Vol 9 Issue 14 ~ Editor: Rev. Fr. Courtney Edward Krier
April 2, 2016 ~ Easter Saturday

1. Baptism: Means of Salvation (62)
2. Low Sunday
3. St. Agape, Chionia and Irene
4. Christ in the Home (37)
5. Articles and notices

Dear Reader:

This Sunday Catholics look at the divine mercy offered to the sinner. Having dwelt upon the Sacrament of Baptism and providing daily meditation upon this Sacrament with the readings from Sacred Scripture, with the newly
baptized having removed their baptismal garments, she takes the metaphor and provides them with another means that Christ has instituted if, perchance, they were to lose the baptismal grace: The Sacrament of Penance. Holy Mother Church has deemed it advantageous to use this Sacrament not for the absolute need because one has fallen into mortal sin, but as a means also for all Catholics to receive the Sacramental grace of avoiding all sin, as a remedy. May everyone take advantage of this Sacrament, when it is available, at least monthly for the help to take sin out of one’s life and the vigor to strive for true sanctity. May thanksgiving be proffered to God for giving this Sacrament of divine mercy, this second plank, that gives such hope of salvation.

For the next several weeks the complete chapter On Baptism from the Catechism of the Council of Trent will be provided.

As always, enjoy the readings and commentaries provided for your benefit. —The Editor

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Baptism

Means of Salvation

Sacrament of Baptism

Post Trent

The explanation about the Faith was forthcoming in the form of the Catechism of the Council of Trent. This was announced in the twenty-fourth session on November 11, 1563, in its Decree on Reformation, chapter 7, where one reads:

In order that the faithful people may approach to the reception of the sacraments with greater reverence and devotion of mind, the holy Synod enjoins on all bishops, that, not only when they are themselves about to administer them to the people, they shall first explain, in a manner suited to the capacity of those who receive them, the efficacy and use of those sacraments, but shall endeavour that the same be done piously and prudently by every parish priest; and this even in the vernacular tongue, if need be, and it can be conveniently done; and in accordance with the form which will be prescribed for each of the sacraments, by the holy Synod, in a catechism which the bishops shall take care to have faithfully translated into the vulgar tongue, and to have expounded to the people by all parish priests; as also that, during the solemnization of mass, or the celebration of the divine offices, they explain, in the said vulgar tongue, on all festivals, or solemnities, the sacred oracles, and the maxims of salvation [Cf. Sess. XXII, chap. 8.];  and that, setting aside all unprofitable questions, they endeavour to impress them on the hearts of all, and to instruct them in the law of the Lord.

This expanded the requirement of bishops from visiting Catholic Institutions to make sure they are upholding and teaching the Catholic Faith that was prescribed in Session twenty-two, chapter 8, to also presenting the faith that is to be taught in those institutions by a systematic outlay of the universal faith and an explanation that all would receive that would also be exactly the same. The introduction of the Catechism of the Council of Trent, which was directed under St. Charles Borromeo and approved by Pope St. Pius V and then finally published in 1566, opens with an introduction, part of which follows:

As this preaching of the divine word should never be interrupted in the Church of God, so in these our days it becomes necessary to labour with more than ordinary zeal and piety to nurture and strengthen the faithful with sound and wholesome doctrine, as with the food of life: for “false prophets have gone forth into the world” (I John 4:1) “with various and strange doctrines” (Heb. 13:9) to corrupt the minds of the faithful; of whom the Lord hath said “I sent them not, and they ran; I spoke not to them, yet they prophesied.” (Jerem. 23:21) In this unholy work, to such extremes has their impiety, practised in all the arts of Satan, been carried, that it would seem almost impossible to confine it within bounds; and did we not rely on the splendid promises of the Saviour, who declared that he had “built his Church on so solid a foundation, that the gates of hell should never prevail against it,” (Matt. 16:18) we should be filled with most alarming apprehension lest, beset on every side by such a host of enemies, assailed by so many and such formidable engines, the Church of God should, in these days, fall beneath their combined efforts. To omit those illustrious states which heretofore professed, in piety and holiness, the Catholic faith transmitted to them by their ancestors, but are now gone astray, wandering from the paths of truth, and openly declaring that their best claims of piety are founded on a total abandonment of the faith of their fathers: there is no region, however remote, no place however securely guarded, no corner of the Christian republic, into which this pestilence has not sought secretly to insinuate itself. Those, who proposed to themselves to corrupt the minds of the faithful, aware that they could not hold immediate personal intercourse with all, and thus pour into their ears their poisoned doctrines, by adopting a different plan, disseminated error and impiety more easily and extensively. Besides those voluminous works, by which they sought the subversion of the Catholic faith; to guard against which, however, containing, as they did, open heresy, required, perhaps, little labour or circumspection; they also composed in numerable smaller books, which, veiling their errors under the semblance of piety, deceived with incredible facility the simple and the incautious.

The Fathers, therefore, of the general Council of Trent, anxious to apply some healing remedy to an evil of such magnitude, were not satisfied with having decided the more important points work of Catholic doctrine against the heresies of our times, but deemed it further necessary to deliver some fixed form of instructing the faithful in the truths of religion from the very rudiments of Christian knowledge; a form to be followed by those to whom are lawfully intrusted the duties of pastor and teacher. In works of this sort many, it is true, have already employed their pens, and earned the reputation of great piety and learning. The Fathers, however, deemed it of the first importance that a work should appear, sanctioned by the authority of the Holy Synod, from which pastors and all others on whom the duty of imparting instruction devolves, may draw with security precepts for the edification of the faithful; that as there is “one Lord, one faith” there may also be one standard and prescribed form of propounding the dogmas of faith, and instructing Christians in all the duties of piety.

The Catechism addressed the explanation of the Sacrament of Baptism in the section on the Sacraments. The whole of the chapter on Baptism will follow in sections, as translated into English by Jeremias Donovan in 1829 (Dublin— a reprint was made by Christian Book Club of America, Hawthorne, CA, in 1975. —The following is from pages 112-137 of the 1829 edition). One will notice that the Fathers provide a vast source of references as they did during the Council, especially Scriptural, to confront the Innovators who claimed to accept Scripture as the sole rule of faith. For Catholics, the turn toward Saint Thomas Aquinas on many points gave him as an authority to explanations of the faith.

ON THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM.

Importance of the knowledge of the Sacraments in particular. Of Baptism.

FROM what has been hitherto said on the Sacraments in general, we may judge how necessary it is, to a proper understanding of the doctrines of the Christian faith, and to the practice of Christian piety, to know what the Catholic Church proposes to our belief on the Sacraments in particular. That a perfect knowledge of Baptism is particularly necessary to the faithful, an attentive perusal of the epistles of St. Paul, will force upon the mind. The Apostle, not only frequently, but also in language the most energetic, in language full of the Spirit of God, renews the recollection of this mystery, exalts its transcendant dignity, and in it places before us the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord, as objects of our contemplation and imitation. [1Rom. vi. 3. Colos. ii. 12, 13.]  The pastor, therefore, can never think that he has bestowed sufficient labour and attention on the exposition of this Sacrament. Besides the great festivals of Easter and Pentecost, festivals on which the Church celebrated this Sacrament with the greatest solemnity and devotion, and on which particularly, according to ancient practice, its divine mysteries are to be explained; the pastor should, also, take occasion, at other times, to make it the subject matter of his instructions. [1 De hoc usu antiquo vid. Tertul. lib. de Baptis. c. 19.Basil, in exhort, ad bapt. Amb. lib. de myst. Paschae.]

When most conveniently explained

For this purpose, a most convenient opportunity would seem to present itself, whenever the pastor, when about to administer this Sacrament, finds himself surrounded by a considerable number of the faithful: on such occasions, it is true, his exposition cannot embrace every thing that regards baptism; but he can develope one or two points with greater facility, whilst the faithful see them expressed, and contemplate them with devout attention, in the sacred ceremonies which he is performing. Thus each person, reading a lesson of admonition in the person of him who is receiving baptism, calls to mind the promises by which he had bound himself to the service of God when initiated by baptism, and reflects whether his life and morals evince that fidelity to which every one pledges himself, by professing the name of Christian.

Meaning of the word “Baptism.”

