St. Acacius, March 31
Kathy Rabenstein
+ Acacius (Achatius) Agathangelos B (AC)
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Died c. 251.
"We venerate our God because He made us; we did not make Him. He
as our Master loves us, for He is also our Father. Of His goodness He
has rescued us from everlasting death." --St. Acacius.
St. Acacius, bishop of Antioch, led a devout life and was much revered
by his flock who nicknamed him 'Agathangelus,' which means 'good
angel,' and 'Thaumaturgus,' or the 'wonder-worker.' During the
persecution of Christians under the Emperor Decius, not a single
Christian in his diocese is said to have denied his faith.
Around 251, Decius's representative in Antioch, Martian, summoned the
bishop for cross-examination. Acacius appeared and began by insisting
that his flock was entirely faithful to the emperor. Martian responded that
the saint should prove this by making sacrifice to the emperor as a god.
This the bishop adamantly refused to do.
Instead of instantly sentencing Acacius to death, Martian continued to
question him. They discussed the nature of angels. They spoke about
the myths of the Greeks and the Romans. They philosophized together
about the nature of God. Martian then asked the saint to provide him with
the names of other Christians. The bishop would give him only two
names: his own, Acacius, and his nickname, Agathangelus. The
emperor's representative was so impressed by Acacius that he sent a
transcript of the whole interview to Decius himself. Decius smiled when
he read it, promoted Martian to a higher post, and pardoned Bishop
Acacius.
The _acta_ of Acacius seem to be genuine. He is held in great
veneration in the East (Benedictines, Bentley, Encyclopedia).
Other Saints Honored March 31
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+ = celebrated liturgically
Blessed Aldo of Hasnon, OSB (AC)
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Died end of 8th century. Aldo, count of Ostrevant, became a monk at
Hasnon Abbey in Belgium, which had been founded by his brother John.
Aldo was chosen as its second abbot (Benedictines).
Amos, Prophet (RM)
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8th century BC. One of the minor prophets of the Old Testament, Amos
wrote only nine brief chapters, far less than a man who writes
adventure stories; far less than a journalist who scribbles each day, far
less than a columnist who writes each week, far less than many of us
do on this list. Some say he wrote the nine chapters in a brief hour:
"Return to the land of Judah, and there eat your bread and prophesy!"
He was just a shepherd of Tekoah (Koa) near Bethlehem, a trimmer of
sycamores, "a herdsman plucking wild figs" (Amos 7:13). Yet God
seized him and told him to go and prophesy; and his words have
endured for thousands of years. "The Lord roared from Sion and made
His voice heard in Jerusalem."
This is an amazing thing: that an unlettered man, 800 years before
Christ, should write down (or better, have written down for him) certain
sayings that the world has never been able to lose or destroy. The
Roman Martyrology says that he was "transfixed with an iron bar
through the temples." He was buried in his native place (Benedictines,
Encyclopedia).
+ Balbina of Rome V (RM)
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Died c. 130. The _laus_ in the Roman Martyrology says: "At Rome, the
birthday of St. Balbina the Virgin, daughter of blessed Quirinus the
martyr; she was baptized by Pope Alexander, and chose Christ as her
Spouse in her virginity; after completing the course of this world she
was buried on the Appian Way near her father." Later, her relics were
enshrined in the church dedicated to her on the Aventine. Modern
writers question the veracity of the _laus_ (Benedictines).
+ Benjamin the Deacon M (RM)
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Died c. 421. Yezdigerd (Isdegerdes), the king of Persia, put an end to
the cruel persecution of Christians under his father Sapor (Shapur) II,
and there followed 12 years of peace. Bishop Abdas then burned down
the Pyraeum, or Temple of Fire, the chief object of worship of the
Persians. The king threatened to destroy all Christian churches unless
Abdas rebuilt it. The bishop refused, and the king put him to death and
initiated a general persecution of Christians, which continued and
intensified under his son Varanes, lasting forty years. An account of the
terrible cruelties was given by a contemporary, Theodoret.
Benjamin, a Persian deacon, was beaten and imprisoned for a year for
preaching Christianity during the persecution. Benjamin was released at
the intercession of the Emperor of Constantinople, who promised he
would stop preaching. As soon as he was released, Benjamin again
began proclaiming the Gospel, was arrested and tortured after he said
that he would not be silent if again released.
