Handel's Messiah - The Birth of a Classic

Posted by Jerry Newcombe

I have heard that the opening lines of the “Hallelujah” Chorus are the most recognizable piece of music the world over.

Of course, the “Hallelujah” Chorus comes from “Messiah,” an oratorio (a sacred opera) by George Frederick Handel. The whole work is heavenly, and its highlight is the “Hallelujah” Chorus. (Sometimes, I view “Messiah” as the zenith of Western civilization.)

 I remember when the millennium change-over first hit on January 1, 2000 (although geeks like to say technically the first day of the millennium was January 1, 2001). In one far eastern country’s time zone after another, people the world over were celebrating the new year, the new century, the new millennium.

As I recall watching television of the celebration, the one song that I heard more than any other on that day, from various countries, was the “Hallelujah” Chorus. It is universally loved.

Within months of the Berlin Wall coming down, Pepsi had a beautiful TV commercial celebrating the historic event. The piece they chose for that spot was the “Hallelujah” Chorus. It worked perfectly.

  There’s something deeply touching about that piece of music.

By the time he was twelve, Handel wrote his first work.

Later, after his father’s death, he tried to study law, but he had no interest. So he studied music at the University of Halle.

In 1712, Handel moved to England and never returned to Germany.

While he experienced various successes through various compositions, including operas and sacred operas (oratorios, based on biblical themes), Kavanaugh notes that his failures threatened to overwhelm Handel: “His occasional commercial successes soon met with financial disaster… He drove himself relentlessly to recover from one failure after another, and finally his health began to fail. By 1741 he was swimming in debt. It seemed certain he would land in debtor’s prison.”

But 1741 proved to be the turning point. On the one hand, he gave what he feared was his farewell concert. On the other hand, a friend of his, Charles Jennens, gave him a libretto (a text) for a sacred work. It was essentially 73 Bible verses, focused on the Messiah, both from the Hebrew and the Christian Bible. Furthermore, a charity in Dublin paid him money to write something for a charity performance.

“Messiah” was the result, and it was very successful.  

It’s interesting to note in this year, 2011, the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible, that Handel’s work was impacted by that literary masterpiece. Every word of “Messiah” comes from that book.

 Oxford professor Alister E. McGrath wrote, “Without the King James Bible, there would have been no Paradise Lost, no Pilgrim’s Progress, no Handel’s 'Messiah,' no Negro spirituals, and no Gettysburg Address. These, and innumerable other works were inspired by the language of this Bible.”

Charles Jennens’ role in this masterpiece is often lost, even on fans of “Messiah.” He is the one who carefully gleaned through the King James Bible and assembled the verses about the Christ that Handel so brilliantly set to music.

 I count that 42 of the verses come from the Old Testament, including many passages from the Psalms and Isaiah. Thirty-one come from the New Testament.

“Messiah” was first performed in Dublin in 1742. It was a benefit concert for charity. According to one source, proceeds freed 142 men from debtors’ prison.

A year later, King George II was present at the first performance of “Messiah” in London. Is it said that the monarch fell asleep, and at the opening of the “Hallelujah” Chorus, he rose to his feet, thinking it was his cue. Whatever the reason, he stood, and that has been the custom ever since—to stand during the “Hallelujah” Chorus.

About 100 years later, even the aged Queen Victoria, who sat in her wheelchair as the chorus began, struggled to her feet as the choir sang, “King of kings and Lord of lords.” She said, “No way will I sit in the presence of the King of kings.”

So out of one genius’s pain and low point in his life came a work of beauty that continues to uplift millions of people the world over. Kavanaugh notes the secret of Handel’s success, “He was a relentless optimist whose faith in God sustained him through every difficulty.”

Read more at - http://www.truthinaction.org/index.php/2011/12/the-birth-of-a-classic-handels-messiah/

Matthew, Christ's Biographer

Little enough is known of any of the apostles. Of Paul, Peter, and John we have the most detail. Regarding those apostles who bring up at the tail of the apostolic lists, we have the least. Matthew is somewhere between.

His name was originally Levi. We know that Matthew and Levi are one and the same person because the gospels of Matthew and Luke record a feast at which Jesus was criticized for association with publicans: Luke attributes this banquet to Levi; The Gospel of Matthew attributes it to Matthew.
In his gospel (if it is his), Matthew tells that Christ approached him as he collected taxes and said, "Follow me." Immediately he arose and followed. Perhaps he had had one too many arguments that day. Perhaps he had been cursed by an irate taxpayer one name too many. Since he worked a booth near Capurnaum, he had, no doubt, heard of Christ. For all we know, Matthew may have been one of the tax collectors converted by John. Although tax collectors were generally hated by the Jews as rapacious instruments of the oppressive Romans, nothing says Matthew was dishonest. Tax collectors came to John the Baptist and asked what they should do. "Collect no more than is owed you," replied John.

At any rate Matthew rose immediately and followed Jesus, leaving his past behind. His humility is everywhere shown by his allusion to himself. "Matthew, the publican," he calls himself, branding himself with the profession the Jews most hated.

His original name, Levi, suggests that he was a man of the priestly tribe. When he wrote his gospel, after years of exposure to the teachings of Christ and days of fierce persecution, he was the only one of the four who directly addressed the Jews. Matthew showed deep interest in the priestly and scribal functions of his class. His gospel more than any other focuses on law and the fulfillment of scriptures and on genealogy and detail which reflects his Jewish background. Christ's fierce denunciations of the Pharisees and his prophecies of the end of the temple are most fully recorded in the writing of this apostle.

Matthew's interest in money finds expression, too. The parable of the talents is found only in his account along with many other beautiful passages of great richness. Herbert Lockyer notes that Matthew uses more words for money than any other gospel writer.

Matthew was well-to-do. As soon as he came to Christ he threw a party and invited others of his unsavory profession. He wanted to share Christ with them. No doubt similar concerns motivated him when he wrote his gospel in an attempt to share Christ with the whole Jewish race. We have nothing but legend about Matthew's death. His feast in the Roman Catholic Church is on this day, September 21.

Bibliography

1. Bell, Mrs. Arthur. Saints in Christian Art. London: George Bell, 1901 - 1904.
2. Butler, Alban. Lives of the Saints. Westminster, Maryland: Christian Classics, 1981, 1956.
3. Jacquier, E. "St. Matthew." Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Appleton, 1914.
4. Lockyer, Herbert. All the Apostles of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1972.
5. McBirnie, William Steuart. The Search for the Twelve Apostles. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1973.
6. Vigeveno, H. S. Thirteen Men Who Changed the World. Glendale, California: Regal, 1966.

Read this article at - http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/matthew-christs-biographer-11629568.html

Senseless Butchery of Florida's Huguenots

I get to see this on a regular basis where I live near the St. John's River in Florida.  The site of the slaughter is called "Matanzas", Spanish for "massacre".  There's even a Matanzas High School near the site of the massacre.  May the courage of those who were slaughtered for their faith in Jesus Christ encourage us today!


The Huguenots were converted out of Catholic France when preachers brought Bibles and the Calvinist doctrines of predestination and justification by faith from Switzerland. Growth of this Reform church was rapid in Gallic lands. Within a hundred years it had won a million and a half converts.

Some French leaders saw in the emergence of this sect a chance to catapult themselves to power. Unfortunately, this led to a succession of wars in which the Huguenots, fighting against overwhelming odds, won enough victories to force concessions from Catholic France, but never took the throne. One of these concessions was the Edict of Nantes. Gradually it was gnawed away by government officials and overzealous prelates. Consequently many Huguenots began to migrate overseas, hoping to improve their lot.

Of all the Christian sects which emerged from the Reformation, the Anabaptists and Huguenots suffered the most. The atrocities committed against both have filled books. One of the bloodiest and most senseless acts of butchery against the Huguenots occurred in Florida on this day September 20, 1565.

Colonies of Huguenots had struggled to establish themselves in Florida for several years. The Huguenots at St. Johns expected trouble when Spanish captain Pedro Menéndez sailed into the area. Spain, after all, claimed the New World and had no use for the French and especially French Protestants.

One leader of the Huguenots, Laudonnière, wanted to throw up a fort. He was overruled by Ribault, commander of the whole expedition. Ribault had determined on a naval battle (he had seven ships). Unfortunately Ribault's ships were wrecked in a storm and the unhappy Huguenot refugees on shore were left to fend for themselves.

Menéndez landed with 2,600 men. He butchered all the men he could lay hands on but spared women and children. Laudonnière fled with a few men in a small remaining boat and eventually reached France. Ribault and those who had escaped the shipwreck, about 350 in all, asked for terms of surrender. Menendez said they must trust themselves to his mercy. It appears he swore an oath to spare them. Two hundred who distrusted him fled into the wilderness. The rest surrendered.