To render what we have to say, on this subject, perspicuous, we shall explain the nature and substance of the Sacrament; premising, however, an explication of the word Baptism. The word Baptism, as is well known, is of Greek derivation. Although used in Scripture to express not only that ablution which forms part of the Sacrament, but also every species of ablution, [2 Mark vii. 4.] and sometimes, figuratively, to express sufferings; yet it is employed, by ecclesiastical writers, to designate not every sort of ablution, but that which forms part of the Sacrament, and is administered with the prescribed sacramental form. In this sense, the Apostles very frequently make use of the word, in accordance with the institution of Christ. [3 Rom. vi. 3. 1 Pet. iii. 21. Octo baptismi geneva vid. Damasc. lib. 4. de fide orthod. 10.]

Other names of.

This Sacrament, the Holy Fathers designate also by other other names. St. Augustine informs us that it was sometimes called the Sacrament of Faith; because, by receiving it, we profess our faith in all the doctrines of Christianity: [4 D. Aug. epist. 25. in fin.] by others it was denominated “Illumination,” because by the faith which we profess in baptism, the heart is illumined: “Call to mind,” says the Apostle, alluding to the time of baptism, ” the former days, wherein being illumined, you endured a great fight of afflictions.” [5 Heb. x. 32.] St. Chrysostom, in his sermon to the baptized, calls it a purgation, through which “we purge away the old leaven, that we may become a new paste:” [6 1 Cor. v. 7.] he, also, calls it a burial, a planting, and the cross of Jesus Christ: [7 S. Chrysost. x. 5.] the reasons for all these appellations may be gathered from the epistle of St. Paul to the Romans. [1 Rom. vi. 3.] St. Denis calls it the beginning of the most holy commandments, for this obvious reason, that baptism is, as it were, the gate through which we enter into the fellowship of Christian life, and begin thenceforward, to obey the commandments. [2 S. Dion. de Eccl. Hier. c. 2.] This exposition of the different names of the Sacrament of baptism, the pastor will briefly communicate to the people. [3 De variis baptis. nom. vid. Gregor. Nazianz. orat. in sancta lumina. et Clem. Alex. lib. 1. Poedag. cap. 6.]

Definition of.

With regard to its definition, although sacred writers give many, to us that which may be collected from the words of our Lord, recorded in the Gospel of St. John, and of the Apostle, in his epistle to the Ephesians, appears the most appropriate: “Unless,” says our Lord, a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God;” [4 John iii. 5.] and, speaking of the Church, the Apostle says: “cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life.” [5 Eph. v. 26.] From these words, Baptism may be accurately and appropriately defined: “The Sacrament of regeneration by water in the word.” By nature, we are born from Adam, children of wrath; but by baptism we are regenerated in Christ, children of mercy; for, “He gave power to men to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name, who are born not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” [6 John i. 12, 13.]

In what the Sacrament consists.

But, define Baptism as we may, the faithful are to be informed that this Sacrament consists of ablution, accompanied, necessarily, according to the institution of our Lord, by certain solemn words. [7 Matt, xxviii. 19.] This is the uniform doctrine of the Holy Fathers; a doctrine proved by the authority of St. Augustine: “The word,” says he, “is joined to the element, and it becomes a Sacrament.” That these are the constituents of Baptism, it becomes more necessary to impress on the minds of the faithful, that they may not fall into the vulgar error of thinking, that the baptismal water, preserved in the sacred font, constitutes the Sacrament. Then only is it to be called the Sacrament of Baptism, when it is really used in the way of ablution, accompanied with the words appointed by our Lord. [8 Hac de revid. Chrysost. hom. 24. in Joan. Aug. lib. 6. contra. Donatist. c. 25 Conc. Florent. et Trid. item August, tract. 80 in Joan.]

Its matter.

But, as we first said, when treating of the Sacraments in general, that every Sacrament consists of matter and form; it is therefore, necessary to point out what constitutes each of these in the Sacrament of Baptism. The matter then, or element of this Sacrament, is any sort of natural water, which is, simply, and without addition of any kind, commonly called water; be it sea-water, river-water, water from a pond, well, or fountain: our Lord has declared that, “Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” [9 Joan iii. 5.] The Apostle also says, that the Church was cleansed “by the laver of water;” [1 Eph v 26.]  and in the epistle of St. John, we read these words:—“There are three that give testimony on earth; the spirit, and the water, and the blood.” [2 1 John v. 8.] The Scripture affords other proofs which establish the same proof. When, however, the baptist says that the Lord will come, ” who will baptise in the Holy Ghost, and in fire;” [3 Matt. ill. 11.] he is not to be understood to speak of the matter, but of the effect of baptism, produced in the soul by the interior operation of the Holy Ghost; or, if not, of the miracle performed on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles, in the form of fire, [4 Acts ii. 3] as was foretold by our Lord, in these words; “John, indeed, baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence.” [5 Acts i. 5.]

Figure and prophecies of.

That water is the matter of Baptism, the Almighty signified both by figures and by prophecies, as we know from holy Scripture: According to the prince of the Apostles, in his first epistle, the deluge which swept the world, because “the wickedness of men was great on the earth, and all the thoughts of their hearts were bent upon evil,” [6 Gen, vi. 5.] was a figure of the waters of Baptism. [7. 1 Pet. iii. 20, 21.] To omit the cleansing of Naaman the Syrian, [8 4 Kings v 14] and the admirable virtue of the pool of Bethsaida, [9 John v. 2] and many similar types, manifestly symbolic of this mystery; the passage through the Red Sea, according to St. Paul, in his epistle to the Corinthians, was typical of the waters of Baptism. [10 1 Cor. x. 1, 2.] With regard to the oracles of the prophets, the waters to which the prophet Isaias so freely invites all that thirst, [11 Isaias Iv. 1.] and those which Ezekiel saw in spirit, issue from the temple, [12 Ezek. xlvii. 1.] and also, ” the fountain ” which Zachary foresaw, ” open to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for the washing of the sinner and of the unclean woman,” [13 Zach. xiii. 1.] were, no doubt, so many types which prefigured the salutary effects of the waters of Baptism.

Water, why the matter of baptism.

The propriety of constituting water the matter of baptism, of the nature and efficacy of which it is at once expressive, St. Jerome, in his epistle to Oceanus, proves by many arguments. [14 D. Hieronymns epist. 85.] Upon this subject, however, the pastor will teach, that water, which is always at hand, and within the reach of all, was the fittest matter of a Sacrament which is essentially necessary to all; and, also, that water is best adapted to signify the effect of baptism. It washes away uncleanness, and is, therefore, strikingly illustrative of the virtue and efficacy of baptism, which washes away the stains of sin. We may also add that, like water which cools the body, baptism in a great measure extinguishes the fire of concupiscence in the soul. [15 De materia bapt. vid. Conc. Florent. et Trid. sess. 7, can. 2, & de consecrat. dist. 4, item D. Thom, p. 3. q. 56, art. 5.]

Chrism, why used in baptism.

But, although, in case of necessity, simple water unmixed with any other ingredient, is sufficient for the matter of baptism; yet, when administered in public with solemn ceremonies, the Catholic Church guided by apostolic tradition, the more fully to express its efficacy, has uniformly observed the practice of adding holy chrism. [1 Ambr. lib. 1. sacr. c. 2. et Innoc. lib. 1. decr. tit. 1. c. 3.] And, although it may be doubted whether this or that water be genuine, such as the Sacrament requires, it can never be matter of doubt that the proper and the only matter of baptism is natural water.

(To be continued)

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First Sunday after Easter

Benedict Baur, O.S.B. 

The Sacrament of Penance 

1. “At that time, when it was late that same day [Easter Sunday], the first of the week, and the doors were shut, where the disciples were gathered together for fear of the Jews, Jesus came, and stood in the midst, and said to them: Peace be to you. And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord. He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent Me, I also send you. When He had said this, He breathed on them, and He said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained” (Gospel).

The sacrament of penance is the gift of the risen Christ to His Church. St. Jerome calls it a “second plank after our shipwreck,” and Tertullian refers to it as “an arduous baptism.” It is a marvelous means of salvation for those baptized.

2. “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them.” Christ sacrificed even His life for the salvation of men. Could He have done more for us? Should not the remembrance of the crucified One and the memory of His death for us inspire us with so great a love that we could never sin again? We have, moreover, the strength and the grace provided by the Eucharist, through which He gives Himself to us for the nourishment of our souls. Does not the Eucharist have the power to sanctify us so that we can overcome all sin, so that sin can no longer have any part in us? But Christ, knowing the weakness and the wickedness of men, approaches His Church on Easter night and provides her with yet another means for the remission of sin, for the healing of the wounds caused by sin, and for strengthening us against sin. He gives us the sacrament of forgiveness, of mercy, of reconciliation, a means whereby we may regain peace with God and with ourselves. “Peace be to you.” This holy sacrament is His Easter greeting to His apostles, to His Church, and to us. He thus provides a new proof of His love and solicitude for us. He wishes to enrich us with grace and grant us forgiveness, even when we have been unfaithful.

“Peace be to you.” He sets no limits to the number of times we may receive this sacrament, for He knows only too well our weakness and our instability. Neither does He set any limit on His mercy in this sacrament. There is no sin, however frightful, which cannot be forgiven. Even venial sins and the daily minor failings of which we are guilty, are matter for this sacrament. “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them.” Christ’s mercy in giving us this sacrament shows us how concerned He is that we become incorporated in Him through baptism. and the Eucharist. He wills that we be free from all sin and live as pure children of God. He desires that we begin a new life, free of all sin or infidelity to the Father. Would that we might carry out His designs!

Not only are the various mortal sins which we commit forgiven and destroyed by this sacrament, but also our venial sins and faults. Christ wills that through baptism and the Eucharist we become so firmly implanted in Him that we are freed from all sin and become children of God. He wills that we begin to live a new life that will be free from the slightest fault, and avoid even the smallest infidelity to His Heavenly Father. It is for this reason that the Church insists that all those who dedicate themselves to the quest of perfection such as priests and religious, receive this sacrament and its graces every week. She looks upon the “frequent” reception of this sacrament as an excellent means of acquiring Christian perfection. “By it genuine self-knowledge is increased, Christian humility grows, bad habits are corrected, spiritual neglect and tepidity are resisted, the conscience is purified, the will is strengthened, a salutary self-control is attained, and grace is increased in virtue of the Sacrament itself” (Pius XII, Encyclical, Mystici Corporis, Part III, 88). If the Sacrament can accomplish all these things for us, how zealously we should use it.

3. We acknowledge with gratitude and faith the precious Easter gift which the Lord has given us in the sacrament of penance. We recognize the apostles and their successors, the bishops and priests, as having the commission and the power to forgive or retain our sins. They are, therefore, placed over us as judges of our conscience. Because of these Easter gifts we subject ourselves in obedience and with confidence to the priests who have been placed over us. From them we seek and receive the forgiveness of our faults.

Since the Lord receives us in the sacrament of His mercy with so much love and solicitude, it is fitting that we respond to His advances with a like generosity. Knowing the importance and the efficacy of this sacrament, we should be eager to use it for the salvation of our soul and the enrichment of our spiritual life.

PRAYER

Grant, we beseech Thee, 0 almighty God, that we who have celebrated the paschal solemnity, may by Thy bounty show forth its effects in our life and conduct. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The spirit of faith

1. “Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Thomas must see to believe. The Lord deals with this weakness in His disciple with a condescension that is striking. Nevertheless He does not fail to admonish him, “Because thou hast seen Me, Thomas, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen and have believed” (Gospel).
2. Thomas is the representative of that vast throng of men who refuse to accept the testimony of the gospel or of the Church. They accept nothing but that which they can see with their own eyes and touch with their own hands. Thomas is also typical of all those who, though they accept the testimony of the gospel and of the Church, yet in practical life never rise above a purely natural level in their thinking and in their outlook on life. They recite the Creed with the Church, but they lack the spirit of faith. Many Christians and many Catholics have such an attitude. They reason, judge, speak, and act in exactly the same manner as the world about them thinks and acts. Practically speaking, they have no higher ideal than any other man of the world. They are satisfied with health, prosperity, a livelihood, an interesting occupation, and amusing pastimes. When they encounter anything unpleasant or when they suffer hardships, they look about for a scapegoat, disclaiming all personal responsibility, and exhaust all the means at hand to escape from that which is hard or unpleasant. There is nothing supernatural in their point of view or in their manner of acting.

The majority of Christians and of Catholics who subscribe fervently to the creed of the Church, allow themselves to be governed by worldly considerations, by the opinion of their superiors, or by the claims of their worldly occupations, or the needs of their human career. Their actions are governed by human respect; they are swayed by any emotion; and they are covered with a mantle of self-love and pride. Even those consecrated to God and living behind the walls of the cloister are often ruled by purely natural motives far more than they themselves suspect. More than they are aware of it, their actions are governed by self-love in its manifold forms, rather than by motives of faith and the love of God. They live lives that are far from being supernatural. They do not live, as they should, by faith, with their gaze fixed on Christ, on God, and on His holy will. For this reason they experience so much unrest, so much uncertainty, such instability, weakness, and emptiness in their spiritual life. “Blessed are they that have not seen and have believed.”

“Know also this, that in the last days shall come dangerous times. Men shall be lovers of themselves, covetous, haughty, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, wicked, without affection, without peace, slanderers, incontinent, unmerciful, without kindness, traitors, stubborn, puffed up, and lovers of pleasure more than of God; having an appearance indeed of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (II Tim. 3: 1-5). We are tempted to believe that the evil times described here by St. Paul have already arrived. Even in the very strongholds of piety, many pious and spiritual persons have become worldly and exert themselves only in the search for pleasure. They measure life in terms of the senses. Theirs is a piety which is little more than a continuous interplay of sensations and emotions. Such piety naturally shrinks from difficulties, exertions, and self-sacrifice. It occupies itself with spiritual things, even with prayer and the sacraments, only as a means of satisfying its emotional needs. The soul is thus deprived of the benefits it should reap from these exercises. The reward of such effort is merely a desolate spiritual dryness and an enduring emptiness. “One encounters scarcely a single person,” says St. John of the Cross, “who escapes this tyranny of the senses.”

Such souls barely scratch the surface of life; superficiality rules their life of prayer, their work, and their fulfillment of the duties of their state of life. They cannot rise to God, for they are bound to earth by fetters of superficiality. They can never look into the depths, because their attention is always distracted by trivialities. They are warped and become such slaves of minor details that their condition is often ridiculous. They are cast about from side to side, and become continually weaker. They multiply their prayers, increase their efforts and their spiritual exercises; but all this serves merely to dissipate their strength and squander their energy. They have “an appearance indeed of godliness, but deny the power thereof.” Such miserable, unfruitful souls have built their spiritual edifice on feelings and emotions rather than on the spirit and the firm foundation of faith. Since they live without having fixed their gaze on God and His love, since they neglect His providence and His will, there is no depth to their piety, no strength or security or stability in their souls. “Blessed are they that have not seen and have believed.”

3. “This is the victory which overcometh the world, our faith” (Epistle). The spirit of faith makes us consider everything we encounter in the light of God and His divine providence. It makes us accept everything as coming from His eternal solicitude and by His divine appointment. Faith gives us enlightenment, solidity, understanding, and peace. “Blessed are they that. . . have believed.”

That new life which we received at Easter (that is, when we were baptized), we should strive to increase daily through the celebration of Mass and the devout reception of Holy Communion. We may enrich our spiritual life further by holy reading and the practice of other spiritual exercises. Even when we have done these things, we shall yet remain far from our goal, which is to live entirely by faith. Only when we have reached that goal will we be able to truly celebrate “the paschal solemnity” (Collect).

PRAYER

Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that we who have celebrated the paschal solemnity, may by Thy bounty show forth its effects in our life and conduct. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

April 3 

1. AGAPE, CHIONIA and IRENE, VIRGINS AND MARTYRS (A.D. 304)

IN the year 303, the Emperor Diocletian issued a decree rendering it an offence punishable by death to possess or retain any portion of the sacred Christian writings. Now there were living at that time at Thessalonica in Macedonia three Christian sisters, Agape, Chionia and Irene, the daughters of pagan parents, who owned several volumes of the Holy Scriptures. These books were kept so carefully concealed that they were not discovered until the following year when the house was searched. after the sisters had been arrested upon another charge.

One day, when Dulcitius the governor had taken his seat on the tribune, his secretary Artemesius read the charge-sheet, which had been handed in by the public informer. It ran as follows: “The pensioner Cassander to Dulcitius, President of Macedonia, greeting. I send to your Highness six Christian women and one man who have refused to eat meat sacrificed to the gods. Their names are Agape, Chionia, Irene, Cassia, Philippa and Eutychia, and the man is called Agatho.”

