From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

April 11th =E2=80=93 Saint Antipas of Pergamon, Hieromartyr
Also known as Antipas of Pergamum, Antipas of P=C3=A9rgamo, Antipas of Perg= amus

The Hieromartyr Antipas, a disciple of the holy Apostle John the
Theologian (September 26), was bishop of the Church of Pergamum during
the reign of the emperor Nero (54-68).=C2 During these times, everyone
who would not offer sacrifice to the idols lived under threat of
either exile or execution by order of the emperor. On the island of
Patmos (in the Aegean Sea) the holy Apostle John the Theologian was
imprisoned, he to whom the Lord revealed the future judgment of the
world and of Holy Church.

"And to the angel of the Church of Pergamum write: the words of him
who has the sharp two-edged sword. I know where you live, where the
throne of Satan is, and you cleave unto My Name, and have not
renounced My faith, even in those days when Antipas was My faithful
martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells" (Rev 2:12-13).

By his personal example, firm faith and constant preaching about
Christ, St. Antipas began to turn the people of Pergamum from offering sacrifice to idols. The pagan priests reproached the bishop for
leading the people away from their ancestral gods, and they demanded
that he stop preaching about Christ and offer sacrifice to the idols
instead.

St. Antipas calmly answered that he was not about to serve the demons
that fled from him, a mere mortal. He said he worshiped the Lord
Almighty, and he would continue to worship the Creator of all, with
His Only-Begotten Son, and the Holy Spirit. The pagan priests retorted
that their gods existed from of old, whereas Christ was not from of
old but was crucified under Pontius Pilate as a criminal. The saint
replied that the pagan gods were the work of human hands and that
everything said about them was filled with iniquities and vices. He
steadfastly confessed his faith in the Son of God, incarnate of the
Most Holy Virgin.

The enraged pagan priests dragged the Hieromartyr Antipas to the
temple of Artemis and threw him into a red-hot copper bull, where
usually they put the sacrifices to the idols. In the red-hot furnace
the martyr prayed loudly to God, imploring Him to receive his soul and
to strengthen the faith of the Christians. He went to the Lord
peacefully, as if he were going to sleep (+ ca. 68).

At night Christians took the body of the Hieromartyr Antipas, which
was untouched by the fire. They buried him at Pergamum. The tomb of
the hieromartyr became a font of miracles and of healings from various sicknesses. We pray to the Hieromartyr Antipas for relief from
toothache, and diseases of the teeth.


Saint Quote:
By the anxieties and worries of this life Satan tries to dull man's
heart and make a dwelling for himself there.
--St. Francis of Assisi

Bible Quote:
"Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, Give unto the Lord glory and
strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name."=C2 [Psalm
29:1-2]


<><><><>
Penitential Prayer of St. Augustine

O Lord, the house of my soul is narrow;
enlarge it that you may enter in.
It is ruinous, O repair it!
It displeases Your sight.
I confess it, I know.
But who shall cleanse it,
to whom shall I cry but to you?
Cleanse me from my secret faults, O Lord,
and spare Your servant from strange sins.
On Lasting Peace and True Progress:=C2 [II]

But do not imagine that you can avoid anxiety in this life, or that
you may never experience sorrow of heart or pain of body, for true
peace is only to be found in the state of eternal rest. So do not
think that you have found true peace when you happen to experience no
trouble and do not think that all is well when no one opposes you. Nor
should you imagine that everything is perfect when everything happens
in accordance with your wishes. Do not hold an exaggerated opinion of
yourself, or believe that you are a favourite of God when you enjoy
the grace of great devotion and sweetness is known, or is a man's
spiritual progress dependent on such things.
--Thomas =C3 Kempis --Imitation of Christ, Bk 3, Ch 25

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