From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Reward and judgment at the end of the age   
      
   Scripture:  Matthew 13:47-53   
   What is Jesus' point here? Just as a drag-net catches every kind of   
   fish in the sea, so the church acts as God's instrument for gathering   
   in all who will come. Just as the drag-net does not or cannot   
   discriminate, so the church does not discriminate between the good and   
   the bad, the useless and the useful. God's kingdom is open to all who   
   will accept and believe. But there will come a time of separation, at   
   the close of the age when the Lord Jesus returns again and sends out   
   his angels who will separate the good and the bad and then send them   
   to their respective destinations. Our duty in this present age is to   
   gather in all who want to become citizens of God's kingdom here on   
   earth as well as in heaven above.   
      
   ==============   
   August 11: Saint Philomena   
   (died 304)   
      
   Saint Philomena child Martyr of the Church, and patron saint of   
   babies, infants, and youth. Little is known about the life of Saint   
   Philomena, and that which is known was made known through private   
   revelation to holy men and women. The Church, however, has recognized   
   her sanctity and authorized devotion to this pious girl, and many   
   saints and martyrs have been especially devoted to her throughout   
   Church history. Saint John Vianney himself called Philomena the New   
   Light of the Church Militant, and had a strong and well-known devotion   
   to her. Others with known devotion to her include Saint Anthony Mary   
   Claret, Saint Euphrasia Pelletier, Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini, Saint   
   John Nepomucene Neumann, Saint Madeline Sophie Barat, Saint Peter   
   Chanel, Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, and   
   Venerable Pauline Jaricot.   
      
   Saint Philomena's history has been revealed by the Saint herself to   
   three persons. These revelations were made known in answer to the   
   prayers of these three individuals, who had asked the Saint to let   
   them know who she was, and how she met her martyrdom. From their   
   mystical encounters with Saint Philomena, we have learned that she was   
   the daughter of a king of a small state in Greece. Her parents,   
   practicing pagans, desperately wished to conceive a child, but were   
   unable to do so. Following many sacrifices and prayers to the pagan   
   gods, their doctor-- a Christian man--persuaded them to embrace   
   Christianity, promising their prayers would be answered. This they   
   did, and following their baptisms, conceived and bore a daughter who   
   they named “Philomena”--daughter of light.   
      
   Philomena was chaste and pious from birth, making her First Communion   
   at five, and consecrating herself in virginity to the Lord at eleven.   
   A beautiful girl, she was a model of Christian virtue, inspiring all   
   she encountered with her love and charity. When Philomena had reached   
   her 13th year, the Roman Emperor Diocletian threatened to declare an   
   unjust war on the Grecian state in which she lived. Hoping to make   
   peace, her father went to Rome to see the Emperor, and as he could not   
   bear his daughter out of his sight, he took her and the Queen with   
   him.   
      
   Diocletian was quite transfixed with young Philomena upon her arrival   
   in Rome, and promised her father to suspend all warlike activities, if   
   he were to give Philomena to him for marriage. Her parents accepted   
   this offer, but Philomena refused on the account of the vow of   
   chastity she had taken the year before. She was, she asserted, already   
   married to the Lord, her Divine Spouse being Jesus.   
      
   Diocletian ordered her before him, and questioned her, trying to   
   persuade her to renounce her faith and her vow, if for no other reason   
   than to save her parents and her homeland. She was, however, resolute   
   in her convictions, and refused his every promise, threat, and   
   entreaty. Eventually, overcome by anger, Diocletian ordered her to be   
   bound hand and foot with heavy chains and thrown into the dungeon   
   under the Imperial Palace, hoping by this means to compel her to marry   
   him. He visited her every day, in attempts to persuade her, but every   
   day she refused. Over time, her food rations were decreased, the   
   weight of her chains increased, and her already horrible conditions   
   made worse. All the same, she clung to her beliefs and her faith for   
   37 days. During these days, she spent her time in prayer, and on the   
   37th day, Our Blessed Mother appeared to Saint Philomena, cradling the   
   infant Jesus in her arms. Mary promised the young saint that she would   
   only be imprisoned for 3 more days, an on the 40th day, would be freed   
   from her sorrow.   
      
   Philomena was overjoyed at hearing this, but became frightened when   
   Our Blessed Mother informed her that when she left the prison, she   
   would undergo cruel torture for the love of Jesus Christ. Mary offered   
   her strength and comfort, saying gently: "Besides your Angel Guardian,   
   you will have at your side the Archangel Gabriel, whose name signifies   
   'The Strength of the Lord.' When I was on earth, he was my protector.   
   I will now send him to her who is my beloved daughter."   
      
   Three days later, foretold, Philomena's tortures began. Diocletian had   
   her tied to a pillar and cruelly scourged, and then returned to prison   
   to die of the inflicted wounds. However, God sent two angels who   
   ministered to her, completely restoring her health by the following   
   day. Astonished, Diocletian attempted to again persuade her to marry   
   him, but she resisted. More infuriated than before, he an iron anchor   
   to be tied round her neck, and commanded that she should be thrown   
   into the River Tiber, to be drowned and lost to sight. Once again,   
   angels were sent to assist her, who, cutting the cord, carried her   
   back to the bank without a drop of water having touched her clothes,   
   much to the astonishment and admiration of the bystanders, several of   
   whom were converted on seeing this miracle.   
      
   Diocletian commanded she be dragged through the streets of Rome,   
   convicted as a sorceress, and shot to death with arrows. However, the   
   arrows refused to fly from the bows of the archers. After several more   
   attempts, he ordered her quickly beheaded. Saint Philomena was   
   martyred in this way. Numerous miracles--then and more recently--are   
   attributed to her holy intercession.   
      
   In 1802, her remains were found in the catacombs of Saint Priscilla on   
   the Via Salaria in Rome. Covered by stones, the symbols carved   
   indicated that the body was that of a young martyr named Philomena. An   
   inscription near her tomb read "Peace be with thee, Philomena", along   
   with drawings of 2 anchors, 3 arrows and a palm. Near her bones was   
      
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