Subj : January 21st - St. Epiphanius, Bishop of Pavia To : All From : rich Date : Mon Jan 20 2020 07:12:06 From: rich January 21st - St. Epiphanius, Bishop of Pavia Born in Pavia, Italy, 439; died in Burgundy, France, in 497. Saint Epiphanius, popularly called the "glory of Italy" and "light of bishops," was elected bishop of Pavia in 467. The reputation of Epiphanius for holiness and miracles gave him the highest credit with the weak Roman emperors of his time, and with the Kings Odoacer and Theodoric, though all of opposite interests. By his eloquence and charity he tamed savage barbarians, won life and liberty for whole armies of captives, and secured the abolition of many oppressive laws, with the mitigation of heavy public imposts and taxes. By his profuse charities he preserved many of the famine-stricken from perishing, and by his zeal he stemmed the torrent of iniquity in times of universal disorder. Epiphanius undertook an embassy to the Emperor Anthemius, and another to King Euric at Toulouse: both in the hope of averting war. He rebuilt Pavia, which had been destroyed by Odoacer, and mitigated the fury of Theodoric in the heat of his victories. He set out on a journey into Burgundy to redeem the captives detained by Gondebald and Godegisilus, but on his return died of cold and fever at Pavia, in the 58th year of his age. His death was really that of a martyr of charity, and during his lifetime he seems to have been honoured by his flock with profusion of endearing and complimentary names. They called him the =E2=80=9Cpeacemaker= =E2=80=9D, and also Papa --i.e. the Father. His body was translated to Hildesheim in Lower Saxony, in 963; Brower thinks it lies in a silver coffin near the high altar. Although the image does not seem to match the story, in art, Epiphanius is supposed to be portrayed as a bishop going to his martyrdom with three maidens: Luminosa, Speciosa, and Liberata (Roeder). See his panegyric in verse by Ennodius, his successor, reputed to be the masterpiece of that author, edited in the Acta Sanctorum, as also in MGH., Auctores antiquissimi, vol. vii, pp. 84-110. Cf. Analecta Bollandiana, vol. xvii (1898), pp. 124-127. Saint Quote: You must ask God to give you power to fight against the sin of pride which is your greatest enemy--the root of all that is evil, and the failure of all that is good. For God resists the proud. --St. Vincent de Paul Bible Quote: 2 By the mouth of babes and infants, you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. 5 Yet you have made him little less than God, and crowned him with glory and honor. 9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! =C2 [Psalm 8:2,5,9] <><><><> Reflection from the Imitation of Christ =C2 Obedience We must not be satisfied with exteriorly submitting to obedience and in things that are easy, but we must obey with our whole heart, and in things the most difficult. For the greater the difficulty, the greater also is the merit of obedience. Can we refuse to submit to man for God's sake, when God, for love of us, submits to man, even to His v= ery executioners? =C2 =C2 Jesus Christ was willingly obedient during His whole life, and= even unto the death of the Cross; and am I unwilling to spend my life in the exercise of obedience, and to make it my cross and my merit? Independence belongs to God, who has made man dependent upon others, that his subordination may be to him the means of his sanctification. I will therefore form myself upon the model of my submissive, dependent, and obedient Saviour, and dispose of nothing in myself, not even of my own will. --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .