Monday, July 03, 2023

Memorial of Saints (July 3)

St. Thomas the Apostle merited the title of "doubting Thomas" because at first he did not believe in the Lord's resurrection. Once it was proven to him by Christ Himself, tradition reports that he went to India to preach the gospel after the Pentecost event. Stories tell of his many sojourns in India to evangelize the people. There is a story that tells how Thomas was involved in a conflict with a king of India named Mazdaz. The conflict was due to Thomas converting the king's wife to the Christian faith. This situation naturally incurred the wrath of the king. St. Thomas' mission to bring the Christian faith to India led to his martyrdom on top of a hill (died 1st century A.D.).

St. Leo II was elected Pope on January 10, 681 A.D. Because of the unstable political conditions of that time, he was consecrated at a later time - on August 17, 682 A.D. Leo II was a good preacher and knowledgeable in music. He was also known to be very charitable towards the poor. Together with other Church leaders of his time, St. Leo II upheld the decisions of the 6th General Council of Constantinople (680-681 A.D.). This Church council condemned monothelitism and censured those who did not condemn this heresy.

St. Anatolius was a scholar and head of the Aristotelian school in Alexandria. During conflict in Alexandria in 262 A.D., Anatolius helped noncombatants find safety and refuge from the civil disturbance. Anatolius then went to Palestine and became an assistant to the bishop of Caesarea. In 269 A.D., he became bishop of Laodicaea, Syria (died ca. 283 A.D.).

St. Anatolius of Constantinople opposed the heresy of Nestorianism at the Council of Ephesus. Then he became patriarch of Constantinople, succeeding St. Flavian. St. Anatolius was active in the Council of Chalcedon, which unequivocally accepted papal authority. St. Anatolius got involved in controversy on matters related to Church (the see of Constantinople being higher than the sees of Alexandria and Antioch), and matters related to his being made patriarch of Constantinople (died ca. 458 A.D.).

Sts. Julius and Aaron suffered martyrdom at Caerlon, Monmouthshire, England. These two Englishmen were sentenced to be executed during Emperor Diocletian's persecution of Christians. There are no existing stories of how they were martyred. It can be simply concluded that they were martyred in the same way other Christian martyrs were executed during Emperor Diocletian's reign of the Roman Empire (died ca. 304 A.D.).

St. Heliodorus was a soldier. He met St. Jerome in ca. 372 A.D. and became Jerome's disciple. Heliodorus followed St. Jerome to the East but did not go further when Jerome went to the desert of Palestine. St. Jerome was upset by St. Heliodorus' decision. But the Lord had a plan for both Heliodorus and Jerome. When Heliodorus returned to his birthplace in Italy, he became bishop of Altino. As bishop, St. Heliodorus helped finance St. Jerome's translation of the Bible (died ca. 390 A.D.).

St. Irenaeus and Mustiola were Christians of Italy in the 3rd century A.D. Irenaeus, a deacon, was arrested by Turcius, the local magistrate, for the crime of burying the martyred body of Felix of Sutri. In prison, St. Mustiola attended to St. Irenaeus as well as other Christians who were in prison for their faith. Out of jealousy, Turcius tortured Irenaeus to death in Mustiola's presence. And when Mustiola resisted Turcius' advances on her person, Turcius had Mustiola beaten to death with clubs (died ca. 273 A.D.).

St. Rumold was an Irish monk who journeyed to Rome. In Rome, he was consecrated a regionary bishop. Together with St. Willibrord, both did missionary work in Brabant and Holland. Their mission received great success. Since Rumold denounced the evil ways of the people in his preaching missions, he was killed in Malines, Flanders, by two of those whom he denounced (died ca. 775 A.D.).

St. Bernardino Realino studied well and became a lawyer. When he was 34 years of age, he joined the Jesuits. He did a lot of pastoral work and also became a rector. His reputation for holiness received attention as he grew older. St. Bernardino had a wound in his leg, the blood from which was collected in vials. Over the next 250 years, many witnessed the blood in these vials to remain in a liquid state. It also bubbled and was seen in a boiling state (died ca. 1616 A.D.).

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