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12th May - Optional memorial of St. Nereus, St. Achilleus and St. Pancras, Martyrs. According to an inscription of Pope Damasus dating to the late fourth century Nereus and Achilleus were Roman martyrs from, possibly, the second century and were, according to legend, soldiers, who would carry out executions through fear on the orders of a cruel tyrant. Both were converted to Christianity, left military life, threw away their arms, confessed the faith of Christ and were martyred by being beheaded. Their cult was centred on their relics in the cemetery of Domitilla is very ancient and well testified. Little is known about Pancras’ life – he is supposed to have died in the early fourth century. The legend of his life tells that he was a Phygian orphan brought to Rome by his uncle. There both were converted to Christianity and Pancras suffered as a martyr at the early age of fourteen. Pope Gregory the Great dedicated a monastery at Rome to Pancras and St. Augustine a church to him at Canterbury. His relics were sent to Oswiu, the king or Northumbria, by Pope Vitalian in c. 664. Almighty and ever living God, grant that we who know of the courage of your holy martyrs St. Nereus, St. Achilleus and St. Pancras in confessing their faith in you, may experience their loving intercession for us in your presence. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saints_Nereus_and_Achilleus https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10751a.htm https://catholicsaints.info/saint-achilleus-of-terracina/ https://catholicsaints.info/saint-flavia-domitilla-of-terracina/ https://catholicsaints.info/saint-nereus-of-terracina/ https://catholicsaints.info/saint-pancras-of-rome/ https://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/pancras.htm https://www.bartleby.com/210/5/122.html |
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13th May - Optional memorial of Our Lady of Fatima. Fatima was the scene of six apparitions of Our Lady between the 13th of May and the 13th of October 1917 to three peasant children: Lucia Santos, Jacinta Marto and her brother Francisco. During the apparitions Mary told the children to have processions in honour of the Immaculate Conception and to tell the faithful to do penance and to pray the Rosary because otherwise the world would be chastised for its sins. During the October apparition about seventy thousand pilgrims witnessed a spectacular solar phenomenon. In 1930 the bishops of Portugal declared the apparitions to be authentic and in 1942 Pope Pius XII, in response to Mary’s request, consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Almighty and ever living God, who chose the Blessed Virgin to be the Mother of your only begotten Son, to be our Mother also, grant that, persevering in penance and prayer for the salvation of the world, we may further more effectively each day the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ and the coming of his Kingdom. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_F%C3%A1tima http://www.peregrinosdefatima.pt/en/ https://www.piercedhearts.org/hearts_jesus_mary/apparitions/fatima/MemoriasI_en.pdf https://fatima.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/The-True-Story-of-Fatima.pdf https://fatima.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Sister-Lucy-sm.pdf https://saintscatholic.blogspot.com/2012/05/our-lady-of-fatima.html |
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14th May - Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle. Matthias - (Koine Greek: Μαθθίας, Maththías [maθˈθi.as], from Hebrew מַתִּתְיָהוּ Mattiṯyā́hū; Coptic: ⲙⲁⲑⲓⲁⲥ; died c. AD 80) Born - 1st century AD, Judaea, Roman Empire Died - c. AD 80, Jerusalem, Judaea or in Colchis (modern-day Georgia) Attributes axe - Christian martyrdom Patronage - alcoholics; carpenters; tailors; Gary, Indiana; Great Falls-Billings, Montana; smallpox; hope; perseverance “Out of the men who have been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was living with us, from the time John was baptising until the day when he was taken up from us – one must be appointed to serve with us as a witness to the resurrection. Having nominated two candidates, Joseph known as Barsabbas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias, they prayed. “Lord, you can read everyone’s heart, show us therefore which of these two you have chosen to take over this ministry and apostolate, which Judas abandoned to go to his proper place.” They then drew lots for them, and as the lot fell to Matthias, he was listed as one of the twelve apostles.” (Acts of the Apostles 1: 21-26). Following his selection as one of the twelve, like the others he received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Authentic details about his ministry are hard to find. He is said to have preached in Judea but later, according to the Greeks, he worked in Cappadocia and near the Caspian Sea. There is also a tradition that links him with Ethiopia. His usual symbol is an axe or halberd, regarded as the instrument of his martyrdom. Almighty and ever living God, you assigned to St. Matthias a place amongst the Apostles; grant that, through his intercession, we may rejoice at how your love has been allotted to us and that we may, like St. Matthias, we may merit to be counted amongst the elect. See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Matthias https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10066a.htm https://catholicsaints.info/saint-matthias-the-apostle/ https://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/matthias.htm |