- James 2:14-24 -
Trudie
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?
Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and
daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well
fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same
way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and
shudder.
__________________________________________________________________
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was
not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered
his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working
together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was
fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as
righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is
justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
<<>><<>><<>>
November 23rd - St. Felicity of Rome
(also known as Felicitas)
Died 165. What would you say if tomorrow you read in the newspaper that your
next-door neighbor urged her seven sons to surrender to a killer? For their
faith? Would you think she was a fanatic? Or, would you applaud her bravery? As
someone once asked me, would you be willing to raise your own children to lay
down their lives for the sake of Jesus Christ and His Church? Would you be
willing to lay your own life on the line?
It's sometimes easy to read the lives of the saints and think that they are
simply fantasy figures-not flesh and blood, not real people who shed real tears,
who experienced a moment of fear or vacillation, who felt real pain. But what if
it were you or your neighbor? We read the Scriptures and hear the homilies that
our lives should be so absorbed in God that we would gladly do whatever He would
require. Yet, so often, we cannot even bear the pricks of another's words.
While we know little about the real Felicity and her seven sons, her legend is
large enough to call us to question the depth of our own faith. There was indeed
a widow named Felicity martyred in Rome on November 23 in an unknown year and
buried in the cemetery of Maximus on the Salarian Way.
The traditional account asserts that Felicity was a rich widow with seven sons
and devoted herself to charitable work. She was so effective in proselytizing
that the pagan priests lodged a complaint against her with Emperor Marcus
Antonius Pius, who caused her to be arraigned before Publius, the prefect of
Rome. He used various pleas and threats in an unsuccessful attempt to get her to
worship the pagan gods and was equally unsuccessful with her seven sons who
followed their mother's example.
He remanded the case to the Emperor, who ordered them all executed (or they were
then brought before four different judges and sentenced to die in differing
ways). Felicity was beheaded with Alexander, Vitalis, and Martial; Januarius was
scourged to death; Felix and Philip were beaten to death with clubs; and
Silvanus was drowned in the Tiber.
So, what would you do in St. Felicity's shoes? Let's all pray to God that we
will be able to withstand the trial.
While this is a legend, in fact, there are eight martyrs by these names. Seven
men with these names all died and are commemorated on July 10, and were buried
in four Roman cemeteries. One of them, Silvanus, is even buried near Felicity's
tomb. The proximity probably gave rise to the legend that they were brothers
(the so-called Seven Brothers) and her sons, but there is no evidence that the
eight were related by any blood other than the blood of martyrs.
It is likely that this Felicity, rather than the one associated with Perpetua,
is the saint named in the Canon of the Mass. It is also likely that St. Felicity
and Saint Symphorosa are the same person (Attwater, Benedictines, Delaney,
Encyclopedia).
In art this Felicity is enthroned in religious habit or widow's weeds, holding a
palm, surrounded by her seven sons, who also hold palms. Sometimes she is shown
(1) with a palm, book and four children at her feet; (2) with St. Andrew
Apostle; or (3) with a sword by her. She is invoked by women who pray for sons
(Roeder).
From:
http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1123.shtml
Saint Quote:
Pray as though everything depended on God and act as if everything depended on
you.
-St. Augustine
Bible Quote
12 Then after he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, being set down
again, he said to them: Know you what I have done to you? 13 You call me Master,
and Lord; and you say well, for so I am. 14 If then I being your Lord and
Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For
I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also. (John
13:12-15)
<><><><>
From the Liturgy of St. Mark (AD 175-254):
We most earnestly beseech Thee, O Thou Lover of mankind,
to bless all Thy people, the flocks of Thy fold. Send down
into our hearts the peace of heaven, and grant us also the
peace of this life. Give life to the souls of all of us, and let no
deadly sin prevail against us, or any of Thy people. Deliver
all who are in trouble, for Thou art our God, Who settest the
captives free; Who givest hope to the hopeless, and help to
the helpless; Who liftest up the fallen; and Who are the
Haven of the shipwrecked. Give Thy pity, pardon, and
refreshment to every Christian soul, whether in affliction or
error. Preserve us, in our pilgrimage through this life, from
hurt and danger, and grant that we may end our lives as
Christians, well-pleasing to Thee and free from sin, and that
we may have our portion and lot with all Thy saints.
Amen.