At his trial, he asked the king what he would think of a subject who
would renounce his allegiance and join in a war against him. The king
ordered reeds thrust under his nails and into the most tender parts of his
body and then withdrawn. After this was repeated several times, a
knotted stake was inserted into his bowels to rend and tear him. He
expired in terrible agony (Barr, Benedictines, Davies, Delaney, White).
He is depicted as a deacon with reeds thrust under his nails; sometimes
impaled by knotted stake (Roeder).
Blessed Bonaventure Tornielli, OSM (AC)
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Born at Forli in 1411; died 1491; cultus confirmed in 1911. Bonaventure
became a Servite in 1448. At the order of Pope Sixtus IV, he preached
continually throughout the papal states and southern Italy. He also
served for several years at the vicar-general of the order
(Benedictines).
Daniel of Murano, OSB Cam. Hermit (AC)
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Died 1411. St. Daniel was a German merchant who became acquainted
with the Camaldolese monks of Murano while travelling through Venice,
Italy. He lived a hermit's life under their direction, but in his own house,
and was wont to spend long periods with them. He was killed by
robbers in his cell (Benedictines).
Blessed Guy of Vicogne, O Praem. (AC)
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Died 1147. Guy founded the Premonstratensian abbey of Vicogne in the
diocese of Arras, where he retired and was superior of the community
(Benedictines).
+ Guy (Guido) of Pomposa, OSB Abbot M (AC)
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Born near Ravenna, Italy; died 1046. San Guido became a Benedictine
monk at the abbey of St. Severus in Ravenna. Later he was chosen
abbot of Ravenna, then of Pomposa near Ferrara. He loved sacred
learning and, at his request, St. Peter Damian (f.d. February 21) delivered
lectures on the Scriptures to his monks for two years. Towards the end
of his life he was fiercely, though unjustly, persecuted by the bishop of
Ravenna. Guido was known to be as pious as he was fastidious
(Benedictines, Encyclopedia).
Blessed Jane of Toulouse, OC Tert. (AC)
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Born in Toulouse, France; died 1286; cultus confirmed in 1895. St. Jane
(Jeanne) was a Carmelite tertiary who was introduced to the order by
St. Simon Stock (f.d. May 16). She is venerated as the foundress of the
Carmelite third order. She spent her time and substance on training
young boy-candidates for the Carmelite Friars (Benedictines).
Machabeo (Gilda-Marchaibeo) of Armagh, Abbot (AC)
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Born in Ireland, 1104; died 1174. St. Machabeo was abbot of the
monastery of SS. Peter and Paul in Armagh from 1134 until his death 40
years later (Benedictines).
Blessed Mary Mamala, Poor Clare Widow (AC)
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Died 1453. A member of the Spanish family of the dukes of
Medina-Sidonia, St. Mary married Henry de Guzman, and in her
widowhood joined the Poor Clares of Seville (Benedictines).
Theodolus, Anesius, Felix, Cornelia & Comp. MM (RM)
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Date unknown. Martyrs in Proconsular Africa (Benedictines).
Sources:
========
Barr, R., SJ. (1966). Main currents in early Christian thought,
Glen Rock, NJ: Paulist Press.
Benedictine Monks of St. Augustine Abbey, Ramsgate. (1947). The
book of saints: A dictionary of servants of God canonized
by the Catholic Church extracted from the Roman and other
martyrologies. NY: Macmillan.
Benedictine Monks of St. Augustine Abbey, Ramsgate. (1966). The
book of saints: A dictionary of persons canonized or
beatified by the Catholic Church. NY: Thomas Y. Crowell.
Bentley, J. (1986). A calendar of saints: The lives of the
principal saints of the Christian year, NY: Facts on File.
Davies, J. G. (1965). The early Christian church, NY:
Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Delaney, J. J. (1983). Pocket dictionary of saints, NY:
Doubleday Image.
Encyclopedia of Catholic saints, March. (1966).
Philadelphia: Chilton Books.
Roeder, H. (1956). Saints and their attributes, Chicago: Henry
Regnery.
White, K. E. (1992). Guide to the saints, NY: Ivy Books.
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Kathy R.
krab...@ana.org