From: trudie.Miller@cox.net   
      
   January 24th - Sts. Babylas, Urban, Prilidian & Epolonius and Comp.   
      
   Died c. 250; feast day in the East is September 4. Patriarch Babylas (Babilas)   
   was the most celebrated patriarch of Antioch after Saint Ignatius. He succeeded   
   Zebinus in the cathedra about 237, and governed the church of Antioch with zeal   
   and wisdom for 13 years.   
      
   Saint John Chrysostom records that Babylas refused the Emperor Philip the   
   Arabian entry into the Church in 244 until he had done penance for the murder   
   of   
   his predecessor, Gordian. According to the Church historian, Eusebius, Philip   
   made his confession and submitted himself to penance outside the doors. It   
   might   
   be noted that the peace enjoyed by the Church during the reign of Philip   
   increased her numbers, but relaxed the fervor of many according to Saint   
   Cyprian   
   and as recorded in the Life of Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus. Whole cities had   
   embraced the faith, and public churches were full. Emperor Decius equally hated   
   Philip and the Christian religion, and reacted by publishing cruel edicts   
   against Christians in the year 250; which caused the seventh general   
   persecution, permitted by God to purge away the dross in his flock, and to   
   awake   
   them to fervor.   
      
   Eusebius tells us that Babylas died in chains as he awaited execution under   
   Decius, while his three young pupils-Urban, Prilidian, and Epolonius-were put   
   to   
   death; other less reliable sources indicate that he was beheaded. Although   
   Saint   
   John Chrysostom relates that Babylas was imprisoned by Emperor Philip, who was   
   angry at being barred from entry into the church, this seemed less discordant   
   with secular history. Saint Jerome agrees with Eusebius that he was captured   
   during the reign of Decius.   
      
   As Babylas died, he asked that his chains be buried with him as a sign of his   
   triumph. A church was built over his tomb. About 100 years later his relics   
   were   
   the first recorded as being translated, from Antioch to Daphne (five miles   
   away), primarily to counteract the influence of the shrine of Apollo there. The   
   oracle of Apollo was struck dumb when Babylas's church was built near the pagan   
   temple. When Julian the Apostate learned of the silence of Apollo and the   
   presence of the relics of Babylas, he ordered the removal of these sacred   
   relics.   
      
   According to the fathers and Christian historians, the Christians obeyed   
   Julian.   
   In a solemn procession they carried the sacred relics back to Antioch, singing   
   on this occasion the psalms which ridicule the vanity and feebleness of idols,   
   repeating after every verse: "May they who adore idols and glory in false gods,   
   blush with shame and be covered with confusion." The following evening   
   lightning   
   fell on the temple of Apollo and reduced to ashes all the rich and magnificent   
   ornaments with which it was embellished, and the idol itself, leaving only the   
   walls standing. Julian, the emperor's uncle, and governor of the East, upon   
   this   
   news hastened to Daphne, and endeavored by tortures to compel the priests to   
   confess if the accident had happened by any negligence, or by the interposition   
   of the Christians: but it was clearly proved by the testimony of these very   
   priests, and also by that of several peasants who saw the fire fall from heaven   
   that lightning was the cause. The apostate did not dare to restore the idol   
   lest   
   lightning should fall on his own head: but he breathed nothing but fury against   
   the Christians in general.   
      
   The body of Saint Babylas is said to be now at Cremona, brought from the East   
   during the crusades. Saint Babylas is the titular saint of many churches in   
   Italy, France, and Spain. He is also one of the saints described in Saint   
   Aldhelm's treatise On Virginity, which helped to promote his cultus in England   
   as testified by his feast on many early calendars (Attwater2, Benedictines,   
   Coulson, Encyclopedia, Farmer, Husenbeth).   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   "Humility and charity are the two master-chords: one, the lowest; the other,   
   the   
   highest; all the others are dependent on them. Therefore it is necessary, above   
   all, to maintain ourselves in these two virtues; for observe well that the   
   preservation of the whole edifice depends on the foundation and the root"   
   -St. Francis de Sales   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   "Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that   
   he   
   should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.   
   For   
   the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find   
   according to his ways. Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the   
   Almighty pervert judgment   
   -Job 34:10-12   
      
      
   <><><><>   
         A pious matron desiring to know what class of souls was most acceptable   
   to   
   the Lord, He gratified her wish by the following vision. One morning she was   
   hearing Mass when, after the Elevation, she saw Jesus in the form of a most   
   lovely Child, who began to walk about the altar. Thence He descended to a place   
   where three devout nuns were kneeling at its foot. He took one of them by the   
   hand and gave her many caresses. Then approaching the second, He raised her   
   veil   
   and gave her a slight blow on the cheek, and left her as if in anger; but soon   
   returning, and finding her in grief and affliction, He devoted Himself to   
   consoling her with a thousand endearments. Finally, He came to the third, and,   
   with an appearance of great wrath, took her by the arm and drove her away from   
   the altar, loading her with blows, and even tearing the hair from her head,   
   while she bore all with great calmness, humbling herself and blessing God. Then   
   Jesus, turning to the matron, said: "You must know that the first one is weak   
   in   
   virtue, and very changeable; therefore, to confirm her in the good way, I show   
   Myself altogether amiable and kind; otherwise, she would leave it. The second   
   is   
   more perfect, yet she needs to experience, from time to time, some spiritual   
   sweetness. But the third is so firm and constant in My service, that whatever   
   adversity may come to her, she will not allow herself to be withdrawn from it,   
   and she is My best beloved"   
      
        St. Philip Neri, in order to save his penitents from the first of these   
   mistakes, used to tell them that in the spiritual life there are three degrees.   
   The first, which is called animal, includes those who follow the sensible   
   devotion which God usually gives to beginners, in order that, drawn by this   
   delight as animals are by sensible objects, they may give themselves to the   
   spiritual life. The second, which is called the life of man, is led by those   
   who   
   without sensible consolation fight for virtue against their own passions, which   
   is the true characteristic of man. The third is called the angelic life. Those   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)