May 18th - Pope St. John I, Martyr
Died at Ravenna on 18 or 19 May (according to the most popular
calculation),
526. A Tuscan by birth and the son of Constantius, he was, after an
interregnum of seven days, elected on 13 August, 523, and occupied the
Apostolic see for two years, nine months, and seven days.
We know nothing of the matter of his administration, for his Bullarium
contains only the two letters addressed to an Archbishop Zacharias and to
the bishops of Italy respectively, and it is very certain that both are
apocryphal.
We possess information-though unfortunately very vague-only about his
journey to Constantinople, a journey which appears to have had results of
great im****tance, and which was the cause of his death. The Emperor
Justin,
in his zeal for orthodoxy, had issued in 523 a severe decree against the
Arians, compelling them, among other things, to surrender to the Catholics
the churches which they occupied. Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths and of
Italy, the ardent defender of Arianism, keenly resented these measures
directed against his coreligionists in the Orient, and was moreover highly
displeased at seeing the progress of a mutual understanding between the
Latin and Greek Churches, such as might favour certain secret dealings
between the Roman senators and the Byzantine Court, aiming at the
re-establishment of the imperial authority in Italy. To bring pressure to
bear upon the emperor, and force him to moderate his policy of repression
in
regard to the heretics, Theodoric sent to him early in 525 an embassy
composed of Roman senators, of which he obliged the pope to assume the
direction, and imposed on the latter the task of securing a withdrawal of
the Edict of 523 and-if we are to believe "Anonymous Valesianus"-of even
urging the emperor to facilitate the return to Arianism of the Arians who
had been converted.
There has been much discussion as to the part played by John I in this
affair. The sources which enable us to study the subject are far from
explicit and may be reduced to four in number: "Anonymous Valesianus",
already cited; the "Liber Pontificalis"; Gregory of Tour's "Liber in
gloria
martyrum"; and the "Liber Pontificalis Ecclesiĉ Ravennatis". But it is
beyond question that the pope could only counsel Justin to use gentleness
and discretion towards the Arians; his position as head of the Church
prevented his inviting the emperor to favour heresy. That this analysis of
the situation is correct is evident from the reception which the pope was
accorded in the East - a reception which certainly would not have been
kindly, had the Roman ambassadors opposed the emperor and his Catholic
subjects in their struggle waged against the Arian sect. The inhabitants
of
Constantinople went out in throngs to meet John. The Emperor Justin on
meeting him prostrated himself, and, some time afterwards, he had himself
crowned by the pope. All the patriarchs of the East made haste to manifest
their communion in the Faith with the supreme pontiff; only Timothy of
Alexandria, who had shown himself hostile to the Council of Chalcedon,
held
aloof. Finally, the pope, exercising his right of precedence over
Epiphanius, Patriarch of Constantinople, solemnly officiated at St. Sophia
in the Latin Rite on Easter Day, 19 April, 526. Immediately afterwards he
made his way back to the West.
If this brilliant reception of John I by the emperor, the clergy, and the
faithful of the Orient proves that he had not been wanting in his task as
supreme pastor of the Church, the strongly contrasting behaviour of
Theodoric towards him on his return is no less evident proof. This
monarch,
enraged at seeing the national party reviving in Italy, had just stained
his
hands with the murder of Boethius, the great philosopher, and of Symmachus
his father-in-law. He was exasperated against the pope, whose embassy had
obtained a success very different from that which he, Theodoric, desired
and
whom, moreover, he suspected of favouring the defenders of the ancient
liberty of Rome. As soon as John, returning from the East, had landed in
Italy, Theodoric caused him to be arrested and incarcerated at Ravenna.
Worn
out by the fatigues of the journey, and subjected to severe privations,
John
soon died in prison.
His body was trans****ted to Rome and buried in the Basilica of St. Peter.
The Latin Church has placed him among its martyrs.
This Version taken from:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08421a.htm
Saint Quote:
As without faith it is impossible to please God, so without mildness it is
impossible to please men and to govern them well.
-St. Bernard
Bible Quote
29 His disciples say to him: Behold, now thou speakest plainly, and
speakest
no proverb. 30 Now we know that thou knowest all things, and thou needest
not that any man should ask thee. By this we believe that thou camest
forth
from God. (John 16:29-30)
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Lamb of God
Christ is the "Lamb of God." The spotless sacrifice offered to our
heavenly
Father as the price of our redemption. The one who laid down His own life
so
each of us might live. Every day Christ invites us to join a spiritual
banquet where He is present as the guest of honor.
There Christ intercedes for us as He offers himself to the Father as
perfect
satisfaction on our behalf for all we lack. We may join with Christ as he
praises the Father, pleads forgiveness for our sins, gives thanks for all
our blessings and asks for all the graces He knows we need.
Christ so loves us, He desires to give each of us an ember of His
divinity,
a morsel of His Sacred Heart, become our spiritual food and drink. Saint
Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor concisely expresses the striking
thought
that the Holy Eucharist produces in each one of us the same effect as the
Incarnation produced with respect to mankind in general: "Just as by
coming
visibly into the world He conferred upon the world the life of grace...so
also coming sacramentally into man He causes the life of grace, as John
says: He who eats me will live because of me."
We should actively celebrate each Mass; drawing close to Christ as He
gives
us His fellow****p, acts as our advocate, and gives us life. We can learn
how
to do this from Christ's close friends, the many Saints who used the Hosts
as stepping-stones to Heaven. Their pious, though eloquent, whispers to
the
Divine Physician of Calvary can open our eyes, cleanse our hearts, lift
our
souls, and help us to provide a proper reception for our great and loving
God.
You are invited.
Blessed are those who are called to His Supper.
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