The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order, Confessors
by VP
Posted on Wednesday February 12, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
The Holy Founders of the Servites
"While wars were raging all over Italy and its cities mourned the blood that brothers shed in conflict with brothers, the Virgin appeared and showed, as she always does, fresh tokens of a mother's love. She summons seven who waited on her in prayer, bidding them be faithful to her command of recalling in sorrowful contemplation the sufferings that Jesus bore and that she in person shared at the foot of her Son's cross. Immediately they obey their Lady's summons. They turn their backs on their magnificent palaces and wealth and, leaving the city of Florence far behind, hide themselves in the caves of Monte Senario. Here they inflict cruel punishments on themselves, atoning for the sins of guilty men; here by their prayers and tears they turn aside from men God's anger. The sorrowful Mother encourages them and tells them to wear a habit of mourning. Thus the dutiful beginnings of the holy company prosper, and men come to hear of marvellous happenings. A vine puts forth green leaves in winter, thus telling the glory of these men. Unweaned children call them by name as Mary's own 'Servi'.
*The fathers so spend their time of retirement from the world that they seem to Peter of Verona in a vision to be like seven pure white lilies, well pleasing to the Virgin in heaven and dazzling in their beauty. And now, under the impulse of divine love, they hasten from city to city and make their way over all the countryside with the intention of implanting in all souls the sorrows of their Mother. By this means the preaching of the holy men avails to tame senseless anger; it unites savage hearts that are blind to peace, uplifts the sorrowing and calls sinners back to repentance. When at length death comes ot them, the Virgin accompanies her "Servi", brings them to heaven and adorns them, blessed now for ever, with jewelled garlands. May they hear our sighs as we are gathered together to pray, regard us as we make our laborious efforts and always favour our prayers with their kindly help".
St. Meletius, Patriarch of Antioch, Confessor, A.D. 381.
by VP
Posted on Wednesday February 12, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
St. Meletius of Antioch
"THIS saint was of one of the best families of Lesser Armenia. In his youth he made fasting and mortification his choice, in the midst of every thing that could flatter his senses. His conduct was uniform and irreproachable; and the sweetness and affability of his temper gained him the confidence and esteem both of the Catholics and Arians. He was promoted to the see of Antioch in the time of the Emperor Constantius; when, by the tumults of the Arians, the Eastern Church was in confusion. The Arians however, prevailed with the emperor to banish him into Lesser Armenia. The Emperor Julian having allowed the banished bishops to go back to their churches, St. Meletius returned to Antioch about the the end of the year 362; but the generous freedom with which he opposed idolatry, provoked that emperor to banish him a second time. But Jovian soon after succeeding that unhappy prince, St. Meletius returned to Antioch. The next emperor, Valens, banished him a third time; but he was restored a third time by his successor, the Emperor Gratian.
He governed his flock with remarkable exemplarity, and the opinion of his sanctity among his people was very great. He submitted to the orders of Providence with wonderful resignation, and at length died at Constantinople, being called there to the first general Council assembled in that city, in the year 881.
Give thanks for the zeal and virtue of the primitive bishops. It was by them that Christianity was preserved; and you owe it to their sufferings that you are now a Christian. Pray for the pastors of the Church. Good pastors are a great blessing, and bad ones are as great a judgment. It is the sins of the people that draw this upon them: see that you have no part in provoking these public scourges. Imitate the holy life of St. Meletius. Though continually opposed and persecuted, by his great meekness and patience he had converted the various trials he had gone through into occasions of virtue, and had exceedingly endeared himself to all who had the happiness of his acquaintance." The Catholic Year by Rev. Fr. John Gother
Prayer for Holiness in Priests
Grant, O Lord, that every hand laid upon
Thee at the altar may be a friendly hand, whose touch is tender and
consoling as Josephʼs was; That the lips which form so many sacred words
may never be profaned by frivolous or unworthy speech;That priests may
guard, even in the noisy streets of the city, the impress of their noble
functions, the bright token that they have but lately come down from
Thy holy mountain; And in their garments the fragrance of the altar,
that everyone may find them living memorials of Thee, accessible to all,
yet more than other men.
Grant that they may contract from the
Mass of today a hunger and thirst for the Mass of the morrow, that the
sacred anticipation be their last thought at night and Thy tender
summons their first awareness in the morning;That Thy priests, filled
with Thee and Thy good gifts may give largely to the rest of men who
look to Thee. Amen
