Martyrology Archives - Page 2 of 8

Sts. Elijah and Joseph

July 20

The commemoration of Saint Elijah the Tishbite, who, being a prophet of the Lord in the days of Ahab and Ahaziah, kings of Israel, vindicated the rights of the one true God before an unfaithful people with such strength of soul that he prefigured not only John the Baptist but even Christ himself; he left no written oracle, but his memory is faithfully preserved, especially at Mount Carmel.

The commemoration of blessed Joseph, who was called Barsabbas and whose cognomen was Justus, a disciple of the Lord, whom they put together with the blessed apostle Matthias so as to choose one of them to fulfill the apostolate of Judas the betrayer; but when the lot fell to Matthias, Joseph devoted himself nonetheless to the office of preaching and of holiness.

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May Holy Mary and all the saints intercede to the Lord for us, that we may merit to be helped and saved by him who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

V. Precious in the sight of the Lord

R. Is the death of his holy ones.

V. May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. And may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.

R. Amen

[To learn about praying this and other Martyrology entries, see this page.]

St. Epaphras

July 19

The commemoration of Saint Epaphras, who labored greatly for the gospel in Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis, and whom blessed Paul the Apostle calls a most beloved fellow servant, a fellow prisoner, and a faithful minister of Christ.

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May Holy Mary and all the saints intercede to the Lord for us, that we may merit to be helped and saved by him who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

V. Precious in the sight of the Lord

R. Is the death of his holy ones.

V. May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. And may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in pace.

R. Amen

[To learn about praying this and other Martyrology entries, see this page.]

Sts. Ezra and Silas

July 13

The commemoration of Saint Ezra, priest and scribe, who, in the time of Artaxerxes the king of the Persians, returned from Babylon to Judea, gathered the dispersed people, and strove with all zeal to investigate the law of the Lord and to fulfill and teach it in Israel.

The commemoration of Saint Silas, who, having been sent by the Apostles to the churches of the gentiles along with Paul and Barnabas, and being filled with the grace of God, fulfilled the obligation of preaching with vehemence.

***

May Holy Mary and all the saints intercede to the Lord for us, that we may merit to be helped and saved by him who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

V. Precious in the sight of the Lord

R. Is the death of his holy ones.

V. May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. And may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in pace.

R. Amen

[To learn about praying this and other Martyrology entries, see this page.]

Sts. Aquila and Priscilla

July 8

The commemoration of Saints Aquila and Prisca or Priscilla, his wife, who, being helpers of St. Paul the Apostle, welcomed the Church with the hospitality of their own home and risked their necks for him.

***

May Holy Mary and all the saints intercede to the Lord for us, that we may merit to be helped and saved by him who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

V. Precious in the sight of the Lord

R. Is the death of his holy ones.

V. May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. And may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in pace.

R. Amen

[To learn about praying this and other Martyrology entries, see this page.]

St. Thomas, Apostle

July 3

The feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle, who did not believe the other disciples when they announced that Jesus had risen, but, when Jesus himself offered him his pierced side, exclaimed, “My Lord and my God.” From which faith he is said to have evangelized the inhabitants of India.

***

May Holy Mary and all the saints intercede to the Lord for us, that we may merit to be helped and saved by him who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

V. Precious in the sight of the Lord

R. Is the death of his holy ones.

V. May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. And may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in pace.

R. Amen

[To learn about praying this and other Martyrology entries, see this page.]

St. Aaron

July 1

The commemoration of Saint Aaron, of the tribe of Levi, who was anointed by his brother Moses with holy oil as a priest of the Old Testament and was buried on Mount Hor.

***

May Holy Mary and all the saints intercede to the Lord for us, that we may merit to be helped and saved by him who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

V. Precious in the sight of the Lord

R. Is the death of his holy ones.

V. May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. And may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in pace.

R. Amen

[To learn about praying this and other Martyrology entries, see this page.]

Sts. Peter and Paul

June 29

The solemnity of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Simon, John’s son and Andrew’s brother, was the first among the disciples to confess the Christ, the Son of the living God, by whom he was called Peter. Paul, the Apostle to the gentiles, preached Christ crucified to Jews and Greeks. Both, out of love for and faith in Jesus Christ, announced the gospel in the city of Rome and died as martyrs under the emperor Nero. The first, according to tradition, was fastened to a cross upside down and buried in the Vatican along the via Triumphali, while the other faced a sword and was buried along the via Ostiensi. Today the whole world celebrates their triumph with equal honor and veneration.

***

May Holy Mary and all the saints intercede to the Lord for us, that we may merit to be helped and saved by him who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

V. Precious in the sight of the Lord

R. Is the death of his holy ones.

V. May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. And may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in pace.

R. Amen

[To learn about praying this and other Martyrology entries, see this page.]

Missed some really neat saints

In the general craziness of the month, I missed a couple of truly marvelous biblical saints:

June 14

In Samaria or Sabaste in Palestine, the commemoration of Saint Elisha who, a disciple of Elijah, was a prophet in Israel from the time of King Joram to the days of Joash; although he did not leave behind any oracles, nonetheless, by working miracles for those in need he announced the coming salvation to all men.

June 15

The commemoration of Saint Amos, prophet, a herdsman of Tekoa and a dresser of sycamores whom the Lord sent to the sons of Israel, that he might vindicate the Lord’s justice and holiness against their lies.

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These liturgical commemorations keep reminding me that we do not read the biblical authors as long-dead but as members of that “cloud of witnesses” cheering us on.

St. Barnabas

June 11

The memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle, who, being a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and numbered among the first believers in Jerusalem, preached the gospel at Antioch and introduced the newly converted Paul of Tarsus into the number of the brothers and accompanied him on his first journey to evangelize Asia Minor; later, he was present at the Council of Jerusalem and, having returned to his fatherland, the island of Cyprus, he spread the Gospel.

***

May Holy Mary and all the saints intercede to the Lord for us, that we may merit to be helped and saved by him who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

V. Precious in the sight of the Lord

R. Is the death of his holy ones.

V. May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. And may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in pace.

R. Amen

[To learn about praying this and other Martyrology entries, see this page.]

Sts. Manaen and Joanna

May 24

The commemoration of Saint Manaen, Herod the Tetrarch’s foster-brother, who was a teacher in the Church at Antioch and lived as a prophet under the grace of the New Testament.

Also, the commemoration of blessed Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, who with other women ministered to Jesus and the Apostles out of their own substance, and who on the day of the Lord’s resurrection found the stone rolled back from the tomb and announced it to the disciples.

***

May Holy Mary and all the saints intercede to the Lord for us, that we may merit to be helped and saved by him who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

V. Precious in the sight of the Lord

R. Is the death of his holy ones.

V. May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. And may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in pace.

R. Amen

[To learn about praying this and other Martyrology entries, see this page.]