Daily Devotions

The Sixth Day of August

On Mount Thabor, the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ. A totum duplex feast of the second class.

At Rome, on the Appian Way, in the cemetery of Callistus, the birthday of Blessed Sixtus II, pope and martyr. He was put to the sword in the persecution of Valerian, and received the crown of martyrdom.

Likewise at Rome, SS. Felicissimus and Agapitus, martyrs, deacons of the same St. Sixtus, and the subdeacons Januarius, Magnus, Vincent and Stephen. All were beheaded together with Sixtus and buried in the cemetery of Praetextatus. Blessed Quartus suffered also with them, as St. Cyprian declares. A memory.

At Bologna, the birthday of St. Dominic, confessor and founder of the Order of Friars Preachers. He was a man of great renown for holiness and learning. Until death he preserved without stain his virginity, and by the singular grace of his merits raised three dead men to life. By his preaching he curbed heresies, and established many persons in a religious and godly manner of life. He died on this day, but his festival, by an ordinance of Pope Paul IV, is celebrated on August 4.

At Burgos in Spain, in the Benedictine monastery of St. Peter of Cardegna, the suffering of two hundred monks and their abbot Stephen. They were slain by the Saracens for the faith, and buried there in the cloister by the Christians.

At Alcalá de Henares in Spain, the holy martyrs Justus and Pastor, brothers. The two boys were still learning the elements in school, when they threw aside their books and of their own accord hurried to gain martyrdom. Soon they were seized by the governor Dacian and beaten with clubs. As they firmly exhorted each other to constancy, they were taken outside the city by the executioner and strangled.

At Rome, St. Hormisdas, pope and confessor.

At Amida in Mesopotamia, St. James, hermit, renowned for miracles.

V. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.

R. Thanks be to God.

Posted by billw at August 6, 2003 01:04 AM