On the Value of Frequent Communion [IV]

[Rich]

On the Value of Frequent Communion [IV]

O Lord God, Creator and Giver of life to all souls, how wonderful is
Thy kindness and mercy to us, that Thou should stoop to visit the poor
and humble soul, and to satisfy her hunger with Thy whole Divinity and
Humanity! Happy the mind and blessed the soul that deserves to receive
Thee with devotion, and in receiving Thee, to be filled with spiritual
joy! How great a Lord does the soul receive! How beloved the Guest she
welcomes! How delightful the Companion she invites to enter! How
faithful the Friend she makes! How gracious and noble the Spouse she
embraces -- one to be loved and desired above all others! O dear and
most beloved Lord, let Heaven and earth in all their beauty keep
silence before Thee; for whatever praise and beauty they possess
comes from Thy generous goodness. They cannot approach the beauty of
Thy Name, and Thy Wisdom is infinite.(Ps. 147:5)
--Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ Book 4 Ch. 3

<<>><<>><<>>
• November 24: - Saints Flora and Mary of Cordoba
(died 851)

Today, November 24, we celebrate the feast day of Saints Flora and
Mary of Cordoba, Virgin Martyrs of the Church. Both Flora and Mary
lived at a time when Christians were actively persecuted in Muslim
lands. Despite this danger, both young women held firm to their
Christianity, led courageous lives, and ultimately were beheaded for
their faith.

Saint Flora was the product of a religiously mixed marriage, which was
rather uncommon at that time. Her mother, a Christian from the village
of Ausianos (west of Cordoba), married a Muslim from Seville. Her
father died while Flora was quite young, and therefore, her mother
raised her in pious Christianity. The laws at that time, however,
prohibited children of mixed marriages to be raised anything but
Muslim, and Flora and her mother prayed and maintained their faith in
secret. Such were the times that they even were forced to keep Flora’s
Christian faith a secret from her older brother!

The strain and tension in the family home of maintaining such a secret
grew too great for Flora. More and more she was called to live her
faith visibly, and in service to the Lord, both preach and minister to
the poor. She eventually decided to run away from home to protect
herself from her brother, accompanied by her sister. Her brother,
however, by then an influential member of the Cordoba Muslim
community, sought her return home, and began putting pressure (via
persecution) on the fledgling Christian community. Obediently, Flora
returned home, but refused to recant her faith. His pleading and
threats fell on deaf ears, and she maintained her ardent love for
Christ. Unsuccessful, her brother turned her over to the authorities.

Flora was charged with apostasy—that is, recanting the Muslim faith
and converting o Christianity. Despite her defense that she had been a
Christian from birth and was therefore innocent of the charges, Flora
was sentenced to a severe whipping, beaten on the head till in some
parts her scull was bare, and placed on probation in her brother's
custody. As soon as she regained her strength, however, she fled
again, this time taking refuge at the Christian household of Saint
Mary, before leaving town together.

Saint Mary was born into a mixed marriage as well. Her father was a
Christian landowner, and her mother, a Muslim woman who had converted
to the Christian faith. Because of her mother’s apostasy, the family
had been forced to flee their home, and came to live in a village near
Cordoba. The strain of the move led to her mother’s death, and her
father decided to live a life of solitude and penitence. Saint Mary’s
brother, named Walabonsus, was sent to study at the local monastery of
Saint Felix, and she was sent to the convent in Cuteclara. Upon
ordination, Mary’s brother was appointed one of the convent’s priests,
and the pair was reunited in the joy of Christ. However, not long
afterwards, Walabonsus was martyred for refusing to practice Islam and
recant his Christian beliefs.

Mary was deeply moved by her brother’s faith and subsequent martyrdom,
and yearned to follow in his footsteps. She began actively preaching
and practicing her faith, traveling to the church of Saint Acisclus
each day to pray for guidance. It was in that church that she met
Saint Flora.

After the events of Flora’s life forced her to flee, the two lived in
exile for a brief period. However, the witness of Mary’s brother was a
constant reminder to them, and the two returned to Cordoba to state
their faith and suffer whatever consequences might follow. They were
immediately imprisoned by the Muslim magistrate. While in prison, they
had communion with Saint Eulogius, already imprisoned, who later wrote
a remarkable record of the Christian martyrs of those times (before
his own martyrdom). Shortly before the two were removed from prison,
Saint Eulogius wrote:

“Flora seemed to me an angel. A heavenly light surrounded her; her
face lightened with happiness; she seemed already to be tasting the
joys of the heavenly home… strengthened by her speech, I returned less
sad to my somber cell.”

Saints Flora and Mary were placed in a brothel, but refused to
participate in the licentious activities that took place, maintaining
their purity in the eyes of the Lord, praying, and witnessing to those
present. Eventually, they were sentenced to execution by beheading,
but a few days later, through their intercession, the other Christians
who were still in prison in Cordova were released.

Like yesterday's martyr, Blessed Miguel Augustin Pro, Saints Flora and
Mary of Cordoba demonstrated unwavering faith, courage, and sacrifice
for our Lord. We are reminded that throughout the history of the
Church, the faith has been spread and strengthened through the blood
and pain of our holy Catholic martyrs. We pray today for the strength
and courage to live our lives in faith—visible for all.
--by Jacob


Prayer for Courage

Dear God, give me courage,
for perhaps I lack it more than anything else.

I need courage before men against their threats
and against their seductions.

I need courage to bear unkindness,
mockery, contradiction.

I need courage to fight against the devil,
against terrors and troubles, temptations,
attractions, darkness and false lights,
against tears, depression, and above all fear.

I need Your help, dear God.

Strengthen me with Your love and Your grace.
Console me with Your blessed Presence
and grant me the courage to persevere
until I am with You forever in heaven.
Amen.