Ribault reminded Menéndez that Spain and France were at peace. That mattered little to the cruel Spaniard. Menéndez wrote the king: "I had their hands tied behind their backs and themselves put to the sword. It appeared to me that by thus chastising them, God our Lord and your Majesty were served. Whereby this evil sect will in future leave us more free to plant the gospel in these parts." When the matter became known in Europe there was a tremendous outcry from all decent men, Catholic and Protestant alike.

The remaining 200 Huguenots put up such fierce resistance that they were finally promised their lives if they surrendered. They were consigned to the Spanish galleys.

Bibliography:

1. Avery, Elroy McKendree. History of the United States and its People. Cleveland: Burrows Bros, 1904.
2. Fosdick, Lucian J. The French Blood in America. New York: F. H. Revell company, 1906.
3. Woodburn, James Albert and Moran, Thomas Francis. Introduction to American History. New York: Longmans, Green and Co., 1916. Source of the Image.
4. Various encyclopedia articles

Read this article at - http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1501-1600/senseless-butchery-of-floridas-huguenots-11630010.html

Hildegard: Sybil of the Rhine

Contemporaries called her "Sybil of the Rhine." By any measure she was an extraordinary woman, one of the few who transcended the limitations on her sex during the Middle Ages to alter the events of her own time and imprint her personality on the future.

At five years of age, Hildegard of Bingen began to see visions; at eight, she joined her aunt Jutta, a recluse (one who led a solitary life for religious purposes). When fourteen she became a nun. Much of her life she was abbess of a Benedictine convent.

Somewhere along the way she acquired an education. But not until she was 42 did she begin to write the books which made her famous. Her output was prodigious and varied. She compiled an encyclopedia of natural science and clinical medicine. Her medical works included exorcisms along with much medieval lore. She wrote the first known morality play and a song cycle from which this quote is taken:

It is very hard to resist what tastes of the apple.
Set us upright Savior, Christ.... O most beautiful form!
O most sweet savor of desirable delight!
We ever sigh after you in fearful exile,
when will we see you and dwell with you?

Hildegard's hundreds of letters of advice and rebuke went out to kings and commoners alike. She wrote biographies of two saints. This output, coming from the pen of a woman, was extraordinary in an age when women seldom learned to read. She was considered a prophetess. St. Bernard of Clairvaux and popes endorsed her visions. All listened to her.

Her book of visions, Scivias, took her ten years to complete. She incorporated 26 drawings of things she had seen in her strange waking visions. Modern medicine suggests that these shimmering lines of light were actually the auras associated with migraines. Her own account suggests more. "...when I was forty-two years and seven months old, heaven was opened and a fiery light of exceeding brilliance came and permeated my whole brain, and inflamed my whole heart and my whole breast, not like a burning but a warming flame, as the sun warms anything its rays touch." Immediately she understood the meaning of the scriptures.

At the age of 60, Hildegard began to make preaching tours. The theme of her sermons was that the church was corrupt and needed cleansing. She scathed easygoing, fat clergymen and those who were "lukewarm and sluggish" in serving God's justice, or negligent in expounding the depths of scripture.
Hildegard died at age 82 on this day, September 17, 1179. Although largely forgotten for many generations, awareness of her life surged in the mid 1990s with television programs, books and music releases devoted to her. And not without cause, for she was one of the most talented and original women of any era.

Bibliography:

1. The Baptists. Christian History No. 6.
2. Deen, Edith. Great Women of the Christian Faith. New York: Harper, 1956.
3. Durant, Will. The Age of Faith. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1950.
4. Flanagan, Sabina. Hildegarde of Bingen; a Visionary Life. London ; New York: Routledge, c1990.
5. Fuller, Thomas. "The Life of Hildegardis." The Holy State and the Profane State Volume II. New York: Columbia University Press, 1938; p. 44ff.
6. Hildegard of Bingen. The Letters of Hildegard of Bingen. Translated by Joseph L. Baird and Radd K. Ehrman. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.
7. "Life and Works of Hildegard von Bingen (1098 - 1179)." (www.fordham.edu/halsall/med/hildegarde.html).
8. Mershman, Francis. "St. Hildegard." The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton, 1914.
9. Various encyclopedia and internet articles and discographies.

Read this article at - http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/901-1200/hildegard-sybil-of-the-rhine-11629806.html

John Chrysostom Died on Forced March

Because he spoke out boldly against the sins of Constantinople, John the Patriarch of Constantinople found himself in exile in the Taurus mountains. Several of the elite had taken offense at his sermons which showed up their shame. Among them was the Empress Eudoxia, who pulled strings to get him banished.

The winter before his death, John suffered dreadfully in the mountains. No amount of wood on the fire and no pile of blankets on his bed kept his shivering body warm. Still he wrote strong letters to the people under his care. Trained as a lawyer, his letters and sermons were masterpieces of religious literature. Although he was absent from them, church folk continued to take direction from him.
To John's enemies, his power still seemed to be too great, his presence still too close. Although he was old and frail, his health undermined by years of stern living, they decided to move him up by the Euxine (Black) Sea.

They promised a reward to the guards who transferred him. The reward would be increased according to how quickly they made the transfer. There could not have been much doubt in the soldiers' minds that the court wanted John walked to death.

And so his guards showed him little mercy. Relentlessly they hurried his tottering legs forward. Movement was torture. Five miles beyond Camona in Pontus (now in Turkey) he spent his last night alive in a church dedicated to another martyr, Bishop Basiliscus.

That night, Basiliscus supposedly appeared to John in a dream, assuring him that on the morrow they would meet.

The soldiers refused permission for him to have his devotions at the shrine the next morning. They hurried him on his way. But they had gone only about three miles when it became apparent John was dying. They took him back to the church.

There, he asked for a white robe, which was given him. He gave away his old clothes and surrounded by monks and nuns, raised himself up, saying, "Glory be to God for all things. Amen." Those were his last words. He died on this day, September 14, 407.

Soon after his death, the title "Chrysostom," (golden mouth) was added to his name. Eventually his remains were brought back to Constantinople where they received honor. He is remembered as one of the greatest orators of all history, a saint honored in many churches. The one ugly blot on Chrysostom's character was his harsh anti-Semitism.

Bibliography:

1. Aland, Kurt. Saints and Sinners; men and ideas in the early church. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1970.
2. Baur, Chrys. "St. John Chrysostom." Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton, 1914.
3. Chrysostom, St. John. On the Priesthood. Westminster, Maryland: Newman Press, 1955.
4. "Chrysostom, St. John." Encyclopedia Americana. Chicago: Americana Corp., 1951.
5. "Chrysostom, St. John." The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, edited by F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone. Oxford, 1997.
6. Kelly, J. N. D. Golden Mouth; the story of John Chrysostom, Ascetic, Preacher, Bishop. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1995.
7. Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Preaching of Chrysostom; Homilies on the Sermon on the Mount. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1967.
8. Willey, John Heston. Chrysostom the Orator. Cincinnati: Jennings and Graham, 1906.

Read this article at - http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/301-600/john-chrysostom-died-on-forced-march-11629690.html

Francis of Assissi Had a Vision

When Francis of Assisi was in his early forties, he gave up leadership of the Franciscans, the great order he had founded. This was not done in pique or bitterness but with a quiet acceptance that events had moved beyond him. His simple and stringent rule was too difficult for the many who had swarmed into the order because of his fame and the powerful preaching of his followers. They wanted the rule relaxed, and relaxed it would be.

If Francis thought he could now be just one of the brothers, he was mistaken. None had such zeal as he. Of none would such legends be told. To none other would such visions come.

He decided to spend some days before the Feast of the Assumption at Mt. Alvernia. In that wilderness a flock of birds settled around and upon him to the astonishment of his few companions and succeeding generations. At Mt. Alvernia, Francis decided he needed more solitude. The sense of his own sin was heavy upon him, and he longed for a taste of heaven in order to bear the pain of his past wrongdoing. He found a lonely spot in the forest across a chasm. Only one man was allowed to approach him in his solitude: his spiritual son Leo; and even Leo was told to call out and receive permission before crossing the limb which served as a bridge to Francis' isolation.

The brothers feared for Francis. He was gravely ill. One night Leo approached the chasm and called out. Francis did not answer. Leo called again. Perhaps the master had taken ill. Fearful of disobedience and yet even more fearful that the holy leader might be dying unattended, Leo crossed the limb.

Francis' cell was empty. Yet the moon was bright. Leo went some way and heard a voice. It was Francis, praying, "Who are you, my dearest Lord? And who am I, a most vile worm and your most unprofitable servant?" Leo saw a light shine down upon Francis and knew that words were spoken to him, although he could not hear them. Francis raised his hands into the light. The light disappeared. Leo turned to creep away, but Francis heard. He challenged him, for he was almost blind. Leo confessed he had broken the command. Francis was gentle. The transgression was from love.

Francis told Leo that he had been commanded to give three gifts, and these three gifts were as golden balls in his bosom: poverty, chastity and obedience. He had held them up to the Lord. The two men then read and prayed together. Then on the morning of this date, September 14, 1224, the day of the Feast of the Holy Cross, as Francis was communing with the Lord, a Seraph appeared to him. The figure of Christ crucified appeared between his wings. Joy and agony suffused Francis. His prayers for forgiveness, to share Christ's sufferings, to be purified had been heard. When the angel left, in what is regarded as one of the classic experiences of Christian history, Francis' hands feet and sides bore five wounds, the marks of the stigmata. Two years later he died.

Bibliography:

1. Bell, Mrs. Arthur. Saints in Christian Art. London: George Bell, 1901 - 1904. Source of the image.
2. Durant, Will. The Age of Faith; A history of Medieval civilization--Christian, Islamic and Judaic--from Constantine to Dante: AD 325 - 1300. The Story of Civilization, Part IV. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1950.
3. "Francis of Assisi." Christian History. No. 42
4. oudge, Elizabeth. My God and My All. New York: Coward - McCann, 1959.

Read this article at - http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1201-1500/francis-of-assissi-had-a-vision-11629831.html

Carthage Dunking Rebaptized the Lapsed

What happens if a Christian is baptized by an unworthy or improperly ordained minister? Is that baptism valid? This question has been faced several times by the church. Under the prodding of the dynamic bishop and martyr Cyprian, the issue was faced in the North African city of Carthage in the third century.

During the Decian Persecutions, which broke out in 250, many Christians poured libations to the emperor rather than suffer torture. Others bribed the authorities to obtain certificates saying they had sacrificed even when they had not. Later some of these, who were called lapsi, or the 'lapsed,' felt remorse for their betrayal of Christ who had suffered torture for them. They asked to be readmitted to the church.

Schism developed over the issue. Led by Novatian, many Christians broke off from Rome, saying no lapsed person should be readmitted. The Novatians ordained their own priests who baptized new Christians. Later some Novatian Christians wanted to unite with the Catholic church. Cyprian said this was only possible if they were rebaptized within the Catholic church by "legitimate" priests. Another group wanted to let the lapsed return on easier terms than Cyprian. They also broke away and elected their own bishop, Cecilianus, who baptized converts.

Believing that church unity was at stake, Cyprian took a tough stand against accepting baptism by schismatics, arguing that no sacrament administered outside the church had validity. Since there can be only one church, he considered the breakaway groups to be without the Holy Spirit. He wrote letters and summoned councils. These councils met in Carthage in 251, 252, 253, 255 and 256 to address the issues raised by the lapsi and Novatians. On this day, September 1, 256, the North African synod voted unanimously with Cyprian. Baptized "heretics" who entered the Catholic fold must be baptized again.

This vote did not stand. Stephen, bishop of Rome, ordered Cyprian to accept the lapsed into the church without a second baptism. Cyprian refused. "[H]ow can he who lacks the spirit confer the spirit?" he asked. For a long time he resisted, but eventually yielded--under threat of excommunication. Rome uses this concession by Cyprian to prove that at that early time the bishop's of Roman word had authority.

Cyprian died a martyr. He had been accused of cowardice for hiding during the Decian Persecutions. In 258 he vindicated himself, boldly testifying to his faith as he went to his beheading. Stephen, too was martyred--a year before Cyprian. The Council of Arles in 314 upheld Stephen's decision. As long as a person was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, he or she was truly baptized, regardless of who conferred the rite.

Bibliography:

1. Aland, Kurt. Saints and Sinners; men and ideas in the early church. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1970.
2. Benson, Edward. Cyprian; his life, his time, his work. London: macmillan, 1897. Source of the image.
3. Bowie, Walter Russell. Men of Fire. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1961.
4. "Carthage Councils" and "Cyprian." The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton, 1914.
5. Eerdman's Handbook to the History of Christianity. Editor Tim Dowley. Berkhamsted, Herts, England: Lion Publishing, 1977

Read this article at - http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/carthage-dunking-rebaptized-the-lapsed-11629623.html

Ulrich Zwingli - Forgotten Leader Of Protestant Movement

October 11, 1531 • Zwingli Perished by the Sword

Ulrich Zwingli was born the first of January 1481. The world he entered was passing into a spiritual and political ferment in which he would be a prime mover. As a boy he distinguished himself at studies and music. He determined to become a priest and was ordained at the age of 23.

Death of Zwingli at Kappel

Zwingli hand-copied and memorized Paul's letters in the original Greek. Impressed by the reform writings of the great humanist scholar Erasmus, he moved toward reformation even before Luther. The use of young Swiss men as mercenaries especially evoked his ire. Having accompanied two expeditions as a chaplain, he spoke vehemently against the practice which squandered their blood. As priest of Einsiedeln, a city whose income came from pilgrimages, he preached against pilgrimages, too, labeling them a corruption. When an indulgence was sold in Switzerland, he denounced it.

The first day of 1519 Zwingli came to Zurich, the city of his life's work. There he continued his battle against indulgences. The Pope recalled the seller. Zwingli also announced that he would not read the prescribed lessons but preach the gospel of Matthew instead. He did so, pouring forth objections to the use of images in the church, to the mass and other practices of the church which he considered to be in error. Christ alone is sufficient for salvation, he said.

It is one of the interesting characteristics of the Swiss Reformation that local leaders voted on doctrine, making religious decisions for their constituents. This practice of Zurich was followed by other Swiss Protestants and was one of the stages that led toward the creation of modern democracy.

Zurich's town leaders took to heart Zwingli's teaching. It was they, not Zwingli, who ordered that the Holy Scriptures be taught "without human additions." It was they who challenged theologians to convict Zwingli of error if they could. It was they who ordered images removed from churches.

Protestant and Catholic in Switzerland remained at odds. The Protestants established a blockade, threatening Catholics with starvation. In 1531 the Catholic cantons marched against Zurich. Zurich's forces ordered Zwingli to take the field bearing their banner.

1,500 men from Zurich faced 6,000 from the Catholic cantons. Under feeble generalship, on badly chosen ground near Kappel, they made critical errors. Failing to maul their opponents at an opportune moment, they allowed them to gain the cover of a beech wood. They did not retreat to a safer line while able. About 4:00 PM on this day, October 11, 1531 the Catholics began the assault. Half an hour later the Protestants were wiped out. Zwingli was among the dead. His body was quartered and mixed with dung. Told the news, Martin Luther replied, "all who take the sword die by the sword."

Resources:
1.Adapted from an earlier Christian History Institute story.
2.Dowley, Tim. Eerdman's Handbook to the History of Christianity. (Carmel, New York: Guideposts, 1977).
3."Zwingli, Ulrich." Encyclopedia Americana. (1956).
Potter, G. R. Zwingli. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976. )
4.Simon, Edith and the editors of Time-Life Books. Great Ages of Man. The Reformation. (Time Life, 1966).

Eusebius, 1st Church Historian

 Suppose you are a survivor of an outlawed organization whose origins go back to around 1700, seventy-six years before America became an independent nation. "Tell the story of your people," you are urged.

The problem is, your people were an illegal group. In fact, the government tried to exterminate them! Their leaders were captured and killed and many letters and books burned. They left no public festivals, no monuments--very little by which historians ordinarily trace history. And to make your task more challenging, your people were scattered over most of the known world. How could you possibly put together their story? That is the kind of task Eusebius tackled.

His people were the Christians who had been persecuted for almost three hundred years. A measure of peace came to the believers when Constantine became emperor. At last the story of the church could be told.

Eusebius was the one for the job. He had already prepared a chronology of the Bible and early church, trying to establish the dates of Christ's death and the events that followed. This was a difficult undertaking because many different calendars were in use at the time and he had to match up events recorded under one system to events recorded under others.

Eusebius' ten-volume history is our best authority for early Christian history. We owe him a special debt because he quotes from many sources that no longer exist. We are blessed that he showed interest in a broad range of material. He traced the lines of apostolic succession in key cities. Thus we know how the church progressed in the big towns. The church has always been nourished with the blood of martyrs. Eusebius told the stories of many who suffered for Christ.

He was also interested in debates over which books should be in the Bible and he gave us various views of the matter. Because of this we know a good deal about how we got the New Testament. Eusebius also traced the threads of heresy. Through him we know of challenges to orthodoxy in the early centuries of the faith. Above all, Eusebius described how God preserved the church and poured his grace upon it. Eusebius even followed the woeful fate of the Jews and their struggles.

