Subj : December 22nd - St. Ischyrion, St. Chaeremon and other Martyrs To : All From : rich Date : Fri Dec 21 2018 08:10:04 From: rich December 22nd - St. Ischyrion, St. Chaeremon and other Martyrs The third century was marked by Roman persecutions of the Church. Today's saints were martyred during the reign of Emperor Decius.They lived in Egypt. Many of the Christians were driven out into the desert. There they died in a variety of ways: hunger, thirst, cold nights, wild animals, criminals. Naturally, if the Christians tried to return to civilization, they were killed. The young, healthy Christians were sold into slavery. St. Chaeremon was a priest and bishop of Nilopolis. He was very old when the persecution became extreme. The elderly bishop and a companion went for shelter to the mountains of Arabia. They were never seen again, nor were their bodies ever found. St. Ischyrion worked for an official in one of Egypt's cities. It may have been Alexandria. His employer required that he sacrifice to the gods. Ischyrion refused because this was against the first commandment. The official was angry and insulted. He had Ischyrion killed. A great many other martyrs are included here who gave their lives for Jesus at this time in Egypt. Today, there are still many people who suffer for their faith in Jesus. Let us pray for them, that they will have the courage they need to be faithful to the Gospel. Reflection: It is not a man's terrestrial condition, but his virtue that can make him truly great and truly happy. However lowly a person's station or circumstances may be, the road to both greatness and happiness is open to him; and there is not a servant or slave whom God will not sustain, if he is fired with the laudable ambition of arriving at the summit of Christian perfection. (Rev. Alban Butler) <><><><> Who abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him.--1 John 4:16 13. To lose ourselves in God is simply to give up our own will to Him. When a soul can say truly, "Lord, I have no other will than Thine," it is truly lost in God, and united to Him. --St. Francis de Sales The venerable Father Daponte made this prayer, and repeated it every day: "Fiat, Domine de me, in me, pro me, et circa me et omnia mea, sancta voluntas Tua, in omnibus et per omnia et in aeternum--Concerning me, in me, for me, in regard to me, and all that I have, may Thy holy will, O Lord, be done, in all things, and through all things, and to eternity." The Lord appeared one day to St. Gertrude and said to her: "Daughter, behold I bring you in one hand health, and in the other sickness. Choose which you please!" The Saint, throwing herself at His feet, with her hands crossed upon her bosom, answered: "O Lord, I pray Thee not to consider my will at all, but solely Thine own, and to do with me whatever will result in Thy greatest glory and satisfaction; for I have no desire except to have whatever Thou wishest me to have." The Lord was much pleased with this reply, and added: "Let those who desire that I should often visit them give Me the key of their will, and never take it back?' Instructed by these words, the Saint composed for herself this aspiration, which she frequently repeated ever after: "Non mea, sed Tua voluntas fiat, Jesu amantissime!--Not my will, but Thine be done, O most loving Jesus!" ("A Year with the Saints".=C2 December: Union) <><><><> Prayer: Lord, grant us the grace to be courageous in times of peril and to stand fast in our faith always, knowing that You are with us, even unto death. Amen. --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .