From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Truth Speaks Inwardly Without the Sound of Words: (1)   
      
     The Disciple:   
   SPEAK, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.” 1 Kings 3:9. “I am Thy servant.   
   Give me understanding that I may know Thine ordinances Ps. 119:125. .   
   . . Incline my heart to Thine ordinances Ps. 119:36. . . . Let Thy   
   speech distill as the dew.” Deut. 32:2.   
   --Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ Book 3, Chapter 2   
      
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   December 2nd - St. Chromatius, Bishop of Aquileia   
      
   CHROMATIUS was brought up in the city of Aquileia, of which he was   
   probably a native, and lived there with his widowed mother (of whom   
   St. Jerome’s good opinion is seen in a letter written to her in the   
   year 374) his brother, who also became a bishop, and unmarried   
   sisters. After his ordination to the priesthood St. Chromatius took   
   part in the synod of Aquileia against Arianism in 381, baptized   
   Rufinus in his early manhood, and soon acquired a great reputation. On   
   the death of St Valerian in 388 he was elected bishop of Aquileia, and   
   in that office became one of the most distinguished prelates of his   
   time. He was a friend and correspondent of St. Jerome (who dedicated   
   several of his works to him), at the same time preserving his   
   association with Rufinus, and trying to act as peace-maker and   
   moderator in the Origenistic dispute.   
      
    It was owing to the encouragement of St. Chromatius that Rufinus   
   undertook the translation of the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius   
   and other works, and at his suggestion St Ambrose commented on the   
   prophecy of Balaam; he helped St. Heliodorus of Altino to finance St.   
   Jerome’s translation of the Bible. Chromatius was an energetic and   
   valued supporter of St. John Chrysostom, who had a high opinion of   
   him; he wrote to the Emperor Honorius protesting against the   
   persecution of Chrysostom, and Honorius forwarded the protest to his   
   brother, Arcadius, at Constantinople. But the efforts of Chromatius   
   were without effect. He was himself a capable commentator of the Holy   
   Scriptures; 17 of his treatises on parts of St Matthew’s gospel are   
   extant and a homily on the Beatitudes. St Chromatius died about the   
   year 407, and is named in the Roman Martyrology; his feast is observed   
   in the churches of Gorizia and Istria, formerly parts of the Aquileian   
   province. Part of Chromatius’ commentary on St. Matthew is extant.   
      
   There seems to be no formal biography; but some attention has been   
   directed to St. Chromatius of late years on account of the writings   
   attributed to him. See Bardenhewer, Geschichte der altkirchilchen   
   Literatur, vol. iii, pp. 548-551; P. de Puniet in the Revue d’histoire   
   ecclésiastique, vol. vi (1905), pp. 15-32, 304-318 P. Paschini in the   
   Revue Bénédictine, vol. xxvi (1909), pp. 469-475. The works attributed   
   to Chromatius are printed in Migne, PL., vol. XX, CC. 247-436, but the   
   state of the text is very unsatisfactory. To him must probably be   
   attributed the “Expositio de oratione dorninica” printed by M. Andrieu   
   in Lea Ordines romani du haut moyen âge, vol. ii (1948), pp. 417-447.   
      
      
   ST. CHROMATIUS INVITES US TO ENTER INTO CONTACT WITH GOD   
      
   VATICAN CITY, DEC 5, 2007 (VIS) - In today's general audience, which   
   was held in the Paul VI Hall, Benedict XVI dedicated his remarks to   
   the figure of St. Chromatius, bishop of Aquileia in northern Italy, "a   
   dynamic center of Christian life located in the 'Decima regione' of   
   the Roman empire, 'Venetia et Histria'."  "Between the middle of the   
   third century and the early years of the fourth," said the Pope, "the   
   persecutions of Decius, Valerian and Diocletian had produced a large   
   number of martyrs." At the same time, the Church of Aquileia was   
   facing "the threat of the Arian heresy."   
     In 381 Chromatius, then a priest and the expert assistant of Bishop   
   Valerian of Aquileia, participated in a synod "to eliminate the last   
   residues of Arianism in the West."   
      
     The Holy Father recalled how Chromatius was born in Aquileia in the   
   year 345, "he was ordained a deacon then a priest and finally elected   
   as pastor of that church in 388. Having received episcopal   
   consecration from St. Ambrose, he dedicated himself courageously and   
   energetically to a task of immense proportions because of the vastness   
   of the lands entrusted to his care: the ecclesial jurisdiction of   
   Aquileia stretched to what is currently the territory of Switzerland,   
   Bavaria, Austria and Slovenia, even reaching as far as Hungary." The   
   saintly bishop died an exile in Grado in 407, the same year as St.   
   John Chrysostom.   
      
   The Holy Father indicated that of St. Chromatius' works, more than 40   
   sermons and over 60 commentaries on the Gospel of St. Mark survive.   
   "He was wise master and a zealous pastor," said the Pope. "In his   
   teaching he always began from the Word of God and to that he always   
   returned. Among subjects particularly dear to him were, primarily, the   
   Trinitarian mystery which he considered in its revelation throughout   
   the history of salvation, the theme of the Holy Spirit, ... and the   
   mystery of Christ. The incarnate Word is true God and true man: He   
   fully assumed the human condition so as to give it His own divinity."   
      
   His "insistence on the human nature of Christ led Chromatius to speak   
   of the Virgin Mary," said the Pope, pointing out how the saint   
   described Mary in various ways such as "the evangelical virgin capable   
   of accepting God," and compared her with the Church, both being   
   "virgins and mothers." The Holy Father then explained that   
   "Chromatius' ecclesiology is developed above all in his commentary on   
   Matthew," where he writes that "the Church is unique, she is born from   
   the blood of Christ."   
      
   Chromatius "knew how to address his people using a fresh, vivacious   
   and incisive language." As a "good pastor, in troubled times such as   
   his own marked by the barbarian incursions, he stood alongside the   
   faithful to comfort them and open their souls to faith in God, Who   
   never abandons His children."   
      
   In off-the-cuff remarks at the end of his talk, the Pope noted how   
   "St. Chromatius reminds us that Advent is a time of prayer, in which   
   we must enter into contact with God. God knows us, He knows me, He   
   knows each of us. He loves me, He does not abandon me. Thus   
   trustingly, let us proceed into the liturgical time that has just   
   begun." AG/ST. CHROMATIUS/...   VIS 071205 (560)   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   If you find it impossible to pray, hide behind your good Angel and   
   charge him to pray in your stead.   
   ---Saint John Vianney   
      
   Bible Quote:   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)