Late in life, Eusebius was invited to become bishop of Antioch. He turned down the offer. His backers appealed to the Emperor to compel him to accept. Instead, Constantine praised Eusebius for refusing.

Eusebius died on this day, May 30, 339. He was seventy-four years old. In addition to all his other writings, he left behind him commentaries on Isaiah and on the Psalms, a geography of the Bible, and a concordance of the Gospels. He wrote books to clear up differences in the Gospels. Finally he produced an account of the Martyrs of Palestine whom he had personally known. But his history remains his most important contribution to the church, and the one by which his name will always be remembered, for it gave us our past.

Bibliography:

1. Aland, Kurt. Saints and Sinners; men and ideas in the early church. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1970.
2. Bacchus, F. J. "Eusebius of Caesaria." The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton, 1914.
3. Barnes, Timothy David. Constantine and Eusebius. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1981.
4. "Eusebius: He Saved our Family History." Glimpses #91. Worcester, Pennsylvania.
5. "Eusebius." The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Edited by F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone. Oxford, 1997

Who is St. Nicholas?

St. Nicholas Artist: Susan Seals All rights reserved

The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church, where a unique relic, called manna, formed in his grave. This liquid substance, said to have healing powers, fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas. The anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, St. Nicholas Day, December 6th (December 19 on the Julian Calendar).

Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St. Nicholas' life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his extraordinary character and why he is so beloved and revered as protector and helper of those in need.

St. Nicholas giving dowry gold Artist: Elisabeth Ivanovsky

St. Nicholas in prison Artist: Elisabeth Ivanovsky

One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.

One of the oldest stories showing St. Nicholas as a protector of children takes place long after his death. The townspeople of Myra were celebrating the good saint on the eve of his feast day when a band of Arab pirates from Crete came into the district. They stole treasures from the Church of Saint Nicholas to take away as booty. As they were leaving town, they snatched a young boy, Basilios, to make into a slave. The emir, or ruler, selected Basilios to be his personal cupbearer, as not knowing the language, Basilios would not understand what the king said to those around him. So, for the next year Basilios waited on the king, bringing his wine in a beautiful golden cup. For Basilios' parents, devastated at the loss of their only child, the year passed slowly, filled with grief. As the next St. Nicholas' feast day approached, Basilios' mother would not join in the festivity, as it was now a day of tragedy. However, she was persuaded to have a simple observance at home—with quiet prayers for Basilios' safekeeping. Meanwhile, as Basilios was fulfilling his tasks serving the emir, he was suddenly whisked up and away. St. Nicholas appeared to the terrified boy, blessed him, and set him down at his home back in Myra. Imagine the joy and wonderment when Basilios amazingly appeared before his parents, still holding the king's golden cup. This is the first story told of St. Nicholas protecting children—which became his primary role in the West.

St. Nicholas rescuing murdered children Artist: Elisabeth Ivanovsky

St. Nicholas' prayer calming seas Artist: Elisabeth Ivanovsky

Another story tells of three theological students, traveling on their way to study in Athens. A wicked innkeeper robbed and murdered them, hiding their remains in a large pickling tub. It so happened that Bishop Nicholas, traveling along the same route, stopped at this very inn. In the night he dreamed of the crime, got up, and summoned the innkeeper. As Nicholas prayed earnestly to God the three boys were restored to life and wholeness. In France the story is told of three small children, wandering in their play until lost, lured, and captured by an evil butcher. St. Nicholas appears and appeals to God to return them to life and to their families. And so St. Nicholas is the patron and protector of children.

St. Nicholas providing food during famine Artist: Elisabeth Ivanovsky

St. Nicholas saving innocents Artist: Elisabeth Ivanovsky

Several stories tell of Nicholas and the sea. When he was young, Nicholas sought the holy by making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There as he walked where Jesus walked, he sought to more deeply experience Jesus' life, passion, and resurrection. Returning by sea, a mighty storm threatened to wreck the ship. Nicholas calmly prayed. The terrified sailors were amazed when the wind and waves suddenly calmed, sparing them all. And so St. Nicholas is the patron of sailors and voyagers.

Other stories tell of Nicholas saving his people from famine, sparing the lives of those innocently accused, and much more. He did many kind and generous deeds in secret, expecting nothing in return. Within a century of his death he was celebrated as a saint. Today he is venerated in the East as wonder, or miracle worker and in the West as patron of a great variety of persons-children, mariners, bankers, pawn-brokers, scholars, orphans, laborers, travelers, merchants, judges, paupers, marriageable maidens, students, children, sailors, victims of judicial mistakes, captives, perfumers, even thieves and murderers! He is known as the friend and protector of all in trouble or need (see list).

St. Nicholas blessing ships Artist: Elisabeth Ivanovsky

Saint Nicholas Artist: Elisabeth Ivanovsky

Sailors, claiming St. Nicholas as patron, carried stories of his favor and protection far and wide. St. Nicholas chapels were built in many seaports. As his popularity spread during the Middle Ages, he became the patron saint of Apulia (Italy), Sicily, Greece, and Lorraine (France), and many cities in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, Belgium, and the Netherlands (see list). Following his baptism, Grand Prince Vladimir I brought St. Nicholas' stories and devotion to St. Nicholas to his homeland where Nicholas became the most beloved saint. Nicholas was so widely revered that thousands of churches were named for him, including three hundred in Belgium, thirty-four in Rome, twenty-three in the Netherlands and more than four hundred in England.

St. Nicholas' death Artist: Elisabeth Ivanovsky

St. Nicholas bringing gifts Artist: Elisabeth Ivanovsky

Nicholas' tomb in Myra became a popular place of pilgrimage. Because of the many wars and attacks in the region, some Christians were concerned that access to the tomb might become difficult. For both the religious and commercial advantages of a major pilgrimage site, the Italian cities of Venice and Bari vied to get the Nicholas relics. In the spring of 1087, sailors from Bari succeeded in spiriting away the bones, bringing them to Bari, a seaport on the southeast coast of Italy. An impressive church was built over St. Nicholas' crypt and many faithful journeyed to honor the saint who had rescued children, prisoners, sailors, famine victims, and many others through his compassion, generosity, and the countless miracles attributed to his intercession. The Nicholas shrine in Bari was one of medieval Europe's great pilgrimage centers and Nicholas became known as "Saint in Bari." To this day pilgrims and tourists visit Bari's great Basilica di San Nicola.

Through the centuries St. Nicholas has continued to be venerated by Catholics and Orthodox and honored by Protestants. By his example of generosity to those in need, especially children, St. Nicholas continues to be a model for the compassionate life.

Celebrating St. Nicholas Artist: Elisabeth Ivanovsky

Celebrating St. Nicholas Artist: Elisabeth Ivanovsky

Widely celebrated in Europe, St. Nicholas' feast day, December 6th, kept alive the stories of his goodness and generosity. In Germany and Poland, boys dressed as bishops begged alms for the poor—and sometimes for themselves! In the Netherlands and Belgium, St. Nicholas arrived on a steamship from Spain to ride a white horse on his gift-giving rounds. December 6th is still the main day for gift giving and merrymaking in much of Europe. For example, in the Netherlands St. Nicholas is celebrated on the 5th, the eve of the day, by sharing candies (thrown in the door), chocolate initial letters, small gifts, and riddles. Dutch children leave carrots and hay in their shoes for the saint's horse, hoping St. Nicholas will exchange them for small gifts. Simple gift-giving in early Advent helps preserve a Christmas Day focus on the Christ Child.

Read more at - http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/who-is-st-nicholas/

Flashback - The Prophecy of St. Malachy

I originally posted this in December of 2011. I thought this was an appropriate time to refresh our memories, and to remember Malachy himself, known as a devout and faithful priest. His prophecy was hidden for 2 centuries before it was revealed, so there are questions as to whether this was really his and unedited, but it's been accurate enough to pique the interest of millions. It won't be long before we know whether the "tribulations" he predicted for the last pope are true.

The Prophecy of St. Malachy

St. Malachy's prophecy is extra-biblical. He lived in the twelfth century, yet his prophecies were not revealed until the late 16th century. This leads to obvious questions of legitimacy, but the potential accuracy of the list is quite impressive. To simplify, if his prophecy is correct, the current Pope (Benedict) is the next to last in the papal line. The Pope to follow will be "Peter The Roman", and will be Pope in the days of the Antichrist. Benedict is in failing health, being (I think) 75 years old as I write this. The prophecy certainly is worthy of attention at this late hour of history.

From the Catholic Encyclopedia 1913 editionThe most famous and best known prophecies about the popes are those attributed to St. Malachy. In 1139 he went to Rome to give an account of the affairs of his diocese to the pope, Innocent II, who promised him two palliums for the metropolitan Sees of Armagh and Cashel. While at Rome, he received (according to the Abbé Cucherat) the strange vision of the future wherein was unfolded before his mind the long list of illustrious pontiffs who were to rule the Church until the end of time. The same author tells us that St. Malachy gave his manuscript to Innocent II to console him in the midst of his tribulations, and that the document remained unknown in the Roman Archives until its discovery in 1590 (Cucherat, "Proph. de la succession des papes", ch. xv).

 They were first published by Arnold de Wyon, and ever since there has been much discussion as to whether they are genuine predictions of St. Malachy or forgeries. The silence of 400 years on the part of so many learned authors who had written about the popes, and the silence of St. Bernard especially, who wrote the "Life of St. Malachy", is a strong argument against their authenticity, but it is not conclusive if we adopt Cucherat's theory that they were hidden in the Archives during those 400 years.

These short prophetical announcements, in number 112, indicate some noticeable trait of all future popes from Celestine II, who was elected in the year 1130, until the end of the world. They are enunciated under mystical titles. Those who have undertaken to interpret and explain these symbolical prophecies have succeeded in discovering some trait, allusion, point, or similitude in their application to the individual popes, either as to their country, their name, their coat of arms or insignia, their birth-place, their talent or learning, the title of their cardinalate, the dignities which they held etc. For example, the prophecy concerning Urban VIII is Lilium et Rosa (the lily and the rose); he was a native of Florence and on the arms of Florence figured a fleur-de-lis; he had three bees emblazoned on his escutcheon, and the bees gather honey from the lilies and roses.

Again, the name accords often with some remarkable and rare circumstance in the pope's career; thus Peregrinus apostolicus (pilgrim pope), which designates Pius VI, appears to be verified by his journey when pope into Germany, by his long career as pope, and by his expatriation from Rome at the end of his pontificate. Those who have lived and followed the course of events in an intelligent manner during the pontificates of Pius IX, Leo XIII, and Pius X cannot fail to be impressed with the titles given to each by the prophecies of St. Malachy and their wonderful appropriateness: Crux de Cruce (Cross from a Cross) Pius IX; Lumen in caelo (Light in the Sky) Leo XIII; Ignis ardens (Burning Fire) Pius X. There is something more than coincidence in the designations given to these three popes so many hundred years before their time. We need not have recourse either to the family names, armorial bearings or cardinalatial titles, to see the fitness of their designations as given in the prophecies. The afflictions and crosses of Pius IX were more than fell to the lot of his predecessors; and the more aggravating of these crosses were brought on by the House of Savoy whose emblem was a cross. Leo XIII was a veritable luminary of the papacy. The present pope is truly a burning fire of zeal for the restoration of all things to Christ.

The last of these prophecies concerns the end of the world and is as follows: "In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End." It has been noticed concerning Petrus Romanus, who according to St. Malachy's list is to be the last pope, that the prophecy does not say that no popes will intervene between him and his predecessor designated Gloria olivoe. It merely says that he is to be the last, so that we may suppose as many popes as we please before "Peter the Roman". Cornelius a Lapide refers to this prophecy in his commentary "On the Gospel of St. John" (C. xvi) and "On the Apocalypse" (cc. xvii-xx), and he endeavours to calculate according to it the remaining years of time.

The PropheciesPope No. Name (Reign) Motto No Motto (and explanation)
167 Celestine II (1143-1144) 1 Ex castro Tyberis
(from a castle on the Tiber)
Hist.: Celestin II was born in Citta di Castello, Toscany, on the shores of the Tiber
168 Lucius II (1144-1145) 2 Inimicus expulsus
169 Eugene III (1145-1153) 3 Ex magnitudine montis
(Of the greatness of the mount)
Hist.: Born in the castle of Grammont (latin: mons magnus), his family name was Montemagno
170 Anastasius IV (1153-1154) 4 Abbas Suburranus
171 Adrian IV (1154-1159) 5 De rure albo
(field of Albe)
Hist.: Born in the town of Saint-Alban
Antipope Victor IV (1159-1164) 6 Ex tetro carcere
Antipope Paschal III (1164-1168) 7 Via trans-Tyberina
Antipope Calistus III (1168-1178) 8 De Pannonia Tusciae
172 Alexander III (1159-1181) 9 Ex ansere custode
173 Lucius III (1181-1185) 10 Lux in ostio
174 Urban III (1185-1187) 11 Sus in cribo
175 Gregory VIII (1187) 12 Ensis Laurentii
176 Clement III (1187-1191) 13 De schola exiet
177 Celestine III (1191-1198) 14 De rure bovensi
178 Innocent III (1198-1216) 15 Comes signatus
(signed Count)
Hist.: descendant of the noble Signy, later called Segni family
179 Honorius III (1216-1227) 16 Canonicus de latere
180 Gregory IX (1227-1241) 17 Avis Ostiensis
(Bird of Ostia)
Hist.: before his election he was Cardinal of Ostia
181 Celestine IV (1241) 18 Leo Sabinus
182 Innocent IV (1243-1254) 19 Comes Laurentius
183 Alexander IV (1254-1261) 20 Signum Ostiense
184 Urban IV (1261-1264) 21 Hierusalem Campaniae
(Jerusalem of Champagne)
Hist.: native of Troyes, Champagne, later patriarch of Jerusalem
185 Clement IV (1265-1268) 22 Draca depressus
186 Gregory X (1271-1276) 23 Anguinus vir
187 Innocent V (1276) 24 Concionatur Gallus
188 Adrian V (1276) 25 Bonus Comes
189 John XXI (1276-1277) 26 Piscator Tuscus
190 Nicholas III (1277-1280) 27 Rosa composita
191 Martin IV (1281-1285) 28 Ex teloneo liliacei Martini
192 Honorius IV (1285-1287) 29 Ex rosa leonina
193 Nicholas IV (1288-1292) 30 Picus inter escas
194 Nicholas IV (1288-1292) 31 Ex eremo celsus
(elevated from a hermit)
Hist.: prior to his election he was a hermit in the monastery of Pouilles
195 Boniface VIII (1294-1303) 32 Ex undarum benedictione
196 Benedict XI (1303-1304) 33 Concionator patereus
197 Clement V (1305-1314) 34 De fessis Aquitanicis
(ribbon of Aquitaine)
Hist.: was archbishop of Bordeaux in Aquitaine
198 John XXII (1316-1334) 35 De sutore osseo
(of the cobbler of Osseo)
Hist.: Family name Ossa, son of a shoe-maker
Antipope Nicholas V (1328-1330) 36 Corvus schismaticus
(the schismatic crow)
Note the reference to the schism, the only antipope at this period
199 Benedict XII (1334-1342) 37 Frigidus Abbas
(cold friar)
Hist.: he was a priest in the monastery of Frontfroid (coldfront)
200 Clement VI (1342-1352) 38 De rosa Attrebatensi
201 Innocent VI (1352-1362) 39 De montibus Pammachii
202 Urban V (1362-1370) 40 Gallus Vice-comes
203 Gregory XI (1370-1378) 41 Novus de Virgine forti
(novel of the virgin fort)
Hist.: count of Beaufort, later Cardinal of Ste-Marie La Neuve
Antipope Clement VII (1378-1394) 42 De cruce Apostilica
Antipope Benedict XIII (1394-1423) 43 Luna Cosmedina
Antipope Clement VIII (1423-1429) 44 Schisma Barcinonicum
204 Urban VI (1378-1389) 45 De Inferno praegnanti
205 Boniface IX (1389-1404) 46 Cubus de mixtione
206 Innocent VII (1404-1406) 47 De meliore sydere
207 Gregory XII (1406-1415) 48 Nauta de ponte nigro
Antipope Alexander V (1409-1410) 49 Flagellum Solis
Antipope John XXIII (1410-1415) 50 Cervus Sirenae
208 Martin V (1417-1431) 51 Corona veli aurei
209 Eugene IV (1431-1447) 52 Lupa caelestina
Antipope Felix V (1439-1449) 53 Amator crucis
210 Nicholas V (1447-1455) 54 De modicitate lunae
211 Callistus III (1455-1458) 55 Bos pascens
(grazing ox)
Hist.: Alphonse Borgia's arms sported a golden grazing ox
212 Pius II (1458-1464) 56 De capra et Albergo
213 Paul II (1464-1471) 57 De cervo et Leone
214 Sixtus IV (1471-1484) 58 Piscator Minorita
215 Innocent VIII (1484-1492) 59 Praecursor Siciliae
216 Alexander VI (1492-1503) 60 Bos Albanus in portu
217 Pius III (1503) 61 De parvo homine
218 Julius II (1503-1513) 62 Fructus jovis juvabit
219 Leo X (1513-1521) 63 De craticula Politiana
220 Adrian VI (1522-1523) 64 Leo Florentius
221 Clement VII (1523-1534) 65 Flos pilaei aegri
222 Paul III (1534-1549) 66 Hiacynthus medicorum
223 Julius III (1550-1555) 67 De corona Montana
224 Marcellus II (1555) 68 Frumentum floccidum
225 Paul IV (1555-1559) 69 De fide Petri
226 Pius IV (1559-1565) 70 Aesculapii pharmacum
227 St. Pius V (1566-1572) 71 Angelus nemorosus
228 Gregory XIII (1572-1585) 72 Medium corpus pilarum
229 Sixtus V (1585-1590) 73 Axis in medietate signi
230 Urban VII (1590) 74 De rore caeli
231 Gregory XIV (1590-1591) 75 De antiquitate Urbis
232 Innocent IX (1591) 76 Pia civitas in bello
233 Clement VIII (1592-1605) 77 Crux Romulea
234 Leo XI (1605) 78 Undosus Vir
235 Paul V (1605-1621) 79 Gens perversa
236 Gregory XV (1621-1623) 80 In tribulatione pacis
237 Urban VIII (1623-1644) 81 Lilium et rosa
238 Innocent X (1644-1655) 82 Jucunditas crucis
239 Alexander VII (1655-1667) 83 Montium custos
240 Clement IX (1667-1669) 84 Sydus Olorum
(constellation of swans)Hist.: upon his election, he was apparently the occupant of the Chamber of Swans in the Vatican.
241 Clement X (1670-1676) 85 De flumine magno
242 Innocent XI (1676-1689) 86 Bellua insatiabilis
243 Alexander VIII (1689-1691) 87 Poenitentia gloriosa
244 Innocent XII (1691-1700) 88 Rastrum in porta
245 Clement XI (1700-1721) 89 Flores circumdati
246 Innocent XIII (1721-1724) 90 De bona Religione
247 Benedict XIII (1724-1730) 91 Miles in bello
248 Clement XII (1730-1740) 92 Columna excelsa
249 Benedict XIV (1740-1758) 93 Animal rurale
250 Clement XIII (1758-1769) 94 Rosa Umbriae
251 Clement XIV (1769-1774) 95 Ursus velox
252 Pius VI (1775-1799) 96 Peregrinus Apostolicus
253 Pius VII (1800-1823) 97 Aquila rapax
254 Leo XII (1823-1829) 98 Canis et coluber
255 Pius VIII (1829-1830) 99 Vir religiosus
256 Gregory XVI (1831-1846) 100 De balneis hetruriae
(bath of Etruria)
Hist.: prior to his election he was member of an order founded by Saint Romuald, at Balneo, in Etruria, present day Toscany.
257 Pius IX (1846-1878) 101 Crux de cruce
258 Leo XIII (1878-1903) 102 Lumen in caelo
259 St. Pius X (1903-1914) 103 Ignis ardent
(ardent fire)
260 Benedict XV (1914-1922) 104 Religio depopulata
261 Pius XI (1922-1939) 105 Fides intrepida
262 Pius XII (1939-1958) 106 Pastor angelicus
263 John XXIII (1958-1963) 107 Pastor et Nauta
(pastor and marine)
Hist.: prior to his election he was patriarch of Venice, a marine city, home of the gondolas
264 Paul VI (1963-1978) 108 Flos florum
(flower of flowers)
Hist.: his arms displayed three lilies.
265 John Paul I (1978) 109 De medietate Lunae
(of the half of the moon)
Hist.: Albino Luciani, born in Canale d'Ogardo, diocese of Belluno, (beautiful moon) Elected pope on august 26, his reign lasted about a month, from half a moon to the next half...
266 John Paul II (1978-) 110 De labore Solis
(of the eclipse of the sun, or from the labour of the sun)
Hist.:Karol Wojtyla was born on May 18, 1920 during a solar eclipse. He also comes from behind the former Iron Curtain. He might also be seen to be the fruit of the intercession of the Woman Clothed with the Sun labouring in Revelation 12 (because of his devotion to the Virgin Mary).
267 ??? 111 Gloria olivae
268 ??? In persecutione extrema S.R.E. sedebit Petrus Romanus, qui pascet oues in multis tribulationibus: quibus transactis ciuitas septicollis diruetur, & Iudex tremêdus iudicabit populum suum. Finis.

(In extreme persecution, the seat of the Holy Roman Church will be occupied by Peter the Roman, who will feed the sheep through many tribulations, at the term of which the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the formidable Judge will judge his people. The End.)

The Martyrdom of the Apostle Andrew

Andrew was put to death on an x-shaped cross in what is today Greece.  His death is still remembered today in the "Cross of St. Andrew", also known as the flag of Scotland.  What is amazing in this record from Christian history is the boldness Andrew spoke with.  This is a Holy Spirit given boldness, and a sure sign of one who has already decided that whether his teaching brings him joy or suffering, he will not stop.  It also reminds us how honored the apostles were to follow their Lord Jesus Christ in His sufferings, even unto death.

The Acts of Andrew

What we have all, both presbyters and deacons of the churches of Achaia, beheld with our eyes, we have written to all the churches established in the name of Christ Jesus, both in the east and west, north and south. Peace to you, and to all who believe in one God, perfect Trinity, true Father unbegotten, true Son only-begotten, true Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father, and abiding in the Son, in order that there may be shown one Holy Spirit subsisting in the Father and Son in precious Godhead. This faith we have learned from the blessed Andrew, the apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose passion also we, having seen it set forth before our eyes, have not hesitated to give an account of, according to the degree of ability we have.

Accordingly the proconsul Ægeates, having come into the city of Patras, began to compel those believing in Christ to worship the idols; to whom the blessed Andrew, running up, said: It behooved you, being a judge of men, to acknowledge your Judge who is in the heaven, and having acknowledged Him, to worship Him; and worshipping Him who is the true God, to turn away your thoughts from those which are not true gods.

To whom Ægeates said: Are you Andrew, who destroyest the temples of the gods, and persuadest men about the religion which, having lately made its appearance, the emperors of the Romans have given orders to suppress?

The blessed Andrew said: The emperors of the Romans have never recognised the truth. And this the Son of God, who came on account of the salvation of men, manifestly teaches— that these idols are not only not gods, but also most shameful demons, and hostile to the human race, teaching men to offend God, so that, by being offended, He turns away and will not hearken; that therefore, by His turning away and not hearkening, they may be held captive by the devil; and that they might work them to such a degree, that when they go out of the body they may be found deserted and naked, carrying nothing with them but sins.

Ægeates said: These are superfluous and vain words: as for your Jesus, for proclaiming these things to the Jews they nailed him to the tree of the cross.

The blessed Andrew answering, said: Oh, if you would recognise the mystery of the cross, with what reasonable love the Author of the life of the human race for our restoration endured this tree of the cross, not unwillingly, but willingly!

Ægeates said: Seeing that, betrayed by his own disciple, and seized by the Jews, he was brought before the procurator, and according to their request was nailed up by the procurator's soldiers, in what way do you say that he willingly endured the tree of the cross?

The holy Andrew said: For this reason I say willingly, since I was with Him when he was betrayed by His disciple. For before He was betrayed, He spoke to us to the effect that He should be betrayed and crucified for the salvation of men, and foretold that He should rise again on the third day. To whom my brother Peter said, Matthew 16:22 Far be it from you, Lord; let this by no means be. And so, being angry, He said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan; for you are not disposed to the things of God. And in order that He might most fully explain that He willingly underwent the passion, He said to us, John 10:18 I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again. And, last of all, while He was supping with us, He said, Matthew 26:21 One of you will betray me. At these words, therefore, all becoming exceedingly grieved, in order that the surmise might be free from doubt, He made it clear, saying, To whomsoever I shall give the piece of bread out of my hand, he it is who betrays me. When, therefore, He gave it to one of our fellow disciples, and gave an account of things to come as if they were already present, He showed that He was to be willingly betrayed. For neither did He run away, and leave His betrayer at fault; but remaining in the place in which He knew that he was, He awaited him.

Ægeates said: I wonder that you, being a sensible man, should wish to uphold him on any terms whatever; for, whether willingly or unwillingly, all the same, you admit that he was fastened to the cross.

The blessed Andrew said: This is what I said, if now you apprehend, that great is the mystery of the cross, which, if you wish, as is likely, to hear, attend to me.

Ægeates said: A mystery it cannot be called, but a punishment.

The blessed Andrew said: This punishment is the mystery of man's restoration. If you will listen with any attention, you will prove it.

Ægeates said: I indeed will hear patiently; but you, unless you submissively obey me, shall receive the mystery of the cross in yourself.

The blessed Andrew answered: If I had been afraid of the tree of the cross, I should not have proclaimed the glory of the cross.

Ægeates said: Your speech is foolish, because you proclaim that the cross is not a punishment, and through your foolhardiness you are not afraid of the punishment of death.

The holy Andrew said: It is not through foolhardiness, but through faith, that I am not afraid of the punishment of death; for the death of sins is hard. And on this account I wish you to hear the mystery of the cross, in order that you perhaps, acknowledging it, may believe, and believing, may come somehow or other to the renewing of your soul.

Ægeates said: That which is shown to have perished is for renewing. Do you mean that my soul has perished, that you make me come to the renewing of it through the faith, I know not what, of which you have spoken?

The blessed Andrew answered: This it is which I desired time to learn, which also I shall teach and make manifest, that though the souls of men are destroyed, they shall be renewed through the mystery of the cross. For the first man through the tree of transgression brought in death; and it was necessary for the human race, that through the suffering of the tree, death, which had come into the world, should be driven out. And since the first man, who brought death into the world through the transgression of the tree, had been produced from the spotless earth, it was necessary that the Son of God should be begotten a perfect man from the spotless virgin, that He should restore eternal life, which men had lost through Adam, and should cut off the tree of carnal appetite through the tree of the cross. Hanging upon the cross, He stretched out His blameless hands for the hands which had been incontinently stretched out; for the most sweet food of the forbidden tree He received gall for food; and taking our mortality upon Himself, He made a gift of His immortality to us.

Ægeates said: With these words you shall be able to lead away those who shall believe in you; but unless you have come to grant me this, that you offer sacrifices to the almighty gods, I shall order you, after having been scourged, to be fastened to that very cross which you commend.

The blessed Andrew said: To God Almighty, who alone is true, I bring sacrifice day by day; not the smoke of incense, nor the flesh of bellowing bulls, nor the blood of goats, but sacrificing a spotless lamb day by day on the altar of the cross; and though all the people of the faithful partake of His body and drink His blood, the Lamb that has been sacrificed remains after this entire and alive. Truly, therefore, is He sacrificed, and truly is His body eaten by the people, and His blood is likewise drunk; nevertheless, as I have said, He remains entire, and spotless, and alive.

Ægeates said: How can this be?

The blessed Andrew said: If you would know, take the form of a disciple, that you may learn what you are inquiring after.

Ægeates said: I will exact of you through tortures the gift of this knowledge.

The blessed Andrew declared: I wonder that you, being an intelligent man, should fall into the folly of thinking that you may be able to persuade me, through your tortures, to disclose to you the sacred things of God. You have heard the mystery of the cross, you have heard the mystery of the sacrifice. If you believe in Christ the Son of God, who was crucified, I shall altogether disclose to you in what manner the Lamb that has been slain may live, after having been sacrificed and eaten, remaining in His kingdom entire and spotless.

Ægeates said: And by what means does the lamb remain in his kingdom after he has been slain and eaten by all the people, as you have said?

The blessed Andrew said: If you believe with all your heart, you shall be able to learn: but if you believe not, you shall not by any means attain to the idea of such truth.

Then Ægeates, enraged, ordered him to be shut up in prison, where, when he was shut up, a multitude of the people came together to him from almost all the province, so that they wished to kill Ægeates, and by breaking down the doors of the prison to set free the blessed Andrew the apostle.

Them the blessed Andrew admonished in these words, saying: Do not stir up the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ into seditious and devilish uproar. For my Lord, when He was betrayed, endured it with all patience; He did not strive, He did not cry out, nor in the streets did any one hear Him crying out. Matthew 12:19 Therefore do ye also keep silence, quietness, and peace; and hinder not my martyrdom, but rather get yourselves also ready beforehand as athletes to the Lord, in order that you may overcome threatenings by a soul that has no fear of man, and that you may get the better of injuries through the endurance of the body. For this temporary fall is not to be feared; but that should be feared which has no end. The fear of men, then, is like smoke which, while it is raised and gathered together, disappears. And those torments ought to be feared which never have an end. For these torments, which happen to be somewhat light, any one can bear; but if they are heavy, they soon destroy life. But those torments are everlasting, where there are daily weepings, and mournings, and lamentations, and never-ending torture, to which the proconsul Ægeates is not afraid to go. Be therefore rather prepared for this, that through temporary afflictions ye may attain to everlasting rest, and may flourish for ever, and reign with Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:17

The holy Apostle Andrew having admonished the people with these and such like words through the whole night, when the light of day dawned, Ægeates having sent for him, ordered the blessed Andrew to be brought to him; and having sat down upon the tribunal, he said: I have thought that you, by your reflection during the night, hast turned away your thoughts from folly, and given up your commendation of Christ that you might be able to be with us, and not throw away the pleasures of life; for it is folly to come for any purpose to the suffering of the cross, and to give oneself up to most shameful punishments and burnings.

The holy Andrew answered: I shall be able to have joy with you, if you will believe in Christ, and throw away the worship of idols; for Christ has sent me to this province, in which I have acquired for Christ a people not the smallest.

Ægeates said: For this reason I compel you to make a libation, that these people who have been deceived by you may forsake the vanity of your teaching, and may themselves offer grateful libations to the gods; for not even one city has remained in Achaia in which their temples have not been forsaken and deserted. And now, through you, let them be again restored to the worship of the images, in order that the gods also, who have been enraged against you, being pleased by this, may bring it about that you may return to their friendship and ours. But if not, you await varied tortures, on account of the vengeance of the gods; and after these, fastened to the tree of the cross which you commend, you shall die.

The holy Andrew said: Listen, O son of death and chaff made ready for eternal burnings, Matthew 3:12 to me, the servant of God and apostle of Jesus Christ. Until now I have conversed with you kindly about the perfection of the faith, in order that you, receiving the exposition of the truth, being made perfect as its vindicator, might despise vain idols, and worship God, who is in the heavens; but since you remain in the same shamelessness at last, and think me to be afraid because of your threats, bring against me whatever may seem to you greater in the way of tortures. For the more shall I be well pleasing to my King, the more I shall endure in tortures for the confession of His name.

Then the proconsul Ægeates, being enraged, ordered the apostle of Christ to be afflicted by tortures. Being stretched out, therefore, by seven times three soldiers, and beaten with violence, he was lifted up and brought before the impious Ægeates. And he spoke to him thus: Listen to me, Andrew, and withdraw your thoughts from the outpouring of your blood; but if you will not hearken to me, I shall cause you to perish on the tree of the cross.

The holy Andrew said: I am a slave of the cross of Christ, and I ought rather to pray to attain to the trophy of the cross than to be afraid; but for you is laid up eternal torment, which, however, you may escape after you have tested my endurance, if you will believe in my Christ. For I am afflicted about your destruction, and I am not disturbed about my own suffering. For my suffering takes up a space of one day, or two at most; but your torment for endless ages shall never come to a close. Wherefore henceforward cease from adding to your miseries, and lighting up everlasting fire for yourself.

Ægeates then being enraged, ordered the blessed Andrew to be fastened to the cross. And he having left them all, goes up to the cross, and says to it with a clear voice: Rejoice, O cross, which has been consecrated by the body of Christ, and adorned by His limbs as if with pearls. Assuredly before my Lord went up on you, you had much earthly fear; but now invested with heavenly longing, you are fitted up according to my prayer. For I know, from those who believe, how many graces you have in Him, how many gifts prepared beforehand. Free from care, then, and with joy, I come to you, that you also exulting may receive me, the disciple of Him that was hanged upon you; because you have been always faithful to me, and I have desired to embrace you. O good cross, which hast received comeliness and beauty from the limbs of the Lord; O much longed for, and earnestly desired, and fervently sought after, and already prepared beforehand for my soul longing for you, take me away from men, and restore me to my Master, in order that through you He may accept me who through you has redeemed me.

And having thus spoken, the blessed Andrew, standing on the ground, and looking earnestly upon the cross, stripped himself and gave his clothes to the executioners, having urged the brethren that the executioners should come and do what had been commanded them; for they were standing at some distance. And they having come up, lifted him on the cross; and having stretched his body across with ropes, they only bound his feet, but did not sever his joints, having received this order from the proconsul: for he wished him to be in distress while hanging, and in the night-time, as he was suspended, to be eaten up alive by dogs.

And a great multitude of the brethren stood by, nearly twenty thousand; and having beheld the executioners standing off, and that they had done to the blessed one nothing of what those who were hanged up suffer, they thought that they would again hear something from him; for assuredly, as he was hanging, he moved his head smiling. And Stratocles inquired of him: Why are you smiling, Andrew, servant of God? Your laughter makes us mourn and weep, because we are deprived of you. And the blessed Andrew answered him: Shall I not laugh at all, my son Stratocles, at the empty stratagem of Ægeates, through which he thinks to take vengeance upon us? We have nothing to do with him and his plans. He cannot hear; for if he could, he would be aware, having learned it by experience, that a man of Jesus is unpunished.

And having thus spoken, he discoursed to them all in common, for the people ran together enraged at the unjust judgment of Ægeates: You men standing by me, and women, and children, and elders, bond and free, and as many as will hear; I beseech you, forsake all this life, you who have for my sake assembled here; and hasten to take upon you my life, which leads to heavenly things, and once for all despise all temporary things, confirming the purposes of those who believe in Christ. And he exhorted them all, teaching that the sufferings of this transitory life are not worthy to be compared with the future recompense of the eternal life.

And the multitude hearing what was said by him, did not stand off from the place, and the blessed Andrew continued the rather to say to them more than he had spoken. And so much was said by him, that a space of three days and nights was taken up, and no one was tired and went away from him. And when also on the fourth day they beheld his nobleness, and the unweariedness of his intellect, and the multitude of his words, and the serviceableness of his exhortations, and the steadfastness of his soul, and the sobriety of his spirit, and the fixedness of his mind, and the perfection of his reason, they were enraged against Ægeates; and all with one accord hastened to the tribunal, and cried out against Ægeates, who was sitting, saying: What is your judgment, O proconsul? You have judged wickedly; your awards are impious. In what has the man done wrong; what evil has he done? The city has been put in an uproar; you grieve us all; do not betray Cæsar's city. Grant willingly to the Achaians a just man; grant willingly to us a God-fearing man; do not put to death a godly man. Four days he has been hanging, and is alive; having eaten nothing, he has filled us all. Take down the man from the cross, and we shall all seek after wisdom; release the man, and to all Achaia will mercy be shown. It is not necessary that he should suffer this, because, though hanging, he does not cease proclaiming the truth.

And when the proconsul refused to listen to them, at first indeed signing with his hand to the crowd to take themselves off, they began to be emboldened against him, being in number about twenty thousand. And the proconsul having beheld that they had somehow become maddened, afraid that something frightful would befall him, rose up from the tribunal and went away with them, having promised to set free the blessed Andrew. And some went on before to tell the apostle the cause for which they came to the place.

While all the crowd, therefore, was exulting that the blessed Andrew was going to be set free, the proconsul having come up, and all the brethren rejoicing along with Maximilla, the blessed Andrew, having heard this, said to the brethren standing by: What is it necessary for me to say to him, when I am departing to the Lord, that will I also say. For what reason have you again come to us, Ægeates? On what account do you, being a stranger to us, come to us? What will you again dare to do, what to contrive? Tell us. Have you come to release us, as having changed your mind? I would not agree with you that you had really changed your mind. Nor would I believe you, saying that you are my friend. Do you, O proconsul, release him that has been bound? By no means. For I have One with whom I shall be for ever; I have One with whom I shall live to countless ages. To Him I go; to Him I hasten, who also having made you known to me, has said to me, Let not that fearful man terrify you; do not think that he will lay hold of you, who art mine: for he is your enemy. Therefore, having known you through him who has turned towards me, I am delivered from you. But if you wish to believe in Christ, there will be opened up for time, as I promised you, a way of access; but if you have come only to release me, I shall not be able after this to be brought down from this cross alive in the body. For I and my kinsmen depart to our own, allowing you to be what you are, and what you do not know about yourself. For already I see my King, already I worship Him, already I stand before Him, where the fellowship of the angels is, where He reigns the only emperor, where there is light without night, where the flowers never fade, where trouble is never known, nor the name of grief heard, where there are cheerfulness and exultation that have no end. O blessed cross! Without the longing for you, no one enters into that place. But I am distressed, Ægeates, about your own miseries, because eternal perdition is ready to receive you. Run then, for your own sake, O pitiable one, while yet you can, lest perchance you should wish then when you can not.

When, therefore, he attempted to come near the tree of the cross, so as to release the blessed Andrew, with all the city applauding him, the holy Andrew said with a loud voice: Do not suffer Andrew, bound upon Your tree, to be released, O Lord; do not give me who am in Your mystery to the shameless devil. O Jesus Christ, let not Your adversary release me, who have been hanged by Your favour; O Father, let this insignificant man no longer humble him who has known Your greatness. The executioners, therefore, putting out their hands, were not able at all to touch him. Others, then, and others endeavoured to release him, and no one at all was able to come near him; for their arms were benumbed.

Then the blessed Andrew, having adjured the people, said: I entreat you earnestly, brethren, that I may first make one prayer to my Lord. So then set about releasing me. All the people therefore kept quiet because of the adjuration. Then the blessed Andrew, with a loud cry, said: Do not permit, O Lord, Your servant at this time to be removed from You; for it is time that my body be committed to the earth, and You shall order me to come to You. You who gives eternal life, my Teacher whom I have loved, whom on this cross I confess, whom I know, whom I possess, receive me, O Lord; and as I have confessed You and obeyed You, so now in this word hearken to me; and, before my body come down from the cross, receive me to Yourself, that through my departure there may be access to You of many of my kindred, finding rest for themselves in Your majesty.

When, therefore, he had said this, he became in the sight of all glad and exulting; for an exceeding splendour like lightning coming forth out of heaven shone down upon him, and so encircled him, that in consequence of such brightness mortal eyes could not look upon him at all. And the dazzling light remained about the space of half an hour. And when he had thus spoken and glorified the Lord still more, the light withdrew itself, and he gave up the ghost, and along with the brightness itself he departed to the Lord in giving Him thanks.

And after the decease of the most blessed Andrew the apostle, Maximilla being the most powerful of the notable women, and continuing among those who had come, as soon as she learned that the apostle had departed to the Lord, came up and turned her attention to the cross, along with Stratocles, taking no heed at all of those standing by, and with reverence took down the body of the most blessed apostle from the cross. And when it was evening, bestowing upon him the necessary care, she prepared the body for burial with costly spices, and laid it in her own tomb. For she had been parted from Ægeates on account of his brutal disposition and lawless conduct, having chosen for herself a holy and quiet life; and having been united to the love of Christ, she spent her life blessedly along with the brethren.

Ægeates had been very importunate with her, and promised that he would make her mistress of his wealth; but not having been able to persuade her, he was greatly enraged, and was determined to make a public charge against all the people, and to send to Cæsar an accusation against both Maximilla and all the people. And while he was arranging these things in the presence of his officers, at the dead of night he rose up, and unseen by all his people, having been tormented by the devil, he fell down from a great height, and rolling into the midst of the market-place of the city, breathed his last.

And this was reported to his brother Stratocles; and he sent his servants, having told them that they should bury him among those who had died a violent death. But he sought nothing of his substance, saying: Let not my Lord Jesus Christ, in whom I have believed, suffer me to touch anything whatever of the goods of my brother, that the condemnation of him who dared to cut off the apostle of the Lord may not disgrace me.

These things were done in the province of Achaia, in the city of Patras on the day before the kalends of December, where his good deeds are kept in mind even to this day, to the glory and praise of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Source. Translated by Alexander Walker. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0819.htm>.

Below is some info from the Wikipedia page for Patras, the city mentioned above where Andrew was crucified.



Patras (Modern Greek: Πάτρα, Greek pronunciation: [ˈpatra], Classical Greek and Katharevousa: Πάτραι (pl.), Greek pronunciation: [ˈpatre], Latin: Patrae (pl.)) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 km (134 mi) west of Athens. The city is built at the foothills of Mount Panachaikon, overlooking the Gulf of Patras.

The Patras City Area is a conurbation of 160.400 inhabitants,^[2] while its wider urban area, located within the new Patras municipality had a population of 213,984 (in 2011).^[1] Patras' core settlement has a history spanning four millennia, in the Roman period it had become a cosmopolitan center of the eastern Mediterranean whilst, according to Christian tradition, it was also the place of Saint Andrew's martyrdom.

Dubbed Greece's Gate to the West, Patras is a commercial hub, while its busy port is a nodal point for trade and communication with Italy and the rest of Western Europe. The city has two public universities and one Technological Institute, hosting a large student population and rendering Patras a major scientific centre with a field of excellence in technological education. The Rio-Antirio bridge connects Patras' easternmost suburb of Rio to the town of Antirrio, connecting the Peloponnese peninsula with mainland Greece.