Subj : March 9th - Saint Pacian To : All From : rich Date : Sun Mar 08 2020 08:48:06 From: rich March 9th - Saint Pacian, Bishop of Barcelona died c. 390. ST. PACIAN is chiefly remembered through his writings, for very little is known of his history. At some time in his life he married--probably before he became a priest--and his son, Flavius Dexter, was chamberlain to the Emperor Theodosius and captain of the royal bodyguard under Honorius. St Jerome, who was intimate with Dexter, had the greatest regard for the father, whose eloquence, learning and sanctity he extolled while dedicating to the son his Catalogue of Illustrious Men. St. Pacian lived to old age and was a voluminous writer; but of his many works the only ones which have come down to us are an exhortation to penance, a sermon on baptism and three epistles addressed to a nobleman called Sympronian, who had embraced the Novatian heresy and had sent Pacian a letter in which he censured the Church for allowing repentance and absolution for all sins and also for taking the title of Catholic, In his reply St. Pacian makes the now famous retort: =E2=80=9CChristianus mihi nomen: Catholicus vero cognomen. Illud me nuncupa= t: istud ostendit. Hoc probor: inde significor.=E2=80=9D--=E2=80=9CMy name is = Christian, my surname Catholic. The one puts me in a class, the other gives me a character. The second is a testimonial, the first is a label.=E2=80=9D Elsewhere he insists that those alone are embraced in the unity of the Church who are united to the chair of St Peter. =E2=80=9CTo Peter alone did the Lord speak=E2=80=9D (Thou art Peter, etc.) =E2=80=9Cthat from him, the = one, He might establish unity.=E2=80=9D--=E2=80=9CUt ex uno fundaret unum.=E2=80=9D Amongst St. Pacian's lost writings was one entitled Cervulus, direc= ted against an obscene heathen pageant which took place annually at the new year and in which, apparently, Christians sometimes participated. The performance, which centered round a little stag and which is alluded to by St Ambrose and other writers, consisted of masquerades in which those who took part were dressed up as wild animals. Like many a modern censor the bishop found that his strictures acted rather as an advertisement, and at the beginning of his treatise on penance he deplores that the chief effect of his censure was to make more people curious to witness the objectionable revels. Pacian wrote much about ecclesiastical discipline. Although most of it is lost, Saint Jerome, who dedicated his catalogue of illustrious men to Pacian, extols his eloquence and learning, and more particularly the chastity and sanctity of his life. Pacian's Exhortation on penance is considered a classic.=C2 A sermon on Baptism also survives (Benedictines, Encyclopedia, Husenbeth). A brief account of St. Pacian will be found in the Acta Sanctorum, March, vol. ii. See also Bardenhewer's Patrologie. Saint Quote: =C2 Place before your eyes as models for imitation, not the weak and cowardly, but the fervent and courageous. --St. Ignatius of Loyola Bible Quote: Where pride is, there also shall be reproach: but where humility is, there also is wisdom.=C2 (Proverbs 11:2) <><><><> Prayer How lovely, O God, are Thy tabernacles! My soul longeth and fainteth for Thy courts, O living God, Who art the crown and reward of the saints, and repayest their sufferings and sorrows in this world with eternal joy. How blessed are all they who, in this life, have served Thee faithfully! They behold Thee and the Lamb of God face to face; they bear Thy name on their foreheads, and reign with Thee forever. We therefore beseech Thee, O God, through their intercessor, to grant us Thy grace to serve Thee after their example, in sanctity and justice; to follow them in poverty, humility, meekness, repentance, in ardent longing for all virtues, in peace-making and patience, and one day, like them, to share in the joys of heaven. Amen. --Goffine's Devout Instructions --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .