The Forty Martyrs of Sebace
by VP
Posted on Monday March 10, 2025 at 12:00AM in Saints
" They were forty soldiers, who being apprehended in the city of Sebaste, in Armenia, under the Emperor Licinius, for being Christians, after many torments were condemned to be exposed on the ice of a frozen pond, there to perish by degrees, though with the temptation of a warm bath near them, into which they might be admitted when renouncing their faith. They all held out, with courage, except one, who sinking under the torment, purchased relief with the denial of his faith. His place however was soon filled by their keeper, who declared himself a Christian. For while he was on duty,and observing the martyrs, he saw a vision of blessed spirits descending on them, and distributing rich presents and crowns to all of them except one, who was the unhappy one who had lost courage. The keeper was struck and converted by this, and throwing off his clothes, placed himself upon the ice amongst the holy martyrs. Thus he became one of the forty martyrs, Pray for a like courage under all difficulties. You often have trials, and as often want patience. When will you become a true soldier of Christ, and stand your ground when you are assaulted? Be ashamed of your own weakness and inconstancy; and for the future, let not every little trial overthrow your resolutions. Pray this day for new strength of mind, confess your infirmity, humble yourself before your Lord, and beseech him to assist you, that while you honour his martyrs, you may improve daily by their example.
Let the fall of that unhappy one fill you with fear of your own weakness, and distrust of yourself. What assurance have you that you love God more than he did? Can you shew greater proofs of your love than he did in the variety of his sufferings before his fall? And yet he falls at length: a jailor takes his place, suffers what the other could not, and carries away his crown. Humble yourself therefore under the hand of God. Pray that you may not be tempted above your strength: offer yourself to all trials, but with a confidence only in the divine
grace. And remember to despise no one: for it may be that those very
persons, whom you despise, will outdo you in suffering with
perseverance." The Catholic Year by Rev. Fr. John Gother
Prayer: "Valiant Soldiers of Christ who meet us, with your mysterious number, at this commencement of our Forty Days’ Fast, receive the homage of our devotion. Your memory is venerated throughout the whole Church, and your glory is great in Heaven. Though engaged in the service of an earthly prince, you were the Soldiers of the Eternal King: to Him were you faithful, and from Him did you receive your crown of eternal glory. We, also, are His soldiers. We are fighting for the kingdom of Heaven. Our enemies are many and powerful but, like you, we can conquer them if, like you, we use the arms which God has put in our hands. Faith in God’s word, hope in His assistance, and humility and prudence —with these we are sure of victory.
Pray for us, Holy Martyrs, that we may keep from all compromise with our enemies, for our defeat is certain if we try to serve two masters. During these Forty Days we must put our arms in order, repair our lost strength and renew our engagements. Come to our assistance and get us a share in your brave spirit.
A crown is also prepared for us: it is to be won on easier terms than yours, and yet we will lose it unless we keep up within us an esteem for our vocation. How many times, in our past lives, have we not forfeited that glorious crown? But God in His mercy has offered it to us again, and we are resolved on winning it. Oh, for the glory of our common Lord and Master, make intercession for us!" The Liturgical Year by Dom Gueranger.
Day 6. Lent with the Cure d'Ars: We must expect temptations
by VP
Posted on Monday March 10, 2025 at 12:00AM in Lenten Sermons
"It is most unfortunate for ourselves if we do not know that we are tempted in almost all our actions, at one time by pride, by vanity, by the good opinion which we think people should have of us, at another by jealousy, by hatred and by revenge. At other times, the Devil comes to us with the foulest and most impure images. You see that even in our prayers, he distracts us and turns our minds this way and that. (..)
And even more, since the time of Adam, you will not find a saint who has not been tempted -- some in one way, some in another -- and the greatest saints are those who have been tempted the most. If Our Lord was tempted, it was in order to show us that we must be also.
It follows, therefore, that we must expect temptation. If you ask me what is the cause of our temptations, I shall tell you that it is the beauty and the great worth and importance of our souls which the Devil values and which he loves so much that he would consent to suffer two Hells, if necessary, if by so doing he could drag our souls into Hell.
We should never cease to keep a watch on ourselves, lest the Devil might deceive us at the moment when we are least expecting it. St. Francis tells us that one day God allowed him to see the way in which the Devil tempted his religious, especially in matters of purity. He allowed him to see a band of devils who did nothing but shoot their arrows against his religious. Some returned violently against the devils who had discharged them. They then fled, shrieking hideous yells of rage. Some of the arrows glanced off those they were intended for and dropped at their feet without doing any harm. Others pierced just as far as the tip of the arrow and finally penetrated, bit by bit.
If we wish to hunt these temptations away, we must, as St. Anthony tells us, make use of the same weapons. When we are tempted by pride, we must immediately humble and abase ourselves before God. If we are tempted against the holy virtue of purity, we must try to mortify our bodies and all our senses and to be ever more vigilant of ourselves. If our temptation consists in a distaste for prayers, we must say even more prayers, with greater attention, and the more the Devil prompts us to give them up, the more we must increase their number.
The temptations we must fear most are those of which we are not conscious. St. Gregory tells us that there was a religious who for a long time had been a good member of his community. Then he developed a very strong desire to leave the monastery and to return to the world, saying that God did not wish him to be in that monastery. His saintly superior told him: "My friend, it is the Devil who is angry because you may be able to save your soul. Fight against him." But no, the other continued to believe that it was as he claimed. St. Gregory gave him permission to leave. But when he was leaving the monastery, the latter went on his knees to ask God to let this poor religious know that it was the Devil who wanted to make him lose his soul. The religious had scarcely put his foot over the threshold of the door to leave when he saw an enormous dragon, which attacked him. "Oh, brothers," he cried out, "come to my aid! Look at the dragon which will devour me!" And indeed, the brethren who came running when they heard the noise found this poor monk stretched out on the ground, half-dead. They carried him back into the monastery, and he realized that truly it was the Devil who wanted to tempt him and who was bursting with rage because the superior had prayed for him and so had prevented the Devil from getting him.
Alas, my dear brethren, how greatly we should fear, lest we do not recognize our temptations! And we shall never recognize them if we do not ask God to allow us to do so."
Source: The Sermons of the Curé of Ars, p.90, 1960
Prayer for Lent: O Lord who, for our sake, didst fast forty days and forty nights; give us grace to use such abstinence that, our flesh being subdued to the spirit, we may worthily lament and acknowledge our wretchedness, and may obtain perfect remission and forgiveness of Thee, the God of all mercy, who livest and reignest with the Father and Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen
Source: Lent with the Cure d'Ars Compiled by the CAPG