Having a Humble Opinion of Self {3}

[Weedy]

Having a Humble Opinion of Self {3}

The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely
will you be judged, unless your life is also the more holy. Do not be
proud, therefore, because of your learning or skill. Rather, fear
because of the talent given you. If you think you know many things and
understand them well enough, realize at the same time that there is
much you do not know. Hence, do not affect wisdom, but admit your
ignorance. Why prefer yourself to anyone else when many are more
learned, more cultured than you?
--Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ Bk 1, Chapter 2

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August 21st - SS. Bonosus and Maximian, Martyrs
d. 363

The Emperor Julian the Apostate commanded the cross and monogram of
Jesus Christ which Constantine had placed on the standard of the army
to be struck off, and had the standards reduced to the form used under
the pagan emperors. There were in the Herculean cohort at Antioch two
officers, zealous Christians, named Bonosus and Maximian, who refused
to change their standard.

The emperor's uncle, Count Julian, commanded them to give their
troops the new ensign, and to worship the same gods which he and the
emperor worshipped. Bonosus answered, "We cannot worship gods which
have been made by the hands of men", and refused to give up the
standard to be altered. The Count ordered him to be tied up, and three
hundred lashes to be given him. Under this Bonosus only smiled, and
made no answer when asked if he would obey. The comes then turned to
Maximian, who said, "Let your gods first hear and speak to you, and
then we will worship them". Julian then had them both racked, but
when he asked again if they would obey, they answered, "We cannot obey
the emperor in these matters, because we have before our eyes the
invisible God in whom we trust". Count Julian threatened the martyrs
in a second and a third interrogation, but they answered they were
Christians and were determined to continue such. The comes was for
having them tortured again; but the prefect Secundus, himself a pagan,
absolutely refused to hear of it; Julian therefore condemned Bonosus
and Maximian to be beheaded.

There is tacked on to the narrative of the trial and death of these
martyrs an account of the last days of Count Julian, in its details
manifestly false. He is represented as suffering from a disease as
revolting as it is impossible; his Christian wife tells him in effect
that it serves him right, and urges him to bear the, hand of the Lord
gladly; and he dies miserably, but calling on the name of the one God.
Alban Butler takes the opportunity for a dissertation on the death of
a sinner, which is here omitted together with the occasion of it.

Although the text of this Latin passia is printed by Ruinart amongst
his Acta sincera, we lack any satisfactory guarantee of its
authenticity. There seems to be no oriental cultus, though the martyrs
suffered at Antioch. See, however, P. Allard, Julien l'Apostat, vol.
iii, p. 153. Dom Leclercq, in his collection Les Martyrs, vol. iii,
pp. 99-104, has printed a translation of the whole document.


Saint Quote:
The birds are the saints, who fly to heaven on the wings of
contemplation, who are so removed from the world that they have no
business on earth. They do not labour, but by contemplation alone they
already live in heaven.
--St. Anthony of Padua

Bible Quote:
And avoid foolish and unlearned questions, knowing that they beget
strifes. But the servant of the Lord must not wrangle: but be mild
toward all men, apt to teach, patient, With modesty admonishing them
that resist the truth: if peradventure God may give them repentance to
know the truth; And they may recover themselves from the snares of the
devil by whom they are held captive at his will. [2 Tim 2:24-26] DRB


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God is the great interpreter

God is the great interpreter of one human personality to another.
Even personalities who are the nearest together have much in their
natures that remains a sealed book to each other. And only as God
enters and controls their lives are the mysteries of each revealed to
the other. Each personality is so different. God alone understands
perfectly the language of each and can interpret between the two. Here
we find the miracles of change and the true interpretation of life.