From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   May 17th - Saint Solochon   
      
   A native of Egypt imperial army in regiment of tribune Campanus suffered for   
   Christ during the reign of the emperor Maximian (284-305). The holy martyrs   
   Pamphamirus and Pamphalon also gave their lives for Christ at the same time.   
   All   
   of them served in the imperial army in the regiment of the tribune Campanus.   
      
   During the persecution against Christians by the emperors Maximian and   
   Diocletian, Campanus was sent to the city of Chalcedon with his soldiers.   
   All   
   the soldiers of his regiment were required to offer sacrifice in a pagan   
   temple.   
   The three soldiers, Sts Solochon, Pamphamirus and Pamphalon, refused to   
   offer   
   sacrifice to idols, explaining that they worshiped only the true God, the   
   Lord   
   Jesus Christ.   
      
   On the orders of Campanus they were subjected to terrible tortures, during   
   which   
   the holy martyrs Pamphamirus and Pamphalon died. St. Solochon survived the   
   torture and remained alive, glorifying Christ. In great anger, the torturer   
   gave   
   orders to open St. Solochon's mouth and force him to drink blood offered to   
   idols. But St. Solochon clenched his teeth so strongly, that they could not   
   open   
   them even with iron. The sword bent, and the saint broke his bonds and stood   
   before the torturer, continuing to glorify Christ.   
      
   St. Solochon heard a voice from the heavens encouraging him to persevere to   
   the   
   end. The saint endured a merciless beating, after which they dragged him   
   over   
   sharp stones, demanding that he renounce Christ, but the holy martyr   
   remained   
   steadfast. Then he was hung up by one hand, with a heavy weight tied to his   
   leg.   
   St. Solochon remained in this position for about three hours. When finally   
   they   
   cut the ropes, then to everyone's surprise, St. Solochon stood upright on   
   his   
   feet, like a healthy man. Insane with anger, Campanus took a stylus and   
   thrust   
   it into the martyr's ear.   
      
   The sufferer fell down, and Campanus and the soldiers departed, casting him   
   aside. Christians carried the martyr to the house of a certain pious widow   
   and   
   placed him on a cot. The saint ate some food and conversed with the   
   Christians,   
   exhorting them to stand firmly for the Faith, and then after he prayed and   
   lifted up his eyes to heaven, he surrendered his soul to the Lord Jesus   
   Christ.   
      
      
   Another Version:   
   He was an Egyptian by birth, and a Roman soldier under the commander   
   Campanus,   
   in the reign of the wicked Emperor Maximian. When the imperial command that   
   all   
   soldiers offer sacrifice to idols arrived, Solochon revealed that he was a   
   Christian. Two of his friends, Pamphamir and Pamphylon, also did the same.   
   The   
   commander ordered that they be beaten and tortured with great harshness,   
   under   
   which St. Pamphamir and St. Pamphylon breathed their last. Solochon remained   
   alive, and was put to new torture: the commander ordered the soldiers to   
   force   
   his teeth open with a sword and stuff his mouth with food sacrificed to   
   idols.   
   The martyr broke the iron with his teeth and did not receive the foul,   
   idolatrous sacrifice. Finally, they stabbed him with a quill through both   
   ears   
   and left him thus to die. Christians took the martyr and carried him to the   
   home   
   of a widow, where he gained a little strength with food and drink, and   
   continued   
   to give counsel to the faithful to be steadfast in their faith and in   
   torture   
   for it. After this, he breathed a thanksgiving to God, finished his earthly   
   course and went to the Kingdom of heaven, to the Lord whom he had served so   
   faithfully, in the year 298.   
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Be driven by the love of God because Jesus Christ died for all, that those   
   who   
   live may live not for themselves but for Him, who died and rose for them.   
   Above   
   all, let your charity and zeal show how you love the Church. Your work is   
   for   
   the Church, which is the Body of Christ.   
   -- Saint John Baptist de La Salle   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   Rejoice in this, that your names are written in heaven.  (Luke 10:20)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Psalm  (49)   
   The uselessness of riches   
      
   All peoples, listen --   
    all who live in the world, hear what I have to say:   
   humble and great together,   
    rich and poor alike!   
      
   My mouth will speak wisdom,   
    my inmost thoughts will bring good counsel.   
   I will turn my ears to a mystery,   
    I will expound a riddle on the lyre.   
      
   Why should I be fearful in times of trouble,   
    when the crimes of usurpers hem me in?   
   They trust in their own strength   
    and glory in their great riches.   
      
   But, after all, man cannot redeem himself,   
    he cannot ransom himself before God.   
   The price of his soul's redemption is too great, he cannot pay it -   
    the price of eternal death avoided.   
   He will see that even the wise die;   
    the foolish and the stupid too will perish,   
    and their riches will pass to others.   
      
   Their tombs will be homes to them for ever,   
    their dwelling-place for all generations,   
    even if the lands they owned are named after them.   
   Though he be full of honour, man will not endure:   
    he is like the beasts of burden, that die;   
    he is like the beasts that perish.   
      
   Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,   
    as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,   
    world without end.   
   Amen.   
      
   Those who trust in themselves - this is the road they take.   
    This is the end of those who boast.   
   Like sheep they go down into the underworld,   
    and death is their shepherd.   
   They will fall headlong into the grave:   
    their faces will be eaten away,   
    and the underworld will be their dwelling-place.   
      
   But God will ransom my life;   
    truly he will lift me from the grasp of the underworld.   
   Do not fear, when a man becomes rich   
    and the glory of his house increases.   
   When he dies, he will not take it with him,   
    his glory will not follow him down to the grave.   
   Even if he calls himself blessed,   
    says "see how they praise me for my success",   
   still he will join his fathers,   
    cut off from light, for ever.   
      
   Though he be full of honour, yet he does not understand.   
    He is like the beasts of burden, that die;   
    he is like the beasts that perish.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)