Today November 3 according to old calendar is the feast of three persian martyrs:

Martyrs Akepsimas the Bishop, Joseph the Presbyter and Aeithalás the Deacon of Persia were leaders of the Christian Church in the Persian city of Naesson. His flock devotedly loved their hierarch for his ascetic life and tireless pastoral work.

The emperor Shapor ordered his men to seek out and kill Christian clergy. Saint Akepsimas also was arrested, even though he was already an eighty-year-old man. They took him to the city of Arbela, where he came before the judge Ardarkh, a pagan priest of the sun god. The holy Elder refused to offer sacrifice to the Persian gods. For this he was fiercely beaten and thrown into prison, where on the following day the seventy-year-old priest Joseph and the deacon Aeithalás were severely beaten and thrown into jail with him. For three years the saints were held in confinement, and suffered from hunger and thirst.

Emperor Shapor came to the temple of the god of fire, located not far from Arbela, and wanted to take a look at the three holy martyrs. Exhausted and covered with festering wounds, the saints were brought before the emperor. When he asked them to worship the pagan gods they firmly refused, confessing their faith in Christ instead.

The holy bishop was beheaded, but the presbyter and deacon were taken into the city to be stoned.

The execution of the presbyter Joseph was prolonged for several hours. A guard was placed near the place of execution, so that Christians would not take the body of the holy martyr. On the fourth night a strong windstorm raged near the city, lightning killed the guard, the wind tossed stones about, and the body of Saint Joseph disappeared.

Deacon Aeithalás was taken to the village of Patrias, where he was stoned. Christians secretly buried his body. A tree grew on the saint’s grave, and its fruit brought healings.

'#Marriage is good, since it keeps a man to his duty, and hinders him from falling into sin. Therefore, do not condemn it, because it is fruitful in happy results. It saves us from profaning the holy temple of our body; it supports the weak, and strengthens their steps. But a support of that kind is of no use to the strong and robust man. Far from being necessary for him, it sole effect is to scatter in his way a thousand obstacles which slacken his progress, while lessening his merit and glory.'

St. John Chrysostom #vocation #priesthood #brotherhood

"To die is to be separated from God, to be hardened in sin, to refuse to cleanse the soul by penitent confession. He is dead who has no faith in God, no love for his Maker. But he does not die who always fears God, keeps his conscience pure by frequent confession, and desires to be united to his Lord."

The Lord, to St. Bridget of Sweden

BEAUTIFUL #REFLECTION ON #MORTIFICATION OF THE #EYES

Beloved Souls, it is the common doctrine of the saints that one of the principal means of leading a good and exemplary life is #modesty and #custody of the eyes.
According to St. Francis de sales “what is not seen is not desired, and to the desire succeed the consent.” If Eve had not looked at the forbidden apple, she would not have fallen, but because “she saw that it was good to eat, and fair to the eyes, and beautiful to behold, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat.” “Through the eyes.” says St. Bernard, “The deadly arrows of love enters.” Christian Soul, was it not through the eyes that David, the beloved of God fell? Was it not through them that Solomon, once the inspiration of the Holy Ghost was drawn into the greatest abominations! Oh! How many souls are lost by indulging their sight!
Let us, therefore, follow the examples of the saints who guarded their eyes with every possible means.
It was said of St. Peter of Alcantara that he always cast his eyes down whenever he is conversing with the brothers of their community and only recognize them through their voices. St. Clare would never fix her eyes on the face of a man. St. Hugh, The holy Bishop when compelled to speak with women, never looked on them in the face.
Beloved Souls, unless we learn to mortify our EYES , denying it of opportunity to see immoral images, our spirituality will be yet unsound, poor, and tepid.
Beloved Souls, may the good Lord open our eyes more to understand this beautiful Topic perfectly well, and may the practice of this Mortification lead us to the summit of HOLINESS.

In the 8th century, upon the occasion of his coronation as Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne published a list of knightly virtues:

Love God
Love your neighbour
Give alms to the poor
Entertain strangers
Visit the sick
Be merciful to prisoners
Do ill to no man, nor consent unto such
Forgive as ye hope to be forgiven
Redeem the captive
Help the oppressed
Defend the cause of the widow and orphan
Render righteous judgement
Do not consent to any wrong
Persevere not in wrath
Shun excess in eating and drinking
Be humble and kind
Serve your liege lord faithfully
Do not steal
Do not perjure yourself, nor let others do so
Envy, hatred and violence separate men from the Kingdom of God
Defend the Church and promote her cause.

http://www.baronage.co.uk/chivalry/chival1a.html

“If”, says Jesus, thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give it to the poor. The Saviour told him that he should renounce all his possessions without a single exception. For when, as St. Bonaventure says, the spirit is encumbered with the weight of any temporality, the soul can not rise to union with God. “Burdened with the load of temporal things, the spirit cannot ascend to God.” The love of terrestrial objects,” according to St. Augustine, “is the birdlime of the spiritual wings,” which impedes the flight of the soul to God. And again the holy Doctor says: “By the great wing of poverty a Christian quickly flies to heaven.”


#saint #quote on #virtue #vow of #poverty

St. Anthony Mary Claret, Archbishop of Santiago and Missionary: “... what relation do their fine shoes bear to the spikes in Jesus’ Feet? The rings on their hands to the nails which perforated His? The fashionable coiffure to the Crown of Thorns? The painted face to That [of Jesus] covered with bruises? Shoulders exposed by the low-cut gown to His, all striped with Blood? ... Ah, but there is a marked likeness between these worldly women and the Jews who, incited by the Devil, scourged Our Lord! At the hour of such a woman’s death, I think Jesus will be heard saying: ‘Cujus est imago haec... of whom is she the image?’ And the reply will be: ‘Demonii... of the Devil!’ Then He will say: ‘Let her who has followed the Devil’s fashions be handed over to him; and to God, those who have imitated the modesty of Jesus and Mary.’ " #modesty #woman #saint #quote #sin #purity #chastity #impurity #virtue #vice

Are you doing your #confession right? 80% of the confessions were not valid back in St Jean Vianney's days. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRvHuzySzlg