March 31--St. Benjamin, Deacon and Martyr

 Saint Benjamin

Vatican II reestablished the order of the diaconate as a “proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy:” “It is the duty of the deacon... to administer baptism solemnly, to be custodian and dispenser of the Eucharist, to assist at and bless marriages in the name of the Church, to bring Viaticum to the dying, to read the Sacred Scripture to the faithful, to instruct and exhort the people, to preside over the worship and prayer of the faithful, to administer sacramentals, to officiate at funeral and burial services” (Lumen gentium, 29).

Today’s saint was a deacon in this same manner in Persia in the 4th and 5th centuries. St. Benjamin was martyred in AD 424 during a persecution through two kings of Persia and for about forty years. The Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II was able to obtain his release after being imprisoned but with the condition that he not preach. St. Benjamin “declared it was his duty to preach about Christ and that he could not be silent.” He was then subjected to brutal torture, which killed him.

Today’s deacons may not be called to martyrdom, but they are called to preach the Gospel, to witness, and to serve the People of God in the ways directed by Vatican II. According to a study commissioned by the USCCB in 2021-2022, there were over 20,000 permanent deacons, with more than half of them in active ministry. We have been blessed by this ministry. Thus, we need to continue to promote vocations to the diaconate as well as to the priestly and religious vocations. The People of God need men and women to dedicate themselves to serving others so we may come closer to God. Be open to God’s call. St. Benjamin, pray for us.

January 23--St. Vincent of Saragossa, Deacon and Martyr

St. Vincent of Saragossa by Tomás Giner licensed under public domain. 

As St. Stephen, a deacon, was the first martyr of the Church, so St. Vincent of Saragossa, also a deacon, was the first martyr of Spain. St. Vincent was commissioned by his bishop, St. Valerius, to preach throughout his diocese because he had a speech impediment. When the Roman Emperor Diocletian began his empire-wide persecution in the late third century both St. Vincent and St. Valerius were brought before the governor. St. Vincent was promised freedom if he would throw the Bible into a fire. He refused. “Speaking on behalf of his bishop, he informed the judge that they were ready to suffer everything for their faith, and that they could pay no heed either to threats or promises.” Thus, St. Vincent was tortured and cast into prison and died. St. Valerius was exiled. St. Vincent fulfilled his vocation as a Christian in dying for Christ and as a deacon in assisting and preaching on behalf of his bishop.

Vatican II restored the permanent diaconate and Pope St. Paul VI implemented the restoration in 1967. As of 2022 there were about 13,500 active permanent deacons in the United States. Deacons assist the bishop or priest at the altar and bring communion to the sick and shut-ins. They may preach the Gospel and give a homily. They are ordinary ministers of Baptism and can assist at and bless marriages, officiate at funeral and burial services. Many deacons are involved in pastoral care for parishes or work in parish ministerial and non-ministerial positions. However, 95% of active deacons are at least 50 years old, and their numbers are declining. “Permanent deacons are essential to the Church’s ministry of love and service, especially to the poor and vulnerable,” said Bishop Boyea of Lansing. Please pray for vocations. St. Vincent, pray for us.

August 7--St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs

Livre Fresques italiennes de la Renaissance, 1470-1510, de Steffi Röttgen et Antonio Quattrone. Paris : Citadelles & Mazenod, 1997. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer.

From the time of St. Peter to the legalization of Christianity by Emperor Constantine I in A.D. 313, 27 of the 31 popes were martyred! That is a rate of 87%. Talk about “most dangerous jobs!” And these were not ordinary executions by today’s standards. The popes were crucified, beheaded, tied to an anchor and tossed into the sea, worked to death, and killed by the sword, to name a few of the methods. And yet these men were willing to be successors to Peter to maintain the leadership of the Church.

Today’s saints were no different! Pope St. Sixtus II was pope from 257-258, being martyred on August 6, less than a year after his election. His companions were deacons of the Church. The most famous deacon at this time, St. Lawrence, was martyred four days later and has his own feast day. Pope St. Sixtus was arrested while saying Mass in the cemetery of St. Callistus under the persecution of the Emperor Valerian and executed. The following epitaph was placed on his tomb by Pope St. Damasus I:

“At the time when the sword pierced the bowels of the Mother, I, buried here, taught as Pastor the Word of God; when suddenly the soldiers rushed in and dragged me from the chair. The faithful offered their necks to the sword, but as soon as the Pastor saw the ones who wished to rob him of the palm (of martyrdom) he was the first to offer himself and his own head, not tolerating that the (pagan) frenzy should harm the others. Christ, who gives recompense, made manifest the Pastor's merit, preserving unharmed the flock.” We owe much to our shepherds. They are willing to undergo suffering for the sake of their sheep. Let us pray for our popes!

December 26--St. Stephen, Deacon and First Martyr

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On the first day of Christmas, we receive the gift of the birth of Jesus, the source of all salvation. On the second day of Christmas, we have the feast of the first martyr, St. Stephen. What we know of St. Stephen comes to us directly from the Acts of the Apostles. He was chosen as one of the seven deacons, who then served the Greek-speaking Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. But there is more to the story of St. Stephen.

He came to the attention of the Sanhedrin. He then explained the history of Israel to them and told them how Jesus fulfilled all that had been prophesied. “When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, filled with the holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears, and rushed upon him together. They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’; and when he said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:54-60). 

