From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Loving Jesus Above All Things (6)   
      
     You will quickly be deceived if you look only to the outward   
   appearance of men, and you will often be disappointed if you seek   
   comfort and gain in them. If, however, you seek Jesus in all things,   
   you will surely find Him. Likewise, if you seek yourself, you will   
   find yourself-to your own ruin. For the man who does not seek Jesus   
   does himself much greater harm than the whole world and all his   
   enemies could ever do.   
   --Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ Book 2, Chapter 7   
      
   <<>><<>><<>>   
   August 25th - St. Genesius, a Comedian, Martyr   
      
   CHRIST who, to show the power of his grace, and the extent of his   
   mercy, called a publican to the apostleship, honoured with the glory   
   of martyrdom this saint, drawn from the stage, the most infamous   
   school of vice and the passions, and the just abhorrence of the holy   
   fathers of the church, of all zealous pastors, and all sincere lovers   
   of virtue. The Emperor Diocletian coming to Rome, was received with   
   great rejoicings. Among other entertainments prepared for him, those   
   of the stage were not neglected. In a comedy which was acted in his   
   presence, one of the players took it into his head to represent, in a   
   ludicrous manner, the ceremonies of the Christian baptism, which could   
   not fail to divert the assembly, who held this religion, and its   
   mysteries, in the utmost contempt and derision. This player,   
   therefore, whose name was Genesius, and who had learned some things   
   concerning the Christian rites from certain friends who zealously   
   professed that religion, laid himself down on the stage, feigning   
   himself sick, and said: “Ah! my friends, I find a great weight upon   
   me, and would gladly be eased.” The others answered: “What shall we do   
   to give thee ease? wouldst thou have us plane thee, to make thee   
   lighter?” “Ye senseless creatures,” said he, “I am resolved to die a   
   Christian, that God may receive me on this day of my death, as one who   
   seeks his salvation by flying from idolatry and superstition.”   
      
    Then a priest and exorcist were called, that is to say, two players,   
   who impersonated these characters. These sitting down by his bed-side,   
   said: “Well, my child, why did you send for us?” Here Genesius, being   
   suddenly converted by a divine inspiration, replied, not in jest, but   
   seriously: “Because I desire to receive the grace of Jesus Christ and   
   to be born again, that I may be delivered from my sins.” The other   
   players, proceeding mimically, went through the whole ceremony of   
   baptism with him; but he in earnest answered the usual   
   interrogatories, and on being baptized was clothed with a white   
   garment. After this, other players, habited like soldiers, to carry on   
   the jest, seized him, and presented him to the emperor, to be   
   examined, as the martyrs were wont to be. Genesius then declaring   
   himself openly, said aloud, standing upon the stage: “Hear, O emperor,   
   and all you who are here present, officers of the army, philosophers,   
   senators, and people, what I am going to say. I never yet so much as   
   heard the name of a Christian but I was struck with horror, and I   
   detested my very relations because they professed that religion. I   
   informed myself exactly concerning its rites and mysteries, only that   
   I might the more heartily despise it, and inspire you with the utmost   
   contempt for the same; but whilst I was washed with the water, and   
   examined, I had no sooner answered sincerely that I believed, than I   
   saw a company of bright angels over my head, who recited out of a book   
   all the sins I had committed from my childhood; and having afterwards   
   plunged the book into the water which had been poured upon me in your   
   presence, they showed me the book whiter than snow. Wherefore, I   
   advise you, O great and mighty emperor, and all ye people here   
   present, who have ridiculed these mysteries, to believe, with me, that   
   Jesus Christ is true Lord; that he is the light and the truth; and   
   that it is through him you may obtain the forgiveness of your sins.”   
   [1]   
      
     Diocletian, highly enraged at these words, ordered him to be most   
   inhumanly beaten with clubs, and afterwards to be put into the hands   
   of Plautian, the prefect of the prætorium, that he might compel him to   
   sacrifice. Plautian commanded him to be put upon the rack, where he   
   was torn with iron hooks for a considerable time, and then burnt with   
   torches. The martyr endured these torments with constancy, and   
   persisted crying out: “There is no other Lord of the universe besides   
   him whom I have seen. Him I adore and serve, and to him I will adhere,   
   though I should suffer a 1000 deaths for his sake. No torments shall   
   remove Jesus Christ from my heart or mouth. I regret exceedingly my   
   former errors, and that I once detested his holy name, and came so   
   late to his service.” At length his head was struck off.   
      
    His name occurs in the ancient Roman and African Calendars. Ruinart   
   [2] and Tillemont [3] refer his martyrdom to the year 286; for   
   Diocesan, having vanquished Carinus, (who was slain near Murga the   
   year before,) associated Maximian Herculeus in the empire at   
   Nicomedia, on the first of April, 286; after which he took a journey   
   in great state to Rome, where there seems to have been a hot   
   persecution about July, says Tillemont. Fleury places the death of St.   
   Genesius in 303; for Diocletian went again to Rome to celebrate the   
   20th year of the reign of Maximian Herculeus, which was begun in   
   November, 303. At the same time, both the emperors triumphed together   
   over the Persians; after some stay there, Diocletian returned into the   
   East.   
      
   See this martyr’s genuine acts in Ruinart, p. 283, and Orsi, t. 3, p. 467.   
      
   Note 1. The baptism which he received on the stage was no more than a   
   representation of that sacrament, for want of a serious intention of   
   performing the Christian rite; but St. Genesius was baptized in   
   desire, with true contrition, and also in his own blood.   
   Note 2. Act. Sincer. p. 283.   
   Note 3. Tillem. t. 4, p. 694.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   My greatest happiness is to be before the Blessed Sacrament, where my   
   heart is, as it were, in Its center.   
   --St. Margaret Mary Alacoque   
      
   Bible Quote:   
    If then any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed   
   away. Behold all things are made new.   [2 Corinthians 5:17]  DRB   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Ave Verum is a short Eucharistic hymn dating from the 14th century.   
   During the Middle Ages it was sung at the elevation of the Host   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)