Subj : August 14th - Saint Eusebius, Priest and Martyr To : All From : rich Date : Tue Aug 13 2019 08:47:12 From: rich August 14th - Saint Eusebius, Priest and Martyr (d. towards the end of the Third Century) The Church celebrates on this day the memory of Saint Eusebius, who among the Christians of his time distinguished himself by his spirit of prayer and his apostolic virtues. When he was arraigned, Maxentius, the governor of the Province, interrogated him and was furious at the Saint's constancy while he was placed on the rack and his sides wer= e torn with iron hooks. He sentenced him to die by fire at the stake; but his unusual serenity when going to the place of execution caused him to be summoned back to the tribunal, obviously by a particular disposition of Providence. The Emperor himself being in the region, the governor went to him and told him the prisoner asked to be taken before him. The reason for this request was that there had not been any recent edicts published against the Christians. Saint Eusebius was advanced in age, and the emperor Maximian said, after questioning him, =E2=80=9CWhat harm is there t= hat this man should adore the God he talks of as superior to all the others?=E2=80=9D But the brutal Maxentius would not listen, and, like Pilat= e facing Christ, the Emperor told the persecutors of the accused man to judge the affair themselves. Maxentius therefore sentenced him to be decapitated. Eusebius, hearing the sentence, said aloud, =E2=80=9CI thank Y= our goodness and praise Your power, O Lord Jesus Christ, because in calling me to prove my fidelity, You have treated me as one of Yours.=E2=80= =9D His martyrdom occurred towards the end of the third century. Reflection: Let us learn, from the example of the Saints, courage in the service of God. He calls upon us to endure suffering of body and of mind, if it is necessary, to prove our fidelity to Him; and He promises to support us by His strength, His light, and His heavenly consolation. Sources: Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on Butler's Lives of the Saints and other sources Saint Quote: Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven. --Saint Ephraem of Syria Bible Quote: Amen, amen, I say to you, if you ask the Father anything in My Name, He will give it to you. (John 16:23) <><><><> O humility, love flower, I see how few souls possess you. Is it because you are so beautiful, and at the same time, so difficult to attain? O yes, it is both the one and the other. Even God takes great pleasure in her. The floodgates of heaven are open to a humble soul, and a sea of graces flows upon her. O how beautiful is a humble soul! From her heart, as from a censer, rises a varied and most pleasing fragrance which breaks through the skies and reaches God himself, filling his Most Sacred Heart with joy. God refuses nothing to such a soul; she is all-powerful and influences the destiny of the whole world. God raises such a soul up to his very throne, and the more she humbles herself, the more God stoops down to her, pursuing her with his graces and accompanying her at every moment with his omnipotence. Such a soul is most deeply united with God. O humility, strike deep roots in my whole being. O Virgin most pure, but also most humble, help me to attain deep humility. Now I understand why there are so few saints; it is because so few souls are deeply humble.[5] --Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .