Jesus speaks of his death and resurrection

[Weedy]

Jesus speaks of his death and resurrection

"I think we have an obligation to examine this, too: that Jesus was
delivered into the hands of men, not by men into the hands of men but
by powers to whom the Father delivered his Son on behalf of us all. In
the very act of being delivered and coming under the power of those to
whom he was delivered, he “destroyed him who had the power of death.”
For “through death he destroyed him who has the power of death, that
is, the devil, and delivered all those who through fear of death were
subject to lifelong bondage."
by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13.8)

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August 22nd - St. Emilian of Autun

Muslim invasions, which began taking over Spain in 711, soon began to
spread across the Pyrenees into various regions of France. In 725, an
attack was planned against the city of Autun, rich in abbeys and
monasteries. A reaction of the French Catholics rose in Bretagne, led
by St. Emilian, Bishop of Nantes.Born in a noble family of Armonica,
he was famous for his courage and honor. Magnanimous, with keen
discernment and a noble character, he had great intelligence as well
as a faith worthy of a martyr and an ardent zeal for the interests of
the Church. So, when he heard the news that the Muslims would invade
Autun, the Bishop considered it his duty to take up the sword. He
judged that it was necessary to fight rather than flee and see the
things he loved the most destroyed: Catholicism and France.

He called the people to the Cathedral and made this appeal, which
became legendary in the Middle Ages:

“O! All you strong men of war who are still stronger in the faith:
take into your hands the shield of this divine Faith, mark on your
foreheads the sign of the Cross, cover your heads with the helmet of
salvation, and protect your chests with the armor of the Lord. Then
after taking up this religious armor, soldiers of Jesus Christ, do yet
more.

“Take your strongest weapons of war, your sharpest swords of the
best steel, and come together to combat and smash the miserable
enemies who like furious beasts slaughter our Catholic brothers. It is
the moment to say with Judas Macabeus: 'Be strong and make yourself
ready that you may fight with these people, which are agreed together
to destroy us and our sanctuary. Better is it for us to die in battle,
than to see our people and our sanctuary in such a miserable state.'”

Touched by the Holy Ghost and filled with enthusiasm, the crowd
shouted: “Lord and Venerable Pastor, give the order and command, and
where you go, we will follow.”

The Saint answered: “On this spot we shall gather and from the foot of
this altar we will start out against the enemy. And I will have the
honor to march at the head of the soldiers of Jesus Christ.”

On the arranged date, wearing his sacred vestments, the Bishop said
Holy Mass and gave Communion to the men who would fight with him.
Then, they started their march to Autun. A series of marvelous
victories followed the Breton army. They saved Autun at the great
battle of Saint Forjand, and defeated the infidel army at the pass of
Crès d’Aussi.The enemy made another attack but was defeated at the
battle of St. Jean de Louis. The Muslim chief, however, made another
maneuver to reconquer Autun. To cut off his path, St. Emilian gathered
a number of his subjects and said: “Dear and brave companions, I
congratulate you for your great faith. The number of combatants is not
important; the victory comes from Heaven.”

Then, making a sign of the Cross, he said, “Lord, into Thy hands I
commend my spirit,” and entered into the thick of the fight.

Tradition says that St. Emilian severely wounded the Muslim chief
during the fight. When the Saracens saw their chief so near to death,
many rallied to help him. The Saint Bishop fell to the ground, fatally
wounded by many sword thrusts. He continued to shout encouraging his
soldiers, but finally expired. It was August 22, 725. The Muslim chief
ordered St. Emilian beheaded. Later the Catholics gathered his relics,
which were treasured as objects of great veneration. His cult was
confirmed by Pope Pius IX.

[Seven years after the sack of Autun in 725, Charles Martel met
Abd-er-Rahman outside of Tours and defeated and slew him. The Battle
of Poitiers in 732 is considered one of the great turning points in
History, which stopped the Islamic advance into Western Europe.]

Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira: (died 1995)

The decree of Pope Pius IX is very valuable because it confirms the
legitimacy of St. Emilian’s initiative to go into battle, leading his
warriors against the Moors, engaging in the fight, and finally reining
his horse to the center of battle, where he died from wounds inflicted
by the enemies.

There is a principle of Canon Law that states that ecclesiastics
should not shed blood with their own hands. Ecclesia abhorrit
sanguine, the Church has a horror of blood. She is the mother who
doesn’t want to see the blood of her children shed. This is why she
forbade her ecclesiastics to enter into combat.But that principle
doesn’t go so far as to affirm that bloodshed is never permitted.
There were the Crusades, for example, that were called by the Church.
What is the wise criteria behind this rule and its exceptions?

Let us imagine a village where a certain villain became famous for his
crimes and evil behavior. The man is justly condemned to death, and
the judge needs someone to execute the sentence. Let us suppose that
the men who would normally do this had gone to war, and the only one
left who could execute the sentence was the father of the bandit. Must
the father hang the son? What does Catholic Morals say about such a
situation? The Church teaches that even if the son is clearly guilty
and deserves death, the father is dispensed from executing the
sentence. According to Natural Law a father should not kill his own
son. The father can agree that his son is guilty and deserves to die,
he can encourage others to execute the sentence, but he should not
have to do it. The judge should wait for another person to execute the
sentence.

An analogous situation governs Church policy regarding the shedding of
blood. She can agree that bloodshed is necessary, she can encourage
it, she can canonize those who do so; but since she is the mother, she
does not do so. There is no contradiction, it is a refinement of moral
sensitivity. This is an extremely beautiful rule.

So, Bishops and priests did not shed the blood of others. But it is
also very beautiful that some exceptions exist to this rule. One such
exception is that of St. Emilian who took up arms in a defensive war
against the enemies of the Church, rousing the people to action,
encouraging the faithful to fight, and entering the battle himself
after he said the Mass that began the military effort at the foot of
the altar. It is a very beautiful exception that we should understand
and admire.

So we have St. Emilian who as a Bishop commanded an army, defeated the
Saracens, and when they tried a final maneuver to regain the city,
went straight into the heart of the battle to save the city. Having a
presentment that he would die, he repeated the last words of Our Lord:
“My God, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.” He died uniting two
forms of glory: the glory of the victor and the glory of the defeated.

The glory of the victor because he saved the city. The glory of the
defeated because he accepted the fact he would die and offered his
life to God, knowing that in Heaven’s eyes, he was a victor. With
this, he joyfully entered Paradise. He united the two kinds of
glory...

http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j087sdEmilian_8-22.htm


Saint Quote:
Remember that the Christian life is one of action; not of speech and
daydreams. Let there be few words and many deeds, and let them be done
well.
--St. Vincent Pallotti

Bible Quote
8 Blessed is the rich man that is found without blemish: and that hath
not gone after gold, nor put his trust in money nor in treasures. 9
Who is he, and we will praise him? for he hath done wonderful things
in his life. (Ecclesiasticus 31:8-9)


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Prayer to the Holy Face

O Blessed Face of my kind Savior,
by the tender love and piercing sorrow
of Our Lady as she beheld You in
Your cruel Passion, grant us to share
in this intense sorrow and love so as to
fulfill the holy will of God to the
utmost of our ability. Amen.