & Many Companions, Martyrs IN the first year of the 8th general persecution, raised by Valerian in the year 257, St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, was banished by the proconsul of Africa to Curubis. At the same time the president of Numidia proceeded with severity against the Christians, tortured many, and afterwards put several to barbarous deaths and sent others to work in the mines, or rather quarries. Out of this holy company some were taken at intervals to be tormented afresh or inhumanly butchered, whilst others continued their lingering martyrdom in hunger, nakedness and filth, exhausted with hard labour, persecuted with daily blows, hardships, and insults. St. Cyprian wrote from the place of his banishment to comfort and encourage these sufferers for their faith. Those to whom his noble letter was addressed thanked St. Cyprian for it through their leader, Bishop Nemesian. It had, they said, eased the pain of their blows and sufferings, and made them indifferent to the stench and filth of their prison. They tell him that by gloriously confessing his faith in the proconsul's court, and going before the= m into banishment, he had animated all the soldiers of God for the conflict. They conclude by begging his prayers, and say, =E2=80=9CLet us assist one another by our prayers, that God and Christ and the whole choir of angels may send us help when we shall most want it=E2=80=9D. This glorious company is commemorated on this day in the Roman Martyrology, nine of them being mentioned by name, all bishops; but there also suffered, as St. Cyprian tells us, lower clergy and lay-people of all ages and states of life. Some were deliberately put to death, a few survived, but the most part died of exposure, hardship, ill treatment or sickness brought on by their captivity. The mention of SS. Nemesian, Felix and Companions in the Roman Martyrology on this date seems to be due to a confusion. There was a martyr, Nemesius, who suffered with companions at Alexandria, and he, as the =E2=80=9CHieronymianum=E2=80=9D bears witness, belongs to this day, = being probably identical with a martyr who in the Syriac breviarium appears as =E2=80=9CMenmais=E2=80=9D, also on September 10. Dom Quentin has shown t= hat Florus, the martyrologist, has identified this group of martyrs of Alexandria with those to whom St. Cyprian's letter is addressed (see Martyrolo= ges historiques, p. 289). We have no evidence beyond Cyprian's letter t= hat the bishops to whom it was addressed were honoured subsequently as martyrs. The Carthaginian calendar names a Nemesian on December 23, but this may be a boy martyr of whom St. Augustine speaks. The text of St. Cyprian, with comments, is quoted in the Acta Sanctorum, September, vol. iii. Saint Quote Perfection consists in one thing alone, which is doing the will of God. For, according to Our Lord's words, it suffices for perfection to deny self, to take up the cross and to follow Him. --St. Vincent de Paul Bible Quote: For which cause I admonish thee that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee by the imposition of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear: but of power and of love and of sobriety. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but labour with the gospel, according to the power of God. ...--St. Paul in his second letter to Timothy (2 Tim 1:6-8) DRB <><><><> Reflection on Perfect Love You cannot have perfect love unless you empty your heart of every other love. That is why those who fill their hearts with love of God and neighbor desire nothing but the will of God or that of some fellow human being--provided this is not contrary to God. That is why they devote themselves to prayer, spiritual conversations, and reflection, for it is a joy to them to long for God and to speak, hear, and think about him whom they dearly love. That is why they rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep, show compassion to those in distress, and give to the needy, since they love others as themselves. Hence too their contempt for riches, power, pleasure, honor, and praise. Those who love these things frequently offend against God and their neighbor--for the whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments. So those who wish to possess the fullness of that love which is the price of the kingdom of heaven should love contempt, poverty, toil, and subjection, as do the saints. =E2=80=93St. Anselm of Canterbury --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .