Each little flower
I understood too that the love of our Lord is revealed in the simplest
soul
who offers no resistance to his grace as well as in the most sublime soul.
In
fact, since the
essence of love is humility, if all souls were like those of the learned
saints
who have
illuminated the Church by the light of their teaching, it would seem as if
God
would not have
very far to descend in coming to their hearts. But he has created the baby
who
knows nothing
and whose only utterance is a feeble cry; he has created people who have
only
the law of
nature to guide them; and it is their hearts that he deigns to come down
to,
those are his
flowers of the field whose simplicity delights him. In coming down in that
way
the good God
proves his infinite greatness. Just as the sun ****nes at the same time on
cedar
trees and on
each little flower as if it was the only one on earth, so our Lord takes
special
care of each
soul as if it was his only care.
-Thérèse of Lisieux
<<>><<>><<>>
April 18th - St. Apollonius the Apologist, Martyr
Died April 21, c. 185-190; feast is recorded as April 18 in the
Martyrology of
Jerome, but is kept in the East on July 23.
"O Lord Jesus Christ, give us a measure of Thy spirit that we may be
enabled to
obey Thy teaching to pacify anger, to take part in pity, to moderate
desire, to
increase love, to put away sorrow, to cast away vain-glory, not to be
vindictive, not to fear death, ever entrusting our spirit to immortal God,
who
with Thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth world without end."
-Saint Apollonius (from part of his defense before Perennis)
Apollonius was a Roman senator, a man of high social standing, and very
erudite.
He was particularly well read in the philosophy of the pagans. He also
read the
Old Testament and the writings of Christians. Under their influence
Apollonius
became a Christian during one of the periods of toleration. Emperor
Commodus
turned a blind eye on the Christians because his empress, Marcia favored
them
(though it is unknown whether she herself converted). Nevertheless, the
edicts
issued under Marcus Aurelius remained in force. One of Apollonius's
slaves,
named Severus, publicly denounced Apollonius as a Christian to Perennis,
the
praetorian prefect. Though the slave's legs were broken and he was put to
death
as an informer, the saint was brought before Perennis and told he must
renounce
his faith or die.
When the senator refused to apostatize, the case was remanded to the
Senate,
where a remarkable dialogue took place between Perennis and Apollonius.
Because
of his influence in society, those judging him paid close attention to his
defense of Christianity, which is recorded in the Roman Martyrology.
"Are you bent on dying?" asked Perennis.
"No," said Apollonius, "I enjoy life; but love of life does not make me
afraid
to die. There is waiting for me something better: eternal life, given to
the
person who has lived well on earth."
Apollonius pointed out that everyone must die and that it was better to
die for
the sake of true belief and the true God than to die of some ordinary
disease
because a martyr becomes the seed of new Christians. He argued that
Christianity
is superior by its concepts of death and life: death is a natural
necessity
which has nothing frightening about it, while the true life is the life of
the
soul.
He explained that paganism is futile because idols are human artifacts
without
life, autonomy, reason, or virtue. Saint Apollonius then took the
op****tunity to
give the whole court a reasoned apology of his Christian faith, which is a
moving, direct summary of the entire Christian creed. Above all, he
reasoned,
Christianity surp***** paganism through the salvific work of Jesus Christ,
the
revealing Word of God and teacher of moral life, who became man to destroy
sin
by his death. Apollonius continued that Christ's death was prophesied both
by
Scripture and by Plato.
He remained steadfast in his refusal to renounce Christianity and in his
belief
in eternal life. Despite his eloquent defense, which remains one of the
most
priceless do***ents of Christian antiquity, Apollonius's legs were crushed
and
then he was beheaded. An authentic account of his examination by the
magistrate
was discovered in 1874 in an Armenian text and more recently in Greek.
Saint
Jerome, who had seen a copy of Apollonius's defense of the faith, admired
its
eloquence and profound demonstration of sacred and profane learning. He is
also
mentioned in the History of the Church (v. 21, 1-5) by Eusebius
(Attwater2,
Benedictines, Bentley, Coulson, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Farmer, Husenbeth).
From:
http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0418.shtml
Saint Quote:
"Those who have arrived at perfection, and especially true contemplatives,
do
not ask the Lord to free them from trials and temptations. They rather
desire
and value them as woridlings value gold and jewels, for they know that
these are
to make them rich"
-St. Teresa
St. Catherine of Genoa once said in the midst of extreme pain and severe
torture: "O Lord! it is thirty-six years since Thou first gavest me
spiritual
light, and ever since, I have desired nothing but sufferings, interior and
exterior."
(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". April - Patience)
Bible Quote:
6 He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come, and see the place
where the
Lord was laid. (Matthew 28:6)
<><><><>
Salve Regina with Versicle - Responses
Hail holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope;
to
thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve, to thee do we send up our
sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, O most
gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards of us, and after this our
exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus, O clement, O
loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
V. Make me worthy to praise thee, holy Virgin.
R. Give me strength against thine enemies.
V. Blessed be God in His saints.
R. Amen.
We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God! despise not our petitions
in
our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, O ever glorious and
blessed Virgin.
V. Make me worthy to praise thee, holy Virgin.
R. Give me strength against thine enemies.
V. Blessed be God in His saints.
R. Amen.
Imprimatur: + John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York, Sept 19, 1908.
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