Hungry for God
Additionally, I sought for something to love, for I was in love with love.
There was a hunger within me from a lack of inner food, which is none
other
than yourself,
my God. Yet that hunger did not make me hungry.
I had no desire for incorruptible food. This was not because I was already
filled with it but
because the more I was empty of it the more it was loathsome to me.
-Confessions 3, 1 Augustine
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April 13th - Sts. Agathonica, Papylus, Carpus, Martyrs
Died at Pergamum c. 170 or 250. Eusebius (History of the Church, iv, 15)
records that during the Decian persecution, Carpus, bishop of Gordus in
Asia
Minor; Papylus, deacon of Thyatira; Agathonica, the sister of Papylus; and
Agathodorus, their servant, were arrested. They were brought before
Valerius, the Roman governor at Pergamos in Asia Minor, examined three
times, and required to sacrifice to the gods. The third time, Agathodorus,
was scourged to death in front of his masters. Still the Christians
remained
resolute. Carpus answered the proconsul Optimus:
"I am a Christian, I wor****p Christ, the Son of God, who came in these
latter times for our salvation and delivered us from the snares of the
devil. I will not sacrifice to such idols. The living do not sacrifice to
the dead . . . (the gods) look like men, but they are unfeeling. Deprive
them of your veneration . . . and they will be defiled by dogs and crows."
When the proconsul insisted, Carpus said:
"I have never before sacrificed to images that have no feeling or
understanding . . . I have pity on myself, choosing as I do the better
part."
Carpus was hung up to be tortured with iron claws that flayed the skin
from
his sides. He continued to answer steadfastly until the pain overcame his
voice. The attention of the judges turned next to Papylus, a wealthy
father
of many children according to his testimony. A bystander interpreted his
words as "He means he has children in virtue of the faith of the
Christians." Papylus agreed that this was correct. Like Carpus, he
continued
to refuse and was treated in the same fa****on as the bishop. After a time
of
silent endurance, he said:
"I feel no pain because I have someone to comfort me: one whom you do not
see suffers within me."
The last words of Carpus were:
"Blessed are You, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, because You judged me, a
sinner, worthy to have this part in You!"
They refused to offer the oblations, and no arguments or ill treatment
could
overcome their resistance. They were therefore burnt alive in the
amphitheater.
Saint Agathonica, a married woman, was admired by the crowd for her
physical
beauty. When they urged not to make her children motherless by her
obstinacy, she replied, "God will look after them, but I will not obey
your
commands nor will I sacrifice to demons." She, too, went to the stake to
be
burnt to death. As the flames consumed her, she cried out: "Lord, Lord,
Lord, help me, for I fly to You." The Christian witnesses came and took
away
the remains of the martyrs to cherish them.
Another version of the story relates that Agathonica was simply a woman in
the crowd at the death of Carpus and Papylus, who was moved to share in
their martyrdom, rather than the sister of the latter (Attwater,
Attwater2,
Benedictines, Coulson, Farmer, Husenbeth).
From:
http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0413.shtml
Saint Quote:
"He who does not weep as a pilgrim shall not rejoice as a citizen."
-St. Augustine (Doctor, 354-430) - "Instructions On Christian Morality"
Bible Quotes:
"Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned into
mourning, and your joy into sorrow" - James 4:9
"Blessed are ye that weep now: for you shall laugh. ... Woe to you that
now
laugh: for you shall mourn and weep" - Luke 6:21,25
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ACT OF LOVE TO THE SACRED HEART
How great, O my Jesus, is the extent of Thine excessive
charity! Thou hast prepared for me, of Thy most precious
Body and Blood, a divine banquet, where Thou givest me
Thyself without reserve. What hath urged Thee to this excess
of love? Nothing but Thine own most loving Heart.
O adorable Heart of my Jesus, furnace of Divine Love,
receive my soul into the wound of Thy most Sacred Passion,
that in this school of charity I may learn to make a return of
love to that God Who hast given me such wonderful proofs of
His love.
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