The president said to the women, who had been arrested, ” Fools, how can you be so mad as to disobey the commands of the emperors?” Then, turning to the man, he asked, “Why will you not eat of the meat offered to the gods, like other subjects? ” ” Because I am a Christian,” replied Agatho. “Do you adhere to your determination?” “Certainly I do.” Dulcitius next questioned Agape as to her convictions. “I believe in the living God,” was her answer, ” and I will not lose all the merit of my past life by one evil action.” “And you, Chionia, what have you to say for yourself?” “That I believe in the living God and therefore I cannot obey the emperor’s orders.” Irene replied when asked why she did not comply, “Because I was afraid of offending God.” “What do you say, Cassia? ” inquired the judge. ” That I desire to save my soul.” ” Then will you not partake of the sacred offerings?” “No, indeed, I will not.” Philippa declared that she would rather die than obey, and so did Eutychia, a young woman recently widowed who was about to become a mother. Because of her condition, she was separated from her companions and taken back to prison, while Dulcitius proceeded to press the others further. “Agape”, he inquired, “what have you decided? Will you act as we do, who are obedient and dutiful to the emperor?” “It is not right to obey Satan”, she answered, ” I am not to be influenced by anything that you can say.” “And you, Chionia “, persisted the president, “what is your ultimate decision?” “My decision remains unchanged.” “Have you not some books or writings relating to the religion of the impious Christians?” he asked. ” We have none: the emperor now on the throne has taken them all from us “, was the reply. To inquiries as to who had converted them to Christianity Chionia would only say, “Our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Then Dulcitius gave sentence: “I condemn Agape and Chionia to be burnt alive for having out of malice and obstinacy acted in contravention of the divine /19/ edicts of our lords the Emperors and Caesars, and for continuing to profess the rash and false religion of the Christians, which all pious persons abhor. As for the other four”, he added, ” let them be kept in close captivity during my pleasure.”

After the martyrdom of her elder sisters, Irene was again brought before the president, who said to her, “Your folly is patent enough now, for you retained in your possession all those books, parchments, and writings relating to the doctrine of the impious Christians which you were forced to acknowledge when they were produced before you, although you had previously denied that you had any . . . Yet even now, notwithstanding your crimes, you may find pardon if you wilt worship the gods . . . . Are you prepared to do so? ” ” No”, replied Irene, “for those who do so are in danger of hell fire.” “Who persuaded you to hide those books and papers for so long?” “Almighty God, who has commanded us to love Him unto death. For that reason we prefer to be burnt alive rather than give up the Holy Scriptures and betray Him.” “Who knew that you had those writings hidden away?” ” Nobody”, replied Irene, “except Almighty God; for we concealed them even from our servants lest they should inform against us.” “Where did you hide yourselves last year when the emperors’ edict was first published ?” “Where it pleased God: in the mountains.” ” With whom did you live?” persisted the judge. “We were in the open air-sometimes on one mountain, sometimes on another.” ” Who supplied you with food?” “God, who gives food to all flesh.” ” Was your father privy to it?” “No, he had not the least idea of it.” “Which of your neighbours was in the secret?” “Inquire in the neighbourhood and make your search.” “After you returned from the mountains did you read those books to anyone?” ” They were hidden in the house, but we dared not produce them: we were in great trouble because we could no longer read them day and night as we had been accustomed to do.”

Irene’s sentence was a more cruel one than that of her sisters. Dulcitius declared that she like them had incurred the death penalty for having concealed the books, but that her sufferings should be more lingering. He therefore ordered that she should be stripped and exposed in a house of ill fame which was kept closely guarded. As, however, she appeared to be miraculously protected from molestation, the governor afterwards caused her to be put to death. The acts say that she suffered at the stake, being compelled to throw herself into the flames. But this is improbable, and some later versions speak of her being shot in the throat with an arrow.

As we read of these noble women who preferred to die rather than yield up their copies of the Sacred Scriptures, and as we consider the loving care lavished by the monks of a later generation upon copying and illuminating the gospels, we may with advantage question ourselves as to the value which we attach to God’s written word. Irene and her sisters were distressed when they could not read the sacred books at all hours. Many of us in these latter ages do not even read them every day although we have every inducement and encouragement to do so. The very facilities which we have for obtaining cheap and well-printed Bibles seem to render us less appreciative and less studious of the word of God—in spite of the exhortations of our pastors. There is a salutary lesson for all in the story of Agape, Chionia and Irene.

(Butler’s Lives of Saints).
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