February 20th - St Eleutherius of Tournai, Bishop, Martyr
(Also known as: Eleuthere)
He was born in 456 at Tournay (western Belgium), of Christian parents,
whose
family had been converted to Christ by St. Piat, one hundred and fifty
years
before. The faith had declined at Tournay ever since St. Piat's martyrdom,
by reason of its commerce with the heathen islands of Taxandria, now
Zealand, and by means of the heathen French kings, who resided some time
at
Tournay. Eleutherius was chosen bishop of that city in 486; ten years
after
which king Clovis was baptized at Rheims. Eleutherius converted the
greatest
part of the Franks in that country to the faith, and opposed most
zealously
certain Arian heretics who denied the mystery of the Incarnation, by whom
he
was wounded on the head with a sword, and died of the wound five weeks
after, on the first of July, in 532. The most ancient monuments. relating
to
this saint, seem to have perished in a great fire which consumed his
church,
and many other buildings at Tournay, in 1092, with his relics. See
Miraeus,
and his life written in the ninth century, extant in Bollandus, p. 187. Of
the sermons ascribed to St. Eleutherius, in the Library of the Fathers,
none
seem sufficiently warranted genuine, except three on the Incarnation and
Birth of Christ, and the Annunciation. See Dom. Rivet, Hist. Litter., t.
3,
p. 154, and t. 5, pp. 40, 41. Gallia Christ. Nova, t. 3, p. 571, and
Henschenius, p 180.
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Whoever humbleth himself shall be exalted. -Lk. 14:11
"Missionaries should rejoice to be considered poor in talent, birth and
virtue, the dregs and offscouring of the world. They should be glad
whenever
there arises any op****tunity for abjection and contempt, even though it be
not for themselves alone, but also extending to the Congregation. And by
this test they will be able to know what progress they are making in
humility"
-St. Vincent de Paul
This Saint, who knew well the great value of humiliations, was so
fond
of them that a worthy ecclesiastic, who knew him thoroughly, said that he
had never been acquainted with any man in the world, who was so ambitious
to
rise and to be esteemed and honored, as this humble servant of God was
desirous to lower and abase himself, and to receive humiliation,
confusion,
and contempt, so that he seemed to have chosen them as his treasure even
in
this life. For this cause, he used every effort to take advantage of all
occasions of the kind that might offer themselves, and from everything he
derived motives for humiliation. And with the same earnestness that he
sought it for himself, he desired it also for his Congregation, which he
was
eager to have despised and held in low estimation. And whenever this
happened, he rejoiced not a little. St. Jane Frances de Chantal once
undertook an affair of much im****tance, and then instantly abandoned it,
on
considering that success would reflect great credit upon herself. To those
who wondered how she had been able to wind up and dispose of so im****tant
a
matter so readily, she answered: "As soon as the splendor of the
Sovereign's
majesty revealed itself to my eyes, I was so dazzled and blinded that I
could no longer see anything. Ah!" she repeated many times, "the splendor
of
the daughters of the Visitation is to be without splendor, and all their
glory lies in humility and abjection."
(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". February - Humility)
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Ask Our LORD'S BLESSING
Taken from JESUS, MARY, JOSEPH NOVENA MANUAL: Father Stedman
Before leaving the Blessed Sacrament.
BLESS ME, O God of bounty! Bless me, Thou Who art holy and good! Bless me
as
Thou didst bless the patriarchs and prophets; as Thou didst bless Thy
beloved Mother; as Thou didst bless Thy disciples before ascending into
Heaven.
BLESS MY EYES. Never permit them to behold vanity.
BLESS MY EARS. Set around them a hedge of thorns to guard them from
hearing
unChristian words.
BLESS MY MOUTH. Surround it with a guard of truth and kindness.
BLESS MY BODY. Grant that chastity may clothe it as with a garment of
glory.
BLESS MY MIND. Grant that my thoughts may be like Thine.
BLESS MY HEART. Kindle in it the fire of love which Thou didst bring on
earth. Make if the sanctuary of every virtue.
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