From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   September 25th - Saint Firmin, First Bishop of Amiens, Martyr   
      
   (d. Beginning of Second Century)   
      
   Saint Firmin, son of a senator, was a native of Pampeluna in Navarre. With   
   his   
   father he was taught the Christian faith by Honestus, a disciple of Saint   
   Saturninus, the bishop of Toulouse, himself the disciple of Saint Peter the   
   Apostle.   
      
   Saint Firmin, who had been confided by his father to Honestus for his   
   education   
   and had accompanied him on his apostolic journeys, was eventually   
   consecrated   
   bishop by Saint Honoratus, successor to Saint Saturninus at Toulouse. Firmin   
   received the mission to preach the Gospel in the remoter parts of the   
   Occident,   
   or Gaul; thus he preached in the regions of Agen, Angers, and Beauvais. In   
   what   
   is now Clement-Ferrand, after long discussions with two ardent idolaters, he   
   won   
   them over. Error, wherever he passed, seemed to flee before him, as if the   
   infernal powers feared to undertake a combat with this formidable adversary   
   who   
   was sure to defeat them.   
      
   He had not yet suffered persecution. Desiring martyrdom, he decided to go to   
   a   
   center of paganism in the north, in what is now Normandy, near Lisieux.   
   There he   
   was arrested and imprisoned for a time by the pagans. When delivered, he   
   continued on towards the north, to a region where Saint Denys of Paris had   
   baptized many. He confirmed the Christians in their faith, and went wherever   
   a   
   soul might have need of him. The Roman authorities heard of him and arrested   
   him; the Saint generously confessed Jesus Christ in their presence. Again he   
   was   
   imprisoned, but released when the prefect and his successor both died   
   suddenly.   
   He was obliged, however, to flee secretly.   
      
   When he arrived at Amiens, he placed his residence there and founded a large   
   church of faithful disciples. Amiens conserves the memory of the day he   
   arrived   
   and preached fearlessly there beside a temple of Jupiter, at a site where   
   now   
   the Basilica of Our Lady stands. He taught aloud the salutary doctrine of   
   Christianity to all who came to listen. Many conversions followed, even   
   among   
   the authorities of the city, including the senator. He continued his   
   preaching   
   in that region for a number of years, while the pagan temples became   
   literally   
   deserted. And then two Roman officials, Longulus and Sebastian, heard of him   
   and   
   came to the city.   
      
   The pagan priests saw their opportunity, when all the city residents were   
   convoked to appear before the visitors. The two officials explained that the   
   capital penalty was decreed for those who did not obey the imperial   
   edicts-not   
   offering incense to the gods and honoring them. The pagan priests then told   
   them   
   of one who always refused to do so, and Saint Firmin, after an eloquent   
   defense   
   of the religion of Christ, was imprisoned. He finally saw his most ardent   
   desire   
   fulfilled when certain soldiers decided on their own to accomplish the   
   imperial   
   orders, and came with swords to his prison at night, where they decapitated   
   the   
   bishop. He died, filled with joy at their coming. This occurred under the   
   reign   
   of Trajan in the first years of the second century. The holy bishop remains   
   in   
   the greatest honor in the city of Amiens.   
      
   Source: Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin   
   (Bloud et   
   Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 11.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   For the Lord is gracious and merciful and prefers the conversion of a sinner   
   rather   
   than his death. Patient and generous in his mercy, he does not give in to   
   human   
   impatience but is willing to wait a long time for our repentance.   
   --St. Jerome   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   Neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the   
   growth. ( I Cor. 3:7)   
      
      
   <><><><><>   
   ANGELIC TRISAGION   
      
   (This hymn of devotion to the Blessed Trinity is the official prayer of the   
   Order of the Blessed Trinity, otherwise known as the Trinitarians.  This   
   devotion has been recited by them and their affiliates for centuries in   
   praise   
   of the Trinity.)   
      
   V.  Lord, open my lips.   
   R.  And my mouth shall declare Thy praise.   
      
   V.  O God, come to my assistance.   
   R.  O Lord, make haste to help me.   
      
   V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, R.  As   
   it   
   was in the beginning, is now and will be forever.  Amen.   
      
   The decade below is recited three times, once for each member of the   
   Trinity.   
      
   All: Holy God!  Holy Strong One!  Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us.   
   V.  Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.  Thy kingdom come.   
   Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily   
   bread   
   and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.   
   And   
   lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen.   
      
   The following part of the decade is repeated nine times   
   V.  To Thee, O Blessed Trinity, be praise, and honor, and thanksgiving,   
   forever   
   and ever!   
   R.  Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of hosts.  Heaven and earth are filled with   
   Thy   
   glory.   
   V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,   
   R.  As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever.  Amen.   
      
   End of Decade Antiphon God the Father unbegotten, only-begotten Son, and   
   Holy   
   Spirit, the Comforter; and undivided Trinity, with all our hearts we   
   acknowledge   
   Thee:   
   Glory to Thee forever.   
      
   V.  Let us bless the Father, and the Son with the Holy Spirit.   
   R.  Be praised and exalted above all things forever.   
      
   Let us pray, Almighty, ever-living God, who has permitted us Thy servants,   
   in   
   our profession of the true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal   
   Trinity, and in the power of that majesty to adore the Unity, grant, that by   
   steadfastness in this same faith, we may be ever guarded against all   
   adversity:   
   through Christ our Lord.   
      
   All: Amen All: Set us free, save us, vivify us, O Blessed Trinity!   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)