The Body of Christ

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The Body of Christ

"Your Lord is seated at the Father's right hand in heaven. How
then is the bread his Body? And the chalice, or rather its content,
how is it his Blood?
These elements are called Sacraments, because in them one thing is
perceived by the senses and another thing by the mind. What is seen
has a bodily appearance; what the mind perceives produces spiritual
fruit. You hear the words "The Body of Christ," and you answer "Amen."
--St. Augustine--Sermon 272

Prayer: O food and bread of angels, the angels take their fill of you.
They are satisfied by you but never tire of you.
--St. Augustine--Sermon 196, 13

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August 8th - St. Hormisdas, Martyr

c. 420
ISDEGERDES, king of Persia, renewed the persecution which Cosroes II.
had raised against the church, the occasion being the burning down of
a Mazdaean temple by a priest. This unhappy man, who brought so much
distress on the faithful, was constrained to admit that persuasion and
not violence is the only Christian method, but this did not mollify
the anger of the king.

It is not easy, says Theodoret, to describe or express the cruelties
which were then invented against the disciples of Christ. Some were
flayed alive, others had the skin torn from off their backs only,
others off their faces from the forehead to the chin. Some were stuck
all over with reeds split in two, and appeared like porcupines; then
these reeds were forcibly plucked out, so as to bring off the skin
with them. Some were bound hands and feet, and in that condition
thrown into great vaults which were filled with hungry rats, mice, or
other such vermin, which gnawed and devoured them by degrees, without
their being able to defend themselves. Nevertheless, these cruelties
hindered not the Christians from running with joy to meet death, that
they might gain eternal life. Isdegerdes dying, the persecution was
carried on by his son Varanes; and Hormisdas was one of the most
illustrious victims of his tyranny and malice. He was of the chief
nobility among the Persians, son to the governor of a province, and of
the race of the Achemenides. Varanes sent for him, and commanded him
to renounce Jesus Christ. Hormisdas answered him: “That this would
offend God, and transgress the laws of charity and justice; that
whoever dares to violate the supreme law of the sovereign Lord of all
things, would more easily betray his king, who is only a mortal man.

If the latter be a crime deserving the worst of deaths, what must it
be to renounce the God of the universe?” The king was enraged at this
wise and just answer, and caused him to be deprived of his office,
honours, and goods, and even stripped of his very clothes, except a
small piece of linen that went round his waist; and ordered him in
this naked condition to drive and look after the camels of the army. A
long time after, the king, looking out of his chamber window, saw
Hormisdas all sunburnt, and covered with dust, and calling to mind his
former dignity and riches, and the high station of his father, sent
for him, ordered a shirt to be given him, and said to him: “Now at
least lay aside thy obstinacy, and renounce the carpenter’s son.” The
saint transported with holy zeal, tore the shirt or tunic, [1] and
threw it away, saying: “If you thought that I should so easily be
tempted to abandon the law of God, keep your fine present with your
impiety.” The king, incensed at his boldness, banished him again with
indignation from his presence.

St. Hormisdas happily finished his course; and is named in the Roman
Martyrology. The same tyrant, when Suenes, a nobleman of Persia, who
was master of 1000 slaves, was inflexible in the profession of his
faith, asked him which was the meanest and vilest among all his
slaves, and to him that was named he gave all the rest, and Suenes
himself, and his wife. The confessor still continued firm in the
faith.

See the Acta Sanctorum, August, vol. ii, where the passage of
Theodoret, bk v, ch. 39, is quoted at length. See also Assemani,
Bibliotheca orientalis, vol. iii, pt 2, p. 384. There seems to be a
reference to this St. Hormisdas in the Martyrology of Rabban Sliba on
September 1 for which cf. the Analecta Bollandiana, vol. xxvii (1908),
p. 193 .

Note 1. The Orientals have in all ages used light silk or linen tunics
in hot weather; but the ordinary use of linen shirts is a very modern,
though most convenient custom. Dr. Arbuthnot had reason to say that
Julius Cæsar had neither a shirt to his back, nor glass to his
windows. (Tr. On Coins and Measures.)

Reflection: “Compunction of heart,” says Saint Bernard, “is a treasure
infinitely to be desired, and an unspeakable gladness to the heart. It
is healing to the soul; it is remission of sins; it brings back the
Holy Spirit into the humble and loving heart.”

Saint Quote:
We must nourish a great love for God and our neighbors; a strong love,
an ardent love, a love that burns away imperfections, a love that
gently bears an act of impatience, or a bitter word, a love that lets
an inadvertence or act of neglect pass without comment, a love that
lends itself readily to an act of charity.
-- Blessed Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad


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Few Love the Cross of Jesus (3)

If a man give all his wealth, it is nothing; if he do great
penance, it is little; if he gain all knowledge, he is still far
afield; if he have great virtue and much ardent devotion, he still
lacks a great deal, and especially, the one thing that is most
necessary to him. What is this one thing? That leaving all, he forsake
himself, completely renounce himself, and give up all private
affections. Then, when he has done all that he knows ought to be done,
let him consider it as nothing, let him make little of what may be
considered great; let him in all honesty call himself an unprofitable
servant. For truth itself has said:
“When you shall have done all these things that are commanded you,
say: ‘we are unprofitable servants.’” (Luke 17:10).
Then he will be truly poor and stripped in spirit, and with the
prophet may say: “I am alone and poor.” (Ps. 24:16.)
No one, however, is more wealthy than such a man; no one is more
powerful, no one freer than he who knows how to leave all things and
think of himself as the least of all.
--Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ Book 2, Chapter 11