The feast of St. Stephen is immediately after Christmas to show us what discipleship truly means, the sacrifice of oneself in love of God for others, namely, martyrdom. May every day remind us of our call to discipleship. St. Stephen, pray for us.

* https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/St_stephen.jpg  Jacopo & Domenico Tintoretto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
 

June 9—St. Ephrem the Syrian, Deacon and Doctor of the Church

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I bet you learned your ABCs by singing the Alphabet Song. You may also know songs that tell what the planets are. You may have difficulty with the Star-Spangle Banner but try reciting it! I imagine you will break into song within the first five lines. Why is that? Music appeals to a different part of the brain and memorization is a lot easier when put to music. Today’s saint probably knew that. St. Ephrem, also known as the “Harp of the Holy Spirit,” would write over 400 hymns to counter the heretical songs then prevalent.

St. Ephrem was born in AD 306 in Nisibis, Syria, now located in Turkey. He became a deacon but declined the priesthood. He died around AD 373 and was named Doctor of the Church in 1920. When Nisibis fell to the Persians he moved to Edessa and founded a school to teach orthodoxy against Arianism, Manicheism, Gnosticism, and other teachings and religions. He used poetry and music to bring people to Christ. For example, he wrote a hymn about Mary, which also taught about the Incarnation:

“A wonder is Your mother: the Lord entered her
And became a servant; He entered able to speak
And He became silent in her, He entered her thundering
And His voice grew silent; He entered Shepherd of all;
A lamb He became in her; He emerged bleating.” (113, L. Gambero)

The New Evangelization is a method of bring Christ’s message to those who have already heard it. We need to speak, or as St. Ephrem did, sing the Good News. We need to engage our brothers and sisters to stir their hearts in the joy and peace of Christ’s love through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration. Let us follow in St. Ephrem’s “song” steps.

*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ic%C3%B4ne_Ephrem_le_Syrien.jpg

October 4—St. Francis of Assisi, Deacon and Religious

 

What would happen if you took the Gospel literally?  Would you “sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor” (Lk. 18:22)?  You might argue that Jesus does not call all of us to that state and you would be right.  But there are some who are called to living a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience.  St. Francis of Assisi was called to that life and he embraced it with wide open arms, even to the point of giving up the clothes that he received from his earthly father.  

St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals and ecology.  He founded three Franciscan orders; one for men, one for women, and one for the laity.  He was a deacon.  He was a stigmatist.  He tried to become a martyr when he went to Egypt during the Fifth Crusade and even spoke to the Caliph, but that grace was denied to him.  Instead, he ended up doing what he heard a voice telling him:  “Francis, go out and build up my house, for it is nearly falling down.”  He originally thought that meant for him to put stones and mortar together to build up a church building that had fallen into ruins.  Rather, he ended up building up the whole Church in the 13^th century with his orders and his example of loving Lady Poverty.

St. Francis embraced poverty as his role in the Body of Christ.  We each need to embrace our role.  It may not be poverty, but it may mean donating food, clothing, time, talent, and treasure for the sake of the poor.  There are homeless shelters we can serve at.  There are thrift stores we can contribute to.  There are scholarship funds we can donate to so we can help families provide their children with a better education.  There are single mothers we can befriend, encourage, and assist so they don’t have abortions.  Though we are not always called to follow the Gospel literally, we can take one line at its word:  “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mt. 16:24).

August 10--St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

“Bring me the treasure of the Church!”  This was the charge made by the prefect of Rome to St. Lawrence in A.D. 258.  As first among the seven deacons of Rome, St. Lawrence was responsible for the goods of the Church, its treasury and monies, as well as distributing alms to the poor.  Thus it was most likely that he be the one to hand over (traditore—from which we get the word “traitor”) the wealth of the Church.  He requested three days to gather the wealth.  In that time he distributed all that he could to the poor of the Church and on the third day presented the true wealth of the Church to the prefect:  the poor, the suffering, the blind and crippled, saying that these were the treasures of the Church.  It is said that he declared to the prefect:  “The Church is truly rich, far richer than your emperor.…  This is the Church’s treasure.”  With that, according to legend, he was sentenced to death by being grilled alive on a gridiron.

Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount: “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be (Mt. 6:21).  The Church’s treasure is Jesus, himself.  And where do we find Jesus?  In our families, in our neighbors, but especially in the poor and downtrodden.  “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours“(Lk 6:20). 

Moreover, Pope Francis reminds us about poverty and the connection to Jesus when he spoke on June 7, 2013 to students from Jesuit schools in Italy and Albania:  “You can't speak of poverty in the abstract: that doesn't exist. Poverty is the flesh of the poor Jesus, in that child who is hungry, in the one who is sick, in those unjust social structures. Go forward; look there upon the flesh of Jesus. But don't let well being rob you of hope, that spirit of well being that, in the end, leads you to becoming a nothing in life. Young persons should bet on their high ideals, that's my advice. But where do I find hope? In the flesh of Jesus who suffers and in true poverty. There is a connection between the two.”

Jesus is our treasure.  We are the Body of Christ.  The poor and the suffering are our special members for through them Jesus calls us to put our hearts where our treasure is, in Him.